June 30 - Morano Calabro

In keeping with my usual practice,  I was up at 5:30 today.  I decided to go up on deck to see if I could catch the sunrise.  It was a little cloudy and windy, but we'll worth the trip. It was so peaceful and beautiful watching the sun peek through the clouds. I was pretty much by myself and I enjoyed the experience for about an hour.

Our ride from the ferry took about four hours. We saw some of the most beautiful countryside. We started out with more olive trees and many staked and covered plants,  which I took to be grapes. Then,  about half-way through we had the ocean on the left and mountains on the right. I'm surprised at the number and size of cacti that I see. Many of the buildings are constructed in stone.

Then we turned into the mountains and we followed a road full of hair-pin turns as we climbed higher. The valleys were silver-green with olive trees.

We ate lunch at the place where they demonstrated how to make cheeses.  Of course lunch included cheeses made there,  including a marvelous fresh ricotta. The pasta had freshly grated cheese,  and we ate al fresco.

The delegates got to help in the making of the cheese, from stirring to removing of curd and shaping. We also learned that the by-product is used to make the ricotta.

We took a walking tour of Morano Calabro and then assisted in clearing a path of rocks on our way up to see an expansive vista of the town. I have to admit,  I took the easy way. About half way up, I was offered a ride to the top,  and I took it!

Morano Calabro is built into a steep hillside.  As we approached it from the road,  I was in awe of how high and steep it appeared. Then,  when we got to the summit,  it was hundreds of feet below us. It was an unbelievable view.

Tonight we're staying very close to the birthplace of my maternal ancestors. I can almost feel them hugging me.

June 29 - Olympia

Today we got a little reprieve on our wake-up time. We didn't have to be up at the crack of dawn. We were able to go to breakfast at 8:00 and then swim before we had to pack up and leave.

The hotel is gorgeous. The rooms are spacious and we have a balcony that overlooks the pool.

The food was varied and provided many cultural specialties. I love buffets that give us that opportunity.  And,  with our relaxed schedule today, we could sample and enjoy.

When we left,  we discovered that the hotel was right next to the ancient Olympia site. We literally drove down the hill and parked.

The site is still under excavation,  and the was some work going on today. Our guide took us to the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Hera, the walls of fame (and shame), and finally the stadium.

The stadium is a far cry from what we see for the modern Games. There are no seats,  just a field worth a marble finish line.  Our guide told us that the shot put flee the 2004 Olympics was held there - and they didn't bring in seats! 

Then it was back on the bus for the ride to the ferry. It's hard to imagine that we left a week ago today.  So much has happened and we still have so much to come!

June 25 - Herkalion

It was really slick: the way our luggage was handled on the ferry.  Before we boarded, we loaded it into a big truck, which was then driven onto the ferry.  When we arrived, everyone reclaimed their luggage to take to the bus.

Our day was spent in Herkalion, one of the larger cities in Crete. We were welcomed by an assistant mayor in the town hall. It's main meeting room is gorgeous, with three Murano glass chandeliers. Then it was on to the interactive center whIch allowed for fun while learning.

We toured the Palace of Knossos. It's known as the labyrinth,  as there was only one way in and out.  This was done to protect the king.

They had reconstructed many areas,  but also had original structures.

In keeping with the mythology theme,  we went to the cave where the Greeks believe Zeus was born.  We had a wonderful guide who shared lots of myths with the students,  then tested them later.  They represented themselves well.

We are staying at the best resort that didn't lack anything.  Many of the delegates took advantage of one of the two pools.

June 28 - Delphi

After a simple breakfast on the ferry,  we had a long bus trip to Peloponnesus.  The ride took about three hours,  but we were treated to the beautiful countryside. People on the bus use that time in a variety of ways.  Some are catching up on their sleep.  Some are listening to music or reading. Some are talking with newly-made friends.

I love looking out the window. Even when I'm blogging or saying the rosary or doing rooming lists, my eyes are on the ever-changing landscape.

Today the sky is crystal clear blue and we have moved away from the coastline. Now we're in mostly flat areas surrounded by mountains.

This is a farming area and we just passed a group of farmers working the fields by hand. I'm not seeing the olive trees that were so present the past few days.

