It's all Greek to me!

For over a week now, I have been meaning to update the blog with a post about our incredible trip to Greece, but my time has been much more occupied lately... that's because I started a new job last Monday!  I am now working as a part-time teacher/part-time tutor at Wiesbaden Middle School located on the nearby Army base.  I am teaching a reading class and a video journalism class to 7th and 8th graders as well as tutoring in two college prep classes... although I wish I was teaching science, of course, it is nice to be back in the classroom everyday, and overall I am sure it will be a good experience.  I also have no doubt that the next three months will fly by, and summer break will be here before I know it!  But I am getting ahead of myself just a bit... let's get back to our Greek holiday!

As I mentioned in a previous post, our friends, Paul and Michelle, came over for a European vacation, so they joined us on our jaunt down to Greece.  Our first stop was Athens... we arrived there in the capital city on Monday, March 9th to bright skies and warmer weather, for which we were very grateful.  It definitely felt slightly strange to walk around without a jacket, but it was a welcome change.  Our initial course of business was to partake of some fabulous Greek food.  On our way to finding lunch, we saw Athens' very own Roman forum, and then we soon found a cute little cafe in the shadow of the Acropolis.  Between the food, the sun, and the view, I must say it was a very nice start to our visit.

After lunch it was time to explore the neighborhood just to the east of the Acropolis called the Plaka.  Nearby we found more restaurants and more great views of the Acropolis.  As we walked around and enjoyed the sunshine, we also got a clear shot of the highest point in Athens, Lycabettus Hill.  Local legend says that Athena placed the hill at that spot in Athens so she would have a perch from which to admire her temple on top of the Acropolis.

Following our wanderings around the Plaka, we swung by the Greek Parliament building, which was near our hotel.  Similar to Buckingham Palace in London, some very distinctive guards stand watch outside the building.  Just for kicks we all posed for pics with one of the stoic sentries. 

We then decided to rest up before dinner.  Good thing we did because we needed our strength to consume a huge meal that evening... did I mention that I love Greek food?  We definitely got our fill that night as well as the entire week.  Not far from the restaurant we found an Irish pub, where we hung out for a while watching soccer.  It's crazy but it seems that everywhere we have traveled recently, there is always an Irish pub!  Well, except for maybe Morocco :)  On the walk back to the hotel that night, we also got to take in the illuminated Acropolis.

Tuesday was dedicated to checking out the Acropolis in all its glory.  On the way up to the top, we took a walk through the National Gardens right next to Parliament, and then we went by the Temple of Olympian Zeus.  Construction on this sizeable temple began around 515 BC... it seemed quite bizarre to be standing next to something that was built over 2,500 years ago!  

Once we investigated the ruins of Zeus' temple, it was finally time to head toward the Acropolis.  As you head up to the top, you first run into the Theatre of Dionysus, a large open-air ampitheatre at the foot of the Acropolis.  

Up a little farther, you encounter another open-air theatre, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.  Its seating area was actually restored back in the 1950's and so the theatre is still used for performances today.  From the top of the theatre, there are some great views of Athens.

Okay, drum roll, please... and then we reached the top!  I think my heart skipped a beat when I realized that I was standing atop of the famed Acropolis just feet from the Parthenon!  As you reach the crest of the Acropolis, what you actually see first is called the Propylaea, which means "gateway building."  The Propylaea is in fact the western side of the Temple of Athena Nike, one of the smaller temples found on the Acropolis.  From this point, you can see Athens sprawling out below.

Another diminutive temple, the Erectheum, sits on the northern portion of the Acropolis.  Not surprisingly, this area also provides another fantastic vantage point of Athens and beyond.      

Of course, in addition to these two minor temples, there is the Parthenon!  It was built in honor of Athena, the patron goddess of ancient Athens, and is considered the best example of Doric-style architecture, which is characterized by unadorned columns.  The Parthenon has been "under renovation" since 2000, hence all the scaffolding.  Even still, it was a sight to behold... and looking south of it, there was yet another panoramic view.

After traipsing around the Acropolis, we decided to check out the view from a nearby hill... this time we got a glimpse of the Aegean Sea out past the port of Piraeus as well another great perspective of the Acropolis... and no, Daniel did not give me a piggyback ride all the way up the hill!

We had one more stop to go before grabbing a late lunch... the ancient Agora, which means "marketplace."  In addition to columns and remnants of stone buildings, it is also home to the Temple of Hesphaestus, the best-preserved temple in Athens and another great example of Doric architecture.

