PREFACE TO ALL 5 (really 4½) WEEKS OF OUR GREEK ADVENTURE

Just back from our last trip to the Cradle of Civilization – GREECE. As with every trip we take, I have documented our adventure with words and provided pictures we took along the way. And as I put my feelings into words, I don’t hold back on how I perceive a place or situation. So, if you want a glowing description of everything there is to see, eat, and experience in Greece, stop now, and find yourself a glossy brochure. Because even as I reviewed what I wrote before presenting it to you, I didn’t rewrite or change my very personal thoughts about what I was feeling or thinking at the time about any given aspect of our holiday. So, please know this is not just a glowing report of our travels. It’s what I experienced – wonderful, not so wonderful, or indifferent.

Plus, if you have ever read anything I have previously written, you know I tend to be verbose. So, come along for the ride if you want. But consider yourself warned. I tend to get caught up on a subject and assume you too would enjoy the history behind “whatever” as much as I do. So, feel free to skip ahead and just look at the pictures. But remember, context will always give you a more rounded picture of what we enjoyed or failed to appreciate along the way.

Now, if you have read up to this point, know that this post is only for week 5 of our trip. There will be 4 more opportunities to become bored stiff to follow. And all will contain this same preface. So, having read this explanation once, and you care to read more about Greece, you can skip to the meat of each post by jumping directly to Greece 2023 – Week 1, 2, 3, and 4. 

So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy reading about our time in Greece. But remember, this is just one person’s view of a country. And that person, who once was an intrepid traveler, is now a 79-year-old woman whose nerves of steel have diminished to nerves so cowardly as to be non-existent! But one who still loves to travel. Go figure! And as always, wishes you peace and love.   

Sunday, October 8, 2023 – Villa Rigas, Pefkohori (4^th day)

Well, we are now on the last leg of our trip. All our clothes are dirty. I have eaten enough Greek food to last me the rest of my life. And if I never have to bang my head while getting in the passenger side of an Audi, that will be just fine with me! I believe I have truly had enough vacation. But we are still here, and I plan to make the most of it.

Now, please don’t get me wrong. I have thoroughly enjoyed this country. The people are wonderful. Most of the traditional Greek dishes are fine if you like food that is mostly on the bland side. Our accommodations have all been between OK and fantastic. With none so awful as to make us want to find another place. And being in this area of the world has given me an even greater appreciation for my terrific life. No place is as wonderful as our home and the view we take for granted daily. Sure, the water is warmer here than in Port Susan Bay. A hell of a lot warmer to be exact! But I’m no more eager to go swimming here than I am at home.

But above all, I miss our friends, our two orange kitties, Andy playing the piano, live music, my kitchen with every convenience known to a cook, and my pillow. I know that might sound strange, the pillow part. Because what constitutes a pillow here can be anything from a bag full of foam that flattens to a pancake, or a pillowcase containing 2½ average sized pillows. And of course, the pillows are never the same from place to place. So, just as you get used to one, it’s time to trundle on down the road.

But today is another day. The sun is shining. There is a lovely breeze. We enjoyed a nice breakfast. This morning’s laundry that I washed in our bathroom sink is drying on the rack provided for just that purpose on our private deck. Andy has made and drunk his second cappuccino. And we are currently munching on mixed nuts. So, am I ready to go home? Yes, I am. But first, a bit more Greece.

Since I don’t think we will ever make it back to this ancient country, while I am still here, I plan to make the most of it. Because I realize the problem is not the country. The reality is that I’m getting older, and traveling is not as easy for me as even 10 years ago. So, for the remaining days we have in Greece, I am going to put on my “way-back” shoes, and travel like I am still young and eager for whatever adventure presents itself.

Part of the reason I wanted to visit Greece in the first place, was because this part of the world is widely referred to as the Cradle of Western civilization. And the Birthplace of Democracy largely due to the impact of its cultural and political achievements during the 5th and 4th centuries BC on the rest of the then-known European continent. I wanted to feel grounded again like I did in Turkey. To feel, once more, that I was a citizen of the world, not just a citizen of the United States.      

