May 12, 2011 - Study break

Hello everyone, a short break from the study allowed me to come over to Greece to smell the roses, which are only just starting to poke their heads out of the tightly curled buds that they have been clinging to for months. The wind is trying its hardest to blow all of the tiny olive fruits off the trees and i had the devils own job to paint the foot bath at the pool between the eddies of leaves and dust and the very helpful four legged friends, i am sure if we look closely the pads on the bottom of all five dogs will have remnants of sky...

May 11, 2011 - There's a Riot Goin' On

The cafes were empty. All of the people were either hiding in their dwellings or on the streets protesting. Speakers were set up on every corner blaring the rhetoric of some unseen agitator. This mornings march was put together by PAME the communist led union party. Today is a day of general strike. The airport is closed. The ferry services are closed. Public transportation closed. The acropolis was open but only briefly. I've been seeing signs saying something loud in red about may 11th in omonia. Now I new what it was the protest. My...

May 10, 2011 - Akropolis Now

They keep telling me the Wifi doesn't work in the rooms. Hmmmm. I don't seem to have any trouble with it. Although my IPad has been acting funny since it was seized by der Juden. I keep getting a blank page popup. I must have a geek pop it open to see if I am being watched by Mossad...still. Today the Acropolis was open and so I took the metro down there. If the wind wasn't blowing it would be in the upper 80s but the wind is blowing a gale so it's in the upper 60s. It will dehydrate you in 10 minutes out there. The hike to the metro is...

May 9, 2011 - Greece

After a 90 minute ferry ride from Fethiye in Turkey, we arrived in Rhodes, a beautiful start to almost 3 weeks in Greece. We were welcomed by a friendly Yaya and stayed in her pension for 4 days. Her son had a local restaurant where we obediently ate some of the tastiest gyros in Greece. We spent several days wandering around Europe’s largest medieval old town. We also had a day trip to the island of Symi (cloudy and a touch dull really) and visited the mountain top Acropolis of Lindos. Leaving Rhodes, our overnight ferry left 5 hours late...

May 9, 2011 - Athens: a city in ruins

I am out of the middle east. Now all I have to do survive Greece. The reviews say my hotel is in a bad neighborhood. I haven't seen a good neighborhood yet. The difference between the ancient ruins and the new ruins that are Athens is the ancient ruins don't have urine and snot on them because the Greeks and the huge influx of African refugees can't get close enough to eliminate their waste on them. The African refugee women tart themselves up western style and offer themselves as prostitutes on every street corner. The thing I can't figure...

May 7, 2011 - Texas Divas Mug Shot

Some of you have asked for ID for the current Texas Divas trip to Greece. You know Pat and Rita from the famous road trip to Canada. Here are the newest divas: In the photo they are in this order: Beth, from Greenville SC and an honorary Texan. She is Rita's roomate from college. Judy, from Fallon NV but born and raised in Corpus Christi, married to Pat's brother Mike Sylvia, from Lexington near Austin. Pat's friend since 1980 from selling yellow pages Theresa, from Houston, Sylvia's best friend and now our friend.

May 6, 2011 - More Athens Adventures

THURSDAY: This morning it is rainy here in Athens. We have arranged to meet our tour guide here in the hotel at breakfast. (Breakfast was a pleasant surprise with a nice assortment of eggs, lovely Greek yogurt, meats, tomatoes, and other delights). We are on our own, but our tour guide is going to show us the ropes before she turns us loose. We go to the Kiosk near the hotel and buy trolly bus tickets (and umbrellas for the rain). She teaches us how to navigate around and return to the hotel on the trolly bus, which is a bus powered by an...

May 5, 2011 - Athens our Departure city

We will depart from the port tomorrow aboard the Azamara Quest, May 6. We are staying at the Crowne Plaza hotel downtown. It is supposed to have a spectacular view of one of the worlds most famous landmarks, can you guess which one? Bon Voyage! News Flash! Just landed in Athens after a 9hr flight. We made the top of the list out of JFK and even got to sit together in Business Class, even if it was the last row. We took our time through immigration and the airport, Shirley decided we could take the Metro to our hotel. An hour and a half...

Apr 30, 2011 - Greek Island cruise/Venice Italy

Kelley and I went on a 7 day Greek Island Cruise from Venice! It was supposed to be a 50th birthday extravaganza....which it was, if we could only remember the details!! :) We had a fabulous time visiting the islands, "working" the casino, and laughing until we cried! Kelley and I are truly wonderful "traveling buddies," as we both enjoy the culture, food, and language of different countries. After the cruise, we stayed a few nights in Venice, meeting up with Nancy (from St. Augustine) and visited Murano and Burano! Our little "Home Away"...

Apr 28, 2011 - Around Athens

Wednesday 27 April, Day of rest!! This is our do nothing day. We are up at 8am for breakfast. It is supposed to be in the bar, but the bar is still locked. We go to reception, they unlock the bar and Tony is shown where everything is and we are left to fend for ourselves. Breakfast is two slices of bread, jam, orange juice and one coffee or tea, and they have the cheek to charge EUR4.50 ($8) for THAT!!! It is included in our room rate, and is better than nothing We are asked to make just one breakfast each, and to tell reception when...

Apr 26, 2011 - Bosphorus cruise and Athens

We are up early to pack and have breakfast, then leave for a cruise on the Bosphorus Straight. We are all buggered, but the boat trip was good for most. Cynthea and a couple of others didn’t feel too flash on the boat, and we are hoping it is seasickness! We got to see some impressive palaces and fortresses. At one part of the channel the current is very strong, and we see the boat in front of us is struggling to make headway against the current, and realise we are doing the same. There are hundreds, make that thousands!, of jelly fish in...

Apr 22, 2011 - Piraeus return and to the airport

Suitcases had to be outside of our doors last night. So this morning was an early rise - breakfast started at 5:45AM anyway - we went up at around 6:30AM. By 7AM we were finished and ready - so we then got ready to sit in a lounge. But they docked on time - or early - and all our luggage was off loaded by about 7:15AM. Then we got off the ship ourselves - met our driver and headed to the airport. Our flight was not until 12noon and they did not open up the area for us to check our luggage until 9AM - and we were there at 8:15AM - after a 45...