Following lunch, it was time for some shopping... and for once, it was actually Daniel on a mission!  You see, a friend of ours here in Frankfurt has this large metal Spartan helmet that Daniel has been admiring for months now... as soon as we planned our trip to Greece, Daniel assured me that we would be getting our very own Spartan helmet in Athens.  So Tuesday afternoon was our chance to find just the right one, so we looked and looked and looked.  Eventually we narrowed down the choices, and Daniel picked out a very nice bronze Spartan helmet, supposedly modeled after Leonidas', who was the leader of the Spartan army at the Battle of Thermoplyae (ya know, from the movie, "300").  Needless to say, Daniel is very happy with his purchase.    

On Wednesday morning, we had just enough time to get a run in before our flight to Santorini... it was pretty sweet to take a lap around the Acropolis and through the National Gardens.  We also ran by the stadium which hosted the first games of the modern Olympics in 1896... I didn't have a camera on me though, so sorry, no shot!  Before noon, we were heading back to the airport and soon we were off on our way to visit one of the most heralded of Greek islands.  A quick flight later and we were there... once we got to our hotel and saw the view from its veranda, we realized what all the fuss was about...

And these pictures don't even do it justice!  Santorini is truly breathtaking.  The views from just outside our door and from the bed weren't too shabby either.  

Not long after our arrival, we were off to explore the northern part of the island, specifically the town of Oia.  It is a gorgeous, quaint town that is world renowned for its beautiful sunsets, and our primary goal while there was to witness one.  As we were waiting for the sun to disappear beyond the horizon, we chowed down on some very yummy gyros and wandered around narrow streets along the cliff's edge.  Because the island is shaped like a backwards C, not only could we take in the Aegean Sea and Oia, we could also look back toward the town of Firostefani in the central part of the island, where we were staying.    

We made our way up to some castle ruins on the western tip of Oia as sunset approached, where a small crowd was gathered.  If we had been there during the tourist heavy summer months, I am assured there would have been many more onlookers.  While waiting, we all enjoyed the warm glow the sun cast on the whitewashed homes and the red cliffs below... and soon the sun was going, going, gone.

After the sunset, there was just enough light to walk around some more and soak up the serenity of the town, especially while admiring the cute little churches with their bright blue domes.  

As night fell, we caught the bus back to Santorini's largest town, Fira, which is a 15 minute walk from our hotel.  That evening in Fira we had a lot of fun hanging out at... yet another Irish pub!  Like I said, they are everywhere!  The next morning we had a delicious breakfast on the hotel veranda, and then we were off to Fira again... along the way we saw more charming churches.  We booked a boat ride over to explore the volcano across the bay, so we had to head down to the old port at the bottom of the cliff.  There is a cable car, but we decided to hike it instead... thankfully there is an extremely long staircase built into the cliff face that helped us maneuver our way down.  Once on the water, we could easily see just how far down the climb had been!

The boat ride over was short but sweet, and before long we found ourselves at the base of the volcano.  Now for a short history lesson... this volcano was once much larger and connected to the mainland of Santorini.  Around 3000 BC, it erupted in what is considered one of the largest volcanic events in Earth's history.  It sent a huge tidal wave toward Crete, so it is believed that it largely contributed to the downfall of the Minoan civilization there.  Also, due to the massive eruption, the majority of the volcano sunk into the Aegean Sea, in the process devastating the settlements on Santorini.  Therefore, there is much speculation that this catastrophic event inspired the legend of Atlantis.  Alright, enough history... so we had a leisurely hike up to the summit, where we, not surprisingly, enjoyed some more spectacular views.

Today, the volcano is considered dormant, though sulfur dioxide is seeping out of the old crater.  While it's hard to tell in the picture, the sulfur looked like puffs of smoke escaping from the mountainside... and we could definitely smell it too!  Despite this, being the Earth science geek that I am, just being on top of the Santorini caldera was pretty awesome!  As you can see, I felt "carried away" by all the cool geology and stunning scenery :) 

Before heading back to the mainland, the boat swung by some nearby hot springs... since it wasn't very warm that day, the only people who were game enough to swim were Daniel and Paul... oh, and a tough old Korean guy!  As the rest of the boat looked on, the three of them swam out to the springs... when they returned, they said that in order to be more accurate, they should be called lukewarm springs.    