It has been very hard for me to witness the changes happening recently to our democratic country. And as much as I would like to blame it all on certain politicians, past and present, it’s not all their fault. Too many Americans with only their own agendas in mind. Who seem to care nothing about anything or anyone but themselves. And not enough people, me included, willing to make sacrifices on behalf of others. I could easily volunteer at the Stanwood food bank, but I don’t. I could help at our local elementary school, but I don’t. I throw money at various charities, but that’s the easy way out. What I’m saying is that I could do more to help others. I think visiting the place where great minds examined their surroundings and decided things needed to change for the better may have influenced me to strive a bit harder towards becoming a better me. I will never be a scholar or a leader that changes the world. Of course, I won’t. But if I can make even one person’s life better, then the great Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle can take part of the credit. Having placed my feet on stones that they might have stepped on is heady stuff. Hopefully I can take some of their hopes for a better world back with me. At least, I’m sure going to work harder to that end. But enough philosophizing Patti. Back to your trip report.  

After deciding we were a bit hungry at 2:00 in the afternoon, we went to our local supermarket and bought another loaf of bread, some salami, cheese, mayo, and a tomato and I made us small, open-face sandwiches. Just enough sustenance to get us by until dinner.

We were advised by the owners of our apartment to eat dinner at a wonderful fish restaurant right in our own little town. I’ll let you know later how that turns out. But for now, I’m going out on our lovely and shaded balcony to start a new book. Meanwhile Andy has taken his Kindle down to the beach to park his butt up close and personal to the Aegean Sea.

When it was time for dinner, we headed into Pefkohori. With handwritten directions from our host, “the General”, and a neighbor, we blithely took on the challenge of finding this fine dining establishment on the water. Well, as with all towns in Greece, except when you are on quote unquote main roads, you are basically driving up or down very narrow roads. And of course, once we got off the main road through town, we were once again on donkey paths with every other “road” being one way. And because there are graffiti artists here too, some of the directional signs were obscured by paint. Not a great deal of help to us hapless tourists. So, down towards the water didn’t work the first time. While trying to find a way to turn around and start over, we got into the upper part of town. Again, a warren of shrinking streets (and I use the term “streets” loosely} until Andy found a place to pull over and seek the assistance of Google Maps. (A God send BTW! Well, at least most of the time!) Then down through the labyrinth to the main road. Then follow the little blue dot to our destination.

Of course, we made a wrong turn that led us to Google Maps alternate route. Which just happened to be the town folk’s favorite area to walk or stroll in the evening. So, now we find ourselves driving on this cement path that is basically used at night for la passeggiata. At least that’s what walking or strolling in the evening is called in Italy. Of course, there were a few other cars parked along the way. But I truly felt like an ugly American forcing stroller pushing families, arm and arm old couples, young children playing with balls, etc. to the side so that we could drive and park right by the restaurant.

If only I could have explained that we were sorry for any inconvenience we had caused them, but unfortunately, we were currently completely clueless as to where we were and what we were doing. And darned right lucky to be where we were with both the car, both of us, and the pedestrians unscathed. With the hope that the same could be said when we got back to our apartment. But no one would have understood or cared.

People simply aren’t as prickly here as in America. They don’t have the same feelings about their territory versus everyone’s turf. None of the beaches seem to be privatized. There are people walking, sunbathing, swimming, and snorkeling at all times of day on the beach in front of the villa apartment where we are staying. Of course, most of the fancy homes, apartment buildings, villas, hotels, etc. are gated. So, there must be some concern about unwanted people on their private property. But the beaches are open to everyone.

After a wonderful seafood dinner, it was back to our apartment. After a short while reading, it was deemed appropriate to scurry off to bed. So, that’s just what we did.

