Greece

May - June 2022
This is a solo travel trip to Greece for 28 days of exploration and relaxation. My daughter and her friend will join me for 10 days starting with my birthday in Santorini.
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  • 30days
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  • 18.0kkilometers
  • 16.6kkilometers
  • Day 1

    I'm trying to get to Greece...

    May 20, 2022 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    It’s finally here! I’m leaving today for Greece. I have diligently packed and unpacked and packed again. I got my luggage down to 7.8 kg and my personal bag down to 6.5 kg. Still not good enough but I’ll use this trip as a bench mark for what I think I wear and what I actually wear. I have only brought 2 pairs of shoes; one sandals and wearing one closed toe. (Laura would gasp at the neglect of foot wear.) I think there might be a shoe store in Greece somewhere.

    I have taken the limo service to the airport. I love this since I don’t have to worry about parking, driving or sitting in the parking lot called the 403. I checked in and went to the TSA line. They only had two lanes open so there was a bit of a line. You scan your ticket and then start to unload you stuff into the bins. I had to take out my tablet and the body of my C-PAP machine. (Never had to do that before.) I have made it through with 3 bins. As I’m packing up my stuff one of the airport security staff asks if I am missing my purse. Yes, yes I am. Haven’t even started my trip and I’m messing up! I will have to calm down and get my s*&t together.

    I had to wait in a line to get into the Air Canada lounge. It took about 15 minutes. This is included in my Business Class booking. They have complimentary beverages of all kinds, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. I grab 2 bottles of water and a glass of white wine. The seats are comfy and there is at least a little bit of air flow. You can see the planes taking off and the atmosphere is basically pretty nice. They also have free Wi-Fi. On the table beside is a QR Code that you can scan and they will bring you a snack or two while you wait for your flight. I have another couple of hours before take off, so I’m just going to enjoy the lounge for now.

    Well, that didn’t go as planned. Our flight has been delayed for over an hour now. Apparently the issue was with the incoming flight being delayed due to customs at Toronto. We didn’t actually get in the air until 22:42 (10:42 PM). Estimated time of arrival in Munich is 12:00. It is a 7 hour flight to Munich. I have a connecting flight from Munich to Rhodes that takes off at 13:40, don’t know what is going to happen on the other end just yet.

    So, let’s talk about Business Class. Firstly, you get to board right after the people who need assistance and families with children under 5 years of age. When you get to your seat it is nice and wide (Yes, my butt fits with room to spare!) You have a real pillow and blanket awaiting and plenty of leg room. I could be a basketball player and still not feel cramped. While waiting for everyone else to board, you have a choice of orange juice or sparkling wine. (Yes, I took both, it’s thirsty work waiting for a delayed flight!!). We are now in the air and I’m pursuing the menu for tonight. I think I’ll go for the Pan-Seared Sea Bass, what do you think. (Yes, I’ll take pictures.) You get a 3 course meal, here in Business Class with complimentary alcohol. I’m going to try and get some sleep because I have been up since 6:30 this morning.

    Dinner was delicious. The sea bass was an excellent choice. It came with mixed veg’s, cherry tomatoes and olives. Plus I had an appetizer of goat cheese with mixed grilled veggie’s. I tried to lay down and fall asleep but to no avail. I did rest for a few hours and was quite comfy with my pillow and blanket. Good thing because keep reading for a doosey of a story.
    They wake you up gently by raising the lights very slowly. Nice touch. Breakfast was equally good; museli with apples and raisins, cut up fruit, orange juice and coffee. We land in Munich with no trouble and are told to head to the Lufthansa Service desk to see about our connecting flights. We were then directed to another Service Desk where we got to wait 3 hours to get to a Representative. They probably should have had more than two people on the desk to hand the 50 people. My connecting flight is tomorrow morning at 05:20. Yes, 5:20 AM! I have to walk to the bus station to take a bus to my hotel for the night and then take a bus at 3:53 AM to get back to the airport for my flight. Are we having fun yet????
    All I want is a shower and a nice nap, I’m getting cranky.

