The End of Europe

So guys, for any loyal followers I have left reading this blog, this is the last entry :'( But don't be too sad, my friend Stefanie and I are taking on NYC to try and live the dream, so you can follow our blog @

http://steflysnyc.blogspot.com/

In the meantime, I had a wonderful trip. Not too many adventures today besides riding in business class home! Slept, read, watched The Dilemma (not good) and Just Go With It (Super cute). Sat next to an older lady who I would describe as a jewish New Yorker, but was very nice to me! And our flight got in an hour early!

I had a rather large hiccup in Athens yesterday, but all I can do is pray that I will be able to go back. It's a far off, expensive dream, but it's not impossible. I love Europe probably more than I love America, but it always feels good to come home. And by home, I mean good ole NYC!

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to follow my NYC adventures! 

The Greek Eye

Another gorgeous day on the greek isles! Seriously, buying a summer house here when I become rich...

Woke up fairly early today so I could lay out (and finished reading a book!) I then decided while everyone else was eating that I would walk around the other side of the island. Well, it was bigger than I though, so I stopped walking after 45 minutes, but I did see some beautiful views!! (Also, stumbled upon a nude beach!)

I walked into town the other way around the island and decided to eat at the White Cat again. The guy was so happy to have me back, but said they were out of kebabs (which was my favorite dish from the day before). He said we would make something special for me, and that it would be just as good. I told him it better be! Turns out it was better! It was still kebabs but made with different meat and it was divine. He then brought me a free expresso since it was my second time there and I told everyone in the group to go there too (and they did). Also, bird ate lunch with me. I'm not kidding...it literally sat on the other end of the table for about 3 minutes. Wasn't afraid of me at all...

I went further into town to shop for a bit and met a lady who explained to me what the blue Greek eye meant. Apparently it wards of evil and brings good luck! The first present a Greek child gets is a necklace (boys get a cross with the eye and girls get a madonna). So I bought some t-shirts and headed back...

But then I got distracted and wandered in yet another direction to see more pretty views. I found a beautiful grave yard. You think, a grave yard? Beautiful? But it was! All white with flowers everywhere. Even the bottoms of the trees were painted white. After my walk I headed back, swam in the ocean, ate a dinner of Muflaka (I think that's what it's called...) It's some Greek dish that is really good. It has meat, cheese, potato, cinnamon and something else I think...

Then it was Greek toga time! We had a toga party out back by the pool (I had to tie all of the boys for them). And tomorrow morning we leave for Athens...as excited as I am for Athens, I really don't want to leave paradise...

Also some things about Greece that aren't so perfect (I know, I don't want to ruin the beautiful picture I've painted for you, but I do want to keep things truthful). 1. There are lots of stray cats and dogs 2. There are bugs...they aren't too too bad on the beach during the day, but at night, the mosquitos such! 3. You can't flush toilet paper down the toilets...it's a little disgusting, but Greece is the best place ever, so we deal!

Another tid bit...my mom reminded me my name is Greek! YAY! Now if I could only find a hot Greek man so that my last name was Greek too and we could have a summer home here...

Traveling Pants 3

I spent the day living the perfect life :D Yep, still in love with Greece!

Woke up this morning to breakfast and a bike ride into town! It only took like 10 minutes and it gorgeous, quaint, and perfectly Greek. We road around the whole small island (got a nice workout) and found a gorgeous cliff with a view. We stopped at a few stores and bought post cards and little souvenirs and took pictures of the alley ways and white houses :D We stopped at a restaurant called White Cat and had the most DELICIOUS food. I know I say that every time, but for reals....Amazing! I had some appetizer that was warm feta cheese, oil, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. And then I had lamb and pork sausages, greek sauce (I don't know the real name), onions, tomato, and pita bread...basically the gyro without being put together, but better than anything I've ever tasted! SO great and cheap!! He brought us some traditional dessert for free. It was like an orange thing...it was awful. WAY too citrusy and sourrrrr.

