Past & Present      Side by Side

Getting lost in the Acropolis, hiking the ruins of Delos and visiting Zeus's Temple were unforgettable highlights! 

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Intro – A Hopeful Gift 

My daughter graduated college and we planned an immersion trip called Ancient Civilizations: from Rome to Greece. I don’t think I annoyed her too much (a mother is never sure…) as we traversed islands and history. You have heard, “wish you were here!”  Come along on the fun (and the not so fun lol) adventures we had attending cooking schools, sketching classes, hiking to hilltops and getting lost in the alleyways of ancient cultures.

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Athens- a measurable difference

Athens was a stark contrast in architecture and in friendliness. The greeting from our transfer and tour company T2GO was only the first example of the smiles and friendly conversations we had during our stay. The financial hardship of the governmental infrastructure was clear with the maintenance and the fact that the Bank of Greece appeared to be closed every time we went by.Find out more about Greece's history and try out some interactive learning here http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/greece/#greece-ruins-night.jpg

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Lost yet again, but loving it!

The guide on the Athens tour bus seemed depressed as she described all of the sites we saw. Probably because of the Greek Financial situation and probably because every place she described had such an old old history that it had already been torn down, decayed or was burned by invaders.  Her energy tripled when we got to the Acropolis though. The pride in the history, in the restoration and in the stories and myths turned her whole demeanor around. As the first part of the tour ended, we realized we could have taken pictures of some of the amazing sites so we raced up the steps, took pictures and raced down to realize our group had already left for the mount that held the ruins. We hurried to the entrance. Not there. We were told there was another entrance. Not there. The guide had our entrance tickets. Drats!  But all is not lost when one door closes. We sauntered and shopped through Paca and found a charming outdoor café to enjoy our first Greek salad and Taztiki!  Getting lost helped us find the jewelry alley and the best place to buy Medusa’s glass eye! (Lauren and Carli, I hope you like your gifts!)

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Eating the Royal Guards boots

Our cooking class in Athens was held at the Meliartos restaurant.  Stamos and Spiros were playful in their instruction on local Greek cuisine. Our new friends from Lithuania joined us in making phyllo dough for spinach pie and papoutsakia eggplants! These stuffed purple vegetables look like the royal guards billowing purple boots. The guards change every hour with their exaggerated march at the Greece Parliament Building.  The Galaktoboureko custard dessert will never be surpassed (not just because we don’t have goat butter!) One of my favorite memories of this trip was of this rooftop meals the lights of the Acropolis woke up and created a humbling view of this 3000 year old structure. Restaurants provided culinary surprises regularly!

 

Sailing in the Mediterranean Zone

Champion Jet was a high-speed ferry with comfortable seats and a great opportunity for napping after getting up for a six AM transfer to the port. I think the time zone difference was catching up with me because I took a four-hour nap after we checked in to our Hotel Vanilla.  Quaint bed and breakfast hotel with an infinity style pool, yummy breakfast and spectacular service.

Sea Urchins salad?

I have held sea urchins, I have smelled sea urchins, but I have never tasted sea urchins until we went to Greece. The yellow uni “meat” is really the gonads and is revered as a delicacy by some Grecians especially those on the islands. Constantis’s menu items was quite tasty served in brine with olive oil (of course!) and lovely toasted bread. While sailing and stopping at Delos and then Rheina islands we snorkeled and saw ruins of the ancient port and then came across the black sea urchins. The black ones are not edible and the little spikes can leave splinters in your fingers for over a week if you are careless with placing your hands in the shallow waters… not that I would know anything about that!  Mykonos is known for their friendly cat population! It was true!

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Confluence of ancient and modern-day Greece

We sailed with a wonderful crew with some jet-setters (of which we clearly were not) to visit the island of Delos. SetSail provided a delicious lunch, delightful Greek music and patience to answer all my questions.  Only 15% of the ruins at Delos have been unearthed.  Hiking up to the top of Delos mountain, we passed the Temple of Hercules and the dog statues that guarded the temples and villages. Because the island was built to honor the gods, no human could be born or could die on this island.  How mysterious their life seems to me as compared to modern day tourism and technology.

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One road…we can’t get lost!

From Mykonos to the town of Orthos was about 2 miles.  We had to choose between a taxi or a standing room only bus that left in 45 minutes or walk. My daughter said we could walk and beat the bus. She even sacrificed her shoes for me because my feet needed a break. Along our bayside walk we passed cliffs, deserted boats, beautiful views and rock walls that reminded me of the pictures I had seen of Greece. Oh wait! We were in Greece this was the experience and views we were looking for!  She was right about the shoes and about beating the bus home!

 

Yoga with the goddess

We had booked a class with Sunset Yoga at Theoxenia Boutique Hotel overlooking the windmills of Mykonos and the bay and the sunset and the blue and white tiles of a village below. Helena was the graceful goddess who was our instructor. Her voice, her poses and her poise were like the sunset. The Adriatic sea was glistening and encouraging as we stretched and balanced. Yoga should be a requirement of everyone’s work, everyone’s day and everyone’s life. To calm and balance and center the soul and the body provides and alignment that can make the world a better place. Thank you Helena.

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ATV Should be banned!

That is what some locals told us because they are dangerous and too risky. I get it. But. BOY are they fun!  We would not have traveled to Fotos, (yes we were surprised to find out it was a nude beach – but we were in the Mediterranean after all), Soltis and other beaches and seen the landscape that this rich land has to offer.  We would not have seen the models and young jet-setters at the party beaches. What do you do when the ATV breaks down and you are miles from home? Push it off the road and try to start it again. And then you do it again and again in the rain. And then you laugh!  ATVs should not be banned at all!

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