Living Life and Having Fun

Thursday, 20 June 2013

Greece: Day Three - Athens

Our plane from Philly arrived in Athens at almost 9am local time which would be 2am Toronto time. The rest of the flight was okay - just really cramped quarters to be in for 10 hours. (I have decided that I am never going to Australia unless I take a ship to get there). Brian didn't sleep on the plane, and mine was limited.

(The youngest ones on the trip during landing)

We disembarked the plane with no problems and breezed through customs. I don't know if its due to the economy troubles or what, but the woman didn't even look at us, or ask questions. She stamped our passports and that was it. It was the easiest customs experience I have ever had. From what I saw the airport is awesome. There was even this plexiglass enclosure inside which was a smoking lounge. There was a ton of gourmet Greek food, oil, candy and bread places as well as cafes and bars/lounges. It's also next to a huge Ikea which was weird.

(An odd statue on the street)

The travel company the trip was arranged with, met us and we met our guide and driver that we would have from next Monday-Thursday. We loaded into the bus and made our way to the hotel. Some of the streets are very narrow, some of the worst I have seen in my Europe travels. The street in front of the hotel is so narrow the bus couldn't even get there. It had to let us off 5 minutes away outside a Hard Rock Cafe, move our bags to a smaller van and then have us walk to the hotel with our hand luggage/carry ons. Despite that, it's a beautiful hotel. Beautiful decor, great amenities, comfortable room. There is a an outdoor pool on the terrace and an indoor one in the basement near the gym. I would definitely return here.

(Brian and our niece Eva)

(Our room)

(Us at lunch)

Our rooms weren't ready so half the group went directly out to see the sights and the rest of us stayed behind to have lunch and wait for the rooms to be ready. Lunch was really nice, but the service was so slow. Nick - who is from Greece - warned us that this tends to be the case more often then not. After lunch, Brian and I got into our rooms, put away the luggage and then went out. We had some trouble understanding the map, so a local woman guided us toward the right area. We still didn't fully understand where to go, so we picked a route based on what we wanted to see. By this point it was after noon, and 95 degrees out. We first stopped and saw the ruins of an ancient Hadrians library which was interesting. Just being among the ruins was an incredible feeling. We made our way toward the Roman Agora and looked around a little. It offered stunning views if the Acropolis. By this time the heat, jet lag, lack of sleep and headache started to get to me and I was ready to head back, but we pushed on. We made the mistake of taking the long way around to get to the top where the Acropolis and Parthenon started --- it was then another walk to get up to the actual area. At this point I was done. Then headache was worsening and I could hardly stand. Despite really wanting to see both, I opted to head back and leave Brian to finish.

(The Library)

(Brian at the Library being all Mr. Photographer!)

(The market area)

(Streets of Athens)

(Roman Angora)

(The Angora - you can see the Acropolis way in the background)

(Close-up of it - it's way at the top)

(Brian and I)

Below are some photos Brian took of the Acropolis, Pantheon and various temples.

I made it to the hotel, cooled off for a few minutes in the cold indoor pool and then laid down to try and fix my head. Brian returned an hour and a half later and we went out and found a small Greek restaurant for a light dinner. While we were eating there were these homeless cats coming over to the tables looking for scraps. It was so sad, the looked like little hungry versions of my brothers cat Randy - so of course I had to feed them.

(The cats)

Athens is different then I expected. The ruins and such you always see in photos are there, along with the scenery but the atmosphere is surprising. Again maybe it's due to the economic troubles but there is so much panhandling and begging on the streets. You can hardly go anywhere without someone trying to sell you something or get you to eat in their restaurant. One woman came over to us 3 times trying to sell a tablecloth. I am interested in seeing if this is something you see all over Greece, or just in this area.

Overall I am disappointed that I didn't see the Acropolis etc up close the way I wanted to, but I know coming back was the best thing. Pushing myself too hard on such little sleep and dehydration wouldn't fare well for tomorrow which is another busy day. Seriously, it's like being in Ireland all over just this time with family and where I am NOT the youngest!

Tomorrow we need to be up early to head to the port for our three night Greek island cruise. So that's it for my blog tonight as I need to head to bed and finally get some sleep!

