Greece!
day 1- travel day
I stayed in Cedar City last night, woke up this morning a little before 4am to fly out of St. George. Who would have guessed, right? Killer flight deals from St. George to Europe.
This might sound weird, but when I woke up this morning and went outside, the air smelled familiar. Nostalgic. Air smells different in different places. When I was in college (also in Cedar City) I was a *custodian on campus and I'd wake up and walk to campus around 5:45.
It's like the air smelled the same as it did 10 years ago. Ya, college was ten years ago #ifeelold
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It's like the air smelled the same as it did 10 years ago. Ya, college was ten years ago #ifeelold
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I actually love driving in the early morning. I found myself wishing the drive were a little longer because I was enjoying myself so much.
Musicals were on the playlist for this morning, and I don't think I've ever performed DEFYING GRAVITY so well before. Ya'll missed out. That might have been my peak. Alone somewhere on I-15 between St. George and Cedar City. 😂🤣
Musicals were on the playlist for this morning, and I don't think I've ever performed DEFYING GRAVITY so well before. Ya'll missed out. That might have been my peak. Alone somewhere on I-15 between St. George and Cedar City. 😂🤣
🛫 St. George ➡️ Denver
In Denver, I sat down to eat a breakfast burrito at the gate and met a really nice woman. A retired teacher 🙌. She was going to visit her daughter in Boston.
We talked about my trip and traveling solo. When I told her where I've been before, she said that I must get hit on a lot in countries like Italy. Ya. Also Spain. Maybe it's a Southern Europe thing?
I spent a good chunk of travel time⏰ listening to podcasts about Greece. A few Rick Steves, a few from Spotify. The class that convinced me to change my major, back when I was in college, was an Ancient Greece class.
I still remember a lot about that class. 👨🏫
Sparta vs Athens. Mythology vs. reality. Greece vs Rome. Greece vs. Persia. I'm getting more and more excited to visit!
✈️ Denver ➡️ Toronto
✈️ Toronto ➡️ Frankfurt
Traveling internationally is a little frustrating right now. There are rules and regulations for entering and exiting each country, and the rules are different for each. Some rules apply at the airport regardless of if it's a layover, and other rules don't matter if you're not staying. I won't bore you with all the details, just know it's a hassle. 😅
✈️Frankfurt ➡️ Athens
Traveling to Athens technically took more than one day, so.... on.to.DAY 2!!
day 2- athens
I ordered an international SIM card from Amazon. French phone number. 12GB of data. I was worried it wouldn't work or I'd have to call someone, or the internet would be slow, but it's been awesome so far! I did not have this luxury last time. ✨💎
After I landed in Athens, I took a pre-booked transport to get to my AirBnB. I'm staying a few minutes from downtown Athens, the AirBnB has the craziest elevator! Like secret door sketchy kind of crazy.
It's a pretty cool place. Five years ago I was doing the youth-hostel-share-rooms-with-strangers thing. Now I'm doing the rent-my-own-space-with-a-living-room-and-kitchen thing. 😅
After I landed in Athens, I took a pre-booked transport to get to my AirBnB. I'm staying a few minutes from downtown Athens, the AirBnB has the craziest elevator! Like secret door sketchy kind of crazy.
It's a pretty cool place. Five years ago I was doing the youth-hostel-share-rooms-with-strangers thing. Now I'm doing the rent-my-own-space-with-a-living-room-and-kitchen thing. 😅
![Picture](/uploads/4/9/8/9/49893023/pxl-20210716-123806630.jpg?250)
Once I got to the AirBnB I showered and then went out to explore Athens.
I quickly found out the neighborhood was a little sketchy. Though I've definitely stayed in sketchy neighborhoods before!
Then I stopped and got a 3€ falafel. Cucumber, tomato, onion, tzatziki sauce, wrapped in a tortilla. First meal in Greece. ✅
My first historic site was the Library of Hadrian. 📚 I found out there are a ton of fenced off stone ruins all over Athens. Fairly similar to each other. Hadrian was a Roman emperor, Hadrian's library was built when Greece was part of the Roman empire.
I wandered by the Roman Forum then up the street to the Acropolis, which is the thing people come to see in Athens. There are cool restaurants and stone streets leading up to the Acropolis. I rewarded myself for reaching the top with a frozen strawberry lemonade. 🍋❄️🍓
Inside the Acropolis, there are a few different monuments. Instead of doing a guided your, I was listening to a free Rick Steves audio tour. 🆓 My favorite monument (architecturally) was actually the Erechtheion. The Parthenon was cool too. So was the Propylaea. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is an amphitheatre that they still use for concerts and events. All of those things are in... The Acropolis.
The Parthenon was built for the Greek Goddess Athena. Story goes, that she and Poseidon both wanted to be the patron god of the city. Athena gifted the city and olive tree and Poseidon gifted a spring of water. The people chose Athena's gift and named the city Athens. 🌳🫒
Outside the entrance of the Acropolis, there's a rock outcropping to the right called Mars Hill. That's the hill that the apostle Paul climbed in the first century AD to preach to the Athenians. Tres cool. For some reason that made Athens seem more ancient than anything else did. 🪨
My favorite part of the day was after the Acropolis wandering through the parks and markets outside of the Acropolis as the sun was going down. 🌅
I stopped by a sweet shop / pastry shop I had read about online. Nancy's Sweethome or Σερμπετόσπιτο 👌. I asked what the best dessert was- I have no idea what it's called, or even what the ingredients are. It was these thin crunchy coconut noodles? 🥥 + 🍜 ❓with a cream cheese filling inside, topped with ice cream. It was delicious. I could only eat like half of it. I also got baklava to go.
I stopped by a sweet shop / pastry shop I had read about online. Nancy's Sweethome or Σερμπετόσπιτο 👌. I asked what the best dessert was- I have no idea what it's called, or even what the ingredients are. It was these thin crunchy coconut noodles? 🥥 + 🍜 ❓with a cream cheese filling inside, topped with ice cream. It was delicious. I could only eat like half of it. I also got baklava to go.
To get home I decided I had better experience the metro #ToProveIveStillGotIt, so I took that back home instead of walking. #crushedit
I ended the day writing in my journal on the balcony. ✍️
I ended the day writing in my journal on the balcony. ✍️
day 3- Meteora
Still struggling getting on a normal sleep schedule. I woke up every couple of hours, Greece is 8 (or 9?) hours ahead and I didn't sleep well on the journey here. I woke up around 4 and had leftover falafel and baklava.
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I then took a 4hr train to Meteroa.
A lot of the Grecian countryside looks like Utah.
I met a family from Dubai on the train. Elena told me she's from Moldova but she's lived in Dubai half her life. At one point the kids were playing handclapping games. Girl's camp and family reunion memories came flooding back. I tried to remember the ones I used to know... Zing zing zing, "my father was a butcher", I wonder if I've written those down anywhere?👐🧩🎶
A lot of the Grecian countryside looks like Utah.
I met a family from Dubai on the train. Elena told me she's from Moldova but she's lived in Dubai half her life. At one point the kids were playing handclapping games. Girl's camp and family reunion memories came flooding back. I tried to remember the ones I used to know... Zing zing zing, "my father was a butcher", I wonder if I've written those down anywhere?👐🧩🎶
We stopped in the town of Kalabaka and had a snack before heading into the cliffs to see the monasteries
Meteora- it is a place in Greece, 4hr train ride north of Athens, where you can see monasteries on the tops of free standing cliffs. I went with a tour group.
*warning* the following 11ish paragraphs I go into a lot of detail about monks and monasteries...
In the 9th century, a few monks (Eastern Orthodox Christian monks) wanted to find most difficult and isolated place to live out the rest of their lives. They believed this would bring them closer to God, and they would be able to go to paradise more easily. The first ones found caves in the side of cliffs and climbed up to the caves to live.🧗
Villagers from the nearby town of Kastraki would visit and send up provisions Our tour guide grew up in Kastraki, so that was pretty cool. 😎
All day I've been thinking about the type of people who would be willing to commit to living alone in a cave their whole life. I can't imagine that devotion or what drives you to that. I'm imagining their mental health and the types of things they think about as the decades go by. I'm not sure if I revere them as much as our guide does. Their behavior doesn't make sense to me, but I also recognize I have no cultural connection to that so it's hard for me to understand that perspective, but I'm glad Katherina provided a but of that cultural connection. 🇬🇷
The cave-monks weren't allowed to come down. Once they were in the caves, except to perform mass nearby, they stayed in the cave. They would lower a basket for supplies 🧺 once a week. If they don't lower the basket for a couple of weeks, then people would know they had died. They couldn't go to the hospital if they were on death's door. The whole point of living there is to prove their devotion to God through loneliness and peril. ⚠️⚡Once a senior monk died, the others can move up a cave. There's only one now, so once he dies, there's no one to replace him. Once a year he climbs down to perform a service. The only other time they can come down is to find a hermit monk to replace them.
Now there's only one of these (not in the other on-top-of-the-cliff-fancier-monasteries) monks left... If you've been to the actual monasteries on cliffs, you'll know that the stuff I've been explaining #thankyouforyourpatience is NOT how those monks live. But that's where it started. Same idea, being mostly isolated and closer to God.
The one guy who lives down by the caves is 92. Climbed up at age 26.
He lets some people meet him, you have to send him a letter and he might agree to see you. He gives advice. Our tour guide (Katherina) met him when she was sixteen. She wrote him a letter about some serious bullying at school 🏫. He wrote back and said to come and see him the next day at 7am. They spoke all day she said she was there until 8pm. But when she told him her problem, he laughed at her. Which, understandably, hurt her feelings at first. Basically he told her that her cross to bear (the bullying) was a small problem. That she should be grateful for that. Years later she wanted to thank him for his advice and change of perspective, but was only allowed to wave, not to talk to him. As she told the story you could tell she genuinely reveres these monks. I'm glad she was our guide today.
Katherina mentioned a monastic decline. When Greece was under Ottoman control (3.5 centuries), many monasteries were shut down because they couldn't pay taxes and because Ottomans destroyed a lot of churches.
Everything up to this point, our guide had personally added to the tour. Most tours don't go up and look at the caves, they just go to the huge/fancy monasteries. I'm grateful we did the cave part 😊.