Monday, October 9, 2023

Woke to a few clouds in the sky. Had breakfast, did dishes, wrote for a while, Andy went for a walk on the beach, and then it was time for another adventure. Our last one in this area. So, at about 1:30 pm we left our apartment and headed up to Mountain Holomantas. And the first thing we noticed was that fall was starting to show itself at higher elevations. And this ride took us through one of the most beautiful parts of Greece we had seen so far.   

The mountain range held incredible beauty with breathtaking views in all directions. Imposing trees grew high up on the slopes, with oaks on the lower reaches, and chestnut, pine, fir, and beech higher up. The thing that was most interesting was that there appeared to be no old growth timber. All the trunks had narrow circumferences and were of uniform size. Of course, this is a managed forest, so all these trees may have been planted at the same time. There was also little to no undergrowth. And here and there, great piles of cut wood. And apparently in ancient times, this area was well known for the quality of its timber, much prized by shipbuilders.

Also, from what we learned about this area, there are many species of wild animals and birds in these mountains. We unfortunately didn’t witness any animals while we were driving around. But the area is reported to be the home to amazing fauna. Pretty nice flora too. The highest peak being 3800 feet.  

And as we had previously experienced several times while driving around Greece, some roads were closed with little to no warning or explanation. Just blocked off.  So, we were forced to find a way around the roadblocks. Which of course led to more adventures.

One such closure took us right through the narrow alleys of the small hill town of Arena. But eventually we found what looked like a main road. So, we eagerly followed it to wherever it led if it wasn’t through another maze! So, once again we escaped with our lives and our car intact. Our nerves, not so much. But they could easily be repaired with a good stiff drink!

Along the way we stopped for an early dinner, then back to Pefkohori and our cozy apartment. Another fine day in Greece.

My thought on the way down out of the mountain was most enlightening. At home I wanted to, and do, live close to salt water and look up into the mountains. If I lived in Greece, I would want to live up on Mountain Holomantas and look down at the sea.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023 – Alexakis Hotel & Spa, Loutra Ypatis 

Took our time getting ready this morning because we didn’t have to check out and be on the road until 10:30 am. So, leisurely breakfast, followed by loading the car, paying our bill, and saying goodbye and thank-you to “the General”. It truly had been a quiet and slow-down 5 days. After the hectic past 3½ weeks, we really needed to relax and kick back before the last frantic 3 days of our trip. The drama of me trying to get everything we brought plus what we purchased in Greece in our suitcases. Finding the car rental place so we could give them back their car so they could in turn foist it off on the next unsuspecting moron. Then hire a cab to drive us to our last night’s accommodation. Then reserve a cab for the next morning to take us to the airport by 7:30 am. Etc., etc. None of these things are fun. But necessary. But today’s drive from Pefkohori to Loutra Ypatras was splendid and made the whole day worthwhile. 

Beautiful scenery the entire 400 k (about 250 miles) to our 2^nd to the last night in Greece. Great roads, incredibly up-close views of Mt. Olympus, and always the sea never far away. (Would have taken pictures, but with my point and click camera, there is no way to capture an entire mountain range in one snapshot.)

Interesting fact:  Where we are used to giving a range of mountains a name and then singling out and naming individual peaks, “Mt. Olympus” is an entire mountain range with 52 peaks and many deep gorges.

But soon we were checking in to our hotel.

While waiting for our turn to check in, I heard the concierge ask the 2 ladies who had arrived just before us where they were from. America and the state of Washington. I must have gasped a bit, because the next thing I knew, they had both turned around as I explained that we too were from Washington state. Then one of their husbands came in carrying luggage and I explained that we lived on Camano Island. Turns out the gentleman had lived on Camano until he was three years old. Small world. The couple now live in Gig Harber and the single woman in Tacoma. We were practically neighbors! We talked for a bit and wished each other safe travels, then up to our room to sit on our balcony for a while and take in the late afternoon air and enjoy the view of the Oiti’s Mountains.