Thankfully they survived the cool dip, and shortly after we were back at the old port in Santorini.  As for getting back up to the top of the cliffs, we decided to forgo the cable car and hiking up on foot.  Instead we opted for the more traditional method... a donkey ride!  Michelle may not have enjoyed it much, but the rest of us laughed the whole way back up.  It was a very memorable ride!

By the time we reached the top of the cliffs, a storm was rolling in.  Even with gray clouds threatening rain, I think that Santorini cannot help but be striking.  

Naturally that evening our thoughts revolved around eating some more fabulous Greek food.  Since over here in Europe dinner is usually eaten much later, we stalled for time with some pre-dinner coffee... or in my case, delicious hot white chocolate!  We then found an adorable restaurant with a great view overlooking the other side of the island, and of course, great food.  

Friday morning, our last morning on Santorini, came way too quickly.  We spent our last few hours on the island driving to the ruins of the ancient town of Thira.  On the way, we got to take in the other side of the island by daylight, which is really quite beautiful as well.  When we set out, little did we know that we would have to drive up a cobblestone road with 25 switchbacks to get up to the ruins!  Yes, the relics of the former civilization were located on top of a mountain.  If our little rental car hadn't stalled on the way up, I think I would have enjoyed the view a bit more. 

Thankfully, after we got the car started again and a slow, steady climb, we did eventually make it up to the ruins safely.  The view from up there was also fantastic... and the wind felt it would blow us over!  It really was insanely windy.  The photo of the tree below shows you just how strong and constant  it is.  Why any ancient society would want to live all the way up there with that wind, I don't know... maybe they really, really loved the view!  The chaos of my hair in the last picture also attests to the strength of the wind... regardless of this, the ruins were interesting and it was a neat last excursion.  

Before leaving, we wanted to capture the beauty of Santorini one last time, and I think this photo really sums up our whole trip nicely... huge smiles on our faces and gorgeous scenery surrounding us.

I must say that I have been daydreaming of visiting Santorini for years, and it definitely surpassed my expectations.  Since Daniel and I love to travel and visit new places as much as possible, we rarely consider returning to a destination just because there are so many other places in this great wide world of ours to explore.  However, with that being said, we both would love to go back to Santorini... hopefully a couple more times before we move back to the States.  It really is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, so if you ever have a chance, please take the opportunity to go and visit... if you'd like, come over and join us as we would love to go back again soon!  We'd also like to say that we had a blast traveling with Paul and Michelle, and I especially want to thank them for sharing their awesome pictures with us, some of which you have enjoyed while reading this blog.  All in all, we really had an incredible trip to Greece.

Just two days after returning from our trip, on March 15th we celebrated another fun event... my 29th birthday!  Guess where we celebrated.... Chili's!  You are probably thinking that since we live over here in Europe, why on Earth would we go to Chili's?!  Let me explain.... on Sundays, almost everything in Germany is closed, except for US bases.  Well, here if you are ever in the vicinity of Ramstein Air Force base, the thing to do is go to Chili's while on base.  I mean, we all crave some good ole American food from time to time, and especially free water and drink refills.  So, with that being said, several of our friends joined Daniel and I, and we all drove an hour and a half out to Ramstein to have my birthday dinner at Chili's.  It is a very nice drive through the German countryside, and the food (and of course, dessert!) waiting for us on the other end made it a worthwhile trip.  Plus, this birthday celebration was very reminiscent of my 16th birthday, which I celebrated by driving my closest friends to Chili's... this was a huge deal at the time because A) I got to drive! and B) I got to eat at one of my favorite restaurants with some of my best friends!  So it also was a lot of fun reliving those memories... plus celebrating my birthday this year at Chili's was also a blast!  Before long the big 3-0 will be here... but I can't even think about that yet! :)

Well, we are back to the grind here in Frankfurt... now Daniel and I are both busy with work!  Since I am just getting used to this "working everyday thing," I am grateful that spring break is just around the corner.  Luckily it coincides with Daniel's work conference down in Garmisch, Germany, which is near Munich, so I will be joining him there.  I am looking forward to exploring another part of Deutschland, and of course, I will report back with stories and pictures of anything interesting we encounter down there.  In the mean time, please enjoy the spring weather for us wherever you may be because it definitely does not feel like spring yet here!  Hopefully someday soon :)  Okay, that is all for now... thanks for reading and take care!