Honeymoon-Greece

Monday September 19 2011

Today I woke up and ate some more catering left overs.  Then we left for Ohare around 9 am. We checked in and talked to the parents about how great the wedding was.  Our flight was on time to Montreal.  The plane was so freaken small to Montreal that our carry ons wouldn’t fit above our seats!  I made “friends” from an old couple from nearby Lake Geneva.  They were going to Rome.  When we arrived in Montreal we had a snack and used their free wi-fi.  Why does Canada have all this free stuff?!  Our flight to Athens was also on time!  It left around 3 pm and was an overnight flight.  We noticed when they were boarding basically no one was getting up to get on the plane.  The flight was freaken empty!  It was awesome.  We could lay down in the middle row and sleep.  We had a dinner, it wasn’t very good.  So then I laid down and watched the movie that was on, Unknown.  I fell asleep towards the end and woke up and the new Yogi Bear movie was on. I watched some of it but was so tired and fell asleep again and woke up to something about electronics on.  This was boring and I fell asleep again and woke up and No Strings Attached was on but it was towards the end. So I fell asleep again and was woken up by a huge bump.  I sat straight up and was kind of freaken out.  It was bumpy and I started feeling queasy.  The rest of the ride sucked and they fed us some breakfast but I couldn’t really eat.  And it was bumpy.  I was so happy to be on land in Athens.  I was also surprised to see how desert-like Athens looked near the airport.

Tuesday September 20 2011

We arrived at the Athens airport at 1020 am.  We found our tour guide with the Gate 1 sign and she gave us instructions about our next flight to Santorini.  Our flight to Santorini wasn’t until 3 pm so we had a lot of time.   It was so boring.  I was also getting so cranky.  I was tired of traveling and I wanted a shower.  We got a sandwich and shared it and waited until we could go to the gate. 

We finally went to our gate around 2 and our flight was delayed by a half hour.  It was horrible.  I was so tired.  We were sleeping in the chairs.  We used the internet.  They had free internet for one hour in the airport.  So not as good as Canada….but hey at least you got some free time.   We finally got on the plane and we sat on the plane without moving for a long while.  When we took off we both fell asleep.  We arrived in Santorini around 445 pm. 

We took a bus to our hotel and got our travel documents for Santorini.  It had a map and a list of excursions we could do and other things we could do on our own.  We decided on of the excursions we wanted to do was snorkeling.  Once we got checked in we showered. The shower felt so good after all the traveling.  Then we left the hotel to find food.  We saw a little field with 2 goats and an old woman just sitting there.  The walk to the beach and main street from our hotel was about 5 minutes. The beach was black rock and pebbles instead of sand.  I think this is because Santorini is a volcano.  We walked around trying to find a place to eat and there were so many choices.  We decided on a place that had a bunch of cats hanging around at it.  The cats were cute.  Our first meal in Greece was a mixed grill for two that included potatoes, pork on a stick, meatballs, sausage, chicken and lamb.  It was soooo good. We walked around more after dinner to pick up some water since we can only drink bottled water.  On the walk back to the hotel we took a different way and ended up getting lost.  We had to ask another hotel how to get to ours.  Luckily we were not too far away and we made it back.  Tired and went to bed.

Wednesday September 21 2011

I slept really good last night, probably from all the traveling.  I woke up at 350 am and thought it should be 7 am already.  I tried falling back asleep, but I don’t know how well that went.  Later I woke up to all kinds of birds and a rooster.  I opened the balcony doors to find a cat wandering below our room and the sun rising over the sea.  We decided to eat at an English bar for breakfast instead of the complimentary breakfast.  It was good. Then we came back for a meeting with costa, one of the tour guides.  After the meeting we took at taxi to the port for the volcano cruise.  We walked up the volcano; it was very cool but tiring.  On the way down I rolled my ankle, it was bad but kept going.  It will probably hurt tomorrow.

After the volcano we got back on the boat and went over to the hot springs.  The hot springs are not very hot just warmer water created by the amounts of sulfur in the water from the volcano.  The boat anchored and we had to do about a 5 minute swim to get to the hot springs.  When I got back in the boat there were a lot of waves and I started to feel sick.  It was bad.

We stopped at the island of Therassia and I was feeling pretty bad.  I got a coke at the first restaurant we were shuffled into.  After looking at the menu and seeing some of the other restaurants we left to go to a different one.  The coke made me feel better.  We ate at the last restaurant on the waterfront.  It had a cat and we saw an octopus in the water.