Greece: Day Two - Philly to Athens

Today was another insanely long day of travel. We tried to sleep in a bit, but were up and ready to meet Chris at 11:00am in order to venture out for Cheesesteaks at Chris and Brian's insistence that we must have authentic philly cheesesteaks. This led to some discussion as to where to go. There are two so-called "Famous" places: Gino's and Pats. They are right across the street from each other in downtown Philly and very well known. When we inquired at the front desk of the hotel it lead to some debate and 2 more places were suggested. Most everyone we asked agreed the other two were more commercialized as tourist traps rather then still making a good cheesesteak. It was suggested we go to a small place nearby - and the hotel offered to shuttle us there. It was called Anthony's, and they did pizza and subs. So we went, hoping for the best. We weren't disappointed. It was a busy place, but we ordered our food and got a table outside. The cheesesteak was tasty... But huge. Not something I would make a habit of ordering, but worth the experience.

We picked up our bags at the hotel and the same shuttle woman - Pamela - took us over to the airport. The hotel wasn't the greatest - many of the stuff seemed bored, there was construction all over the place which was incredibly loud and our whole negative dinner experience. But the rooms were nice, and Pamela was awesome. She really took care and went above and beyond for our group. I will definitely be letting the hotel know how great she was.

When we got to the airport it was early so we checked in and opted to meet the group at the gate. I hung back just inside security for a bit to call my mom and nanny an just take some quiet time before the chaos.

Chaos followed soon after with the rest of the group getting there. Our group consists of 24 of us - definitely chaos!

We all hung our catching up at the gate - the little kids were running around, and the older ones getting the last minute Instagram photos/texts in. Oh to be 14 again! But it's great to see everyone - I haven't seen them since December, and I truly love my semi-new large family of nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters etc.

I had a airline panic attack just prior to boarding - but thankfully Brian and a phone call from mom helped. As much as I love to travel - especially to places far away - I hate the prospect of getting there. Flying is the only thing that I have any anxiety over - likely due to a bad flight experience when I was ten and returning from NYC. I also have a really bad migraine due to my sinus infection - so I think that didn't help matters. As of right now (in in-flight writing this) it seems to be ebbing off.

Brian and I were able to board quickly and get settled in our seats. It's an older airplane - no TVs in the seats - which always annoys my dad. But we aren't too far back. Our group mostly takes up rows 14-18.

Chris made group T-Shirts which are cute. We haven't worn them yet, but we are so going to be one of those families! I love it!

Take off wasn't too bad, I put on my zebra print sleep mask, plane pillow and headphones and listening to my relaxing playlist for a bit. Dinner came - it was disgusting. Thankfully I was still full from lunch and grabbed a soft pretzel from a stand at the airport. Plus Brian went a little candy crazy. We could do our own candy crush saga game at the seat with how much snack food he brought on the plane.

Our flight has had a bunch of turbulent sections, which is not fun. But the pilot is keeping us posted. I'm hoping to get some sleep, as tomorrow once we arrive in Athens we only have that day to see what we want. Right now out plan is to get to the hotel, take a small nap and then head out to see a few of the main sights.

Wednesday, 19 June 2013

Greece: Day One - Toronto to Philadelphia

Brian and I started our travels yesterday by heading for Philadelphia where we are meeting the rest of the family for our Greece trip. Our flight was at 2:30, so we got to the airport around 12:30, checked in, went through customs and security only to find our flight had been cancelled. We made our way to customer service to find out what was going on and were told about a horrible storm that Philadelphia was currently having was wrecking havoc on ait travel and that flights to there and surrounding areas like Pittsburgh and Newark were being cancelled. Needless to say it wasn't the news we wanted to hear. Our flight was rebooked for 4:45 so we wandered terminal one (which was very boring compared to some others) and grabbed some lunch. I also got to break out my Tugo, which I had heard about on Twitter and bought. It is this little coffee cup holder that snaps onto your suitcase so you can roll your coffee rather then have to take up a hand carrying it. The second I snapped it on and put my Starbucks in it, 4 people commented on it and asked where I got it.

We made our way to the gate around 3:30 only to find out was was now delayed until 5:45. By this point Brian was even more annoyed as they didn't even have a smoking area. In order to go for a cigarette he would have to go through Canadian Customs, then smoke, then come back through American Customs and Security. It was a hassle he wasn't willing to do. We played on our phones and such for a bit, and finally boarded the plane around 5:40.

Once the plane was full we learned two people had decided not to wait and left. Which meant more waiting while the airline got their bags off the plane. By the time we took off it was 6:15. The flight was short but turbulent - as someone who hates flying it wasn't fun. We landed around 7:15 and headed very quickly to baggage claim/the exit. Brian sprinted outside for a cigarette and I got lost trying to find out baggage claim thingy (not sure what the official name for that is!) that our luggage would on. Is it carousal?

I finally found it, got our bags and met up with Brian's brother Chris who was also at the airport. Then the three of us waited another hour for Anna to arrive (her flight was also delayed).

We waited another 45 minutes for the hotel shuttle so it wasn't until almost 10:00 that we arrived at the hotel. We had a late - and awful dinner. The food wasn't the greatest but the service was horrendous. I've never seen a waitress so forgetful that screwed up that much.

It was a very long day full of airports and waiting... Which will also be our day for tomorrow as we meet the group and head to Athens.

Below is our itinerary for the trip

Tuesday June 18

Toronto to Philadelphia

Wednesday June 19

Philadelphia to Athens

Thursday June 20 - Arrive in Athens

Transfer from Athens airport to hotel

Friday June 21 - Begin our Cruise

Stop at: Mykonos

Saturday June 22 - Cruise

Stops at: Kusadasi,Turkey and Samos.

In Kusadasi we are doing a

Shore Excursion to Ancient Ephesus and the Terrace House

Sunday June 23: Cruise

Stops at: Crete and Santorini

Monday June 24

Arrive in Athens and begin Bus Tour

Leave by the coastal road for the Corinth Canal (short stop). Drive on and visit the theatre of Epidaurus, famous for its remarkable acoustics. Then proceed to the town of Nafplion (short stop), drive onto Mycenae and visit the archaeological site and the Tomb of Agamemnon. L

Tuesday June 25

depart for Olympia through the central Peloponnesus and the towns of Tripolis and Megalopolis. Dinner and overnight in Olympia, the cradle of the Olympic Games.VIsit the archaeological site with the Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus, the ancient stadium and the archaeological museum.

Wednesday June 26

After breakfast drive on through the plains of Ilia and Achaia and over the magnificent cable stayed bridge which crosses the Corinthian Bay from Rion to Antirion. Pass by the picturesque towns of Nafpaktos (Lepanto) and Itea, arrive in Delphi and visit the archaeological site and the museum of Delphi

Thursday June 27

After breakfast depart for Kalambaka, a small town situated at the foot of the astonishing rock formations of Meteora. Visit Meteora - time to see two monasteries.

Friday June 28

Fly from Athens to Chios

Friday June 28 - Thursday July 4:

We are in Chios (a Greek island where Brian's brother-in-laws family is from.

Thursday July 4

Fly from Chios to Athens

Fly from Athens to Philadelphia Stay over night in Philly.

Friday July 5

Fly Home: Philadelphia to Toronto

Monday, 3 June 2013

Ireland: Day Fourteen - Dublin

I apologize for this post being a few weeks late. I got home and had a lot of other things come up so this kept getting put off.

For our last day of the trip we were in Dublin and it was a completely free day without anything organized. Tickets to the Dublin sightseeing bus that you hop on and off of was provided which was great.

Dad and I - along with Ian, Eliane, Daniella and Alvin (the people we have spent some time with) started the day with a visit to the Guinness brewery. What an awesome attraction. It's shaped like a pint glass, and gives a lot of detailed information about Guinness's history and how it's made. It had a great section on their advertising throughout the years, as well as their place in the media. You could also get a lesson on how to perfectly pour Guinness which included a certification upon completion and the pint you poured. Considering how badly Dad and I poured at that bar we went behind in Killarney this lesson was great for us! The first words the instructor said was "It must be in a Guinness Glass" which made us all laugh since dads pour that night was in Coors glassware. I perfectly completed the lesson - and got my certificate!

We took our beers up to the 7th floor where they have a gravity bar that offers panoramic views of the city and is all glass. A few other people from the tour were there but I didn't stay long... The heights and glass were freaking me out. I left my pint behind too for Alvin as it was a bit too early for Guinness.

We got back on the bus as traveled on it for about 30-40 minutes seeing different areas of the city. We got off and then split up. The other four wanted to find a fish and chip place, whereas dad and I wanted to head toward Grafton street. We walked past the Temple Bar area, but didn't go into Temple Bar itself. I had heard mixed things about it - many of them being just avoid it all together.

