GREECE trip report - March 2017

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3/7/17

Having dropped off MaJu at the dog-sitter the night before, Mom left Sarasota for the drive down to Miami to catch her flight. The drive down was nice, except for the confusion at the end trying to find the airport hotel where we arranged to park the car for the duration of the trip (and stay overnight upon her return). The flight left on time and was good – the assigned seat was a bit tight, but she was able to change to a different one. Got a bit of sleep on the trip over to Frankfurt and early arrival made it easy to make the connecting flight to Athens. Lufthansa provides lots of (mediocre) food on the flight, so there was no need to get a delicious bread or pastry in Frankfurt.

3/8/17

Mom and Judy met at the arrivals area at Athens airport, got cash and boarded the X96 bus for the port of Pireaus. The weather was nice so we walked around the port before settling on a place for coffee while we waited to board the ferry to Heraklion, Crete. The ferry was scheduled to leave at 9pm but we boarded at 6, got our two-bed cabin, took a shower and headed to the bar/lounge. Mom followed around patiently as Judy tried a couple of tables before settling on what she thought would be the best one (which was to become a routine). We ordered a couple of vodkas and enjoyed the salty snacks that came with it (nuts and potato chips) while we broke out the travel Rummycub game. After figuring out (sort of) how to put the tile racks together, we played a couple of games and then decided we should have a meal before bed. So we grabbed a disappointing Greek (Cretan) salad and artichoke/vegetable dish from the onboard restaurant. Then to bed in our comfy cabin.

3/9/17

Docked in Heraklion around 6AM and made our way slowly off the ship and toward a cafe for coffee and light breakfast (a Greek-style sesame bread ring and a flaky cinnamon stick). We then got the #1 bus for the short ride to the airport to pick up our car. Judy let the guy talk us into the extra cost for insurance, knowing a bit about Greek drivers and road conditions – although the man explained at the very end the insurance wouldn't cover extreme tire damage or under-body damage. Anyway – turns out we didn't need the insurance, but you never know....

The drive over the mountains from Heraklion to Pitsidia was nice, except it started raining as we got to the pass at Agia Vervara so the view of the Messara Plain on the other side wasn't as spectacular as it should have been. Then it started to pour so instead of meeting Matthias at the supermarket about 10 miles from home, we went first to the apartment to drop our stuff and pick Matthias up. Then we drove back to Mires to buy olive oil and wine (from a local merchant who sold the stuff from barrels) and then to Lidl for grocery shopping. We then returned to the apartment for lunch – bread and spreads (hummus and Tsaziki made by Matthias, eggplant dip, cheese, olives, etc.) Then we walked down to the chapel by the sea – through some major mud and puddles – to enjoy the view and snap a few photos.

Later that afternoon, we drove over to Matala (2 miles down the road) and had a nice (but overpriced) iced coffee (with ice cream) on the beach, where we sat in the shadows of the Matala caves and watched some guy doing Tai Chi (or something) on the beach. Had a light dinner of potatoes and Tsaziki and played a few rounds of Rummycub before bed.

3/10/17

Matthias made us a delicious omelet for breakfast (he wanted to use up the eggs, peppers and other veg in the fridge because it was market day). It was still cloudy and cool but the rain was on pause for a while so we were able to drive down to the Tymbaki market and meet Matthias, who rode his bike there. He had already bought all the vegetables for the week when we got there, so we met him at our favorite Kafenion (cafe) to sit outside and eat souvlaki, Mom didn't have any souvlaki (still full from the omelet) but she did try her first Raki, which was delivered to our table with the check. After sampling/buying some olives at the market, we drove over to Kokkinos Pyrgos and walked along the beachfront, trying to spot our house along the coastline. On the way home, we stopped at a kafenion in Camilari for coffee and stopped Matthias as he was riding by so he could come join us for a beer. Then we went home, played a couple of rounds of Rummycub, and Judy and Mom drove to Sivas for dinner in a local taverna. Shared a salad and an okay Tsaziki (not as good as Matthias') and Judy opted for the rabbit and potatoes (fresh from the oven) while Mom had a soup. She wouldn't try the rabbit (too cute) but shared the potatoes which were pretty good with the Tsaziki. After the meal the waiter brought the raki, an orange, and some artichoke pieces in salt and lemon. A nice end to the meal.

3/11/17

After a light breakfast we drove to Mires and walked through the market, checking out the tables piled with clothes, purses, housewares and produce. Bought some bread and sweets at a local bakery and a few additional vegetables. Then we sat down at our favorite Gyros place for lunch and to watch the people at the market go by. After lunch we drove up into the mountains to Zaros and saw the lake that provides water for our area. Of course it started raining when we got there, but we got to use the bathroom at the pretty restaurant there. Then we continued along the scenic mountain road through Kamares and Vori and back home. Matthias cooked the greens we bought (“horta” or wild greens) and served them with lemon and olive oil as an appetizer. That was enough for Mom who decided to go to bed early.

