Greece Trip, Monday, 7/18/16

As we checked out of our hotel in Piraeus, Don and I reflected about Greece. It seems backward to us due to a lack of potable drinking water. Perhaps because of this, the Greeks are conscious about the need to conserve and to develop clean energy sources. They conserve water out of necessity, of course, but we also saw many windmills generating clean power and solar hot water heaters on roofs almost everywhere we looked.

Windmills to generate electricity are common on windy Greek mountains and islands. These are on Samos.

My recollection of nearby Italy is of many a cool or even cold shower due to a lack of hot water, but that was never a problem for us in Greece. In fact, the shower could easily scald us if we weren't careful. Another interesting conservation device was a gadget in the hotel room that required either the hotel key or key-card to turn on the room electricity. This prevented guests from wasting electricity when out and about. Our group also had a positive encounter with Greece's socialized medicine when one member of our group briefly needed medical attention. It was efficient, effective, and free of charge.

Examples of solar hot-water system with solar panels and tanks, ubiquitous in Greece

One example of the use of a key to control and conserve electricity in a Greek hotel room.

After we checked out of our hotel in Piraeus, we traveled to the Peloponnese. It's technically still considered a peninsula, even though it has been separated from mainland Greece by the Corinth Canal. This short-cut for ships through the Isthmus of Corinth, dreamed-of since ancient times, was completed in the 1800s. Our group stopped along our journey to visit the canal and take pictures.

The Corinth Canal

Our next stop was Mycenae, the home city of King Agamemnon, famed Greek king and leader of the Greek army in the Trojan War. Like Troy, Mycenae was excavated by a German archaeologist named Heinrich Schliemann. This once-mighty fortress now lies in ruins, but we took time to pause beneath the famed Lion's Gate and admire the so-called Cyclopean Rocks, so huge that legends developed that only Cyclopes, one-eyed giants, could have built Mycenae's walls.

Mycenae's Lions' Gate

We also examined burial places where treasures such as the so-called "Mask of Agamemnon" were found.

This region is famous for its clay pottery, so we stopped for a pottery lesson to create a doll inspired by an ancient bell that looks like a distant cousin of E.T.

Our clay dolls made near Mycenae

At the nearby gift shop I splurged on a silver and opal necklace that combines two traditional designs, the Greek meander with an older, Mycenean circular pattern.

My one splurge from the trip, a silver and opal necklace. Pretty!

 Don didn't buy much, but did ask the goddess, Athena, for a spin at West Coast Swing.

Don invites the goddess, Athena, for a turn at West Coast Swing

We spent our afternoon and evening in the Hotel Soleil in a village called Tolo, which sported a swimming-pool and was a short walk to a lovely beach. It was one of our favorite spots.

View from our balcony at the Hotel Soleil in Tolo, Greece

View from our hotel room at the Hotel Soleil in Tolo, Greece

I hope the beaches in Sorrento are as nice. I am organizing an Italy tour in July, 2018.

Greece Trip, Sunday, 7/17/16

Today others in our group took a free day in Athens, but our group signed up for an optional excursion, a day cruise to three Greek islands just off the coast: Hydra, the smallest and furthest away, Poros, a medium-sized island, and Aegina, the largest and closest to the city. All three are popular tourist destinations. Athenians often travel to them for getaway weekends.

The water and scenery were beautiful on our way to the islands. Here is an example.

Scenery on our day-cruise near Athens. The water really is this beautiful blue.

Hydra, the first island, was charming. No automobiles are allowed, so people travel on foot or on donkeys.

Two friends ride donkeys on Hydra

It was fun to sit in the shade and watch vacationers swim in the crystal-clear, blue water below.

Swimmers enjoy the water off the Greek island of Hydra

Poros, the medium-sized island, had more opportunities for shopping than Hydra and hotel-rooms close to the waterfront. I think Poros is where Don stopped for ice cream, which he seemed to enjoy.

Don enjoys ice cream while I sip on fresh-squeezed orange juice. Delicious!

Aegina is famous for pistachios, but Don and I didn't get to see the main island. We paid for a trip by speedboat to a smaller island and private beach which had a little bar and restaurant and secluded cove for swimming. The water was perfect. The boat trip was fun, especially on the way back when the wind picked up. Our return to the main ship was an adventure in itself.