Nestled in the mountain is the Temple of Delphi. The Oracle would sit in the basement one a week to be available for those who sought wisdom. Our guide shared the overall wisdom of Delphi and the oracles: everyone has free will and should use it to make responsible choices.

We toured the museum first and saw many of the artifacts that were found.  Then we climbed the path through the ruins. The columns of the Temple ate the most striking feature. It's hard to believe it was built 2500 years ago.

We had lunch at a darling little place in town. The food was some of the best we've had. They served a garlic cheese bread that was round and dense. I could have had just that with the tzatiziki and Greek salad. But we also had a tender and delicious pork kabob with pita bread  and those wonderful cinnamon honey doughnuts for dessert.

We found a fantastic shop for souvenirs before we got back on the bus for the four-hour trip to the hotel.

Tonight we are in Olympia. We will talk about the homestay tonight after dinner. Tomorrow, after visiting the original Olympic site, we'll head back to the ferry and leave Greece for Italy.

June 27 - Farms

We took a trip back in time today. We experienced traditional Cretan life,  both past and present.

We started off at a small farm. We were able to feed the animals and take a wagon ride through the small town.  But,  we also got to ride a donkey. I wasn't too sure about it at first,  but the owner convinced me to try.  I felt so sorry for my donkey,  Daisy. She had a load to carry!  But,  she was great,  and I had a blast!

We were treated to lunch in two homes of local families.  These wonderful ladies out-did themselves in preparing a terrific lunch worth noodles and salad and breads and fresh cinnamon-honey doughnuts for dessert.

Then we went to an old-style Cretan village where we learned about the connection of olives and bread.  We watched a video of how olive oil is made and then got to make our own bread to take with us! We even did some hand tilling and planting of seeds. We ate dinner there on a beautiful terrace that over-looked the olive trees.  It was just too cool!

Tonight we boarded the ferry again to leave Crete to return to the mainland.

Again,  I apologize for lack of pictures.  I hope to rectify that in the near future. Know that everyone is fine and having a good time!

June 26 - Archelon, Greek Dancing

We started the day with our service project. The Archelon groups work to preserve endangered turtles. After learning about the need and the process,  our group pitched in and made shields for the turtle hatchlings. They need assistance to find their way safely to the sea.

We also got to visit a marked nest on the beach. It was one that had to be relocated because  it was too close to the ocean. That is quite a tedious and exacting process because the eggs must be replaced in the same orientation,  without shaking them.

The camp where the volunteers live is very primative. They live in tents and have a rudimentary kitchen area.

Later that day they were having an important release of a turtle they had rescued.  They were planning on recording the release,  so we'll have to watch it when we get back.

Then we traveled into town to see how phyllo dough was made. This particular business is in its third generation.  It was
amazing watching him work that dough from a ball to a sheet that covered a large table.  He was so deft! And it never tore.  It was so thin you could see his hand through it.

After a bit of shopping we were off to learn some Greek dancing. We learned some basic steps to help us for later in the evening.

While one group was learning to dance,  the other was swimming in the Aegean. Words cannot describe how wonderful that was!  One is the locals showed us an area where the spring from the mountain was emptying . It had cold,  fresh water.

After dinner we went to the square to watch some traditional dance,  and then try it ourselves. The dancers were young and quite accomplished. It was fun to watch them as they encouraged our delegates to join in.  There were some people from the town who came to watch,  so it was just a nice community outing.

June 24 - Acropolis

We made up for our leisurely day today. We hit the ground running and didn't stop until we boarded the ferry this evening. My Fitbit recorded 29,560 steps! I'm sure most of that was because we didn't have a bus for most of the day. After breakfast and check out we headed down the street to pick up the tram to take us into town. We met up with our guide for the day: Nico, who was a delight.

He first took us to the park which houses the Temple of Zeus. Throughout our time with him, he was a fountain of information. He explained how the temple was built by different people, and how that influenced the structure. He also told us that it once contained many more columns, but over time many of them were pilfered by residents of the city.

We could see the Acropolis and Parthenon from the park, which was pretty exciting. It wasn't long before we were headed to the Acropolis. I can tell you, that as exciting as it is to see the Acropolis and Parthenon up close, I wasn't looking forward to the trip up.