3/12/17

It was pretty rainy in the morning, Mom slept late and Matthias only took a shortened walk (due to the rain) so we hung around the apartment until after lunch. We drove through Pitsidia town to Agia Triada and the Palace of Festos, stopping briefly at an old roman church so we could show Mom the bones from the old tombs and driving over a windy road to view the Agia Triada site from above. Unfortunately, by the time we reached Festos the site was about to close, so we just looked on from above for a while and got back in the car to drive to Gortys. We stopped to check out an ancient olive tree and then continued on to another pretty church near Agia Dekka, where martyrs from the Ottoman wars are memorialized.

After stopping back home for a break, Judy and Mom went out for coffee at a new place in Pitsidia (King's Coffee and More). Then we went back home and relaxed a bit before going to dinner at Alex and Anna's in Pitsidia. We had Dakos - traditional Cretan “rusks” (bread) with tomato and feta – along with a fried cheese appetizer. Then shared a giant serving of pastitsio. Finished with the raki and yogurt with cherries that was brought with the check ($20).

3/13/17

Matthias went on his weekly grocery shopping journey so Judy and Mom took a walk down to and along the beach. The trail past the church was a bit steep, but Mom made it without a problem. Once we got back to the apartment, Matthias was there so we ate lunch together and then Judy and Mom drove to Kalamaki (beach). We walked a little along the beachfront and then stopped for a coffee. After that, we went back home to pack, relax and have dinner with Matthias – he made a delicious stew with chicken and long beans.

3/14/17

Mom woke up feeling sicker (sore throat/cough) but we packed up the car anyway and headed out toward Chania. The 2.5 hour drive took us across the island through beautiful mountain scenery. We stopped for light lunch – pancakes and yogurt with honey – at a cafe in a small beachside town (which was mostly closed for the winter) on the way. When we got to Chania, Judy navigated the tiny streets to get as close to the hotel as possible – then we walked with our bags the rest of the way and Judy went to park the car. The hotel (Hotel Doge) was lovely, and provided a good place for Mom to get some sleep, which she did, while Judy went out to explore the harbor and the town. Mom perked up a bit around dinner time so we took a short walk along the harbor and got a good dinner at a nearby restaurant called Tamam. The baked vegetable appetizer with fresh cheese and sweet balsamic was delicious, and the grilled meat (chicken and bifteki/ground meat with cheese) was also good. And we were close to the hotel so Mom could get right back into bed after dinner!

3/15/17

Despite a long sleep on a comfy bed, Mom still woke up feeling bad and Judy was starting to get a sore throat, too. We arranged a late checkout from the hotel and Judy took a morning walk. Around 11AM, both went out for a walk around town, starting with a visit to the synagogue, which was restored in 1999 to serve the Jewish community (of about 15 people) in Crete and to honor the centuries long history of the Jews in Crete, which ended in 1944. The Nazis arrested and removed the last remaining Jews on the island and the transport ship bound for the concentration camps was bombed and sank before it reached the mainland. The synagogue was pretty – very nicely restored – with a working mikvah. Services are held each week, and open to the community at large due to the low number of local Jews, but a rabbi only comes from Athens on high holy days. After the synagogue visit and walking around a bit, we went to a pharmacy to get some antibiotics and cold remedy and grabbed a slice of pizza for lunch. After lunch, Mom went back to bed for a bit and Judy walked around some more and brought the luggage to the car. Around 3pm we started the drive to Heraklion about two hours away. The drive was also beautiful – along the coast – and easy except at the end trying to find where to park the rental car. But everything worked out fine and we caught the bus to the port, bought tickets and grabbed a snack at the ferry terminal and then boarded the ship for Athens. We got a little “upgrade” in our two-bed cabin (they gave us one with a window, TV and toiletries in the bathroom) and we got a decent night's sleep after playing a couple of rounds of Rummycub in the lounge.

3/16/17

Alarm woke us up at 5:15 and the ferry pulled into the port of Pireaus around 6:15, which gave us time to walk over and catch the ferry to Santorini, which left at 7:25. Scrambled around for good seats and then ended up upgrading to the “airplane seats” so Mom could get a good rest. Had a fast food (burger and fries) brunch and set in to relax on board. The ferry stopped at Paros, Naxos and Ios islands on the Way to Santorini. Played some Rummycub, enjoyed the scenery and did some relaxing before arriving in Santorini at about 3pm. Easily caught the bus and enjoyed the views as we ascended the winding road to the town of Fira. We found our hotel near the bus station which was nice, with two separate rooms, but Judy was a bit disappointed. After dropping the bags we set off toward the main square and further to the path along the edge of the caldera offering the famed Santorini views. We walked up toward the cable car station and the cathedral on the hill and then back toward town. Ate a light dinner (Mom: greek salad, Judy: grilled octopus and fava bean dip appetizer along with bread and olives) at a place overlooking the sea and sunset. Great intro to Santorini!