Our secluded cove near Aegina

We all agreed this excursion was just what we needed to cool off, rest and relax after our sweltering day yesterday on Athens' Acropolis.

Greece, July 16, 2016, First Full Day

Today Joanna led us via public transportation to several neighborhoods at the center of Athens. There we enjoyed some free time to shop or visit various cafes. Above us loomed the Acropolis, an old Greek word for the highest habitable point of a city, where the temples and treasures were kept. It was walled and fortified in case of siege. On our walk to the Acropolis we saw the old Roman agora or forum with a structure dedicated to the Winds, which in Greco-Roman times were gods.

Roman building in Athens dedicated with relief sculptures of the Winds

We also watched the ceremony for the changing of the guards in front of Athens' Parliament-building. Athens has been invaded and occupied by a variety of other countries over the centuries, and this ceremony and the soldiers' traditional uniforms are Bavarian. Their kilt-like garment has four hundred folds, we were told, to represent the years of Turkish rule under the Ottomans. The guards' moves and uniforms were similar in some respects to those of a folk-dance we saw later in the day at Greek "Culture Night."

Greek guards in front of the Parliament

Next we were given a handout and sent inside the Acropolis Museum for a self-guided tour. The museum is beautifully designed and includes important original sculptures and artifacts from the Parthenon and elsewhere. The air conditioning also gave us a welcome if temporary respite from Athens' almost-unbearable summer heat and sun. Don and I watched a video about the Parthenon a couple of times and I used nearby models to explain what some of the architectural terms, like triglyphs, metope, and pediment, mean.

After our too-brief visit to the museum, our group made its way to the Acropolis itself. We entered through traditional gates called the Propylaea, which looks much like a Greek temple. Besides the Parthenon, we saw the Odeon, the Theater of Dionysus where Western drama was born, the Erechtheion, and, of course, the famous Parthenon. From the Parthenon we also spotted the remains of the Temple of Zeus. Unfortunately, there are only a few columns left of this once-impressive structure.

Don and I pose in front of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece

After a bus ride back to the hotel for a chance to freshen up, our group made its way to dinner and Greek Culture night, an amazing experience. The food, service, music, and dancing were all fantastic. Don and I were permitted to practice some West Coast Swing to Greek music before the show started, a big hit with the owners of the restaurant.

The point of the night was to grow a deeper respect and appreciation for Greek music and culture. The Greek spirit is expressed with shouts of "Opa!" and even the smashing of plates. We learned some steps of a couple of Greek dances. Don, who's made of tougher stuff than I am, danced more than I did. After the travel, the walking, and the heat of the day, I confess I was dozing over my plate, afraid I'd fall face-first into my food like a toddler. Nevertheless I managed to see and enjoy all the different styles of Greek dance, including the man who danced with a hoop with a shot-glass full of spirits, which he whirled and spun without spilling a drop; the dancers with candle, with fire, belly-dancers, and a wider variety of dances and music than I can describe. The climax of the evening came at around 11 PM with a smashing of plates on the stage and performers dancing around and through the smashed plates. Opa!

Greece, July 16 2016 Arrival

A Latin teacher, I traveled to Greece with a teacher-friend from Virginia Beach and her Latin students through EF Tours. Although EF focuses on educational student tours, and we're not students, my husband, Don, and I were allowed to accompany the group. We were warned we would need to keep up with a tour paced for a group of teenagers. We figured we easily would.

Ha! We found we could do it if we took every opportunity to rest in the shade and lots of naps. Also if we actually slept at night (I'm not sure the teens always did).

After adventures with connecting flights, we arrived in Athens at a new airport built for the 2004 Olympics. The old airport, which we passed on our way to our hotel, is now a camp for migrants or refugees who live in tattered tents and under blankets. Our tour director was a lovely Greek woman, a professor of English, named Joanna.

Joanna, our EF Tour Director

Joanna poses with her friend, Puff the "Friendly Dragon"

We found Greece very welcoming to tourists. Many Greeks speak some English, especially in Athens and in the more touristy parts of the country. Tourists bring euros, which Greece desperately needs. The country has not really recovered from the 2008 economic recession or more recent austerity measures imposed by the E.U. Joanna says recent world events and negative publicity about the shutting-down of Greek banks have adversely affected the flow of tourists to her country. This is doubly painful because tourism is a major portion of the Greek economy. It's a shame, she says, because Greece is a relatively crime-free and safe place for tourists, and the bank closures affected only Greeks who kept their money in Greek banks. Even in the height of the economic crisis, tourists had no trouble withdrawing money through ATMs, which can be found all over Greece.