Four years ago when I was in Greece, I thought the climb up to the top was going to do me in. It was long. It was hot. It was steep. And it took me forever to get there! But somehow, Nico avoided all that. For one thing the weather was better. It wasn't quite so hot yet, and there was a breeze. He also took us up a different way I'm sure. And as we climbed, we stopped at intervals while he explained what we were seeing all around us. Before I knew it we were top!

Just before we went into the Acropolis area, he pointed out the rock where Saint Paul had preached. That was really neat! We had time to explore a little and take some pictures before we headed to lunch.

We ate at the same little restaurant I had four years ago. It is so cute and has a great view of the city. And the people that are so friendly! We had a delicious lunch of chicken, Greek salad and orzo.  Yum!

After lunch we were treated to a special opportunity  that not even all People to People groups  get to experience. We went to the barracks of the Presidential Guard and learned about the history of their uniforms and how they are made by hand. Then we visited the areas where they make the shoes and the uniforms. So much work goes into each uniform. The shoes are made from leather and hand sewn and cobbled. The uniform weighs about 16 pounds and contains much embroidery, wool, and silk. I can't imagine how hot does uniforms are in the summer.

After our tour, we headed to the changing of the guard. All of it was very impressive.


We then had some time to spend shopping in the Plaka. There are so many diverse and interesting shops. We all scored a bargain or two there.

Dinner was not too far from the Pkaka. It consisted of pork kabobs, rice, Greek salad, and zucchini balls with dill sauce and the best french fries I've ever tasted.

All that was left was to take the bus to the ferry and board for our overnight trip to Crete. When I say ferry, don't think of a little boat like the Jet Express.  This is more like a mini-cruise ship, complete with pool and dining areas. We were all ready to hit the sack, as we have another long day tomorrow.

(Obviously, this is late.  I apologize.  I'm having difficulty with technology.  I will add pictures to this ASAP, but I want to at least get the written form out to you. I'll catch up on the other two posts on the bus tomorrow. )

June 23 - Arriving in Athens

After a long flight, we arrived in Athens. I was a little concerned, as we left Kennedy Airport an hour and a half late. But the pilot made up the time, and we arrived only 8 minutes later than scheduled.

We didn't have anything scheduled for the rest of the day, so it didn't matter what time we rolled in to town. Once we got to the hotel, we had time to clean up and change clothes, and we went on a little shopping expedition. We walked to a little shopping area not too far from the hotel. The delegates had a good time exploring and they even found a small park where they could play.

Tammy and I found a market with the most exquisiete pasteries. We tried on the was like a combination of Tiramisu, German Chocolate Cake and Cheesecake. The base was much like the frosting from the German Chocolate Cake, with maybe a hint of honey in it. Above it was a cream similar to cheesecake, but more of the consistency of Tiramisu. And then there was a light whipped topping sprinkled with cinnamon. It was divine!

Dinner was most welcome and consisted of a buffet of chicken, pork, salad, and veggies. The dessert was a caramel creme.  We were in the dining room that looked very elegant, almost like it was set up for a wedding.

This hotel has a really old-fashioned and unique elevator. It can't be any more that a 4 x 4 and it doesn't open automatically. You have to pull the door open and shut it. And, when you reach your floor,  you have to push it open again! It took a while to get used to that! And, the stairs are like the kind you would find in a lighthouse, curved and spiraling.

Room checks came early tonight, as many of us did not get a great night's sleep on the plane. We'll be up early tomorrow, with a full schedule. We're going to be on the ferry tomorrow night, so I can't make promises of whether or not there will be a blog tomorrow.

View from the airport.

Typical Greek street

Fruits at the outdoor market

Our scrumptious snack

Fine dining area

The hotel elevator

June 14 - Bon Voyage Party

Today we had our Bon Voyage Party at the New Albany Park. It was a warm day, but we had a shelter, and great food, so the heat didn't matter.

The highlight of the day was definately the suitcase relay. Some people got really creative during their turn. :)

Winner of the youngest person there.

This suitcase sure was tasty!

 

Fiona, can you see??

 

Cheering on their team.

 

Max, where are your shoes?

 

 

I probably won't post here again until we're on our way. But look for a tip or two on Facebook.