Next Time, Santorini

Most of the time, I write and post pictures of the places I have been.   
In fact, it's hard to have your own pictures of a place you've never been.

And then there is Santorini.  

Today I saw this picture in my news feed.   
Imagine.    48 Hours in Santorini. 

Photo Credit:  G Adventures

Santorini is a big deal for such a small island.   35 square miles small, to be
exact.     The blue domed churches on the island are some of the most photographed in the world.   Everyone who has been to Greece says "Don't miss Santorini."

Here's one of my pictures from a place I've never been:  Santorini

 

We were close.    We could see the idyllic villages and churches.   A glass of wine while watching the sun set over the Aegean Sea was almost within reach.

 

It was a beautiful sunny day in the Greek Isles.   Nothing would stand in the way of our entire ship enjoying the magical beauty of Santorini.

 

Except high winds.    Winds closed the cable car.   Winds stopped the tender boats from coming to get us.   High winds caused passengers to cry when the voice came over the loudspeaker telling us that we would not be disembarking on Santorini.   That we were, in fact, going to turn away and head back to the port of Pireaus in Athens.  

 

Next time, Santorini.  

 

Next time.  

Good Friday in Athens

It's bigger than Christmas!

Greek Orthodox Easter, that is.   Our trip to Greece this spring was timed to fall over the Orthodox Easter, which usually falls a week after Protestant and Catholic Easter, since it's on a different calendar.     We returned to Athens on Good Friday after our classical tour.   In the market all sorts of vendors were selling candles, simple or heavily decorated, and by 6:30 everyone was hurrying towards their respective churches and shops were starting to close down.    There is a Good Friday service - the small church down the street from our hotel was filled to capacity with people and the overflow went all the way out the street. 

When the service is over there is a procession through the neighborhood.   Members of the church carry the cross and the epitaph.  The epitaph (Bier of Christ) is decorated with flowers by the congregation and is carried through the streets.   The congregation and community follows the cross, epitaph and the priests through the neighborhood.   I enjoyed participating in the procession along with the community.   We stopped twice when the priests would say a blessing maybe sing - once by the Temple of Zeus and again in front of our hotel (the hotel provides financial support to the church). 

What an amazing experience to celebrate!

What is the most memorable religious holiday, festival, or event that you've partaken in while traveling?

A Night at the Fish Spa - Crete

We were supposed to spend the day on the island of Rhodes.   The Garden Isle. 

With a relaxing full day tour of Rhodes and Lindos.

Instead the seas were rocking and rolling.    We went to breakfast.   We heard the "voice of doom" over the loudspeaker indicating they were checking with the port authorities and looking at the options.   Within a half hour the voice returned.    There were no options.   Instead we were going to cruise straight to Crete and arrive at night instead of the next morning.

The seas were unforgiving.   Our cabin spent the morning sleeping.   During that time the crew placed travel sickness bags of every possible surface in the public areas.   We got up for some lunch and a little air.   Bonus entertainment from the Cristal Entertainment Team (not quite the quality as on other cruise lines - but we smiled every time we saw them perform).  

Finally we got the announcement.  She was no longer the voice of doom....she was the voice of opportunity.   We were docking in Heraklion, Crete.   Even better we could get off the ship.    The crew at the gangway laughed at our enthusiasm to get off...asking us to at least move a few feet from the entrance before kissing the ground so the people behind us could get off the ship as well.  

There's a well marked pedestrian path from the port into the plaza via the waterfront.    The main plaza is full of cafes, shops and of course, ice cream.    But before we ever got to the ice cream we were sucked into Dr. Nemo Fish Spa.  

I've never seen a fish spa before.  Maybe on the Amazing Race or on some other travel show, but not in person.    When we stopped to talk to the staff, there was no one inside.   It was 10 euros for 10-15  minutes, but she said we could have more time for free.  A benefit for us.  And for the shop.   It's free advertising.  The minute that other people see you getting your feet "pedicured" by the garra rufa fish, they stop to watch, laugh, ask questions and take pictures.   My feet are easily in someone else's vacation photos now. 