Once we got back on the boat to go to Oia, we sat in the top back.  I had a fear I was going to get sick so I balled up a plastic bag in my fist.  I didn’t get sick luckily and it wasn’t that bad of ride.  We got off at Oia, the famous part of Santorini with all the white buildings, it was awesome and beautiful.  It was probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.  The only way to get to the city from the port is to walk up the stairs or take a donkey.  We decided to take a donkey.  It was crazy!  When I got on the donkey I thought it would be a nice leisurely ride and I could take pictures, NO!  When I first got on the donkey charged up the stairs.  It was very fast and rough, but awesome.  I had to hang on tight.  My donkey would go between two other donkeys or get up close to the wall; I scraped my leg on the wall.  Once we got to the top we took a lot of pictures.  We walked around the city and looked for a restaurant to watch the sunset.  The sunsets in Santorini are very famous.  We found a restaurant and we saw people staying at our hotel.  We watched the sunset, had some drinks and had some food.  The sunset was very pretty, except clouds were on the horizon so we didn’t get the full effect. 

After dinner I got cold.  We walked around a little bit more then decided to take a cab to the capital city of Fira.  We split a cab with another couple who was staying in Fira.  They were from Minnesota.  When we got to Fira I bought a sweatshirt.  We also stopped at an internet café to check in with our parents.  From Fira we took the bus home to Kamari.  We were both falling asleep and I was just lucky enough to hear the bus driver say Kamari.  I shot up and said “we’re here!”

Thursday September 22 2011

I slept good last night.  We slept with the balcony open and apparently it started thundering and storming so Don got up and shut it.  I never heard any of this happen.  We got up around 730 am so we could go on our snorkeling trip.  First we went to breakfast at the hotel.  It was not so good but it was free.  I was getting a little worried because it was very cool outside and it looked like rain.  I couldn’t imagine getting in the water but we went for it anyway.  A person from the dive shop came and picked us up around 9 am.  On the way she asked us if we wanted to try diving instead of snorkeling.  I’ve always wanted to do diving but I have never done it so the thought of doing it today made me a little scared.  After thinking a little bit we decided just to do it. 

It was 85 euros a piece.  I was feeling really nervous but excited also.  When we got to the dive shop we filled out the paperwork, paid and got our wetsuits, boots, and flippers.  Then we got in a van and drove to the port.  The port was a lot smaller than the main one on Santorini.  The boat was a small speedboat and it was freaking rough.  I was bouncing up and down.   We got out to the first dive spot and the experienced divers went out.  We stayed on the boat with our instructor.  He gave us a brief talk about diving.  I couldn’t really focus on it because the boat was rocking and I was feeling very seasick and nervous.  Finally we got up and Don got in first.  We went to the back of the boat and put weights on our waist, our flippers on, mask on and then the instructor helped us put the tank on.  Once the tank was on he hoisted us up and we stepped off the boat.

The first time I was in the water with all this gear on it was very awkward and I felt panicked.  I felt like I couldn’t control my body very well because it kept pushing my body up.  We went underwater for a little bit just to see what it was like.  Then Don went with one instructor and I went with the other one, Costca.   He was very easy to work with.  We followed the chain from the boat anchor down.  My ears hurt a little from the pressure but not that much.  The first dive was awesome.  We saw a few fish and saw the drop off.  It was pretty amazing. 

When we got back on the boat we had some water and a little croissant thing.  I couldn’t really eat.  I didn’t feel that sick anymore but I just couldn’t eat.  So we boated to the next dive spot.  It was by the island of Therassia, where we ate the day before.  When I first got in the water I felt a little better about it.  I felt I could control my body a little easier.  Then we started to go down.  This time I didn’t go with Costca; I went with the other instructor.  We started to go down and my ears hurt bad.  It was really giving my problems.  So we would go back up a little, but I felt like he wouldn’t listen to me.  It was really hurting and he told me maybe I was focusing on trying to regulate them too much.  This was probably true.  They started to feel a little better, in my mind I was like maybe they are just feeling better because they have burst!  We went down and I saw a black sponge and a few fish.  Then my goggles started giving me problems.  At first I tried to ignore it but then they came off.  I started panicking.  My instructor brought me up and I was done.  That was okay because it was the end of the dive anyway.

I want to try diving again but with gear that fits me well and lessons.  The first dive was amazing, second one not so much but I want to do it again.  When we got back to the dive shop we took pictures with the crew and exchanged some names for Facebook.  It was a really cool experience.  Costca gave us a ride back to the hotel. 

Once we got back we showered and got ready for dinner.  It was early but we didn’t have lunch.  We had some pizza, it was really good!  We watched some dogs while at the restaurant.  One of them was really territorial and wouldn’t let one of other ones into its area.  But one of the other ones was okay to go in its area.  It was entertaining.  After dinner we went down to the beach and laid for a little bit.  It got chilly so we walked back.  Then it rained a little.  The rest of the night we just chilled, packed, and got ready to leave for Mykonos in the morning.