Afterwards we biked back and laid out on the beach! The water was super clear and cold, but wonderful. And I got tan! YAY sun! We biked back into town later and got ice cream and a beer (from a 40 year old guy who hit on us...too funny) and then had dinner at the hotel.

Sounds like an uneventful day, but it was perfectly wonderful! Lots of good pictures to come!

My Big Fat Greek Paradise

I'm in Greece, or as I like to call it, heaven. I could never have imagined a more beautiful country. I don't know if it is because I had to wait so long to see it, but seriously, it's everything I dreamed and more.

So today we woke up on the boat (after a not so good sleep) to a meal entirely consisting of bread. I read, surfed the internet, and felt the breeze on the top of the boat until we docked around 12. Greece was waiting!

We took a bus ride for about an hour and a half before lunch. I tried to capture the beauty of the country on camera, but I don't think it will really express it. I mean it's just dark blue water that is see through up close and red roof after red roof (Not kidding, there are very few roofs that don't look like that spanish tile). Seriously, it looks like a picture in a magazine. People still hang there clothes up to dry! I couldn't sleep the entire bus ride because I was just trying to soak in the wonderful beauty of the islands, mountains, sea, and villages. About 40 minutes into the ride, however, I had to pee (I know what you are thinking, TMI Lys, TMI) Well yes, you may be right, but it made me think of Kobie (our dog) and how he has to pee when he gets overly excited, and that was me! So we made an emergency stop, and then I was back marveling at Greece.

I got a gyro for lunch...it was fricken wonderful! I don't know if I will ever be able to eat a Skipper's one again. We also saw a huge hand made canal from the 1800's. We continued around the mainland over winding roads lined with pink flowers. We passed some white houses/mansions that looked like those from Mama Mia and more red roofed villages tucked into the hills with short green trees surrounding it, and of course gorgeous coast lines. Best bus ride ever.

We made it to the Ferry that took us over to the island. Another AESU group is staying in the hotel from Alabama and Florida, but other than that it is a pretty quiet area. There is a small beach, a huge pool complete with a bar behind the hotel, and a small town just a 10 minute bike ride away. I walked up and down the street, sat on the dock, and laid out by the pool for the remainder of the evening. We had fish, fries, and greek salad for dinner, and now I'm going to bed so that I can enjoy my two days in the sun in my own personal heaven. 

Unleashing the Wrath of The Greek Gods

I woke up today, got ready to leave for Greece, but couldn’t seem to get Lindsey up. Before I went down to breakfast I woke her up again, and she promised me she would be downstairs by 7. I attempted to find an ATM. First two didn’t work, but finally found and open one (and made it back to say bye to the people not continuing on the tour and to grab a croissant). This should have been the first sign of the day to come.

It was 7:05, we were boarding the bus, and Lindsey wasn’t there. I ran upstairs, banged on the door, and said “Sarah’s going to leave, if your butt isn’t downstairs now”. I held the bus for her (took awhile to load everything into our new small bus anyway) and we were off to Pompeii. Mind you, we were the only people on the bus who had to sit next to each other on the bus because she was late and the seats were super cramped. It was an awful 3 hours of not being able to move at all. Thirty minutes into the ride Lindsey can’t find her passport. Sarah is frantic, Lindsey is panicking, and we are trying desperately to find it. After calling the hotel that didn’t have it, Lindsey finally found it going through her suitcase for the 4^th time. PHEW!

The tour of Pompeii was pretty good, but it was CRAZY hot! I snuck off at one point to get a picture of the Greek theatre because last time I was there the big one was under construction. Our tour guide was dressed in all pink, looked like Barbie and Elle Woods exploded on her wardrobe, and she just proceeded to tell us stories about the phallic symbols and the whore house. Guess she was catering to college students? I don’t remember that much sex talk on the tour with my grandparents…

We had a cheap lunch of salad, a huge pizza, and gelato before heading back on the bus. I read and slept until suddenly I smelled something funny. I looked around and everyone else smelled it too. Next thing I know, we are pulled over on the side of the road…the bus broke down. Again. Except this time, we are an hour away from our ferry to Greece, which we were suppose to board at 6. It was 4:45 when we pulled over.  We unloaded the bus and waited for another one to come pick us up, allegedly in 30 minutes. SERIOUSLY?!?! All I could think was some divine being really doesn’t want me to go to Greece. First a volcano, and now a car break down?!?!?