    The hotel room is your basic room but nice and serviceable. I found a vending machine with some food. This is the part of travel where you have to chill and repeat the mantra: “I still on an adventure, just not the one I originally planned” I’ll get to Greece eventually.

    A side note here, my AirBnB host has been really nice about all this. He said he’ll meet me tomorrow morning.

    Night, Night all.
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  • Day 2

    Home for the night...Munich

    May 21, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We land in Munich with no trouble and are told to head to the Lufthansa Service desk to see about our connecting flights. We were then directed to another Service Desk where we got to wait 3 hours to get to a Representative. They probably should have had more than two people on the desk to hand the 50 people. My connecting flight is tomorrow morning at 05:20. Yes, 5:20 AM! I have to walk to the bus station to take a bus to my hotel for the night and then take a bus at 3:53 AM to get back to the airport for my flight. Are we having fun yet????
    All I want is a shower and a nice nap, I’m getting cranky.

    The hotel room is your basic room but nice and serviceable. After a shower and a nap I find I'm wide awake. It is 11:15 PM here and I have to get up in 4 hours. I found a vending machine with some food. This was at the hotel. They call this a 'Kitchen in a box'. I'm having something call a 'Saladbowl Protein'. Sounded healthy and I probably shouldn't start drinking until I get to Greece. It has Quinoa, tuna, edam, cucumber and an egg. It has a Green Dressing (Yes that's the name, which is a vinegar, herbs, parsley and dill type dressing. (Thank you Google Translate). It's not bad really. Crunchy, lots of flavour, oh yeah and healthy. So after my dinner I will try to lay down again.

    This is the part of travel where you have to chill and repeat the mantra: “I'm still on an adventure, just not the one I originally planned” I’ll get to Greece eventually.

    A side note here, my AirBnB host has been really nice about all this. He said he’ll meet me tomorrow morning.

    Night, Night all.
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  • Day 3

    Rhodes Finally

    May 22, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    I didn’t sleep well last night. My system is probably jet lagged. I did rest enough and feel good today. I am up bright and early at 2:45 AM to get my things together and head downstairs for a coffee before I have to get the bus back to the airport. The flight is going to take off at 5:50 AM and boarding is at 5:20. Yeah and you all know how much of a morning person I am!

    Off I head to the airport. I am supposed to fly out of Terminal 2, however when I get to the airport that has been changed to Terminal 1. The Munich airport has an underground tram that takes you from one terminal to the other. Efficient but a pain in the butt with escalators up and down and up again. We actually board on time and take off on time. This means that I should be in Rhodes by 9:30, yeah!

    Business Class in Lufthansa’s A320 is not as spacious as their bigger planes. That being said, you still have plenty of legroom and the seats are wide enough as well. I have a window seat which allows for some neat camera shots of the morning. The middle seat is empty so that is extra storage space. It is a bright and sunny day here today and the puffy clouds look like marshmallows.
    Breakfast is wonderful. I have not had enough coffee or food today. They served a cold breakfast of cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, smoked salmon and a salmon pate. They also served what I think was like a rice with cream and pineapple. Some warm buns and a croissant with cherry jam (Yes Leslie, they have cherry jam on this flight!). Coffee and orange juice rounds out breakfast just nicely.

    The flight is good and I should be able to get some knitting done. Yes, I brought my knitting. Keeps me busy in the airport and on flights. Hey Kate, your socks are being knitted in three different countries so far. Now you need to travel as many kilometers as they are!

    I’ll catch up with you later when I land in Rhodes and get settled in.

    After a pleasant flight, we landed with no issue. You walk through Customs and out the door. Rhodes is a small airport. You exit onto the tarmac and get bussed to the Customs Building. Taxi's are waiting for you right outside. It is a 30 minute drive to the old city but you get to drive along the coast and see the newer part. (Which is still old, but 1960's old). My hosts father, Marcus was waiting for me at the entrance to the old city. He is probably close to 70 (maybe older?) and speaks better English than I do Greek! He gallantly carried my bags through the streets all the while pointing out where to eat and where to buy groceries.