What does it feel like?  It tickles...in a good way.   It's fun - just for the novelty it's worth doing.   And my feet were softer and smoother afterwards.    Going to the fish spa was not on my list of "must dos" but it's certainly on my list of "glad I dids." 



Ancient Delphi

After a beautiful evening in the village of Delphi, we lucked out the next morning with nice weather as we explore ancient Delphi.   My only exposure to Delphi prior to visiting Greece was the clip in My Life in Ruins where they ask questions of the "Irvicle."  We went first thing in the morning and didn't have to compete with many other tour groups.  We started at the Temple of Athena and then moved across the street to the Oracle.    The original thought was that the Oracle was a young virgin, but apparently they aren't as trustworthy (or maybe they run off to get married), so the Oracle was then a "mature" woman who had passed her childbearing years.   And got high on a lot of natural gasses and maybe some form of wacky weed as well.  All the big cities would have their temples on the road up to the Oracle.   They would bring a gift from home, or buy one in the village and present it at the temple.   After making their request to the Oracle and hearing from the priests/priestesses the response, they would stop back in the village and purchase a gift to take back home to their family.   

We heard two interesting stories of prophesies, but I can't remember the wording exactly.   It goes a little something like this: 

#1  One man asked if he invaded a particular place if he would be victorious and was told "one kingdom will fall."  He took that as a go ahead.  Not realizing the kingdom that would fall would be his own.  

#2 The other prophesy was regarding the establishment of Byzantium (now Istanbul).   He asked "where should I move my family?"  He was told to sail the Bosphorus and settle opposite of the blind people.   He sailed in, saw a spot so beautiful that he settled.  The implication was that the people on the other side of the Bosphorus were "blind not to see it." 

All the guidebooks in the world do not replace a good guide who can tell the stories.   And the only way I remember them now is because I have my trusty journal.  

Delphi

I had no idea that Delphi was in the mountains and that the drive up, and the views from the village, would be so spectacular.  The views reminded me of living in Lake Tahoe.  There is something in me that loves the mountains - everywhere in the world.   Delphi was already decorated for Easter.   The picture on the bottom left shows the Easter light decorations that were up in the village.   We had heard that Easter was bigger than Christmas in the Greek Orthodox church.   Seeing holiday lights, like we would associate with Christmas here in the States, was magical.   I was so glad that our hotel, the Amalia Delphi, was in walking distance of the village so we could walk and explore and visit the shops.   All the restaurants and bars had big patios or dining rooms that overlooked the view of the water and mountains.   What a great place to end the day!

Olympia

Beginning July 27 millions of people who never watch sports and who, on an average Tuesday in March, couldn't care less about throwing a discus or rowing crew, are fixated on the TV.     The evening news has to offer special spoiler alerts where they give you the option to press mute if you don't want to hear who won a medal or lost by a millisecond.     Where did the magic begin?   Here in Olympia, Greece.    

Only Greeks could participate.   Only men could participate (unless you were a rich woman who owned a horse that a man raced with a chariot).    The events were simple - running, wrestling, and charioteering.   If you were caught cheating you were publicly humiliated - and forced to build a statue to Zeus right outside the ramp where the athletes processed into the arena. 

When you are at Olympia you will see a small rectangular area of nothing that is fenced off.  Why?   It's a spot that's only famous when it comes time for the Olympic torch to be lit.   Then it becomes a spectacle of (recent) tradition, that involves a lot of ladies dressed as priestesses.   The torch ceremony was on May 10.  CNN has some pictures of the festivities.   It's one of those things that you are compelled to take a picture of - even though there's nothing to see.   Somehow I managed to resist.           