After getting honked at by virtually every truck driver on the road and reading a majority of my book, a bus finally arrived….at 7 o’clock. The boat didn’t take off till 8, but it would be at least 45 minutes to get there. Sarah said she was calling people to hold the boat. Needless to say we made it on the boat right at 8 o’clock running with every bag!!

The boat is nice, and I have never been on one overnight, but the cabins are TINY! There are 4 of us to a room of bunk beds (I’m on top) with all of our luggage because they didn’t store it. Let’s just say we barely have room to breathe. However, I’m just so happy to be on this boat that I could care less! We ate downstairs (I had lamb, already feeling the Greek vibe), reenacted Titanic outside the boat (well, I did), and I’m now drinking coffee and enjoying wifi. Praying we get to Greece safely!

Also, side note: You can certainly feel the boat moving. I feel like I’m slightly drunk constantly, but I’m getting used to it.

Pope Bless You

This morning we explored Roma! We met our tour guide and went through the Forum (which was awesome because I didn’t go in it with Nanny and Pop). We saw the original senate, where Julius Caesar was cremated, and where Titus entered the city after enslaving the Jews. We also saw where the virgin vestals lived, which were the most powerful women after the emperor.

Next to the Forum is the Coliseum (my favorite place in Rome), so we stopped by there. We didn’t get to stay long at all, but it was still nice. We headed back on the bus to Vatican City where I was able to mail some post cards and since it’s Sunday we received a Blessing from the Pope himself! He comes out of this really small window probably 20 stories up, so he looks like a little speck. He spoke in Italian, German, Latin, Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese! It was kind of incredible.

We didn’t want to hassle with the line of trying to get into the basilica, so Lindsey and I headed to the bus. It was SUPER packed, but we made it close to the city center. We had lunch at a cute little sandwich shop (and I had one of the best ones I’ve had since I’ve been in Italy). We met a nice Australian couple sitting next to us and they helped us figure out how to get to the Pantheon. We made it there and inside. It has a beautiful open dome roof.

We decided to walk toward the Trevi Fountain, but of course ended up in the wrong direction and going in a circle. However, we did pass a market and a cool building in the process, so we didn’t care! Made it to the fountain, which was PACKED! I mean, I know it’s the weekend but geez Italy is just so populated! We got gelato (they had kiwi which was also delicious) and got hit on by a lot of Italian men…pretty entertaining.

After gaining 5 extra pounds we headed back to the Spanish steps because we knew how to get home from there (via metro AND train!) but little did we know, we were in for a cultural experience. Today in Rome there is a soccer match against some other country and it is a HUGE deal! EVERYONE is wearing pink and black (that’s Rome’s colors) and carrying flags and screaming cheers. Well, when we got into the metro they all started singing. Hundreds, possibly thousands of soccer fans! It was too funny and pretty exciting. I felt bad for wearing blue…

Made it back to the hotel around 3:30 only to find our shower was still not fixed (surprise surprise). Waited an hour and a half for them to come, when they didn’t, we took showers and flooded the bathroom anyway. Then we took off for a Roman Banquet!

It was HUGE and delicious as usual (probably one of the best meals here). We had salad, bruschetta, lasagna, pork, potatoes, and tiramisu. I was the only one at my table who wanted white wine, so he brought me mine own bottle. There was also a guy there playing the guitar and singing songs for us and trying to play American songs where we attempted to fill in the words. It was exciting. Afterwards we went to the Trevi fountain at night, and then I headed back to the hotel (while my roommate and others went out). When I came back, of course the internet was not working (hence the late post) and I tried to stay awake (but fell asleep) until Lindsey knocked on the hotel door at 2:30am. And then we fell into a peaceful sleep for 3 and a half hours before the adventures of today…. 