    The place I'm staying at is on a quiet little narrow street. When you walk in you have to insert the key to get the hydro working. We had to do that in the Dominican Republic as well. This is a good way for the owners to save money. This place is large. It actually has two sleeping areas and a little balconey. I have some shots (before I unpacked) for you to take a look at.

    After unpacking a bit and changing into something cooler, I went for a walk. The little streets are amazing! Some are slate but others are just pebbles in concrete or something. You could quite easily stumble and break an ankle! I am wearing my trusty sandals so that won't happen. This part of town has been consistently been lived in for over two thousand years. You can tell that it was built back when goats and donkeys were the prime mode of transportation. Some of the streets are about 1.5 meters wide and some are just little alleyways that meander in no particular direction. It is quite enjoyable to walk these streets and turn a corner to find a restaurant or some beautiful flowers growing on the side of the buildings. The best part for me is when you look up and see some structure that you just knows dates back hundreds of years. As with all old towns there is a center square that opens up into a large open area. I would imagine that this is where the markets and traders came to sell their wares. Now it is filled with little shops that sell everything a tourist could want. They have a lot of leather shops for shoes, bags and belts. There are many womens clothing shops, hat shops, jewlery stores etc. I like to look but I'm not much of a shopper.

    After all this walking (won’t be hard to make my step count here!), I realize that it is time for some lunch. I have been waiting for months now to try the Greek salad. It is tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, oniions, olives and feta cheese. I stop at one of the outdoor cafes where there is plenty of shade. This restaurant has benches with cushions under the spread of some big trees. What could be more inviting? I order the Greek Salad with a bottle of water and a glass of the local wine. The wine is a very nice white wine that is very aromatic but light and crisp to the taste. A perfect paring with the salad. The olive oil and olives taste different here. They have more depth to their flavour. I don't know if it is a different kind of olive (looks like Kalamata) but they taste like the ancient Greek Gods harvested them just for me. They don’t rush you or try to oversell either. As I sit and people watch, you realize that there are already many, many tourists here. This is supposed to be shoulder season but the old town is already bustling with tourists. I hear a lot of German and some French. Since this place was only 3 hours from Munich that makes sense.

    I finish my lunch and head to the bakery I saw earlier. Sorry I didn’t get any pictures but I was too busy checking out what they had. I went with a couple of traditional Greek baklava and left before temptation took over. I get lost on my way back to my place. (I passed the same restaurant 3 times, just from different directions!) I wanted to go to the local market store but they are closed on Sundays, I guess.

    I finally find my way home and take a nap. All that exploring is exhausting! Tonight, I will try the restaurant at the foot of my street as was recommended by my host.

    I went for a stroll down by the harbour tonight as the sun was setting. It was a beautiful evening and there were plenty of people out enjoying it. I went to a restaurant named Dafni which is the one that my host recommended. I told the waiter that Marcus had sent me and he said he was talking to him already. He knew about me getting delayed in Munich and that I missed one day on the island. I was stunned that the owner would actually go to the restaurant and talk with the owner to let him know I was coming. Talk about looking after your guests. I told him that I didn't like seeing the heads on my fish and that I didn't like beets. Check out the pictures to see what he came up with. It was delious! The sea bass was cooked perfectly and the horta (green leafy greek side dish) was a perfect match. So was the glass of local wine. I met a young man from Ohio and we started talking. Between the owner and us we talked the evening away! I had company for dinner as well. The 'locals' seem to know when you have fish.

    I'm absolutey worn out. Time for bed.
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  • Day 4

    Getting braver, went outside the wall

    May 23, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    I had a great nights sleep last night. It is another beautiful day out today; I am having great luck with the weather.