The one guy who lives down by the caves is 92. Climbed up at age 26.
He lets some people meet him, you have to send him a letter and he might agree to see you. He gives advice. Our tour guide (Katherina) met him when she was sixteen. She wrote him a letter about some serious bullying at school 🏫. He wrote back and said to come and see him the next day at 7am. They spoke all day she said she was there until 8pm. But when she told him her problem, he laughed at her. Which, understandably, hurt her feelings at first. Basically he told her that her cross to bear (the bullying) was a small problem. That she should be grateful for that. Years later she wanted to thank him for his advice and change of perspective, but was only allowed to wave, not to talk to him. As she told the story you could tell she genuinely reveres these monks. I'm glad she was our guide today.
Katherina mentioned a monastic decline. When Greece was under Ottoman control (3.5 centuries), many monasteries were shut down because they couldn't pay taxes and because Ottomans destroyed a lot of churches.
Everything up to this point, our guide had personally added to the tour. Most tours don't go up and look at the caves, they just go to the huge/fancy monasteries. I'm grateful we did the cave part 😊.
1st visited... Monastery Great Meteora. Two monks reside here. These monks are not completely isolated like the ones we talked about that used to live down in the caves, they maintain the monastery and greet guests. We didn't see them, the 1st monastery is pretty big they have employees running the shop and taking tickets. You need to take a breather on the hike up to this one! 🦿
2nd visited.... The Varleem Monastery
Gardens were beautiful. This one was a lot smaller than the first. |
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We stopped and took a few roadside pictures with views of the others. There's the Monastery of the Holy Trinity which the first monks would've had to climb initially and then have supplies lofted up to build the monastery. Many monks died in the process of building it. It's aka the James Bond monastery because one of the James Bond movies was filmed there. 🕴️🔫
3rd visited.... St Stephen. This one is a nunnery- there were nuns working in store and gift shop. Katherina said 16 nuns live there.
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I wrote about this earlier, but the monasteries on the cliffs at Meteora aren't poor or simple looking monasteries. Maybe they started out that way because the monks had to initially climb, transport the building materials, and then actually build the monastery.... but the monasteries of today are HUGE. Especially the first one we saw. The chapel in each was pretty ornate, the first two we couldn't take pictures, but the last one (St. Stephen) we could...
Okay history / culture lesson over 😅
We didn't have much time after the monasteries to grab food before catching the train back to Athens. I ran to a grocery store and got fruit juice, cookies, an ice cream bar 🍦, and potato chips 🥔. #ihaverefinedtaste Didn't realize until on the train that they were saltless chips. 😕
On the train ride back I sat in a different first class coach. I met a really nice couple from Colorado. Mirella and Jim. We became pretty good friends by the end of the trip. We discussed covid, vaccines, traveling (the wife had some concerning opinions about China 🇨🇳), she showed me a picture of her granddaughter. When I said "aw, she's cute!" She said that I look like her granddaughter 😅 #addafewdecadesthough
Mirella mentioned how her older daughter has been engaged for seven years and is afraid to get married. So we got a little real for a minute about being single in your 30's. 😁
Anyway. Such a good day. I love traveling. I love learning about and meeting different people. I love THIS kind of pushing myself to discover and stretch. I always come back changed. More so when I travel alone. Good. day. 🏝️
Anyway. Such a good day. I love traveling. I love learning about and meeting different people. I love THIS kind of pushing myself to discover and stretch. I always come back changed. More so when I travel alone. Good. day. 🏝️
day 4- Driving to Cape Sounion
Sunday ☀️.
This morning I rented a car and drove to church. I was a little nervous to drive in Athens. On the way to my AirBnB on the first day, I noticed people don't really stay in lanes or use blinkers. Also the lane lines aren't super visible. And sometimes the right lane is taken up by parked cars unexpectedly.
This morning I rented a car and drove to church. I was a little nervous to drive in Athens. On the way to my AirBnB on the first day, I noticed people don't really stay in lanes or use blinkers. Also the lane lines aren't super visible. And sometimes the right lane is taken up by parked cars unexpectedly.
Church was great, there were 9 people, I was surprised because, if I remember right, it's the only branch near Athens. Half of Greece's 10.5 million people live in Athens. They were still partially virtual though. The branch president mentioned they had 100 virtual viewers 👀 the week before. They had a few visitors join for the Sacrament portion after the meetings (which were mostly in English), almost all the visitors were from Utah 😂.
My car is great though. Phone data wasn't really working today, but the car has a built-in GPS. I drove down to Cape Sounion. Saw the Temple of Poseidon, ate a Greek salad, and stopped at a few beaches on the way back to Athens.
My car is great though. Phone data wasn't really working today, but the car has a built-in GPS. I drove down to Cape Sounion. Saw the Temple of Poseidon, ate a Greek salad, and stopped at a few beaches on the way back to Athens.
Today has been a pretty chill day. I have to get up pretty early tomorrow. I'm hoping to leave here by 3:30am 😬 so I'm gonna go to bed EARLY. 🌽
day 5- Santorini hike
Well last night I spent like 2 hours lying awake worrying about where I had parked the car and thinking about all of my emotional issues 😂. Which I suppose is important to think about, but not when you have to wake up at 3am.
