Greece Trip #39: Conclusion and Another Sign from Ed's Spirit

 This is the final blog of our trip to Greece in September 2021. After we endured the 10 1/2 hour flight back from Athens to Chicago, we transferred from Chicago to Baltimore. The next day, our friend Ed (in spirit) let us know that he also made the return trip back with us. You'll read about that in today's blog.  

(Photo: Rob and Tom in the Maiandros restaurant, Athens)

ED'S SPIRIT SIGN THAT HE'S BACK! - During our vacation in Greece, our friend Ed (who passed in 1996) let us know he was on the trip with us by giving us his telltale sign- a coin. On the day after we returned, were we in traffic and Tom spotted a white pick-up truck that resembled Ed's. Ed's vehicle was from the mid- 1990s, so that was over 25 years before!  But it wasn't just the same old pickup of the same color that clued us in that it was Ed. It was also because the back of it was loaded with lawn equipment. Ed managed his own landscaping business, 

(Photo of Ed's actual mid-1990s white pickup truck. Credit: RG)

Bottom line: There's no such thing as a coincidence. We were thinking of Ed and were wondering if he enjoyed "touring" Greece with us. We also wondered if he came back with us - and he let us know he did!

Thanks for reading the blogs about our trip. We hope you learned a lot and enjoyed them. Rob and Tom 

(Photo: Rob and Tom finally reach Chicago after a 10 1/2 hour flight from Athens. Ready to change planes) 

Greece Trip #38: Final Night in Noisy Athens. Shuttle Shame, Pan Flutist

Once we returned to Athens by ferry from the island of Mykonos, we went back to the hotel where we stayed the first 2 nights. In today's blog, you'll read about a tour group member's embarrassing story on a van, a great restaurant we went back to, a pan flutist, and another noisy night in the city. 

(Photo; Tom and Rob, last evening in Athens, Greece among the shops. Credit; RG)

SHUTTLE SHAME - If you've read the earlier blogs you know that there were a lot of guys in our group of 17 that absolutely did not know how to behave in public. On our 40-minute shuttle van ride from the Ferry port (See yesterday's blog) to the hotel in downtown Athens, we again suffered from embarrassment over the behavior of one of the guys in the group (who was retired, so should have known better). Of course, he sat right behind the driver (who was  Greek, and likely straight). The group guy proceeded to tell a story of how he bought an "anatomically correct" statue on one of his previous trips and he bragged about offering to show the customs officials the naked "and excited" statue. I'm putting this very gently - just imagine it said in a much more crude fashion. Again, no respect for other people at all. 

(Photo: Miguel the funny host of Maiandros Restaurant, Athens, Greece. Cr; RG)

GREAT DINNER - We went back to the Maiandros Restaurant and again saw Miguel, the host. We had a lot of laughs with him as he stood on the sidewalk of this open cafe, and used humor to get people to come into the restaurant. He was so grateful for our return and was amazed we came back- although we promised we would. (We keep our promises). I left him a 5-star review on Trip Advisor and cited on it that "Miguel needs a raise." :) We had a delicious lemon chicken dish - and highly recommend it! 

 

SHOPPING WALK - Since the hotel was on Monastiraki Square in the heart of Athens and the shopping district, we walked around after dinner and shopped a bit. The area was very, very crowded with tourists, even on a Wednesday night. 

(Photo: some desserts we encountered while walking around Athens. Cr: RG) 

THE PAN FLUTIST - Lots of performers set up on the Square in front of our hotel. Last time were drummers and dancers. This time there was a pan flutist (like the Greek Demi-god Pan, who played the flute). I took this short video so you could get a feel for the plaza, the hotel and the musician. 

NOISY NIGHT- Our hotel room this time was on the back of the hotel, so we were not facing the square (like we did last time with the loud drummers who drummed until 2am). We were relieved that we would have quiet. WRONG. The back of the hotel faced a bar that was open until 3am, so loud music blared from it until then, and you could hear the conversations of the late-nighters.

 

NEXT: A Final Sign from Ed's Spirit as we Headed Home

 

Greece Trip #37: Difference in Ferries to Athens & a Greek Pup

In today's blog, we'll tell you about the differences in Ferries around the Greek Islands, and why a slower boat may be better. We'll also introduce you to a breed of dog found in Greece that you may be unfamiliar with.

