Greece

So I have decided to finally get around to writing about our trip to Greece this summer. This has been broken up into 5 different posts, so scroll all the way through the vacation to get to the end.
We started by dropping the kids of at Jenny's parents for the week and then spent the night at Wes and Donna's who were coming with us. Yeay! Our flight left Portland at 1:40 p.m. so we didn't have to get up in the middle of the night. We had a direct from Portland to Frankfurt, Germany, and then another short flight to Venice, Italy where the cruise was leaving from. This is us at the airport in Frankfurt. Our gate was listed wrong on the ticket. So we kept checking to see where we needed to go. Fortunately we had a couple of hours in between flights so we weren't worried about missing it. Although Jenny almost wasn't allowed into the country. We had to pass security and John went first, no problem. Then I handed the security guard my passport. He looked at the picture, then he looked at me, then he looked at the picture again, and then he looked at me again, and then back at the picture for a long time (or at least it felt like it!) And I suddenly realized that I don't look like my picture anymore. It was taken last year and since then I had my hair cut and colored and he wasn't sure if it was actually me! So I offered to show him my drivers license which I happened to have in my carry-on and he let me through. Then we had to go throught the baggage check and I set off the security alarm and had to get patted down by a guard. Taken all together, I don't think I like Frankfurt very much!

So we finally made it to Venice, but Jenny's luggage did not. It was put on the next flight from Frankfurt, but did not arrive in time to make the ship. So Jenny had to wait until Athens, two days later to get her clothes. Luckily Donna had some woolite in hers so Jenny could wash out her clothes every night. However, it was a little annoying to say the least and I had brought lots of cute skirts to wear in Europe, and my formal one I didn't even get to wear!












Notice how I am the only one wearing the same thing? John is just lucky that my clothes made it when they did or I was going shopping in Athens!



The Grand Canal in Venice





View of St. Marks Basilica from the ship.




Sunday was our day at sea, and we spent it lying by the pool, reading, eating, watching the waves and just generally relaxing. Dinner that night was our formal night and I had to borrow a dress, but that turned out O.K. We ended up sharing our table that night with an L.D.S family from Florida. What are the odds? Our dinner slot was the second seating which starts at 9 p.m so we were never done before 10:30. Usually we would eat and then go straight to bed. The food on board was incredible! I had a melon prosciutto that was delicious and I loved trying all the different fruit soups, pear, strawberry, etc. Basically, anytime you want anything they are serving it somewhere on board.


Monday we arrived at Athens. Having never been to Greece before and more importantly, none of us speaking Greek, we opted to stick with the provided tours. Didn't want to risk getting lost and not making it back to the ship in time! Or getting mugged and having no money for a taxi back! However, all of us found the tours to be fascinating and learned lots of things we wouldn't have otherwise. So we took a trip to the Parthenon, where we got to wander around by ourselves for a couple of hours and then shopping in the Paleokastritsa, or old town. Jenny really wanted to buy some Greek pottery (Grecian Urn anyone?) and was constantly on the lookout for just the right one.










The pictures are of the Marathon Gate, Us at the Olympic stadium of 1896, which by the way is made completely from marble, and the Parthenon. The Parthenon is being repaired slowly, they are adding the marble back in where it is missing just like a jigsaw puzzle. Also on the hill, the Temple of Nike (Athena) and the ancient theaters.