I had parked on a random street and was worrying about if I was allowed to park there. Parking in Athens is straight up crazy. I kept thinking maybe I would get a really expensive ticket, or they would boot the car, or worse... tow it. You know, all the things you worry about in the middle of the night.
There doesn't seem to be a lot of enforcement on rules of the road, people get annoyed when you don't go 20 kph over the limit (granted... I'll admit I get a little annoyed by people going exactly the speed limit #hypocrite? 😬) Anyway. That's why I took a risk with parking. Plus I didn't know what else to do.
And we'll save talking more about my emotional issues for another time. 😁
I had parked on a random street and was worrying about if I was allowed to park there. Parking in Athens is straight up crazy. I kept thinking maybe I would get a really expensive ticket, or they would boot the car, or worse... tow it. You know, all the things you worry about in the middle of the night.
There doesn't seem to be a lot of enforcement on rules of the road, people get annoyed when you don't go 20 kph over the limit (granted... I'll admit I get a little annoyed by people going exactly the speed limit #hypocrite? 😬) Anyway. That's why I took a risk with parking. Plus I didn't know what else to do.
And we'll save talking more about my emotional issues for another time. 😁
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As I was walking to my car 🏎️ this morning, I was surprised at how many people were out at 3:30am. But driving to the airport would've probably been a lot more stressful in daytime traffic, so I was definitely #blessed this morning.
✈️Athens ➡️ Santorini
✈️Athens ➡️ Santorini
Um... I. LOVE. Santorini. That sounds very cliché, to love a fancy tourist 'trap'... But I said what I said. 🧑⚖️
Immediately after landing it felt like a safer place. I was met at the airport and taken to my AirBnB. I had to wait for the host to show up so I could drop off my luggage, so I just wandered around a bit with my suitcases. I found a bakery with THE BEST selection. I'll probably go there every day for breakfast. ❣️🥐🥞
Immediately after landing it felt like a safer place. I was met at the airport and taken to my AirBnB. I had to wait for the host to show up so I could drop off my luggage, so I just wandered around a bit with my suitcases. I found a bakery with THE BEST selection. I'll probably go there every day for breakfast. ❣️🥐🥞
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I'm staying in an apartment above a supermarket, so that's convenient.
After I dropped off my bags I took the local bus. Get this... The local buses in Santorini are old charter buses. Like nice buses with AC and arm rests.
I read online that the bus fare has to be paid in cash on the buses, 🚌 so I had been collecting change. Nonchalantly. Nobody noticed. But that's the thing when you're traveling alone... It's easy to be discreet. 😉 #youknowigetweirderthemoretimeispendalone
After I dropped off my bags I took the local bus. Get this... The local buses in Santorini are old charter buses. Like nice buses with AC and arm rests.
I read online that the bus fare has to be paid in cash on the buses, 🚌 so I had been collecting change. Nonchalantly. Nobody noticed. But that's the thing when you're traveling alone... It's easy to be discreet. 😉 #youknowigetweirderthemoretimeispendalone
ANYWAY it was very easy to change buses and get to Oia (ee-ah, you don't pronounce the 'o' in the Greek name 🇬🇷🏺). Almost everyone on the bus was a tourist. They say things first in English, then in Greek on most of their signs and shop names. So it's less authentic than mainland Greece, but easier for tourists to navigate.
Greece is a pretty dry country. Santorini is too. I don't know what I was expecting, but there's a lot of brown here. The landscape looks a lot like Utah. Minus the Mediterranean of course 🌊🐙.
Greece is a pretty dry country. Santorini is too. I don't know what I was expecting, but there's a lot of brown here. The landscape looks a lot like Utah. Minus the Mediterranean of course 🌊🐙.
I hiked today. The map said it was a 6 mile hike, but my Fitbit said 10.87miles when I got back. Though that included walking to my car this mornin', walking at the airport, and wandering around the streets of Kamari this morning. 🕦🌄
So WHY do I love Santorini? "Let me count the ways"
1. I already mentioned 'safer and easier to navigate.' That's not to say I don't like a good challenge or an authentic culture... But it's easier to relax as a solo traveler without that sometimes 😀
2. It's in the low 80s° ALL WEEK. When I was hiking there was a nice chill to the breeze. It was lovely. I met a man from Spain while hiking. Super friendly. I tried to convince him to come to Utah for the hikes. He seemed to think that seeing the Grand Canyon was enough 🙄.
1. I already mentioned 'safer and easier to navigate.' That's not to say I don't like a good challenge or an authentic culture... But it's easier to relax as a solo traveler without that sometimes 😀
2. It's in the low 80s° ALL WEEK. When I was hiking there was a nice chill to the breeze. It was lovely. I met a man from Spain while hiking. Super friendly. I tried to convince him to come to Utah for the hikes. He seemed to think that seeing the Grand Canyon was enough 🙄.