3/17/17

Judy woke early and went out to explore a bit. Found the more fabulous hotel she originally considered booking (Villa Thieris) and made arrangements to transfer there. Came back to get Mom and the bags and then stopped for coffee and a nice breakfast at a garden cafe near the main square. After working things out with the first hotel, we made our way over the hill to the hotel perched above the sea. Our room was a cave-like structure with a shared terrace, pool, and (luke-warm) Jacuzzi, but we didn't see anyone else there so we had pretty much the whole complex to ourselves. We settled in and then arranged with Dimitri (the hotel guy) to rent a car to get around the island. We drove first to red beach to see the red rocky coastline. We then drove to Perissa to visit the “black beach” lined with black pebbles. We stopped there at a cafe for frozen lunch (ice cream) and coffee. Judy kept losing the maps, but fortunately it was easy enough to get around the island. After Perissa, we drove to Oia (pronounced, eee-a, as we were informed), another cliff-side village famous for sunsets. Got a little turned around on a dirt road, and then a very steep one, before reaching the village and seeing large groups of tourists (at least for this time of year). We took a quick walk thought the village, which to us resembled Fira but seemed a tad more “upscale”. We decided to head back to Fira to enjoy the sunset from our hotel rather than stand around with the other tourists and have to make our way back as it was getting darker. We cracked open our “welcome drink” of Prosecco and the snacks we carried with us and watched the gorgeous sunset. After that, we went to a nearby restaurant (Lithos) for a very nice meal. We shared a great dish of baked white eggplant as appetizer, Mom had a nice spaghetti and Judy had delicious grilled lamb. Then retired to our fancy round king-size bed!

3/18/17

Though feeling a bit sicker, Judy dragged herself out of bed early to take a walk to Skaros Rock and then returned to take a dip in the luke-warm jacuzzi (just to do it, of course). After a warming shower in our luxurious shower room – with the deluxe rain-shower-head, we enjoyed breakfast on the terrace and lounged around until it was time to check out at around noon. We decided to shorten the trip back to Athens by flying rather than taking the ferry (which wouldn't arrive until 11PM). Our 2:30 PM flight was short and good, and we arrived at our hotel (Hotel Adonis) in Athens before 5pm. By this time, Mom was on the mend, but Judy developed a pretty bad cold. So we set out to find some cough drops and happened upon a sign for a bar with a view. Given our penchant for “high bars” we went in/up and enjoyed cocktails (cosmo for Mom, vodka and olives for Judy) with a view of the acropolis. We then found a restaurant (Estia) near our hotel in the Plaka – due to a very persistent greeter – which turned out to be quite good. We shared a greek salad and tzatziki, Mom had a nice pork souvlaki and roasted potatoes and Judy had a wonderful lamb stew in a clay pot. We then settled into our small but comfy hotel room for a good night's sleep.

3/19/17

Judy got up early and headed for coffee in the rooftop breakfast room with a spectacular view of the Acropolis. Mom joined a bit later and we ate breakfast and then set out to explore Athens. As we left the hotel, we saw runners passing by so we looked on at what we later found out was the Athens half marathon. We then ducked into the nearby Jewish museum to learn about Jewish history and culture in Greece, including a special exhibit on a Jewish philosopher from Ioannina. After the museum, we walked to Syntagma Square to watch more runners begin the various races. We then walked up the pedestrian shopping street (Ermou) stopping at the little church in the center before veering off to the Greek Orthodox cathedral where something special seemed to be going on (or maybe it was just a Sunday service). Being a sunny Sunday, the streets were packed with people, but we found a nice spot for lunch (Kafenion) not far from the cathedral, where we enjoyed a salad (Mom) and yummy eggplant and potato salad dips. We were going to stay there and play Rummycub, but our table was in the shade and a little chilly to sit for a prolonged period. So, we wandered to - and along - the Ancient Agora and found a cafe with a sunny terrace table, where we ordered coffee, played a few rounds, and watched the crowds go by. Taking the long way back toward the hotel, we walked around the Acropolis, passing the arts and crafts for sale, the theater of Dionysis and the upscale buildings on the south side of the hill. We continued back through the Plaka to our hotel to rest a bit before heading for dinner back at Estia, where we shared a soup and had moussaka (Mom) and beef with orzo (Judy) for dinner.

3/20/17

Had another lovely breakfast at the hotel and then headed up, up, up to the Acropolis, through the pretty neighborhood on the east side of the hill. We relaxed on top for a bit and then headed down a gentler slope – back along part of the route from the previous day, but much less crowded – to eat a quick lunch (including a round of Rummycub) at a souvlaki restaurant. Judy had a pita gyro and Mom had a yummy eggplant/veg pita. Then we stopped by the nearby synagogue and holocaust memorial and headed back to the hotel. Judy went back out to buy some earrings we saw the day before (thanks, Mom!) and also found a nice place to drink coffee by the monument of Lysicrates (in the Plaka) and play. So, we went back out, got a table in the sun, ordered coffee and baklava, and played. It started to get cool as the sun went down so we moved to a table upstairs inside and continued our game over vodka with ice in martini glasses! Since we had to get up ridiculously early the next day for Mom to catch her flight (and Judy was tired of Greek food!), we grabbed a quick supper at a fast food Venezuelan/Columbian joint. Mom had beef Arepas, Judy had a ceviche-like dish, and we shared some fried yuca. It did the trick.

3/21/17

Caught the bus to the airport and said our farewells!

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