Then off to the nearby taverna for dinner. Carbonara for me and fried squid and French fries for Andy. Both were delicious. And then early to bed for us both. We needed to be on the road by 8:00 am in order to turn in our car by 10:30. And where we had to turn in our car was close to the airport, but not easily accessible.

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 – Nathaniel Athens Airport, Spata

Well, this turned out to be a “live & learn” kind of day. When we arrived at our hotel the day before, we were told that breakfast would start at 8:00 am. I told the very nice lady behind the desk that we would be leaving before breakfast. She then informed us that we could come early to breakfast. OK, so this morning we arrived at 7:30, and there were already 2 parties at tables. So, 8:00 am for breakfast is an arbitrary number, kind of like speed limits on the freeways at home? Apparently so. Which in this case worked to our benefit. Because we were due to turn in our car at the car rental place 216 k away.

Anyway, after a nice breakfast we were on the road by 7:55 am. Good roads and wonderful scenery. In fact, we drove along the base of Mr. Olympus with the sea just on the other side of the tollway for quite some time. So, nothing could have been nicer than that for our last real travel day in Greece. So, as they say, smooth sailing until we merged onto the road that would lead us to Eleftherios Venizelos Airport. Here we came to a complete stop.

Then 2 lanes to get our car to the toll booth with several available pay stations. Then a mass exodus from the toll booths back into 2 lanes. And I am here to tell you, politeness was not on display this morning for these drivers. Obviously, they wanted to get to the airport as badly as we did. But eventually we followed the other driver’s lead by bullying our way through the 8 lanes of hostile drivers all wanting to merge into two lanes. But we made it through with our lives and car intact and were once again heading toward the airport.

Unlike every other airport where we have rented a car, there was absolutely no signage for rental cars. Either hiring one or returning one. I saw one sign for long-term parking, but for those of us trying to return a rental car, well, basically we were – – – – out-of-luck. But we did find the airport arrival and departure area, which at this point did us no good at all! So, Andy pulled over, did a Google map search, got us somehow turned around, and headed in the right direction.

Then we had to pass the office on the main road, turn left when it was possible, turn around, and get on the frontage one lane road that led us ultimately to our destination. God, what a hassle! But we were met by the car rental guy, who took one look at the car, and wrote “CAR OK” on our receipt. I thought about telling him that “CARR OK” was not apt in this situation. But why confuse the poor guy since he had been so kind as to not look at the car too closely and order us a taxi. When the taxi arrived, we headed to Nathaniel Athens Airport. Which BTW, was the name given to our next over-night stay. 

When I was making all the bookings for this trip, I searched under “hotels close to the Athens airport”. Booking.com came up with this listing which sounded good at the time. Wrong! But, in my defense, judging from the name Nathaniel Athens Airport, I assumed (and you know the definition of “assume” as well as I do) that it would be adjacent to the airport the same way hotels are close to the Sea-Tac Airport. Wrong! We were close, but not THAT close! I should have paid a great deal more attention when the description was for an apartment. And an apartment in a nearby town. Not right at the airport. With no bloody restaurants close by. And no one to let us in to our apartment until 1:00 pm at the earliest.

So, here we are at our “apartment” at 11:20 am, with all our luggage and no place to even park our butts. But it could have been worse. It could have been raining or we could have been left to wait in an area with no shade. But luckily, it wasn’t raining, and we had the covered parking for the building to keep us from sunburn. And yes, I had spoken with whomever answered the phone at the phone number listed on my reservation confirmation. But as she ever so nicely put it – right on the confirmation it plainly states that someone will be available to let you in to the apartment between 1:00 pm and 11:00 pm. So, once again I was reminded that I need pay greater attention to details when booking anything involved with travel.

Finally, the cleaning lady for the previous occupants finished. So, she gave us the keys to both the front door to the building and the apartment. What she failed to provide us with was which of the many apartments was ours. So, I got back on the phone again, and finally was given the exact location of our room. And into a lovely apartment we entered. Spacious, clean, modern, with two bedrooms and a very nice balcony.