3. Because I hiked, I got to see a lot of the island: Oia, Imerovigli, Fira. And constant views of the sea ⛵⛴️ during the hike. I was near the highest point of the island most of the hike, and there aren't a lot of trees. So pretty great views. All three of those towns have those famous white cliff side villas. The paths are all over the place. Very easy to get stuck. #ithinkthatistheirwholeplan
4. There are so many different options for FOOD. After my hike, I sat down to a plate of DELICIOUS PASTA WITH TOMATOES, BASIL, AND PARMESAN. 🍅🌿🧀. Sorry for yelling. Best thing I've eaten all trip. If you know me, you know I'm a pasta girl. Not a human girl. 🍝➕🧍♀️Also Santorini is famous for tomatoes. They didn't disappoint. The sauce was so fresh.
5. There aren't as many creepy leering men. It's not catcalling on the street it's "you have beautiful eyes" in the restaurant 👀😊.
Oia was breathtaking. I've seen pics. It's the poster child (wait a minute... is that a saying? Children on posters?) for Santorini. The downside was, it was crowded. 😐 So many tourist shops. All seemingly selling the same things? #typical. I have become less and less of a souvenir shopper as I've traveled, but I found one shop that was selling local art and I got something there.
There are locals that live in Oia and it must be frustrating for them to constantly have tourists climbing around in front of their houses and on their roofs to take pictures. 📸🤳
I got back and finally checked into the AirBnB. I showered and then took a nap because I was up the majority night last night. I got a weird-lookin' sunburn from hiking most of the day today, and not wearing sunscreen 😬🌤️🖥️.
It was one of those naps where I questioned reality as I was waking up. We've all had those right? Where am I? What day is it? Did I sleep for 3 days? Is dream-reality more real than real reality? #theimportantquestions
I woke up and wandered down some streets looking for dessert. I ended up sitting on the pebble beach and then going to the same bakery where I got breakfast. It was a really good day.
I woke up and wandered down some streets looking for dessert. I ended up sitting on the pebble beach and then going to the same bakery where I got breakfast. It was a really good day.
day 6- beach day in santorini
Beach day! I slept real good last night. Must've had something to do with all that walking yesterday. 🚶♀️
This morning I had a crepe by the beach. Greek yogurt, honey, and bananas. 🍌 Greek yogurt in Greece is better than Greek yogurt in the U.S. go figure. 🤷♀️
This morning I had a crepe by the beach. Greek yogurt, honey, and bananas. 🍌 Greek yogurt in Greece is better than Greek yogurt in the U.S. go figure. 🤷♀️
Dining in Greece is much more laid back. Most restaurants don't have workers out trying to drag you in. They post their menu and expect you to come in and seat yourself if you're interested. 3 of the restaurants I've been in have been that way. And they don't bother you about the check unless you ask for it.
I'm making an unofficial mental list of things I can say about Greek culture and how it's manifest in their behaviors. They might seem a little harsh / blunt at first, but they're really understanding and sincere people. 💞
I'm making an unofficial mental list of things I can say about Greek culture and how it's manifest in their behaviors. They might seem a little harsh / blunt at first, but they're really understanding and sincere people. 💞
I hung out at Kamari beach the rest of the morning. Kamari is a black pebble beach 🪨🌊. The small pebbles feel really good on your feet, the big ones, not so much.
I decided to beach hop a little. I took a couple of buses to Perivolos beach ⛱️ and Perissa beach 🏖️. These are black sand beaches. Black sand is really hot in the sun. 🥵
Also, if you're planning a trip to Santorini and you're wondering about transportation... I have some advice. The roads are crazy. I wouldn't want a rental car. The local buses will take you everywhere. But they were a little unorganized. Every bus heads to and from Fira. If you want to go somewhere else, you have to go to Fira first. And the Fira station is kind of madness 🤪. The drivers will come out and yell where their bus is going next. And they might leave earlier or later than the schedule says. It all depends. But the buses are pretty nice, like I said before. They have a little sign in the front window that says 'local bus' so you know it's not a tour bus. Because they look the same 😅.
For dinner I decided to try souvlaki. 🍢 I walked the street where they have the restaurant employees stand outside and pull you in. One lady was really sweet, so I went in her restaurant. We got to talking because I was the only one there. She and her husband work together. She was really cute when she talked about her husband, Pascel. "He knows everything" I met him a little later. When I told him I'm from Utah, he immediately said, "Mormon!"
They both used to work at the restaurant next door (which Tatiana said has the exact same menu 😂) they went to Norway to try to find another job (because they only.work during the 'tourist season' in Santorini), and then the owner of the restaurant opened a new restaurant (the one I was in) and asked them to come back. 🪃
It sounded like business has been rough. Barely any customers in June. Obviously shut down last year because of the pandemic. Santorini depends a lot on tourists.
Tatiana practiced her English on me, said I looked too young to be a teacher. I used to get mistaken for a student at parent-teacher-conferences that doesn't happen anymore. So I've at least aged a little 😂 #thirtyflirtyandthriving. She told me traveling alone would be the best because you can 'clear your head'. She's right. It's great.
They both used to work at the restaurant next door (which Tatiana said has the exact same menu 😂) they went to Norway to try to find another job (because they only.work during the 'tourist season' in Santorini), and then the owner of the restaurant opened a new restaurant (the one I was in) and asked them to come back. 🪃
It sounded like business has been rough. Barely any customers in June. Obviously shut down last year because of the pandemic. Santorini depends a lot on tourists.
