Kelly and Ben's Visit

An empty airport!

Well Kelly and Ben endured planes, ferries, trains, buses, strikes, pick pocketers, BO, ruins, sunsets, and more! What a Greek Adventure they had!First, all buses, taxis and the entire Athen's Airport was on strike the day they were to arrive (March 11). That said fortunately they got on a flight which landed at 12:30 am on Thursday night where I met them at the airport.
Friday and Saturday were packed full of tourist destinations here in Athens. They weather was chilly but sunny. We hit the Acropolis, National Archaeologist Museum, the Plaka, Kolonaki, Lykavittos Hill, Monastraki Flea Market, Panormou Laki, Ancient Agora and other places.

Then they flew to Santorini and spent 3.5 days there - beautiful sunsets, seeing the sights from their AV. Then took a ferry to Naxos and had a great time there driving around to pottery places, cheese places and eating a lot of Greek food and fresh fish! Then took the ferry back to Pireaus on Friday.

They were suppose to fly out Saturday afternoon but British Airways went on strike! So they had to leave earlier on a different airlines on Saturday morning.

It was a great visit. And of course realized after they left we only took one photo of the 3 of us. I will post that when they send it to me! Thanks for visiting Kelly and Ben!

Meat-Mud-Music and Mayhem

Well the past few days have been busy and different all in one! Saturday, my friend Christy and I went to the neighborhood where I first stayed (in the hotel when I first arrived) to check out the laki. These are street markets which sell fruits, vegetables, dried fish, nuts, and olives. Then there are stands that sell clothes, purses, knick-knacks, paper towels, TP, towels, sheets, etc. So we walked around there for a while then went downtown to Central Market. I didn't realize that this daily Central Market was ONLY fish and meats. It was kind of digusting - actually it was quite gross all the dead animals hanging, the loud chopping of meat, things that came from animals which I had never seen, men with their white butcher coats on with blood all over it - horror film more like it!!

It was beautiful weather on Saturday but that changed come Sunday. I didn't leave my apartment nor my pajamas! It was about 50 degrees, cold and rainy.

However on Monday the sky was really weird. Looked rain, felt like rain but when you looked upon your clothes and the cars, it was raining mud. Yes mud. Mud from the Sahara Desert - and the sky was yellow - should have taken a photo. It was quite freaky.

Monday night I went downtown to Mega Music Hall to see a similar medical presentation which I attended last year - this one was honoring Florence Nightingale - a hundred years past her death. Stone Ridge's parent Dr. Cynda Rushton was the keynote speaker. It was good to see her yet it was brief. there were a lot of presentations, and some musical numbers - a brass quintet and a duet of violinist and pianist.

I had heard that the Greeks may have another strike on Thursday. So I did some searching and had heard that all metro and taxis were going to strike on thursday. My sister Kelly and brother-in-law Ben are to fly into Athens this Thursday. Being proactive I am raking my brain to figure out if I need to hire a private taxi or what begging measures would I have to go to to get someone to drive me out there. So I call the airport to see if taxis would continue to go from the airport- yet before I could ask that the lady informs me that the airport (the entire airport) would be on strike for 24 hours - meaning no flights departing NOR arriving for 24 hours - midnight Wed. to midnight Thursday. This caused mayhem in my and my sister's plans.

I do have to quietly chuckle though - Welcome to Greece Kelly and Ben!!!!!