September 23 2011

We woke up this morning and had breakfast at the hotel.  We made sure we were all packed then we waited for the bus to come to take us to the port.  The bus came and went to several different hotels and drove us to the port.  The drive was crazy because the port is at the bottom of the island so we had to drive down a cliff.  We had a snack of Greek fries and a coke before getting on the ferry.  The ferry to Mykonos would be about 3 hours.  We left around 1230 and Don and I were separated.  We were in the same row but there was a giant space between us.  I made friends with a couple I sat with, Michelle and Stephen.  They were from NY.  They were traveling with some friends.   They were pretty cool.  The first half hour of the ferry was fine but then the waves got huge and the boat was just rocking.  It felt like sometimes the ferry would flip over.  One of the workers started passing out extra puke bags.  Tons of people were puking and the waves were just constant.  I was feeling horribly sick, but I wasn’t alone Michelle was also.  We didn’t puke but it was completely horrible. 

When we finally got off around 4 our tour guide took us to the bus to take us to our hotel.  Then he told us he would be at our hotel around 450 to talk to us.  When we got to our hotel there were only stairs leading up to it.  We were with a bunch of old people so they were not very happy about this.  We got to our room; it was room 42.  The hotel was very nice.  We walked around the hotel grounds and it was very pretty.  Better than the one in Santorini. 

We met with the tour guide to talk about Mykonos.  Then we went to walk around Mykonos City.  We decided to upgrade our 5 hour ferry ride to Athens to a flight.  I just couldn’t do the ferry again.  Plus the flight would leave at 11, and the ferry wouldn’t leave until 2 pm and take 5 hours, so we would have a little more time in Athens.  Don liked the idea of the flight also.  So now we have a 40 minute flight to Athens so hopefully all goes well. 

We had dinner at a place on the water and watched the sunset.  The sunset was absolutely beautiful.  Then we just walked around and took a lot of pictures.  Mykonos is very pretty.  I was still feeling dizzy all night from the boat.  We came back to the hotel around 9.  We got some water and watched a little TV, since the TV in our last hotel didn’t work. 

September 24 2011

Our alarm didn’t go off this morning.  We wanted it set for 7 am, because we wanted to go to the bank and get more euros.  Then we had a 9 am pick up for a car rental.   Maybe the reason the alarm failed to go off was because there were power outages all over the island.  So we had no power and also no shower.  The power luckily came back on soon and I was able to take a shower, while Don went to the bank.

He came back with no euros though because the front desk failed to tell us banks are not open on Saturday. So after breakfast we walked to a place to get some euros.  Then we got a call at 9 am from the car rental place.  The guy was out front and ready to take us to get our car.  We rented a smartcar.  It was kind of purple and Don drove it first. 

We wanted the car so we could go beach hopping. We went to Psarou Beach first.  There were people every where as Don tried to park the car on a hill.  It was challenging because the hill was so steep and the car had such a weird brake/accelerator system.  Finally we walked down to the beach and the beach had a bunch of nice chairs and tables.  The beachfront had a bunch of restaurants on it also.  Even though it was busy, it was pretty quiet.  We had to have lunch from the restaurant to sit at the chairs or pay 10 euros for 2 people.  We figured we would just have lunch since we needed to eat.  We ordered a cheeseburger and pizza.  The pizza was very good.

When we first got in the water it was cold, but then it felt good.  The water was so clear and the salt in it made it sparkle.  Don wanted to snorkel so we got our snorkels, good thing because it was awesome.  On the side there were rocks with tons of fish and sea life.  Fish were surrounding us.  It was so cool.  I think it was my favorite beach of the day. 

Next we drove to Kalafatis Beach.  It was much quieter; people were mostly sleeping.  There were a few restaurants on the side but we didn’t go there.  We wanted to snorkel.  There were big rocks with tons of sea life.  I think this was Don’s favorite beach.  It was fun to just ride the waves and see the fish doing the same. 

Next we went to Kalo Livadi.  We thought we would snorkel again but the beach was sandy with no sea life really.   We saw a few fish following us around but mostly it was a beach to have a good time. We mostly just laid out and tried to get dry.  The sun felt so good.

After this beach I tried driving the car.  The car was very rough shifting, probably because it had the option to be a manual and it was also very hilly.  Going uphill felt like you were just going to fall back down it.  But after awhile the driving was okay.  I did fine.  Don was the navigator.  We decided to stop at one more beach, Lia.  It was surrounded by rocks, kind of like a mountain.  We saw some people hiking.  There were hardly any people at this beach.  We just walked around, but didn’t get in the water.   We took some pictures with some random dog.  It was very quiet there.  There was a restaurant that seemed kind of weird but relaxing. 

Then we took the car back to the rental place. My first time driving in a foreign country was not too bad.  Driving in Greece was crazy though!  There were bike, atvs, people and other cars all on these tiny winding hilly streets.  After we returned the cars we got a ride back to the hotel and took showers.  Then we went out and had some gyros at a little place not far from the hotel. 