Tatiana practiced her English on me, said I looked too young to be a teacher. I used to get mistaken for a student at parent-teacher-conferences that doesn't happen anymore. So I've at least aged a little 😂 #thirtyflirtyandthriving. She told me traveling alone would be the best because you can 'clear your head'. She's right. It's great.
I'm not supposed to tell people I'm traveling alone, but I've admitted it to everyone who's asked so far 😅. I think I've said this during previous trips. I assess the danger of the situation before revealing my secrets. That's how I live my regular life too. 🤐🦸
After I finished the souvlaki Tatiana brought me a dessert 'on the house'. Yogurt topped with orange marmalade. #livingmybestlife
day 7- getting to crete
What a night. 🌃😴 Yikes. So my day was pretty chill at first, I mosey on down to the port where my ferry is supposed to depart at 4:00.
I got to the port a little early, because only 3 buses go there every day. At least according to the schedule. (I don't trust the schedule though). 🗓️
They told me the ferry 🧚♀️🧚♂️(#stillfunny #afterallthistime) would be 45 minutes late. It ended up being two hours late. That was a little inconvenient, but nothing I couldn't deal with. Car rental places deal with delayed flights all the time, right? I had told them which ferry I was coming on so I assumed I would be okay... (foreshadowing)
On the ferry they didn't make people sit in their assigned 💺, and I spent most of the time up top watching the water anyway. Or seeing the sea if you will. 😂 👁️🌊
The stress came when I got off the boat. The plan was to take a taxi to the airport (luckily only 9 minutes away) to pick up the car I rented. I had saved €15 for the taxi. The last cash I had left. I have been paying for everything else with a card.
When I got to the rental car place they said I was 3 hours late (which I was) so they cancelled my reservation. #stress
When I got to the rental car place they said I was 3 hours late (which I was) so they cancelled my reservation. #stress
So I start walking up to other rental car places, no one had an automatic transmission. #yikes. What do I do? The AirBnB I booked happens to be 2 hours from the airport. Which didn't seem like a big deal when I booked it, because I was going to get a car and do a lot of driving tomorrow.
Also in Santorini and Athens I had cellular data. I bought a SIM card with 12GB. But it turns out, I don't have data here in Crete. Luckily I have cell service, but I can't get on the internet without wifi. 😐 And it's been rather handy to have access to the internet. Helps solve problems.
I had downloaded a map of Crete on my phone though, just in case I didn't have service. #plannedahead #responsible
Also in Santorini and Athens I had cellular data. I bought a SIM card with 12GB. But it turns out, I don't have data here in Crete. Luckily I have cell service, but I can't get on the internet without wifi. 😐 And it's been rather handy to have access to the internet. Helps solve problems.
I had downloaded a map of Crete on my phone though, just in case I didn't have service. #plannedahead #responsible
But at the airport with seemingly no car options, I was less able to joke. I'm a few hours removed now, and I'm alive (obviously 😁) but in the airport I was trying not to panic. Cool heads always prevail. You know I always say that. #ineversaythat #infactiusuallybehavetheopposite
Guess what though? It turned out I had reserved ANOTHER car ahead of time but hadn't paid for it. Not sure why I did that, or why I didn't remember that I had done that... But #tendermercy 🦺
Guess what though? It turned out I had reserved ANOTHER car ahead of time but hadn't paid for it. Not sure why I did that, or why I didn't remember that I had done that... But #tendermercy 🦺
So I called that place I had previously reserved... and they said they had a car waiting for me... Back at the ferry port.
I had to find an ATM, get cash for a taxi, and head back to the port.
The finding of the ATM takes a hot minute (#literallysweating #thoughittooklongerthanaminute #couldntremembermypin) I take out a bunch of cash 💲💳🏧💰🤑) and then rather meekly hail a taxi, and head back to the port.
I had to find an ATM, get cash for a taxi, and head back to the port.
The finding of the ATM takes a hot minute (#literallysweating #thoughittooklongerthanaminute #couldntremembermypin) I take out a bunch of cash 💲💳🏧💰🤑) and then rather meekly hail a taxi, and head back to the port.
By the time I got back to the port, it was past sunset, it was getting dark and there weren't a lot of people around. I head to the 'Passenger Station' I ask a woman about 'CarJet'. She didn't know what I was talking about but pointed to another counter where people were renting cars.
I tried to call the number again, but there wasn't an answer. The woman on the phone had said something about a green flag? So I wandered around outside looking for a green flag... I didn't find it. 🇨🇨
I headed back to the 'Passenger Station'. I called the airport number and they said 'our representative is there and she's looking for you!' I found her sitting outside on a bench. Praise the Lord!! 🙌
I was so relieved. She said her name was Annie. I'm so grateful to her right now, I could name my firstborn after her. (Short for Anakin if it's a boy 😉) #goodthingimnothavingchildrenanytimesoon? 👶
I tried to call the number again, but there wasn't an answer. The woman on the phone had said something about a green flag? So I wandered around outside looking for a green flag... I didn't find it. 🇨🇨
I headed back to the 'Passenger Station'. I called the airport number and they said 'our representative is there and she's looking for you!' I found her sitting outside on a bench. Praise the Lord!! 🙌
I was so relieved. She said her name was Annie. I'm so grateful to her right now, I could name my firstborn after her. (Short for Anakin if it's a boy 😉) #goodthingimnothavingchildrenanytimesoon? 👶
She had to alter the reservation and charge me a little more, but she was really nice about it. She was super sweet, which was exactly what I needed. Another guy actually came out asking her for help when he saw how helpful she was.
