Lots of excitement! Some of it good...

Isn't it always the case... Before we left, I told my mom she shouldn't have any ER-requiring incidents. With Max's disastrous dissolving stitches, we've met our quarterly quota for medical attention. But I was wrong...

First I got a text that said,

Mom, I think I might have broken some ribs. What should I do?

While that was bad, I figured that it was something that could be managed. And I was right. A few x-rays later, and we have discovered severely bruised ribs, but nothing broken.

Late last night the newest message was,

The kids are fine. The deer is dead. And the Volvo is resting in the garage.

I'm sure glad to know that we're not the only ones having an exciting time!

On a lighter note, I hope everyone will be happy to hear that we're doing well. Greece is still fun, although we've reconsidered bestowing Best Smelling upon the whole of Greece. After a little more time seeing other parts of the country, we've decided that maybe only Athens deserves the title.

We went on a yacht to Aegina Island today. Onboard ship, we watched some Greek dancing, and then we were encouraged (forcefully) to join them. Have you ever tried dancing on a yacht? Let's just say that it wasn't only the drinking crew that was having issues! I wouldn't go so far as to say it was fun, exactly, but it did provide moments of comic relief!

We rode scooters around the island on a photo scavenger hunt. It was fun, and we got to see quite a bit of the island. We even saw some wildlife--although our friends weren't so excited that their food could very recently have been classified as wildlife! We were served fish for lunch--head (including eyeballs) still firmly attached... And the open air fish market could have been a big factor in Greece losing it's Best Smelling title. All I can say is eeew. And have you smelled octopus that is sitting out on an 80* afternoon? yikes!


We did visit the temple of Aphaia. It was in a beautiful setting, surrounded by the Aegean Sea. The blue waters and green hillsides contrasted impressively against the pale columns. These ancient buildings are truly an incredible sight.


But in case you think this is strictly an educational excursion--please be assured... We are finding a little time to relax!


And to The Boy--don't worry too much about the Volvo. We've already found your replacement... How do you feel about swapping for another European car? I found something cute and it's made by little car company called Lamborghini... What do you think of it?

Yeah. I thought you'd like it!

I'm Officially a Tourist...

Last night we attended the formal gala at a fabulously amazing restaurant--don't ask the name, I have no idea... We were greeted by Greek Goddesses who were wearing togas and carrying olive branches. The food was very good, but the really impressive feature was the Acropolis. It was lit from all sides and provided a spectacular backdrop for a memorable evening.

Unfortunately, we didn't know where we would be dining, so nobody brought their cameras. Fortunately, we also had a very nice view from the rooftop restaurant of our hotel. I shot this at about midnight from the hotel.

We took the BIG Athens tour today. We toured the Acropolis, and spent hours walking and taking photos. I have photos of things I know nothing about and with titles I will never be able to pronounce. But it was really interesting and very educational. We did see Zeus' Temple, where our friends got in trouble with security! (Only a little trouble--a misunderstanding really...) Twice. But just for the record--we did NOT tip over this broken column! It was on it's side when we got there!!!

We shopped in Plaka today. If you want to buy something, that is definitely the place. We saw a little of everything there. Lunch today was at a restaurant called Hermione, two nights ago we ate nearby at a place called Daphne's. The food is interesting, but good.

This afternoon we left Hotel Grande Bretegne and took a bus to Grand Resort Lagonissi. We are now staying in bungalows, right on the water's edge. The water of the Aegean is cool, but beautiful. Tomorrow will be another adventure!

We're in Greece!

We got to Greece after about 18 hours of travel. We were exhausted, but happy to be here. We laughed when we got on the flight from Salt Lake City to Paris--our seats were so big! I stretched my legs out as far as they would reach, and I still couldn't touch the seat in front of mine! I actually kept hoping the gentleman in front would recline his seat so I could reach my stuff that was in the seat pocket.

Greece is just like I pictured it. As we flew in, the islands were surrounded by gorgeous, blue water. The island is green and the towns and buildings looked like popcorn along the coast--so much light stucco... The streets are narrow and I am afraid we'll get lost and not make it back to the hotel--especially since we can't read any of the street signs!

We watched the changing of the guard on Constitution Square. The best part about it was the interesting, traditional garb. And I can't believe that those poor guards have to stand so still (looking straight into the setting, western sun) for an hour at a time. They didn't twitch, flinch, look around... They were completely immobile. They had sweat just pouring off their faces. Impressive, and for me, a completely undesirable job...

We're going to a formal gala tonight, I am interested to see what the food will be like--isn't it always about the food when you're on vacation? Last night we had fish and mousaka. This afternoon it was omelet and fried zucchini. My only complaint is that they have neither Diet Coke nor Diet Pepsi... I. Need. Caffeine!

We're having a great time--hope everyone is well at home!

I'm Headed to Paris!

Well, we packed and left the house. I'm not saying that we have everything, but apparently, we have everything that we're taking! We met a crazy cab driver who rushed us to the airport, just to drop us off at the wrong terminal... Despite our baggage-laden trek, we made it to the gate!

By the time this posts, we should be on our way! We should arrive in Paris tomorrow morning. I'll post updates for you after we arrive in Athens!