    I head down to a place called The Bakery for breakfast. They have these dough bowls with different things in them. They have a bacon, egg and spinach bowl or sausage and egg or vegetable bowl. Check out the picture, kinda hard to explain. Anyway, it was delicious and I couldn’t finish it. I have an cold cappuccino as well but didn’t care for that. There is a very nice young man with an Irish accent (his father is Greek, his mother Irish) that I asked about getting a tour to Lindos. He told me to just head down to the harbour where I was last night and I’ll find plenty of offers.

    Afterwards, I set up my Google Maps to take me to Vodafone for a new sim card for my phone. It is located outside the Old Town in the ‘New’ city. It is only a 20 minute walk which takes me 30 minutes cause you know I can get lost in a phone booth. I made it and I got 15GB of data and 100 minutes of International Calling and Unlimited European calling for 39 Euros. It is good for the 30 days that I’m here. This is half what Virgin was going to charge me for 15 times the data and I get unlimited calling for Europe.

    After getting this I headed down to the harbour to book my tour for tomorrow. I found one there and it will take me to two beach stops and to Lindos. It is a full day trip. More about this tomorrow. On my way back I had to stop for some gelato. Yes there are pictures. They have like 20 different kinds, pretty hard to pick just 2. I thought this was a little expensive (6 Euros) but I’m sure that this is the tourist trap. Breakfast only cost me 7.50 Euros. On the way back ‘home’ I stopped at the grocery store to pick up some milk and yogurt so I can have breakfast at home tomorrow before the boat trip.

    Links: Air BnB https://abnb.me/x14zYiwOgqb
    Dafni Taverna https://www.facebook.com/pages/Taverna-Dafni/11…
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  • Day 5

    Boat Tour to Lindos

    May 24, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    I booked a boat tour to Lindos with Triton Tours. I was up bright and early at 7 AM. I had a coffee and rice pudding for breakfast and then headed out. I stopped at the bakery to pick up a cinnamon and raisin danish for the boat. Water, sunscreen, camera and danish in tow off I go. It is another beautiful day, not a cloud the sky.

    The boat is a triple decker. I choose the middle deck, still open air but with plenty of shade. There are a couple of cruise ships in port for the day. We pass by and head out to sea. Once you get away from the town the scenery turns to a more rugged landscape. It is very hilly here with little vegetation. Stark but still beautiful. There are resorts along the coast with their beaches and umbrellas waiting for the tourists.

    Our first stop is Anthony Quinn Bay, where The Guns of Navarone was filmed. People head out for a swim. I stay on board and have my snack. I have two more swim stops.
    We have made it to Lindos Bay. Sitting high above the town is the Acropolis. You could almost see the bustling town of 2000 years ago. The bay is protected on three sides by land creating a very tranquil beach area. We get off the boat and I walk a path over to the quiet beach. I rent a beach chair for 15 Euros and get set up. The sand is very hot! I head over to the water. The water is cool but nice. I choose the slow but steady entry method to get used to the water. It is very shallow here and you can go quite a way till you get waist deep. Under I go...brrr that was a shock. Doesn't take long to get used though. The bottom is sandy and there are little minnows swimming around. The water really is the turquoise colour you see in the pictures and very salty (forgot about that, would be great with some fries!). There is a gentle breeze blowing making for a beautiful day.

    I stop at one of the restaurants on the way back to the boat for some lunch. Then head back to the boat for our return voyage. As we leave I get a couple of shots of the Acropolis and say goodbye for now. I am starting to get sleepy, probably from the fresh air and swimming. As I look around the boat several people are crashed on the seats catching some sleep. Half way back there is another swim stop. I don't go in but get some great shots.

    Back at the harbour we disembark right on time. I head back for a shower (remove the salt) and then head down for dinner. My last dinner in Rhodes. I'm back at Dafni and give the lamb a try. Lamb is a denser meat like moose. It is also darker then pork or duck. It has a stronger taste then pork and very different from beef. I'm not sure how to describe it for you. You'll just have to come to Greece and try it yourself! However, the mash potatoes are creamy and the plums and apricots add a nice contrast to the lamb. I didn't realize I was getting a whole leg but plenty of my four legged friends came to help me out. It is a wonderful evening and I say goodbye to my servers. They have made me feel as welcome as my BnB hosts.

    I head back and start to pack. Tomorrow is a travel day. I am taking a puddle jumper over to Crete but not until 9:00 PM. Once again my hosts here have come through for me by allowing me to keep my luggage here until 6:00 PM when I leave for the airport. I'm excited about Crete because Laura and Nicole join me for the next two islands!

    I'll talk to you from Crete. Bye for now.
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  • Day 6

    Last day in Rhodes

    May 25, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I know I said I'd see you in Crete but I had a whole day here so I went to see the Grand Palace. If anyone remembers my Europe blog you know it was dominated by Cathedrals and Castles. Well I'm back at it!

    Today was the Grand Palace of Rhodes. First you visit the Museum of Rhodes where you learn about the history of Rhodes. I'll give you the short version: it's really old (24 centuries) and everyone fought over it from Rome to Turkey in the old days to Italy, Germany and Turkey again in modern times. Each time Greece said get lost. Rhodes is in a strategic location near Turkey, Asian Minor and South Africa. Therefore, it was very important to different countries.

    Okay, let's get to the good stuff! The first set of building is the Knights Hospital. I guess all that turmoil means lots of injuries. I personally just drool over the vastness and archetechure of these buildings. Each hospital room is bigger then most bedrooms and comes with their own fireplaces. The ceilings are really tall (6-7 meters), probably to allow for the heat of the summer. They were all situated around a central square. There were some beautiful flower gardens and water features around the grounds.

    The Palace is impressive! First you have to walk up a road called The Knights Road. All up hill and moderately steep. Then you get to the Palace. I'm a little disappointed that there are no gates or moat or anything. I guess invades are stopped before the get to the Palace. The center square and fountain (Not currently working) are impressive. The turrets and building itself are beautiful. They look like they are made from sandstone. Not sure though. They currently have an exhibit about the floor mosaics. They don't have much about the different rulers or time periods. Of course that leaves more to the imagination. There are plenty of rooms and the are massive and small. Some look like they are used for administration of the island and some have views of the sea.

    I have stopped for lunch at the first place I ate at a few days ago. Thought I would get a little decadent with the dessert. Eat your heart out people, I've already made 7000 steps and it is not even 2:00 PM.

    My flight from Rhodes to Crete was quick, just an hour. I got here late though and felt bad that the hosts had to wait around for me. Since I got here after sundown, I couldn’t check out the water. It is very calm tonight so I can’t hear it either. The girls (Laura & Nicole) have headed to the airport for their flight and they should come in tonight around 6:00 PM Greece time.
    The apartment has two bedrooms, a small but functional kitchen, smallish bathroom but that’s okay. We have two terraces. One off my bedroom which is street side. Basically, used for hanging laundry. The other one off the living room where the water is. I’ll explore more tomorrow.
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  • Day 7

    Let's check out Crete.

    May 26, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    I had a wonderful sleep last night and am ready to check out the neighborhood. First about where I’m staying. I am right on the ocean. The view is great! There is no beach directly in front of the property though. If you turn left just outside the gate and walk for 3 minutes, poof! sandy beach. I’m on the second floor which is kind of nice because you get a slight breeze off the ocean. The front patio has sun until about 10:00 in the morning and then it works it’s way around to the other side. This is actually quite good because I’m not a sun person. There are a couple of lounge chairs down on the lower patio if you want the sun. I’m sure that’s where the girls will be.

    I took a walk down to the grocery store just to see what is available. On the way I spot a place that does pastries and coffee, time for breakfast! Well, that feels better. Off to get groceries now. I picked up some water and fruit, yogurt and milk for us. We can go out later to see if the girls want something else. I went out to explore the beach. To the right it is a little rockier with coarse sand, to the left is the nicer sand and less rocks in the water. The water is crystal clear and you have your typical little fishes swimming in the shallows. The water is beautiful! The temperature is not too warm and gives you a nice contrast to the air. Did I mention it is 32 Celsius out? I take a quick dip in the ocean to cool off. If you walk further down you can get lounge chairs with umbrellas and further down from that are paddle boards and ski doo rentals. I think the girls are going to love it here.

    I head back and take a quick rinse off in the shower. (This ocean is salty too!) I put in a load of laundry and go over some menial tasks of recording my spending (yes, I’m anal), check the girls flight to see if it is delayed. They have the same driver as I did last night, so I can let him know if they are late. We have a food tour in a couple of days so I send them an e-mail to see how to get there. Now it is time for some lunch. There is a place that sells gyros a couple of doors down. I get a pork gyro with fries to go and head back to eat on the patio. After a very satisfying lunch and my swim, I think it is time for my siesta. The girls are coming tonight and I think I’m going to need my wits about me.

    The girls are here! I’m sitting here waiting for them to text me when I hear this Maaa, Maaa, (Laura’s version of Mom). I head to the door and what do I see? Oh, you gotta check out how Laura came to the apartment. The cab driver is going to have stories to tell for a while. Also check out Laura’s version of traveling on the plane. After some hustle and bustle we settle on the patio. The girls love it here. They are checking out the beach and the water. Both managed to sleep on the plane (lucky people) so they aren’t too jet lagged. Nicole has it worse than Laura. Nicole actually discribed it well: like working a triple shift for the last 5 days.
    We head over to the grocery store to pick up supplies for dinner. We are just going to do cold cuts, pita, tzatziki, cheese and salad for dinner. The girls are pooped and a little out of sorts. By the time we finish dinner and sit and chat for a bit, it’s off to bed.
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  • Day 8

    Fun Day on the Water

    May 27, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today we had a beach day. The beach is only a 5 minute walk, so after breakfast we head over to get some chairs under umbrellas and plan to spend the afternoon here. The beach is fine sand and very hot!!! The water is nice for me but Laura finds it cool. I’m going to say about 20 Celsius. I head out for a swim. I haven’t been in the water swimming for quite a while and it shows. I’m a little out of shape and can’t swim as far as I used to. I am however, a floater. I can float a good long time. The problem with this is that even with sunscreen you have to watch or you’ll end up burnt.
    We have some lunch on the beach. Nothing really to special, grilled ham and cheese and a glass of white wine for me. The girls pick their own. After lunch, they go rent paddle boards. Neither one of them have been on them and it shows. Laura manages to stay up but Nicole struggles with this and ends up in the water a couple of times. They have fun and that is the important part. Even though they had sunscreen on and reapplied when they went in both girls got some sunburn on them. They come home and slather on the aloe.

    We had to rent a car for tomorrows tour. We get it in the early evening and Laura drives us into Heraklion for dinner. We have found a gluten free restaurant where Laura can have a decent meal. It takes about 20 minutes to get there and have to go around a couple of times to find the place. The Google maps directions aren’t the best and the streets are more like donkey paths. Not to mention the traffic. Laura does an excellent job of getting us there and back.

    We eat at a place called Amalia’s Kitchen. They have so many gluten free options, Laura is in seventh heaven. Check out our plates below. We sit outside because it is a beautiful night again. Once we are done, we head back home. It is quite late, so I’m off to bed and the girls stay up to chit chat.
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  • Day 9

    Food Tour on the Farm

    May 28, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today we have our food tour which is across the island. I have woken up a bit under the weather. This is the first time since Munich that I have felt off. I stayed mostly in the shade yesterday and do not have a sun burn anywhere. However, my stomach is just not right. My head is a little off as well so this might be just too much heat.

    We head off to the food tour. The place is called Cretan Vibes (https://cretanvibes.com/cookingtour). It is about an hour and a half away from where our place is but takes us up a mountain and into the interior of the island. Life looks very different here. There are fields of olive trees, various produce, some goats and then barren rock faces. We go through some small villages and see people going about their daily lives. It is much less glamorous than what you see on the coast or in Heraklion. The roads here are very twisty and wind through like our switchbacks up and down the valleys and hills. We are almost there when we end up in a market area. Apparently one town shuts down the street Google told us to take for a market every Saturday. We have to back up, turn around and find another way. Laura of course is a very cool Kitten and this doesn’t faze her in the least.

    We finally make there and then get lost on the road to the farm. We went a little too far and had to come back up through the olive grove to get to our outdoor kitchen. The place is run by Marianna and her wonderful Mother. Marianna speaks very good English, her mother does not. It doesn’t seem to matter though because we can immediately feel the welcome from both of them. They let us stretch our legs and use the bathroom. We chat for a while just getting to know each other. They serve us two different drinks from a syrup that they make right there. One has cinnamon, anise and sugar, the other is lemon juice, sugar and water. They mix these with water and serve them to us. The drinks are very different but both are very refreshing. They have built a large gazebo with a washroom (with running water) and several tables that they can set up with cooking stations. There is a lovely breeze blowing through the valley which is wonderful since the temperature is climbing up to 34 Celsius!

    They are going to help us create 3 Cretan dishes. One is a lamb stew, one a potato and egg dish and finally a goat cheese pastry for dessert. Cretan food is slightly different from Greek food and it uses less ingredients and has simpler flavours.

    First up is the lamb stew. We need to start this early because it takes the longest to make. We don our aprons and take our stations. We sear the lamb in olive oil over high heat and then turn it down. We chop and add some onions, fresh herbs that are growing 3 meters away from us. Then water is added and we let that simmer for an hour and a half.

    Marianna takes us on a tour of their farm. They have two different types of olives and she explains how they are harvested and sent for processing. They have a very large farm that was started by her grandfather many years ago. She tells us how they propagate new trees and what the seasons are for pruning, spraying and then harvest. They also have 4 greenhouses where they rotate crops like watermelon, tomatoes, peppers and beans. In addition to this they have open fields where they grow artichokes, more tomatoes, watermelons, peppers, zucchini, squash, herbs and potatoes. They have pretty much everything they need to live right at their fingertips. Other then meat which they get from a local butcher. You stand back and realize that not only do they run this farm, they also run the cooking tours. This is a massive operation and you don’t see a lot of farm hands working here. I’m sure they get help in for harvest but you quickly realize how hard these people work all their lives.

    After the tour of the farm, Marianna brings us back to start the other dishes. We head back to the stew and add a potato, tomatoes and some fresh picked artichoke hearts. We even learned how to peel them. We are doing a potato and egg dish as well. The potatoes are from their farm (of course!) and are beautiful white potatoes. Okay, let us get excited about potatoes. These are solid, large, white, without eyes potatoes. The kind that we can only get for about a week and a half back home. We peel our potatoes and then are shown a different way to cut them, that will make them into very thin French fries. Marianna’s mother then fried them up in their oil (made from their olives!) and then completed the dish with some farm fresh eggs.

    After this we made a pastry dish with goat cheese, cinnamon and honey. It was also very yummy. After everything was complete, they pulled out a bottle of red wine and we all sat down for dinner. The lamb stew was great. We had some fresh greens (wilted in olive oil and then drizzles with lemon) called horta. The egg and potato dish were a hit with Laura and both Nicole and I enjoyed the pastries. The whole tour took about 6.5 hours. After many hugs and goodbyes, we make our way back home.

    We leave very early tomorrow; the cab comes at 6:30 AM; to catch the ferry to Santorini. I am feeling better but stay home to pack. The girls head out for a walk and some shopping. Talk to you all later.
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  • Day 10

    My Birthday in Santorini

    May 29, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today is my birthday. I’m in Santorini for my 61st birthday! Yeah! It is a beautiful day out. We have to catch a cab at 6:30 this morning to get to the port. Our ferry was waiting there and after a brief check in we are ready to board. They have luggage racks to store our stuff. The lounge is nice with wide seats and tray tables similar to an airplane. They have The History Channel on to watch as well. There is a place to get croissants, baklava, pizza and other pasties as well as coffee and juice. The girls head upstairs to take in the roof top. I sit inside have a croissant and coffee and then do my knitting. The crossing was about 2 hours and poof we’re in Santorini.

