The Hotel Bartender's Name Was Spyro, Too

On the 30th, Bruce and Tina arrived from DC for a visit, and we hit the ground running.

[Guest Blogger Bruce: Upon our arrival into Athens we were gifted with a few "travel essentials" to include: fabulous Greek chocolate, a calling card, ouzo, a rather interesting deck of cards, and some laxatives; all of which would or could be used during our trip.]

We first spent a couple days with John and Iro in Athens, including another hike up the Acropolis, a walk through the plaka, complete with the Rex-inspired tradition of stopping for a shot of kumquat liquor, and, of course, some completely over-indulgent meals.

[Guest Blogger Tina: John & Iro provided our first exposure to Greek food - wow! From tasty souvlaki pita rolls to the evening smorgasbord we seemed to try it all within the first 24 hours. Being pregnant I wasn't too concerned about my waistline but I did need to fit into the one pair of jeans I brought to wear all week.]

We then road-tripped north, made a stop at Delphi, and then took the new bridge (Greeks are SO proud of this new bridge because it took a scant 20 years to complete it) across the Gulf of Corinth to Patra. There we caught the overnight ferry to Corfu for two days on one of Greece's most famous islands.

[Guest Blogger Tina: Sleeping on bunk beds in a room smaller than most dorm rooms made me feel like a coed girl-scout as all the juvenile behaviors come out in close quarters.]

Corfu is unlike the blue-and-white-washed islands of the Cyclades that Amanda and I experienced this past summer. Instead, its location in the Ionian Sea and its history of different occupiers has given it many different cultural influences, and the architecture in Corfu Town definitely reflects this. The buildings there range from tall condominiums like those in the large cities on the Greek mainland to Venetian townhomes with wrought-iron decorations. On the main square in town, the Spianada, there are a line of cafes called the Liston that French settlers designed to resemble the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, and the cafes serve ginger beer, a refreshment left over from years of British rule. The square itself even has a cricket field at its center.

We spent the day Thursday walking around the square and then exploring the ruins of the Palaio Frourio--the "Old Fortress"--a 16th-century Venetian fort that juts out into the narrow channel between Corfu and the Greek mainland. Stopped for coffee and ginger beer on the Liston and then walked to Agios Spyridon, a church of particular importance to me because its namesake, St. Spyros, shares my father's name and my middle name (along with, it turns out, like, half of the male population ofCorfu). We then walked around Old Corfu Town for shopping and dinner, and stayed up late at the hotel bar playing cards and talking.

Friday, we jumped in the car and drove through the Troumbetas Pass to the north side of the island. Ventured through Sidari and then stopped at the the beach at Arilas, Greece's westernmost point (and that day, by far its coldest and most windy...I know Tina and Amanda will be absolutely thrilled with the photo I posted above). We then drove to Paleokatritsa, a beautiful resort on Corfu's west coast, before cutting back across the island to Corfu Town. We were all pretty beat from four days of heavy traveling and sight-seeing, so we stayed in that night and had some pizza delivered, ordered drinks from our hotel bartender, and continued the Spades Championship of the World.

Saturday, we caught the early ferry over to Igoumentisa, the busiest port on the west side of Greece's mainland. From there, we took the long and winding road through the Pindos mountains to Ioanina. We stopped there to walk through the ancient walled part of the city, which still holds all the architectural and cultural influences left over from its years under Turkish rule. From Ioanina, we continued east to the monasteries at Meteora so Bruce and Tina could experience what we feel is one of the most unique places in Greece, if not the world. After touring Varlaam, Greater Meteora, and Agios Stephanos, we ate dinner down in Kalambaka and then drove back to Thessaloniki.

Sunday night, we headed out to a bouzouki bar with a few of my cousins: Aki, Maria, Rania, Costas, Nitsa and Dimitra. A very late night led to sleeping in, so we didn't get on the road for more sightseeing until Monday afternoon. We drove an hour west of Thessaloniki to Edessa, truly one of Greece's most unique towns. The entire city is built over an area of natural springs at the top of a cliff, so tiny rivulets run throughout the town and join together to form a waterfall over 80 feet tall, the largest in Greece.

Tuesday, we went to visit Vergina, the site of four tombs that were discovered by a Greek archaeologist in 1977. The tombs include that of King Philip II, King of Macedonia and father of none other than Alexander the Great. You have to see these tombs to believe them. Each one was found exactly as it was built over 2,300 years ago, perfectly preserved for centuries under tons of soil. Inside Philip's tomb, his bones and all of his royal treasures were unearthed, in the heart of a large mound of earth about 40 feet tall and an acre in area. The museum is literally built on top of the site, with all four enormous tombs encased in glass for visitors to view. It is a very, very impressive display, and a nice place to finish Bruce and Tina's visit.

[Guest Bloggers Bruce & Tina: With so many memories we're glad we could share just a few with everyone. We really enjoyed our week touring and tasting our way through Greece with a translator, the best tour guides, and personal advocates (to keep the smokers away from the pregnant lady!). Thanks to both Bill & Amanda and John & Iro for their sincere hospitality and incredible generosity.]

It was so great to spend time with Bruce and Tina; every time we all travel together, the time unfortunately flies by so quickly, but it's only because we have so much fun. And they were such troopers for enduring our Planes, Trains, (Ferries) and Automobiles itinerary, and the fact that on many days in the off-season certain Greek attractions are closed--like the sun, for instance.

Mom is in Greece now, vacationing with John's mother in Crete for the week. We'll see her next week and Polly arrives a few days later for a quick visit, so lots to look forward to and blog about.

Tha ta xanapoume syndoma!

Bill