But by now it’s after 2:00 pm and we are hungry. And nary a restaurant nearby. But someone, probably another unsuspecting tourist, had left several menus in the apartment from delivery eating establishments in the area. Most only in Greek, so no help there. But there was one with some English on it. Goody’s, the McDonalds of Greece.

So, after not finding a phone number on their brochure, we went online on our computer to order. After 45 minutes and several unsuccessful attempts to order online, we gave up. But persistent Andy figured out how to order using his cell phone. (Hunger will do that to a person.) (And kicking and screaming, we had been forced to learn how to use Goody’s phone application from the simple realization that it was either figure it out or starve!)     

So, 30 minutes later we had a crispy chicken sandwich (OK), a regular chicken sandwich (OK), onion rings (ghastly), and a chicken Caesar salad for dinner in our fridge.

Well, let me be the first to advise you to never order a Caesar salad from Goody’s. And McDonalds, please be assured that Goody’s will never be a worthy competitor. 

Then it was for me to pack as much as I could tonight, read until about 10:00, and to bed for both of us looking forward to sweet dreams about sleeping in our own bed, with our own pillows, and our kitties by our sides. 

Of course, the going to bed part didn’t go as well as it could have. The top sheet on our bed wasn’t even wide enough to cover the width of the bed. Much less with any material left over to drape over the sides. Or tuck in the bottom for that matter. So, we took the top sheet from the bed in the second bedroom and tried, rather unsuccessfully I might add, to produce a make-shift top sheet for our bed. I know it seems inconceivable that sheets etc. should be a problem, but it wasn’t our first adventure with inadequate bedding in Greece, but it was certainly our last!

October 12, 2023 – Athens Greece to Camano Island, Washington USA

Well, after a night of not sleeping well for either of us because of bedding concerns and a couple of mosquitoes hovering over us all night long, plus anxiety (at least for me) about 1) will the alarm on Andy’s phone really go off, 2) can I do the last minute packing and get all our stuff in our suitcases, 3) will the taxi we hired the day before actually be at our apartment at 7:15 am as planned, 4) will everything go smoothly at check-in at the Athens airport, 5) will we make our connecting flight in Istanbul without having to run from one gate to the next and missing the plane anyway, etc. etc., we survived.

From all of this I have come to realize that the one thing that bothers me most about getting older, besides looking more and more like my mother when I catch sight of myself in a mirror, is the anxiety I feel about things that 20 years ago wouldn’t have bothered me in the least! Fast cars coming around us from other lanes drives me wacko. I almost panic on scary roads that never would have bothered me even a few years ago. I worry when Andy is on the roads late at night without me. That sort of thing. Really, what’s that all about?! Because today was fine. Everything went smoothly. No problems at any level. Even after collecting our car from the long-term car lot at Sea-Tac at 6:30 pm, the freeways were busy, but there were no terrible slowdowns. So, why did I have to go through the worry trauma when I couldn’t have done anything about any of the above concerns in the first place? If it’s just me, then knock it off Patti! If it’s a normal aging “thing”, then darn, that’s not fair. Aging is hard enough without unnecessary worry problems. Oh well, it is what it is. And I am who I am.  

And very glad to be back home with the realization that we were so lucky to have been able to take one more overseas adventure. And were still alive to tell the tale. And that we had arrived safely back home, eager to see our friends, been welcomed home by our kitties, and ready to get back to our wonderful lives.

I won’t bore you with the details of our travel from Athens to Seattle except to tell you that we took off from Athen’s airport at roughly 11:00 am on the 12^th and landed at Sea-Tac at 5:30 pm on the 12^th. How could we have traveled 6,161 miles in such a short time? (Of course, it didn’t feel like a short time. Actually, it felt interminable. But isn’t that always the joy of air travel and just part of the deal? Yes, of course it is!) 