The torch is currently on a 70 tour of the UK - today specifically going from Cardiff to Swansea.   The London Olympics site indicates that on the tour the torch will travel to within an hour of 95% of the UK population.   You can follow the adventures of the torch and torchbearers here. 

I, too, love the Olympics.   I get caught up in the stories of triumph, sacrifice, and defeat.   I wait for the medals ceremony to hear the national anthem.  62 days and counting.  

Nafplion

Considering Nafplion was only the last stop on day 2 of our Greek adventure, I still feel behind.   I got home almost a month ago.   After a day that was cold and rainy at Mycenae and then progressed to sun at Epidaurus, stopping in Nafplion for an hour of wandering through the town center, eating ice cream, and enjoying being along the water was sweet.    The city has fortifications up on the hillside as well as in the water.   It was taken by French crusaders and also belonged the Republic of Venice as well as the Ottoman Empire.  I had a chance to go into a local grocery store.   This is one of my favorite things to do anywhere I travel.   Partially because I look for candy to bring back for my office.   I'm also intrigued by spices, juices, and unique flavors of potato chips (such as the bag of Greek herb chips I purchased).   Naturally there was time for ice cream.   And pastry.   Ohh the pastry.   They put it in pretty little cardboard to go boxes.   If you wait too long to eat it the honey syrup starts to ooze out.   That's your penalty for delay of game.   

Truth in Pastry:  Plastic forks cannot stand up to baklava.   At least twice I had my fork break on me as I tried to enjoy baklavas as big as my head.  

Epidaurus: Ye Olde Med Spa

Imagine your favorite spa or resort.  Your favorite hideaway out of town.  

The place you go to relax, rejuvenate and recover.  

Now go back in time a few thousand years.   Welcome to the Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus.   People would come here for 40 days of treatment for their ailments.   And they wouldn't come alone.   They would bring their entourage to join them in seeking a cure.  Family, friends, servants.  And the entourage would need something to do while the ill received their treatment.   There were shops.  Restaurants.  Games.  Debates.  Theater.  Mineral Springs.   The most famous feature at Epidaurus is amphitheater which was covered by a landslide and is very well preserved.   Acoustically the theater is amazing and all 11 - 15,000 people that would have attended a performance it its heyday could have heard every word.   The theater is now the site of the annual Epidaurus Festival.   Fortunately they don't cram 15,000 people inside anymore. 

Interesting theater fact #1:  The rich were the ones who got the seats with the backs.   Theater performances lasted all day.  That's a long time sitting on a hard bench in the sun. 

Interesting theater fact #2:  Theater lasted all day because it was a trilogy (a play in three parts with three actors standing  reciting a well-known story) followed by a comedy.    Since everyone knew the story, the entertainment came from the musicians and dancers who were in front of the actors in what we now would call the orchestra. 

Why is there a picture of a dog in the photo collage?   I noticed throughout Greece that dogs and cats were everywhere, but appeared well cared for.   Bowls of water and food would be outside.   Snoozing in the Greek sun seems like a good life.    This dog thought so. 



The Acropolis: A City on the Edge

Here it is.  The sight to see.  The Acropolis of Athens.   As you can see by looking at the top right picture it was a dark and stormy...day.   Just know that marble is, in fact, slippery when wet.   Tennis shoes or sport sandals are the way to go.  We spent the morning of April 9 visiting this famous site and dodging the large tour groups wearing stickers and following someone holding a sign with a number on it.    The most famous site on this "city on the edge" (what an acropolis is by definition) is the Parthenon.   One of my favorite stories was one of the other temples that was decorated with pillars that were carved women of Sparta. Apparently, they were the "Real Housewives of Suburban Sparta" because the warrior women of Sparta weren't nearly as good looking.   

The Parthenon was used for a variety of purposes throughout history.   In the 1700s it was used to store gunpowder and the roof blew off.  Different governments, conquerors and people who love art stole many of the sculptures over the centuries.   Some of the art was even destroyed because it portrayed the "heathen" gods and goddesses of ancient times.   

The ticket you get for the Acropolis can also be used to get into the Museum of the Acropolis where you can see depictions of all the scenes that were on all sides of the Parthenon.    Some are the actual stone is there and some is recreated.    The Museum is on the Plaka, the pedestrian area of Athens where there are a lot of cafes and shops.    We dodged the rain in the afternoon with cups of cappuccino and a giant slice of baklava.

Happy Hour Travel Tip:  Buy a bottle of liquor at duty free on your way over.   Buy the mixers, fruit and snacks at a local market when you arrive.   Have happy hour in your hotel room before dinner.   Invite your friends.        

Greece Starts with a Healthy Breakfast

Hi Friends!   This is a banner day for The Pursuit.   I started this blog in 2008 primarily to write about travel and in preparation for my trip to Thailand in the spring of 2009.   Today you are reading my 500th post!   I know I've enjoyed the adventure and I appreciate friends, family and complete strangers (but you love travel and food, so you're not a real stranger) following along.    It's a cold and dreary Saturday morning in Denver.   We don't get a log of dreary here, so I'm taking advantage by getting caught up on posts about Greece and Turkey.    It's like leaving on vacation again.  Kind of.  Except I have to go back to work on Monday and I'm not having full fat Greek yogurt and bacon for breakfast.    Grab yourself a cup of coffee and lets go!

This was my first breakfast in Greece.   Fresh orange juice.   Greek yogurt with honey.  Pastry.  Slabs of feta.  Bacon.    Start as you mean to go on.   Two weeks of no holes barred enjoyment.

We had a half day city tour on April 9, our first real day in Greece.   The main feature of the tour was the Acropolis, and that will get its own post and photo montage.   Greece is well known for being the home of the Olympics.   The Olympics of the modern era started in 1896 in Athens.    The stadium is the finish line for the modern marathon.    The legend of the marathon race was that a runner messenger was dispatched from the city of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon.   He got to Athens, approximately a 25.4 mile run (going the hard way to avoid being caught), and then collapsed (and possibly died) from exhaustion.   I know that I would collapse from exhaustion too...my theory on running is that I only run if someone is chasing me.  

That marathon runner has been immortalized in this great sculpture that shows the runner in motion.

Rooftop Views of Athens

Obviously the key to success is to be a Greek god or goddess.  Long after the gods and goddesses of mythology stopped being worshiped, their legacy (and your struggle to remember your grade school mythology lessons) lives on.    There is something about your first stop on a vacation.   You've just arrived in a new place.   Then you see that one thing that lets you know that you're not in Kansas (or Colorado) anymore.   Even if you had to fly back home the next day, you could say "Yes, I've seen the _______." 

We didn't arrive in Athens until late on a Sunday night.   The airport is modern.   The interstate is modern.   Other than Greek on the signs, you could be anywhere.  Then you get to downtown Athens.    The temple of Zeus is lit up.    The Acropolis is lit up.   And you know you've arrived.   In history.  In the AA (authentic ancient).  

These photos were taken from the rooftop terrace at the Royal Olympic Hotel, our home away from home on two occasions during our vacation.    To be sipping coffee or a cocktail overlooking history...it's awesome. 

You in Greece

       

Last June my sister and I found out that we would have the opportunity to go to Greece in April 2012.   It had been on the wish list of places to go.   But now it was reality.   One of the first things we did was look at pictures and videos online.   This video, from the Greek tourist board, took us there.   We wanted to be the "beautiful people" who go on holiday in Greece.      

In the next few weeks, I'll continue to add posts and pictures about our trip.  Part of being on vacation, for me, is taking a break from constant technology.   And now I can revisit the experience, stretching my vacation mentality on, even though I've returned to reality. 

I hope you enjoy your virtual vacation.   Along with some of our other travelers we have a plan..."Next time, in Santorini" (more to come on why).   

It's time.  Picture yourself in Greece. 

You won't be sorry.