Inside there were a bunch of forlorn, sitting-on-their-baggage-people, waiting at an empty rental car counter. #notmyfate.
The guy looked super stressed, he had booked a car, didn't know where to go, they weren't responding, our ferry came in late. ⛴️ I felt bad for him.
Annie tried to help him a little because she's an angel. 😇
Then she took me to the car I rented. She gave me the keys and left. I got in. I looked at the shifter.... Looked like a stick shift to me 😬
Inside there were a bunch of forlorn, sitting-on-their-baggage-people, waiting at an empty rental car counter. #notmyfate.
The guy looked super stressed, he had booked a car, didn't know where to go, they weren't responding, our ferry came in late. ⛴️ I felt bad for him.
Annie tried to help him a little because she's an angel. 😇
Then she took me to the car I rented. She gave me the keys and left. I got in. I looked at the shifter.... Looked like a stick shift to me 😬
I panicked a little. And I couldn't quickly YouTube how to drive a stick shift because I didn't have data 😂😭
Guys, I'm not sure what it is, but it's like a hybrid between stick shift and automatic. It's weird. I kind of figured it out. Got the hang of it as I drove two hours to the small town of Marathi.
Guys, I'm not sure what it is, but it's like a hybrid between stick shift and automatic. It's weird. I kind of figured it out. Got the hang of it as I drove two hours to the small town of Marathi.
Annie had told me that Marathi is a cute little small town that has crystal clear water. Sounds great!
I arrived at midnight-ish and I couldn't find the apartment / AirBnB.... #morestress.
I pulled over to an outdoor bar and asked for directions. I'm so grateful to strangers who are willing to help. For real though. I would be so lost without strangers today. The lady at the bar said it's just off the road back the way I came. Antzela Apartments.
I headed back and still couldn't find the apartments. I turned around once or twice and started to consider sleeping in the car.
I arrived at midnight-ish and I couldn't find the apartment / AirBnB.... #morestress.
I pulled over to an outdoor bar and asked for directions. I'm so grateful to strangers who are willing to help. For real though. I would be so lost without strangers today. The lady at the bar said it's just off the road back the way I came. Antzela Apartments.
I headed back and still couldn't find the apartments. I turned around once or twice and started to consider sleeping in the car.
I saw a sign for 'Angela Apartments' and I thought... "maybe that's it? Angela=Antzela?". Google / AirBnB said Antzela, but the sign on the road said 'Angela'. There wasn't anything in the place where Google said 'Antzela' was supposed to be... but they were near the Google spot? Best bet? That's what I thought.
I was told I would be in apartment #4 and that the key would be under the mat. I checked #4... No key 😒
I drove to one more place and asked for directions, no luck.
I was told I would be in apartment #4 and that the key would be under the mat. I checked #4... No key 😒
I drove to one more place and asked for directions, no luck.
I went back to Angela's apartment and parked. I wondered if I could the AirBnB phone number without internet? I could. It worked. She answered. It was 12:30ish? #sorry. The AirBnB lady said I was at the right spot (Angela's) and that she'd be there in half an hour.
I started writing this during that time. 😉
So turns out she told me the wrong apartment number. Apparently someone named Elena had taken that key. So it wasn't my fault! 😅
The AirBnB host (don't know her name?) went to all the apartments trying to find one for me to stay in. She went in one that was apparently too messy (#2). Then she went in #5 and that's where Elena was. 😬 After a few minutes she gave me the key to #3, and then she went to clean #2. The remote to the AC❄️ didn't seem to work, so I bugged her about that. Also, turns out there's no wifi here. 🙃
I started writing this during that time. 😉
So turns out she told me the wrong apartment number. Apparently someone named Elena had taken that key. So it wasn't my fault! 😅
The AirBnB host (don't know her name?) went to all the apartments trying to find one for me to stay in. She went in one that was apparently too messy (#2). Then she went in #5 and that's where Elena was. 😬 After a few minutes she gave me the key to #3, and then she went to clean #2. The remote to the AC❄️ didn't seem to work, so I bugged her about that. Also, turns out there's no wifi here. 🙃
The plan for tomorrow was to drive around a little and see cool beaches. I leave early the day after tomorrow. But, to quote my favorite brother, "we'll see what happens". 😉 #justcheckingifyouguysreadmyblog #idontreallyhaveafavorite #ordoi?
I'm glad this day is OVER. Well technically it's 1:51am so tomorrow has already started. 😅 Here's to a brighter tomorrow. Because it's night right now 😉. Okay. Lame joke. I'm going to bed.
I'm glad this day is OVER. Well technically it's 1:51am so tomorrow has already started. 😅 Here's to a brighter tomorrow. Because it's night right now 😉. Okay. Lame joke. I'm going to bed.
day 8- Crete beach day
Last day in Greece 😭
I woke up this morning with data on my phone!! I restarted it a couple of times yesterday to try and get it to recognize a data network. ANYWAY.