What Would Jane Do?

Well the last two days have been absolutely Italian and wonderful.

So yesterday we arrived in Florence pretty early in the afternoon. We had time to store our luggage (out in the open mind you, which was a little nerve wracking) and grab a sandwich before a walking tour. We saw the three main squares (including the famous churches, Duomo, the political area, and the bridge). It was a really nice day out and I’ve already seen most of the sights of Florence, but our tour guide was good. Afterwards I got gelato (and found my new favorite flavor, pistachio) and met up with Ryu!

As a group we went to a leather store and learned a little about it’s quality and how it was produced. I bought a nice black wallet too! Ryu and I continued to walk around the city and buy souvenirs before we went back to his very quaint Italian apartment. I met hit roommates and one of them, Leon, came to dinner with us at an Italian Restaurant. It was delicious, and right across the street I saw a sign for Strongbow and Bulmers (at an Irish pub mind you) so we went there afterwards. We decided to meander through the city some more and got gelato at Grom (one of the best places according to Julia, and it really was!!!) Also yes, I did have it twice in one day! I was getting tired, so the boys walked me back to my hotel, which was really nice and fell dead asleep.

The next morning Lindsey and I woke up fairly early to go to a Western Union so she could get more cash. It ended up being another huge fiasco because her middle name wasn’t written on it, so nowhere would give us the money. Eventually we decided to go to the market anyway and I told her I’d pay for her. We had a ball in the market! We haggled and everything! I got a bracelet, another suitcase, and a gift, and she got a purse and scarves. We decided by this point that we had spent enough money, so we were walking back to the hotel when we passed Massimo’s Leather! (Julia told me this guy was wonderful, but I couldn’t find it the day before). Well, he was great! And soooo nice! And he was giving us all sorts of deals, so I ended up buying a super cute red leather purse (originally 90 euro, got it for 50!) I was mad I had already bought the wallet because he sold them for 30 and I bought my (last year’s style) wallet for 55. He was just super nice and gave us hugs and asked us about our lives and everything.

Then it was back to the bus for a SUPER long ride to Rome! And then a funny thing happened. Last year (about this same time) I was here with my grandparents and we were coming back from Florence to Rome by car and we got a flat tire and had a whole car fiasco. So what happened today on that same highway? Saverio’s bus starts making noises and we have to stop 3 times (we now have a new bus and a new driver, which is sad because we all loved him). But seriously? What is it with me and traveling!

Get to Rome, check in to a less than desirable hotel (it’s all these dark colors that don’t match) and take a shower. Well the shower overflows, and the whole bathroom is an inch deep in water, and they tell us they can’t fix it till tomorrow, so we have a mini pool!

We headed on a train and subway to get into the city for dinner and went to eat with Kelci and Ashley (which was really fun!). We ended up sitting next to this woman from San Francesco named Jane that talked to us for about 30 minutes about her life. I have never met such a character!!! I will try to sum up the highlights of our convo. She was celebrating her 70^th birthday, we said “oh you look so young” she said “well I better with all this plastic surgery!” She is a tour guide and has a house in Mexico and butt loads of money. She’s been to Hong Kong 72 times. So then she begins saying things like “follow your passion” “stay single, you don’t need men, I’m on my second divorce. I got drunk and got the first one to knock me up, marry me, and then divorced him, and the second one was one of my high school students who had a lot of money.” She also said such things as “If you have sex with a man, you can get whatever you want from them” I could keep going on because she was just so entertaining, but I think you get the drift! So anyways we headed back to the hotel before the train stopped running with some of the boys. 

Basically Rome has people everywhere and so many street vendors that try to sell you stuff, but also a lot of Americans (much like Florence) which makes it super easy to get around. When in Rome, do as the Romans do! Getting my history fix tomorrow!