    At port the girls are able to get a sim card for their phones so they are now able to communicate with the real world without paying an arm and a leg. Laura also finds us a car rental for the 4 days we are here. This time it is a Nissan Mica; small but efficient. While the girls hit the souvenir shops, I sit at the open-air restaurant and have a Sangria. We get a bite to eat before heading out to our BnB. Laura has to make due with a fruit plate, Nicole finally gets her gyro and I do a calabrese sandwich.

    After loading the luggage (I’m surprised it fit) we head off. Santorini is basically a mountain that got blown half off by a volcano about 2000 years ago. It is steep and there are not really any plateaus to live on. They have switchbacks for roads leading out of port. Sharp turns, narrow roads and if you go over you die. The views are breathtaking though. Laura of course is a little daredevil and loves this (check out the grin as she is driving!).

    We make it to where we think we should be. We get out of the car and take a look around. We see the white houses and the blue domes of the churches. An older gentlemen parks beside and asks if we know where we are going. I reply probably not. I show him our map but, in the end, call the host and let them talk to him. We, of course are not in the right spot. He tells us to follow the road until we see a church with a big tree and that is where we park. Now if you look over the side of the hill the church is a 5-minute walk (through cacti and scrub, downhill) in a car it is 15 minutes through hairpin (blind) turns. Our host actually lives in Athens but has someone here to look after the house. Their son is waiting to greet us. Thank goodness for that. The house is uphill on cobblestone (more slate and cut out from the rock) streets about 100 meters from where the car is parked. The young man takes the two heavy suitcases and I take my carryon and CPAP machine and start to head up. He of course has no issue, I’m huffing and puffing half way up. The girls have stayed behind to have a smoke. Yeah, we meet them half way down and Nicole had to stop half way to get out her puffer. These streets are a killer no matter what the age. This is not a place for the mobility challenged.

    Whew, finally made it. The place is cute as a button with the blue shutters and white wash façade. They are having an issue with water today in Santorini and the cleaning staff couldn’t clean the patios but the inside is all done. I’m not sure how to explain the place really. They are houses built into the side of the mountain. You have two windows at the front and the door but that is all the light you have coming in. Past the kitchen, dining and living area the bedrooms are to the back. There are no windows at all in them. The bathroom is also windowless. You can notice an immediate temperature difference when you walk further back as you get more into the mountain. This is how people built the houses after the volcano erupted to protect themselves from further eruptions. The rooms are a generous size and the girls have a nice wardrobe in their room. I have a beautiful bureau in my room which has all the main doors locked. There are 3 hooks on the wall and that is the extent of my closet and storage area. Looks good but useless.

    I have often said (and will probably continue to say) that I wished these hosts would actually live in their own rentals for a couple of weeks. So here are my observations. The bed in the master bedroom is at calf level, the girls room knee level. There is not one plug for the kitchen sinks or the bathtub. How do people fill the sink to wash dishes? Or take a bath? There is no shower curtain. I probably don’t have to explain the issues with that one. Although there is a drain in the floor outside the tub. The tub itself is a nice deep one. It is a little narrow and short but a nice tub none the less. The windows and door have no screens. There is a beautiful breeze that comes through this area but also a lot of flying insects like mosquitoes. We have to make do with the air conditioner which really doesn’t have a great fan on it. The stove and frig work well as do the toaster. The coffee pot however is another story. First no filters, second the pot must have been replaced from the original because it is too short to engage the drip from the filter. So, you have to stand there holding the coffee pot up to allow for the coffee to drip. There is a washer here and it works very well and with the breeze outside and sun things dry quickly.

    The girls head off to the get groceries and shop and I get to nest. After a dinner of roasted chicken, green beans and salad we relax for a bit before heading off to bed.
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