And for the first time since we moved to Camano Island, I was able to see our wonderful paradise from the air. I was on the right side of the 787 with a window seat. As we were making our descent, we were over the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the Central Cascades Region. I had no idea there were so many lakes. And such a wide breadth of mountains and valleys. What a breathtaking view from our plane. Then to my delight, Mr. Baker and Glacier Peak came into view. We’re home!!! And because we were landing from the north, I had a great view of Camano and Whidby and all points west, south, and north.

It never ceases to amaze me how much water surrounds our dry land. Of course, we know it’s there. But to see it from above really brings the whole landscape into perspective. And I couldn’t help thinking what a marvelous introduction to the Pacific NW for first time visitors to our fair land. They must have thought they had reached nirvana. Which of course, they had!

So, what did I take away from our visit to Greece:

1. The land is beautiful. And the ancient sites are worth every penny of the trip. The sea shore seems to be everywhere. In fact, Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin and the 11th longest coastline in the world at 8,498 miles in length, featuring many islands, of which 227 are inhabited. All this, and Greece is 1.3 times smaller than the state of Washington.
2. The people are friendly, helpful, appear very happy, and proud of their country.
3. Even though Greece experienced a horrific economic crisis in 2007-2008, they appear to be on the mend and doing well now.
4. The food was not nearly as good as I thought it would be. Very limited menu and quite tasteless. But far cheaper than anywhere in America. And huge portions.
5. Never rent a car with a manual transmission in a land that is 70-80% mountainous!
6. Expect high humidity and bugs if you travel during the summer, September, or October.
7. If you don’t like dogs and/or cats – don’t go to Greece. They are everywhere.
8. The highways, freeways, and toll roads are fabulous. Well signed and with very few cars and trucks. And great public services along the way. We could not have run out of gas or gone without a toilet (all clean BTW) had we tried.
9. Side “roads” (or so they are called) in villages, towns, cities, etc. are narrow, not well signed, and originally designed for 4 legged critters. They are scary, ruthless, potholed, brick, stone, uneven pavement car, truck, and pedestrian hating necessities. If I never have to even be a passenger on one of these nerve-wracking roads again, it will be just fine with me. And for those of you who know me, you know I love to drive. I still enjoy and feel comfortable driving our car and truck even when we are towing our trailer. But I did not take the wheel once while we were in Greece. Even though we had paid extra money for me, being over 75, to help with the driving. There was simply no way I was going to get anywhere near the driver’s seat! Just too much for me at this time of my life.

And finally, I am so glad we went to Greece. If you ever get the chance, do not hesitate. Even with all the inconveniences and trepidations I experienced, I am so glad we went. We saw so many incredible things. Placed our feet on the same stones and paths that the ancients traveled. Slept in century old dwellings that had been modernized so they were fit for today’s visitors. Learned how hard the people of Greece have worked to pull themselves out of poverty. And how gracious they are towards visitors. Forever we will have wonderful (and sometimes less than pleasant) memories to talk about and laugh about as we continue into our golden years.

And again, with this trip, I was reminded that people everywhere are the same. That the average person, regardless of their ethnicity, the color of their skin, their religious persuasion, etc. simply wants a good life for themselves, their children, their relatives, their neighbors, etc. And to be allowed to live a peaceful, productive, and fulfilled life.

I firmly believe that no person should ever think of themselves as merely a citizen of a particular country. But rather, we should all consider ourselves and live our lives as stewards of planet earth. And appreciate and value each other for the diversity that makes every living person special and worthy of respect.

And yes, I know, life is never going to be that simple. There are just too many crazies for whom money and power are not only desirable, but addictive. Who live their entire lives showing no concern for how their actions can and usually do adversely impact everyone around them.

But I still have hope for a brighter future. Which as I learned from our visit to Greece, had been the dream of people far smarter than I am for generations. And just how lucky I had been to visit the place where they too envisioned a better future for everyone.     

So, thank you for coming along with us on our latest adventure. May each of you live the life you desire, full of whatever brings you peace and love. Happy trails!