Aug 26, 2005 - Farewell to the Perla Cruise Ship

After breakfast and farewells to our favorite waiters (who did a fine job at supplying the food and alcohol) it was very quiet day. For a mere 280 euro I was able to book my flights Amsterday to Athens (Mon 12 September) and a return, Athens to Paris (Mon 24 October)... One thing was accomplished today!!!

Aug 26, 2005 - From Athens to Santorini and Back

So here we are walking around the Acropolis whıch ıs magnıficent and awesome even wıth a lot of other tourists. There are places we have been to lıke the Acropolis that are so great as to overcome the crowds--the Doge Palace ın Venıce was another--and even though traipsing around these ancıent ruıns surrounded by a lot of people is not the best way to see them, the experience is still worth the visit. A great deal of the buildings are under constant repair but there is a lot to see and the overall experience, especially the Parthenon and...

Aug 7, 2005 - Athens to Beirut, Lebanon; Greek Musings

Sunday, August 7. Ferry to Piraeus, Athens. After saying goodbye to Ben and Aspa, Myrto drove Jeff and me to Parikia where we caught a slow ferry (6 hours) to Piraeus. The boat was an hour and a half late. It was packed with people returning to Athens. This was my first time on a slow Greek ferry and hopefully my last. Jeff had purchased a first class ticket while I got deck class. Deck class was outside with hard benches and plastic chairs. First class was lounge chairs and air-conditioning. I took the time to compose my journal. Upon...

Jul 30, 2005 - Cape Sounion, Greece

Saturday, July 30. After doing some shopping in the Plaka district, Jeff, Karen, and I caught a taxied to Alimos pier in the marina where we met Jose, and a little later Ben, Aspa, Myrto, and, our Greek skipper, George ("Jorgo"). Jose was on the same boat as Aspa and Ben for this past February's 2005 Manhattan Sailing Club's De Caribbean Regatta in the British Virgin Islands. Jose works as an attorney for a large NY law firm. Aspa recently started a new architecture position and Ben works in IT for Bloomberg, the financial services company...

Jul 30, 2005 - Athens, Greece

Last night was another tough one of the ship...lots of rocking and rolling...light at first during cocktails and through dinner but got progressively worse through the night. The captain informed us he couldn't stay for us to see the sunset over Santorini due to the winds projected up ahead and the arrival time for Athens. So we were expecting it but I have to say I got pretty nervous..thankfully Val had some dramamine, of which I took two! So no problems with the stomach...just the head...called fear! It settled down early this morning. We...

Jul 28, 2005 - Remembering Santorini when stuck in Athens

Well yes, the title says it all, huh. Athens has felt more and more like the polluted, crowded and hot city that it is since we returned from Santorini. It's hard to believe that my last week in Athens is about to begin... but not without one final weekend trip (Hydra and Spetses), necessary if I am to last out the last week. No really, I am complaining too much - I think just because I just had dinner in Victoria Square where a bunch of wierdos hang out and that is making me annoyed with Athens. Hey, that means Athens is beginning to...

Jul 28, 2005 - Athens, Greece

Thursday, July 28. Drive to Athens, Greece. We caught a hydrofoil back to Ermioni and our car. From Ermioni, it was a three hour drive to Athens. I made reservations at the Student and Traveller's Hostel in the Plaka area of Athens. I had stayed here a few years back on my last trip to Athens. We had a quad, sharing the room with two Aussies. Plaka sits right beneath the Acropolis (high city), considered the most important ancient monument in the Western world and the symbol of Athens. The Pentelic marble Parthenon, the largest Doric temple...

Jul 26, 2005 - Hydra, Greece

Tuesday, July 26. Nafplio; Theatre of Epidavros; Hydra. After checking out of our hotel, the nicest one yet—a one bedroom suite with kitchen for 60 euro including breakfast—we drove up to the Palamidi Fortress for a commanding view of Nafplio below. Our next destination was the island of Hydra. We stopped at the Theatre of Epidavros along the way. Epidavros is the sanctuary of Asclepius, the god of medicine, and a World Heritage site. The third century theatre here is one of the best preserved classical Greek buildings with amazing...

Jul 26, 2005 - athens

wow done so much since last update. was just after lunch went i posted my last update, having just climbed to the top a v v large hill. i then decided to walk to the ancient city of tiryns (of the troy era). its about 6ks from the town center of nafplio. but dispite the bistering sun, i managed to walk there without needin a rest!! v proud of myself 4 that. how ever the site definately was a let down after all that effort to get there!! spent about 15mins there, and only that much cos i had walked all that way i felt it owed me...

Jul 25, 2005 - Athens, Greece

We got to Athens, and I arrived a little on the sick side (surprising I lasted this long)...I rested all day and slept well, so I feel better...today we went to the Acropolis, to see the famous Parthenon....the place leaves u kind of speechless...to see these old structures and to be at the place where I learned so much about Western Civilzation was really an awesome feeling...seeing the Theater of Dionysis was a trip, Ive red so many Greek tragedies over the years... Athens is one of the busier cities I have been to..lots of people and...

Jul 24, 2005 - Athens, Greece

Athens. Land of the olympics of years past and years not so past. Land of Zeus and Aphrodite. Land of cats, coke addicts and gyros. In athens, BBD met up with Aaron and Miriam. Those are Dan's cousins. They were never in an african american hip hop band. Also in Athens BBD met up with Louice (you may remember her from both Cusco, Peru and Stockholm, Sweden) and her friend Hannah. Also, neither of them were in african american hip hop bands. BBD also met up with Dan's brother Evan. He had a short stint as an african american back up dancer...

Jul 19, 2005 - A Cretan Weekend

Hey everyone! Finally I got my pics put on a cd, so finally I can post them online! Exciting stuff. Well, it's Tuesday evening here in Athens and I am feeling refreshed after a weekend away from the hubbub of the city and the hubbub of constantly being with 37 other girls! Last Thursday night I took the overnight ferry from Athens to Rethymno, Crete - a 10 hour ride. I shared a cabin on the way with a Greek grandmother and her little grandaughter, who I think was confused with my inability to communicate. Around 6am in the morning when the...