Our biggest surprise was to learn that water, and especially potable water, is a scarce resource in Greece. Outside of Athens we needed to drink bottled water, which is relatively inexpensive, usually no more than a euro for a big bottle. Water served at the table in restaurants can be trusted, but nothing else. Even in Piraeus, Athens' ancient harbor area, we were told not to drink it. This was an unexpected additional expense to our trip, but we quickly got used to it.

Another surprise was all the graffiti and street art in Athens. Joanna reassured us it's no sign of criminal activity but of creative expression. Various colors are not due to gangs but usually in support of soccer teams.

Click here for details of a potential trip to Italy in July of 2018.

Thai New Year's Festival

Today Don and I accompanied my friend Mel, owner of Thai99, a local restaurant, to her Buddhist temple in Isle of Wight County. Its name, Wat Pasantidhamma, means Forest Temple. Thai, Cambodian, and other immigrants along with their friends and families gathered there to celebrate the New Year today.

Thai Forest Temple

We enjoyed Thai music, dancing, and food--lots of it! We got to visit the temple, tour the grounds, see the monks, and get a blessing from them if we wanted. I bought some hot sauce for our kitchen from one of the booths that dotted the grounds.

The Temple provided a free lunch. See part of the long lines in the background to the right.

Don and I in the Buddhist Temple's sanctuary. Photo courtesy of Mel Martin.

Volunteers in front of a few of the beautiful images of Buddha on the temple grounds. 

First Landing State Park

Don and I spent three days at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, VA, for an early anniversary trip. We stayed in a rustic cabin replete with hot showers, a fireplace, heat and air conditioning. This is my idea of roughing it!

Our rustic cabin in the woods at First Landing State Park. Don, his truck, and the dogs to the right.

The interior is roomy and comfortable with a small kitchen, bathroom, shower, heat and A/C. My kind of camping!

One benefit of staying in the park is that could bring our two dogs by paying an additional fee. Pets are allowed on a six-foot leash. Our Walker hound and beagle enjoyed hiking along the nearby beach and trails, although I confess I tuckered out way before Don or the dogs did. Other highlights were sitting around a campfire, reading, and writing a journal entry in the cabin log. We are already planning future trips!

I am more worn out than the dogs. They were hyper when they arrived!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Don and I returned yesterday from a three-day trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was Don's first visit. He's a history buff, so we decided to go.

Independence Hall in Philadelphia

He also likes trains, so we traveled by Amtrak passenger train. We left from Richmond to have more choices on times to return. We wanted to return to the South Hampton Roads area in time for our weekly West Coast Swing dance lessons with Wolf and Bee Dance.  We are getting ready for International West Coast Swing Flash Mob Day, but that's another story.

Don enjoys a relaxing Amtrak trip surrounded by gadgets. According to the GPS we traveled fast!

We stayed at the Club Quarters Hotel, which was nice, centrally located, and reasonably priced. From there we traveled on foot or by subway everywhere we wanted to go. We saw Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the nearby Benjamin Franklin Museum. The next day we visited the waterfront along the Delaware River, including Harbor Park.

Don enjoys the waterfront of the Delaware River

At the waterfront we saw two separate memorials dedicated to the Irish and Scottish immigrants to Philadelphia. They were touching and educational, especially the information about the Irish Potato Famine. We toured the Independence Seaport Museum including two ships: the Warship Olympia and the Submarine Becuna. The Olympia was famous from the Battle of Manila Bay and from carrying the body of the Unknown Soldier from France to the U.S. in 1921. Don lived on submarines, but I have never been on one before, so I found our tour of the Becuna interesting.

The Irish Memorial portrays the desperation of the Potato Famine and Great Hunger

Hope awaits the Irish immigrants newly arrived in the U.S.

The Scots, also immigrants, are proud of their Revolutionary roots. Four signed the Declaration of Independence.

We also caught some live jazz music at Chris' Jazz Cafe on Tuesday night. The food was great there and just about everywhere we went.