Living in America

Now for a non-Greek post. We've kicked off our very American summer with a few concerts.

While weathering some record breaking temperatures and humidity. John Frieda himself couldnt ease this frizz.

Cooking out some fresh vegetables from the farmers market. With some American beer.

And of course, hanging out with the canine Debbie Downer. The heat and the new diet have made him incredibly pleasant. Trust me Grizz, no one is less thrilled about the high fiber diet than the people who have to clean up your poop.

I'm beginning to think the weatherman is lying when he talks about the heat wave. Does a wave last three weeks? I think not.

I'll be riding it out indoors or by the pool, if you need me.

Sunsets and Souvlaki

Yes, I can just about theme every leg of this trip with food. Speaking of themes, I guess I was into the graphic tee look when I packed my bag at 1 a.m.



We arrived in Santorini at 12:45 a.m. so by the next morning I was anxious to go check out the views I had been looking at on my computer screen for the past 4 months. Spoiler alert: They were better in person.


In case you can't see the images on my Stay Golden t-shirt, its these ladies, who always travel in style.

Besides the light skin and lighter hair, doesn't MS look like he fits right in?

I promise I have pictures that aren't us standing in front of the view. That being said, it was truly breathtaking. I kept having to go back and look again every little bit, and it seemed new every single time. I think having their main source of income as tourism is a pretty safe bet.

We loved all the bright blue and white (who doesn't?) and it was constantly being freshened up. They know what's up.

One of, if not the, favorite day on our trip was the sailing expedition around Santorini with Captain Ted. Ted's parents were Greek, but Ted was raised in Jersey. After getting his fill of GTL, he and his wife moved back to Santorini and opened a sailing business. And a sushi restaurant. My kind of people.

After seeing the other sailing expeditions, we were SO glad we went with Captain Ted. The other boats were crammed and you had one small seat, whereas we could lay out on the front part of the boat (I'm sure there's a technical name for that. Starboard?). They also cooked a fresh lunch on the boat that was amazing.


When we got to the hot springs, we got to jump out and swim. I'm a little ill we don't have a picture of me swimming as well, because it was icy cold, and I would like some credit. But doesn't MS look like he's having fun? Geography 101 - if the 'hot' springs arent contained and the ocean is icy cold, they can't really be hot springs now can they?

Lunch after a rough morning at the hotel pool. I got the lamb souvlaki and it was wonderful - very tender and the perfect pairing with fresh tzatziki sauce. Not to mention, fresh fried potatoes.

Catching up on a little work on the way back to the hotel, while sampling some chocolate.

We read a lot in our travel book (that got left on the plane) about how gorgeous the sunsets are in Santorini. They did not dissapoint.

Mythos gives you wings.

We were sad to leave Santorini, but excited to check out Naxos...

Bon Voyage!

Historical

The next morning, we laced up our running shoes to go see the changing of the guards at Parliament, then to head up to the Acropolis. If only I had known there was a 10k that morning, we would have been signed up. After mousakka and lamb and baklava and jet lag it would have been absolutely horrible, but how cool would it have been to run a race through Athens that started at the Parthenon?

Can't win them all.

Parliament. It looked so governmental, I was hoping we might see a riot. From a distance, of course. No such luck.

Day one of people dressed too hot for the weather. I guess they don't have a choice...but still.

Me and some olive trees.

Incredible view. We were both representing - Roll Tide! I even wore my old school t-shirt, since the Acropolis is pretty old school.

Great picture to show our kids that once we were young, blonde and actually went places. I'm sure this will be received with an eye roll. I like it anyways.

It was so incredible to take it all in and imagine how much history took place here. It's amazing to me that it's still there and how great it looks, even if it does have cranes here and there. Anything that old deserves a face lift.

Namath would have been right at home in Athens. Dogs were everywhere. This was in front of a cathedral. They were so comfortable with all the crowds, sometimes you would have to step over them sleeping in the street. Sounds familiar.

After taking a detour and seeing most of Athens, we decided to sit at an outdoor cafe on the Plaka with a Mythos to kill a little time before we had to take the metro to our ferry.

Off to the islands!

The ferry to Santorini was around 5 hours. Luckily, it wasn't very full, since I didnt know to buy the airplane seats (read: indoor comfortable seating). Lesson learned. Unfortunately the cabin smelled like feet for most of the ride. Maybe because the guy beside us had his shoes off. I'm a regular Nancy Drew.

We made multiple trips to the deck for some fresh air.

Santorini!

Then the next morning, we woke up to this view ....

Moussaka and the Plaka

The week before we left for Greece, we were both out of town for work. This led to a late night of packing before an early flight. Doesn't mean you can't celebrate vacation while you pack.

After 3 hours of sleep, I dressed as close to pajamas as I could while still looking like I changed after I got out of bed, and we were ready to head out. After a large cup of coffee, of course. I look tired. I'm blaming it on the airport lighting.

Since flying is so dehydrating, once arriving in Charlotte we decided to get some liquid in the system. And mexican. Why not?

Two flights later (sounds much shorter than it was), we landed in Athens.

Even the ads were pretty.

We took the metro to downtown, and this was the view when we emerged. Hello, Greece.

We checked into the Knoxville suite, took in the view and then went out to check out the Plaka, the oldest section of Athens.

Divine providence meant this was outside our hotel.

We got geared up for our hike with our first greek meal.

Why I haven't been eating tzatziki with every meal of my life, I'll never know. I did get the recipe, and will be making this often.

Had to try a frappe, which people were drinking like water. I don't think I'll be recreating this at home anytime soon. But, it wasn't too bad.






After we got our bearings around the plaka, we decided to go watch the sunset on the roof of our hotel.

Mission accomplished, so we headed to dinner. Tripadvisor.com was my best friend planning this trip. We knew we wanted to visit the restaurant rated number one in Athens, and it did not dissapoint.

I had the moussaka - a baked dish with a layer of potatoes, eggplant, meat, cream and then cheese. Easily one of the best meals I had in Greece.

It was so good I wanted a picture with it.

Matt had a lamb dish. The name is failing me right now, but suffice to say, it was amazing.

Connie, the owner, made our experience so fun. She explained all the dishes, talked to us and let us enjoy our meal. It felt more like eating at a friends house.

It was a great first night in Greece, and I couldnt believe the next morning when I saw the view out our window. So cool.

Until next time, don't forget....

Subtle.