After eating we did some more exploring.  We found a little desert café place.  We had a chocolate cake thing with ice cream.  It was probably the best desert I’ve ever had.  The people running the place were so nice also.  We got back to the hotel pretty early, but we were tired.   

September 25 2011

Today we woke up around 730 and got ready.  We had breakfast at the hotel.  The bus came and picked us up at 9 for the Delos tour.  From the hotel we went to the port and we had to walk all the way to the other side to get on the boat.  We talked to a few people we had seen before like Michelle and Steve.  We also made friends with an old couple that had been at our hotel. They were from North Carolina.

On the boat to Delos we talked to a woman about getting seasick and traveling.  Delos is an island that has ancient ruins from about 5000 bc. There was running water and toilets, even a sewage system.  It’s an active archaeological site and it was pretty cool.  The water surrounding the island was pretty, so blue.  The tour was guided and lasted about an hour and a half.  It was very informative.  We saw the remains of an old house and a huge house with marble.  There was also a theater and the birthplace of Apollo.

After the tour we had a snack at the café and then headed back to the boat.  The boat brought us back at 130.  It made us so tired.   We got back and ate at a little restaurant and then walked back to the hotel.  We followed the coastline so we could see the windmills.  When we got back to the hotel we jumped in the pool and laid out.  We slept, relaxed and read. 

September 26 2011

We woke up around 8 today and got packed to go to Athens.  While I was packing and Don was in the shower I heard a strange noise. The little orange cat had gotten through our patio door and was hanging out in the hotel room.  I loved this cat!  He was so cute. We played with the cat for a little while and then went to breakfast. 

The bus picked us up around 10 to go to the airport for our flight to Athens.  The flight was very short, maybe 30 minutes.  It was totally worth upgrading to the flight instead of doing the 5 hour ferry ride.

When we arrived in Athens our guide found us and took us to a bus.  On the 45 minute bus ride to the hotel she went over things.  We checked in and looked around the hotel and then decided to venture down to the plaza.  We were told to take a taxi since the public transportation was on strike, but Don thought we could walk it.  He was right; it was no more of a walk from our apartment in Lakeview to Downtown.  We went to a restaurant close to the hotel because I was starving.  It was pretty good.  Then we walked and saw some sites.  But we mainly saw shops.  We had a beer at one of the restaurants and then walked back to the hotel.  It was a good walk.  But really Athens is just a city. It is unique though with all of its ruins. 

We got back to the hotel and had dinner on the rooftop.  I wanted to eat outside but it was so windy so we moved indoors.  It was really cool because the Acropolis was lit up so after dinner we took a few pictures of it while having a drink

September 27 2011

Today we woke up at 645 so we could be ready to be picked up at 8 for our Athens sightseeing excursion.  The bus drove us by many of the sites and then we got out at the new acropolis museum-woke up at 645 so we could be ready to be picked up at 8 for our Athens sightseeing excursion.  We had a guided tour through the museum and then we were free to roam for awhile until we walked up to the acropolis. 

The walk to the acropolis was pretty amazing. The sights were so beautiful and a little scary because the marble was slick!  We took a lot of pictures.  And then came down for lunch in the plaka.  The plaka was the first place where we had people begging us for money.  Mostly children begging.   At the restaurant where we ate children would come up to you and play music for money, but the restaurant staff kept kicking them out.  It was sad.  The meal that I had here though was one of my favorites in Greece, stewed meatballs and rice.

We had the rest of the day to do whatever so we decided to take the tram and go to the coast.  It was hard for us to figure out how to pay for the tram but I guess we did it right!  We rode to the end but there wasn’t really anything there so we got back on and got off at a marina.  The marina was beautiful and had a nice little mall.  We left the marina and walked the coast for a bit.  We saw people fishing, swimming and snorkeling.  It made me want to snorkel!  Then we took the train back to the plaka right in front of the parliament building.  There was a protest happening here and it was cool to see.  There were tons of police and riot police.   Luckily it wasn’t violent. 

Then we walked back to the hotel and started packing.  Around 830 we saw a sign saying there would be a strike for cabs and all public transportation the next day.  We were a little worried this would interfere with our ride to the airport.  Luckily there was a Gate 1 representative at the front desk and she told us not to worry they would send a private bus to pick us up. 

We went to a little place and got some gyros and beer to bring back to the hotel for our last night in Greece.  It was the best gyro I’ve ever had; even though I’ve only had a few…it was amazing!  It was hard to believe our honeymoon was ending, it was amazing.  I never dreamed I would go to Greece for my honeymoon.  It was the best experience.   After eating we went to sleep to await our 230 wake up call to go to the airport.