Greece

As we arrived in Greece, we suddenly were taken back to our college years, looking at Greek letters thrown into the middle of words. Let's see, beta is a b, gamma is a g.... I guess I didn't think that they still actually used those letters. Silly me. We started our trip by hopping on a small cruise ship, which I had to twist both Chris and my arm to do. We are not 'cruisers,' but it was the most economical way to see several islands, and Ephesus. The girls were thrilled to be on a boat and even more excited about our tiny room that would be home for the next few days. The port we stopped at were Mykenos, Ephesus, Patmos, Crete, and Santorini. 

Marble streets and lots of rubble...

We took a guided tour of the old city of Ephesus and were amazed at walking down the same streets that the apostles Paul and John walked down. (The girls were more amazed at the stray cats that were very tame.) Ephesus used to be one of the largest port cities, but it now lies 6 miles from the coast. The streets are made of marble, as were most of the buildings, and they are actively renovating it. The ampitheater seats 24,000 and is occasionally used today for concerts. How awesome would that be? Upon leaving Ancient Ephesus, numerous vendors are ready to make you a deal and take your money. There were your typical souvenir shops and then several 'Real Fake Watches' shops; knockoff watches for cheap. I guess there is no trying to fool the consumer with that shop name. The girls got skirts with jingles on them and proceded to wear them for the next few days. We constantly knew where they were, as they jingled with their every move. Fortunately, the ship was mostly older people and they though it was cute, or so we thought that's why they were smiling at Allie and Tessa. I had one woman stop me and say, "I have seen you and your girls around the ship. They are such a delight and so beautiful. Oh, and you are beautiful too." Wow, I guess I could get used to cruising...


Hiking to the vlcano crater, Santorini in background



On Santorini, we hopped on a smaller boat and headed to a volcano for a hike and a promised swim in some 'hot' sulfer springs. The hike was neat and provided great views of Santorini, which was formed by volcanic eruptions. But enough about that, how about the swimming? Those of you that know me well, know that it takes a lot to get me in the water. The conditions have to just perfect-sunny and warm. As we left on the excursion with 30 other people, I made the comment to my family, "I'm going swimming no matter what! How often can you say you swam by a volcano?" There they were, the words that I would soon come to regret. I should have know when our guide was wearing a ski hat and a down coat that conditions were not going to be 'just perfect.' The boat slowed down and our guide says, "The sulfer springs are just 50 meters around the corner. You need to dive off the boat and swim in chilly water to reach them. We will stay here for 15 minutes, so if you want to go, now is your chance." No one made any attempts to strip down to their suits. At that moment, Chris looked at me with a sly grin. "You said..." After a brief family pow wow, Allie, Chris & I decided to go for it. Tessa would be our official photographer. Chris jumped in first and his response was not what I was hoping for: "This is the coldest water I've ever been in!!" Well, I lived up to my promise that day, but for the record, the springs should be called 'luke warm sulfer springs.'

After landing back on mainland Greece, we rented a car and drove to the Pelopenese Peninsula and stayed in Kardimyli and Nafplio. We took some gorgeous drives along the coast, through olive orchards, herds of wandering goats, and tiny local towns. The roads are windy and narrow, and hug the mountainside and there seemed to be a gorgeous veiw at every bend. We explored several secluded beaches, some sea caves, and even hiked up (and down) 920 steps to an old castle. Every morning we had fresh bread and feta cheese and ate plenty of olives throughout the day.

Of course no trip to Greece would be complete without going to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon. Lots of people, tired girls, and hot sunshine: we stayed long enough to capture a few pictures and marvel at the history.