One of the first things I did was book a different AirBnB in Heraklio so I don't have to wake up so early for my 9am flight.
I also took a covid test via video chat. It was super easy. 👃👩🔬
I woke up this morning with data on my phone!! I restarted it a couple of times yesterday to try and get it to recognize a data network. ANYWAY.
One of the first things I did was book a different AirBnB in Heraklio so I don't have to wake up so early for my 9am flight.
I also took a covid test via video chat. It was super easy. 👃👩🔬
The first place I went today was Elafonissi Beach. The drive there was both stunning and a little scary. The roads are so narrow for two-way traffic! 🚦⛔ And you have to drive 45 mins through small towns in the mountains to get to the beach. 🏖️BUT I think it might be the best beach I've been to. Like in all my travels. If it weren't so crowded... (also it's very put of the way, you've gotta drive really narrow winding mountain roads)... The sand, the color of the water, the rocks to explore... It was so cool. I'll post pics but I don't know if it'll do it justice.
After that beach I went to Falasarna beach. Also beautiful. Crete has better beaches than Santorini for sure, and better than what I saw in Athens.
A major reason I was interested in Crete was because of the Minoan civilization. As far as we know, the oldest in Europe. So I went to explore the Palace of Knossos. You know the Greek myth about the half man / half bull? That was locked in a maze? Crete. I mean, there's no evidence of a half man half bull there... But there's a lot of symbols of bulls. And maze-like structures.
I actually wasn't very impressed with the way they handled information at the palace. I learned more from listening to podcasts than I did at the site Arthur Evans excavated the spot in the early 20th century and he wasn't super careful. Also as he went he rebuilt a lot of stuff. It's hard to tell what's his and what's real. And he made a lot of assumptions about what each area was for that might be totally false. They had a few stands with info about what Arthur thought about the function of different spaces, but no other info. No audio guide. 😕
I actually wasn't very impressed with the way they handled information at the palace. I learned more from listening to podcasts than I did at the site Arthur Evans excavated the spot in the early 20th century and he wasn't super careful. Also as he went he rebuilt a lot of stuff. It's hard to tell what's his and what's real. And he made a lot of assumptions about what each area was for that might be totally false. They had a few stands with info about what Arthur thought about the function of different spaces, but no other info. No audio guide. 😕
The stuff I saw was pretty cool, but I was a little disappointed with the lack of presentation.
A few final thoughts before I end my Greece-trip-blog. Because I drove a lot today I had a lot of reflection time. So this entry might get a little reflective 🪞 and cheesy 😁
A few final thoughts before I end my Greece-trip-blog. Because I drove a lot today I had a lot of reflection time. So this entry might get a little reflective 🪞 and cheesy 😁
I was pondering why I love to travel so much. Why I live for the next vacation. I think there are a few reasons. One is to learn. To experience. To empathize. I think traveling can make people better.
But also part of the reason I travel, if I'm being honest is to see what I can accomplish. Growing my skills.
I was thinking about how stressed I was last night and how I handled that compared to how I handled stress 5 years ago when I traveled Europe for a month. I'm getting better at solving problems. It's also kind of to prove to myself that I'm fine alone. I've always been pretty independent, so these trips reinforce that a little too.
I like that I can be comfortable alone.
I was thinking about how stressed I was last night and how I handled that compared to how I handled stress 5 years ago when I traveled Europe for a month. I'm getting better at solving problems. It's also kind of to prove to myself that I'm fine alone. I've always been pretty independent, so these trips reinforce that a little too.
I like that I can be comfortable alone.
I've mentioned this before to a few people, but solo traveling is also a Spiritual experience. I've got to rely on myself and on God. Pretty heavily on God at times. It's good for me. It's not like I'm traveling alone, it feels like I'm much more communicative with God.
I'm often struck by how much God is looking out for me on my solo adventures. Especially in the stress. Comforting and calming me when I sometimes just want to sit in a corner and give up and cry. So maybe part of the reason I travel is to remember I'm capable, but to also remember that trust I need to have in God. I probably need to be better about translating that trust to other areas of my life.
I'm often struck by how much God is looking out for me on my solo adventures. Especially in the stress. Comforting and calming me when I sometimes just want to sit in a corner and give up and cry. So maybe part of the reason I travel is to remember I'm capable, but to also remember that trust I need to have in God. I probably need to be better about translating that trust to other areas of my life.
For example, I know God's looking out for my well being when I'm in a sketchy part of Naples, but do I trust God has my back when I'm afraid to get vulnerable in personal relationships? #reallybadatthat. Honestly I'm much more comfortable taking on Naples (I loved Naples btw 😅).
ANYWAY maybe I'm getting too real for the internet. But these were some of my thoughts as I drove around the beautiful island of Crete.
I suppose, to summarize, these trips help me grow. They help me be more confident in my abilities, and they help strengthen my relationship with an all-powerful Father in Heaven.
I suppose, to summarize, these trips help me grow. They help me be more confident in my abilities, and they help strengthen my relationship with an all-powerful Father in Heaven.