We walked around Grafton Street for a bit which was fun. They had a booth where you could become a leprechaun so of course I had to do it! I think that is the most hilarious photo ever taken of me. We walked back to the hotel for a 2 hour break. I wanted to keep going and explore Dublin but knew I should probably pack a bit since the pub crawl was tonight.

Dad and I headed back to Grafton Street early and grabbed dinner. Then we met up with the rest of our group from the morning for the pub crawl. The literary pub crawl was amazing! The actors were fantastic, they really got into character and acted out these scenes and letters amazing. It started at the The Duke which is where many authors wrote including Bono. There they acted out a scene from Waiting from Godot and wow, what a difference it makes when that is acted out for you. I hated it when I read it in university, but seeing it preformed made it really interesting and fun. We walked to Trinity College where we learned about Oscar Wilde and other Irish authors who attended the college. Then we walked to a pub called O'Neill's which was really unique. There was a whole bunch of different rooms - including one that was a snug. Off to one side was a cafeteria like carvery which had amazing looking food. This pub has been around since the 1700's and is full of history.

Our next stop was the steps of a Church where they acted out a scene from a play - but the name escapes me. This included singing and yelling in addition to the acting. It was amazing to see the people who stopped to see what was going on. There was a mix of curiously, amusement and avoidance. I think a few thought it was a weird religion thing with us being on the church steps and all, and those were the ones that put their heads down and walked faster. I definitely admire the performers - I couldn't see myself acting out two-people scenes in the middle of a busy street!

We stopped at the Old Stand another long-time Dublin pub that was popular with a number of writers, including the poet Michael Collins who signed the free state treaty. It's been renovated so it didn't have the classic feel that the Duke and O'Neills had, but there was a local woman who spend a bunch of time talking to us about Ireland and living here so that was cool.

We walked back to the street we started on and ended up outside a restaurant which used to be a pub called The Bailey which was popular with Brendon Behan - it's where he pretty much lived upon his return to Ireland until he drank himself to death. They acted out some of his work, and then we went into the pub Davey Brynes. This was probably the most well known as it is the "moral pub" written about in Ulysses that Leopold Bloom walks into. They talked about Joyce a bit, and then did a trivia before ending the night. I won second prize! (It was a little bottle of Whiskey which I gave to my brother). The questions I got right were:

1. When was Beckett born? Good Friday

2. Which Beatle worked on Oh, Calcutta? John Lennon

3. What did Wilde lecture on? Art and Aesthetics.

4. What sport was Wilde involved in at Trinity? Boxing.

5. What nursery rhymes did Oliver Goldsmith write? “Jack and Jill” and “Hickory Dickory Dock.”

6. “There are (now) four Nobel Prize for Literature winners from Dublin: Name one? I named Samuel Beckett - William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw and Seamus Heaney were the other answers.

Pays to be an English major! First prize was a tee-shirt but I liked mine better, it gave me an additional souvenir for Adam!

We spent some time at Davey Brynes as we did at the other pubs. We tended to have about 25-30 minutes in each - just enough time for a drink. Davey Brynes was a disappointment as well. It had also been recently renovated and was very modernized - not at all historical or traditional as I was expecting. But still great to be there surrounded by all it's history.

We walked back to the hotel, and ordered some late-night pizza from a place across the street. The 6 of us spent out last night in Dublin with an impromptu pizza party in the hotel bar. We probably stayed out way to late considering we had to be up at 5:00am but it was well worth it. Honestly, the pub crawl was an excellent way to close off a wonderful and fun trip to Ireland.

The next morning we woke early and boarded the bus for the last time as it took us to the airport. We had a few hours to wait, and spent it hanging out with our group one last time. Then we boarded the plane for home.

It was great to arrive back in Toronto. The trip was excellent - it was a lot of fun, very interesting and educational. However it was also very busy and long. I was happy to be returning home and back to the real world. It was also great to see my mom, husband, brother and grandparents who I missed. They all gathered for a quick dinner, which was a great way to spend our first night back.

Overall I loved Ireland. It was a fun place to be, and it was a great trip. I still can't get over how beer is their cheapest drink! I hope to return someday - especially considering how great the Guinness is! :) I also loved how fresh the air was, and found it made me feel amazing while I was there. Plus the people are great - I can say that every single Irish person I interacted with were friendly and helpful.