(Photo; The sweet little Kokoni dog that we met on the ferry. Credit: TW)

THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING ABOUT  FAST VS. SLOW FERRIES - One thing that travelers should know when they pre-book ferry travel in the Greek Islands is that weather affects fast ferries much more than slow ferries. FAST FERRIES  tend to be smaller ships. 

According to the experiences that our fantastic tour leader, Shane, had - he said that the smaller, faster ferries tend to cancel trips more often than the larger, slower ones. Smaller boats also often get delayed in windy conditions, and on the water around the Greek Islands, there's ALWAYS wind. Fast Ferries take 2 1/2 Hours to go from Mykonos to Athens on the mainland.  Slow Ferries are much larger, almost twice the size and can handle stronger winds and rougher seas much better than the smaller ferries. Slow Ferries take 5 hours to go from Mykonos to Athens on the mainland, but at least you have a MUCH BETTER CHANCE of getting there.

(Photo: Tom, Shane - the smart tour group leader and Rob)

Photos: Inside of the large, slow ferry / and Rob and Tom in the ferry)

MET A KOKONI DOG! - A Kokoni is an ancient breed and a small Greek domestic dog. The Kokoni is an ideal companion, extremely expressive and highly perceptive. It is an adept hunter of small game and birds (like Dachshunds!). 

The Kokoni loves human interaction and is fearless despite its small size. The breed is a cheerful, smart, and loyal. They are great companion dogs. Alert, and makes a good watchdog. The Kokoni is also fast and lively so the breed needs a daily pack walks to burn mental and physical energy. 

Pet parents need to be a firm, confident, consistent pack leader to avoid Small Dog Syndrome. Average Height: Males 9 - 11 inches (24 - 28 cm) Females 9 - 11 inches (23 - 27 cm) and average Weight: 9 - 18 pounds (4 - 8 kg)(Source: DogbreedInfo.com)

(Photo: Tom and the little Kokoni on the Ferry) 

NEXT: The Final Night in Athens, Greece 

Greece Trip #36: Delos Island's Famous Lions, Murals and Excavations

 In today's blog, we return to Delos Island to point out some of the famous highlights like the Famous Lions and Murals. You'll also learn about the still on-going Excavations 

(Photo: Eric, Tom and Rob near the Lions on Delos. Credit: RG) 

WHAT ARE THE LIONS OF DELOS? - The Lions of Delos once graced the famous 'Terrace of the Lions' on the sacred island of Delos, Greece. The Terrace of the Lions was dedicated to Apollo by the people of Naxos shortly before 600 BCE. It originally had nine to twelve squatting, snarling marble guardian lions along the Sacred Way.

(Photo: Lions of Delos)

ABOUT THE MOSAICS FOUND - Most of the surviving mosaics from Delos, Greece, an island in the Cyclades, date to the last half of the 2nd century BC and early 1st century BC. While some mosaics have been unearthed from religious sanctuaries and public buildings, most of them were found in residential buildings and private homes. They were floor mosaics.

WHAT'S THE MOST FAMOUS DELOS MOSIAC? A Hellenistic Greek mosaic depicting the god Dionysos as a winged daemon riding on a tiger, from the House of Dionysos at Delos in the South Aegean region of Greece, late 2nd century BC, Archaeological Museum of Delos.

EXCAVATION HISTORY OF DELOS - The excavations that started in 1872 and are still in progress have unearthed the Sanctuary and a good part of the cosmopolitan Hellenistic town. The monuments that have been excavated up to now speak most eloquently for the grandeur of the sacred island and illuminate a past civilization, which was Europe's cradle and wet nurse. The entire island is an archaeological site, which, along with the neighboring islands of Rheneia, Greater and Lesser Rematiaris, constitutes an immense archaeological site.

PHOTOS: A few more floor mosaic photos, and pictures of parts of buildings standing on the eastern side of Delos. 

(Photo: Tom poses in front of one of the standing walls of a wealthy house. Credit: RG) 

NEXT: A Ferry Ride Back to Athens and a Puppy Meeting

Greece Trip #34: Visiting Historic Delos Island

 Today's blog actually features a historic place in Greece!  We took the trip because we are both fascinated with Greek history and were surprised that there wasn't a lot more. Today's blog takes you to the historic island of Delos, where a civilization once thrived. Today, the ruins of the island city remain and we'll explore them. 

FERRY TO THE ISLAND OF DELOS - Because Delos is an island you have to take a ferry over to it, so Tom and I, Bill C. and Eric were the only ones from the group who wanted to see the island so we got ferry tickets. It was about a 20 minute ferry ride. 

WHAT IS DELOS? Delos is a rocky Greek island and archaeological site in the Aegean Sea's Cyclades archipelago, near Mykonos. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site now and was considered ""the most sacred of all islands" in ancient Greek culture (3 BC). The island's ruins encompass Doric temples, markets, an amphitheater, houses with mosaics and the iconic Terrace of the Lions statues.

(Photo - A headless statue stands guard over rubble from a former building. Credit: RG)

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE ISLAND?  According to UNESCO, the island was first settled in the third millennium BC. The Apollonian sanctuary, established at least since the 9th century BC, reached the peak of its glory during the Archaic and Classical period, when it acquired its Pan-Hellenic character. 

(Photo: A good part of the island consisted of rubble outlining homes or buildings, Credit-RG)

A WEALTHY SETTLEMENT PLACE - After 167 BC, as a result of the declaration of Delos as a free port, all the commercial activity of the eastern Mediterranean was concentrated on the isle. Rich merchants, bankers and ship-owners from all over the world settled there, attracting many builders, artists and craftsmen, who built for them luxurious houses, richly decorated with frescoes and mosaic floors. The small island became the greatest commercial center of the whole world. 

HOW DID DELOS FALL INTO RUIN?  The prosperity of the island and the friendly relations with the Romans were the main cause of its destruction. 

Delos was attacked and looted twice: in 88 BC by Mithridates, the King of Pontus, an enemy of the Romans, and later, in 69 BC, by the pirates of Athenodorus, an ally of Mithridates. Since then, the island fell rapidly into decline and was gradually abandoned. 

Captured after its abandonment successively by the Byzantines, Slavs, Saracens, the Venetians, the Knights of St. John and the Ottomans, Delos was turned into a quarry site with its temple columns burnt for lime, and its houses left in ruins. 

WELLS AND AQUEDUCTS -  Throughout the ruins, we saw wells and aqueducts. The ancient Greeks were brilliant with their water resources. 

MORE PHOTOS - Delos is a HUGE island, and below are more photos of the ruins in the western side of the island. The eastern side of the island had more intact buildings and we'll show you those in an upcoming blog. 

NEXT: WHO WERE THE GODS BORN ON DELOS? 

Greece Trip #33: Paradise Beach Day

The island of Mykonos, Greece, is known for beaches and the nightclub called the Jackie Onassis (which we didn't go to). We did, however, go to one of the famous beaches. Today's blog will give you a look at Paradise Beach and tell you why we're grateful we knew to go there instead of Super Paradise Beach.

SUPER PARADISE BEACH VS. PARADISE BEACH - Mark, my friend and colleague recommended that we go to Paradise Beach instead of Super Paradise Beach on Mykonos. He said Super Paradise was much more crowded and more expensive. Apparently, there's also a live afternoon disco, a lot of drinking and a more loud and rowdy crowd at Super Paradise Beach. We are so grateful to Mark for recommending Paradise Beach instead, which was beautiful, quiet and restful!  

THE TOUR GROUP - Our friends Bill and Bill, and us were the only ones in our tour group to go to Paradise Beach and we were grateful. Everyone else went to the rowdy Super Paradise Beach.  After spending the day at the beaches, the group returned to the hotel and town to get dinner. 

 (Photo: Tom and Bill G. on Paradise beach lounge chairs) 

   At night, the group (except us, Eric and Bill C) went back to Super Paradise Beach to the Jackie O nightclub.  They loved to party and drink - glad we missed it. The group returned to the hotel at 2 or 3am, long after we were asleep in our rooms!

GETTING TO PARADISE BEACH-  From our hotel located high atop the town, we walked down a mountain road (there are NO sidewalks) to the bus station. Once there, we figured out which bus took us to Paradise Beach (luckily they have signs in Greek and English). You can also catch buses to Super Paradise beach, so it's important to be careful when asking for a ticket. The bus ride was cheap and took just 15 minutes.  

BEACH BUS STOP- The bus stop at the beach was located at a small convenience store. From there it was a 5 minute walk to the beach. There was a wall around the entrance to the beach and we had to walk through a gate to get there. 

SETTLING IN -  Bill C. and I sat under a grass awning while Tom and Bill G. rented out beach lounges under a small grass umbrella. 

(Photo: Bill C. and Rob found a shady spot under a grass awning at the beach).

LUNCH- There's a couple of small open restaurants at the beach and an attendant the comes around to take food and beverage orders. So, we ordered sandwiches and got to eat them where we sat in the shade. It couldn't have been easier or more convenient. 

After a couple of hours (I did a lot of reading, post card writing and journaling about the trip), we caught the return bus back to town and found the hotel - this time, without getting lost! I strongly recommend Paradise Beach for a quiet, relaxing time. 

That evening, Tom and I skipped dinner with the group (again) and joined Eric (whom we befriended from the group) for a quiet Mexican dinner near the hotel. 

NEXT:  Visiting Historic Delos Island!  

Greece Trip #32: Lost in Mykonos

In today's blog, we'll take you into the town of Chora with its crazy maze of streets... and of course, we got lost coming back to the hotel. Here's the story  

(Photo: Tom and Rob lost on the way back to the hotel. Credit: RG)

THE TOWN OF CHORA -  Chora is a  labyrinth of whitewashed houses and shops lining narrow meandering pedestrian shopping streets and sinuous twisting alleyways of the harbor town. Look at the photo here and you'll understand how it's easy to get lost in the maze of the streets!

WHY A MAZE OF STREETS?  GreeceforVisitors.com says, "During the 16th and 17th century, pirating was common in these islands, so alleyways were built to fool the pirates and thwart invaders landing on these shores. It’s very easy to get lost in the confusing maze of labyrinthed corridors." 

  If you look at the map (seen on this blog) you'll notice there's no rhyme or reason to the layout of the streets.  

MAP MESS-  None of the maps in Greece are North-facing. I found this map on-line and it's the ONLY one with a compass on it. The ones we were given apparently had the West direction at the top of the map. Further, none of the maps are to scale. 

GETTING LOST!  After walking around the town for a couple of hours we decided to head back up to the hotel (which was located on a hill high above the town). Unfortunately, there's only one right path to get back to the hotel... and couldn't find it on the map! 

   We asked people in shops, but they directed us too far west (which we didn't know).  

   We walked up a hill toward the highest point as the sun was setting. We wound up walking 2 to 3 miles extra!  We reached a highway that continued in the direction of the hotel, but after 1 hour (it took 20 mins. to get INTO town), we got frustrated and finally found a gas station where we called the hotel. 

 

RESCUED - A huge thanks to the owner of the beautiful Damianos Mykonos Hotel who hopped in his van and drove to pick us up at the Aegean gas station.  As it turned out we were a 5-minute drive west of the hotel (another 30-minute walk), but we were on the correct street. Of course, the heat index near 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 C) at 9pm didn't help our mood either! 

NEXT: Famous Windmills of Mykonos  

Greece Trip #31: Arrival on Mykonos and Hotel Room Challenge

Today's blog brings us to the third of the three Greek Islands on our trip: Mykonos.  It's known as a beach and resort island. The hotel we stayed at was really beautiful. It was located at the top of the highest peak of the island, had a nice view overlooking the town of Chora, and a beautiful pool. Everyone's hotel room was perfect... except for ours. Here's the story:  

(View of the hotel from the 2nd floor restaurant - atop our 1st room).

 

ABOUT MYKONOS - Travel websites say that Mykonos is a favorite summer destination and has a cosmopolitan aura (didn't feel that), award-winning restaurants, and enchanting beaches. It's also known as the "Island of the Winds," and has a few working windmills which you'll read about in the next blog.

HOTEL ROOM CHALLENGE

When the group checked into a beautiful hotel called the Damianos Hotel, we were the last 2 of the 17 to get a room assigned. The hotel consisted of single-floor rooms with the exception of 2 rooms located down a stairway and situated directly under the restaurant. 

Guess where our room was located? Directly Under the Restaurant. Everyone else got a room on ground level with windows. Not us. I had already had enough with all we put up with on the trip with the bad behaviors of the group and I wasn't about to take the cave-like room under the restaurant so I asked to change rooms. The staff was very accommodating and apologized.  They moved us into a room on ground level with two twin beds and a window in the room (it was very nice). 

(This is what everyone's hotel room looked like, and where we got moved to after I asked)

AN OPEN SHOWER -  The room that we were initially put in (under the restaurant) had a large shower with a glass frame around it. We realized that's why they put us there. In this room, the Shower consisted of a 2 1/2 foot by 2 1/2 foot square of tiles on the floor with a drain, and no shower curtain or glass around it. It was open to the bathroom. When Tom took a shower, the whole bathroom was soaked!  I learned from that, so I hugged the corner of the shower (against the walls), so the water wouldn't splash through the bathroom. 

HOUSES IN MYKONOS / TOM SKETCH - Many of the homes were white in color and it seems they were mostly one story with a loft. Tom sketched a house from the island of Mykonos during dinner one evening.  According to Greeka.com, Traditional and cubic houses with flat roofs, wooden colored doors and windows create a unique atmosphere that reflects the main features of the traditional style which is today popular worldwide. Despite its tourist development, Mykonos island is proud of its strong Cycladic identity.

NEXT:  Lost in Mykonos 

Greece Trip #30: Ferry Fiasco, Group Snub, Babbling Passenger

 One of the best things about the Greek island of Santorini in my opinion, was the amazing bakery next to our hotel. As we prepared to leave the island to take a 2 hour ferry to the island of Mykonos, we got lunch and delicious chocolate cookies at the bakery. That was the best part of the next 4 hours as we descended into a ferry fiasco,  got snubbed by our travel group and dealt with an obnoxious passenger. You'll also learn about what you need to board a Ferry and how long it takes to travel from Santorini to Mykonos. Here's the story:

BENEFITS OF TRAVEL GROUPS - One of the benefits of traveling with a tour group is that they arrange for transportation and the company we went with did an amazing job of that. They provided a van from the hotel to the ferry docks, and they bought the ferry tickets for everyone (17) in advance, so we didn't have to deal with that. We only needed our additional paperwork.

(Photo: Rob and Tom stop at the Santorini bakery to get lunch for the ferry ride) 

GROUP SNUB - From the previous blogs, you can get a sense that Tom and I didn't fit in with most others in the group (exception of Bill, Bill, Eric and the tour group leader- who was awesome). We were apparently too interested in history, not drinking 18 hours a day, or flaunting our sexuality in public to a disgusting degree. So, we were usually ignored (which was fine). 

When the group got to the Ferry dock, we were 1 hour early, so the Travel leader called everyone over to 2 large tables at an outside cafe. There were enough seats for everyone... except us. We were so disgusted that we walked around the docks for 1 hour seeking shade (because the Heat Index was already over 100F/37.7C in the blazing sun).  

(Photo: Tom, Shane- group leader, Rob)

WHAT IS NEEDED TO BOARD A FERRY TO A GREEK ISLAND? As of 13/09/2021,As Of Sept 13, 2021 all passengers on domestic routes to island destinations must meet one of the following requirements: 

1) Must be at least 14 days after last COVID vaccination and Provide a vaccination certificate 

 OR Have a Negative COVID Test using the PCR method within the last seventy-two (72) hours before the scheduled travel time 

2) Show a certificate of vaccination of the European Union (digital certificate COVID) as well as of third countries. 

3) AND a Pre-boarding health statement form (found on ferry websites) 

 4) AND Your Passport 

(Photo: What the inside of the massive Ferry looks like)

THE FERRY FIASCO - Boarding the mammoth ferries is a fiasco, especially trying to stay safe during a Pandemic (which we were in). When notified, there was a mad rush of 1,000 or so people to get through a crowded open terminal. Then we had to have 4 documents to show the ticket takers:  the vaccine card, passport, tickets and the ferry health certificate!  From there you're herded into the massive ramp to the ship where you have to find a luggage holder to put your suitcase (remember where it is!).  The Intense heat index didn't help, either! 

MADDENING PASSENGER BABBLE- One of the guys in the group took advantage of any audience to re-tell his stories about his various properties and military service and raising his voice to talk about intimate things done in relationships. GROSS.  After 30 minutes of standing in the aisle next to the row of seats in front of us, he realized no one wanted to hear it for the 10th time, so he walked away. SIGH.  

NEXT: MYKONOS AND THE TOWN OF CHORA