Well, I have to say I had a really good last few weeks. I spent time with friends and family in England. Met up with Stefan for an afternoon of coffee and shopping. We managed to purchase the same shirt in the same store - let's hope we don't wear it on the same night. Elvira was kind enough to let me leave a bunch of clothes at her place while I made my way up north to Scotland and Ireland. Those cheap airlines only allow 15 or 20kg of weight for baggage. And when you are travelling for a year - it's a little more than that. We went out for a nice dinner and said our goodbyes - for now. Elvira, you need to make your way to Canada!! My Aunt Carole made me feel right at home for a week of relaxation and doing nothing but waking up late and watching TV.
I flew to Athens to meet Nicole on the 16th. Like I said on the last entry (not a pretty sight). We toured around the city for 3 days laughing at the dumbest stuff. Went out one night until 6am - "...your brother is so beautiful!" hahaha
We met Mum and Kristina at the airport. Do I need to say what my mum's reaction was when she saw me. The four of us waited around for 5 hours (the girls, including mum, slept for 1/2 that time while I watched LOTR on my computer) before catching a flight to Santorini. I must say, Mum and Kristina were troopers! There were in transit for more than 30 hours before hitting the pillow in Imerovigli.
Santorini:
Our first hotel was on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. If you have been, you know what I'm talking about when I say 'WOW!' If you have only seen pictures, you probably get a good idea. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, either look at pictures or go, or climb back into the bubble where you have been living.
A rental car was in order so we could tour around the island. We went to Thira (main city), did some shopping (mostly the women), went to a beach and tasted some wine on an underground wine tour.
Our next hotel was amazing! Not a 5 star but a great experience! The hotel is called, 'Strogili' which is located in Kamari. The family that owned the hotel made us feel like family. Delicious breakfasts every morning (I need to make this feta/jalapeno dip) that the Grandma was telling me about. On Sunday before we left, the four of us embarked on a Sunset Boat Cruise. We swam in the 'hotsprings' by the volcano (which weren't really hotsprings, just warm pockets here and there). Just before we were about to jump in - I don't know if it was on purpose but the boat unloaded what looked to be their sewage. Not a pretty sight. After waiting for 10 minutes, Kristina and I jumped in. LOL! Nicole and Mum stayed onboard. The sunset was stunning that night from the boat. I'll post a picture.
We made our way back to Athens for 2 days. I flew to Istanbul (where I am now), and Nicole flew to Barcelona for her 6 week holiday around western Europe. Mum and Kristina are staying in Athens for anotehr 3 nights before heading back to Springfield to pick up her stuff and then drive back to Calgary.
A best of 5 series of Kanasta was played by the 4 of us. Nicole and Mum on one team, Kristina and I on the other. It was close but Mum and Nicole came out on top. HOWEVER, that night I found of the the cards under the bed, which I am sure Nicole hid to have an advantage over us. The judge is still deciding on the outcome.
My early morning flight brought me into Istanbul. I walked around all morning and afternoon getting lost more than once. In the process of figuring out what I am doing tomorrow and Friday. I have a flight to Cairo, Egypt on Saturday May 30.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment