Hello all,
Most likely this is the last post for our blog. I have been excited to hear from so many of you that have followed us :)
From Olympia it took a full day to travel to Athens via bus and then ferry to Aegina Island, I think the closest island to Athens' port. Being the only people at our Olympia Hotel, one of the owners helped us out so much by calling around to many many hotels we found online listed to be on this island. We were realizing how shut down Greece was in the winter, but it didn't fully set in until after calling at least 8 hotels on the island and they were all shut down! Finally in another town (not the main port town) the hotel owner found a place open for 35 Euros a night. Maybe the fact that everything was shut down should have been a warning for us, but we really wanted to see a Greek Island. So Tuesday, after leaving Olympia at 8:30 am on the bus and taking a ferry from Piraeus Port in Athens at 4:15, we got to our island closer to 6pm. On arrival we did not know where the bus station was and were tired enough to just get a taxi to get us right to our place around the island. The island is only really like 11 km across but it took the taxi almost 30 minutes (guess the main road is closed) and we were so thankful once we actually got to our rooms and a real shower!!
We stayed for two nights, again being the only guests :) I am pretty positive we were the only tourists in town, which was one main strip of street. I can see how in the summer it is beautiful- the sun, clear blue ocean, lots of shopping and restaurants, pools and music clubs... However the only places in operation in our two days were the two mini markets, a bakery, a few "American fast food" places at night for take out (no commercialized places, but we could have gotten a sandwich or ice cream to go), a bar/ cafe, and Gilly's- a restaurant owned by a retired English couple. Tuesday we had not eaten more than snacks all day and decided to check out Gilly's. The couple were so sweet and had homemade English dishes (two or three choices, whatever she was cooking that night). We were the only people there for a little while, and then suddenly all these English speakers started pouring in. We had come on BINGO night! English residents came to hang out and play here sometimes and were all very welcoming (after the questions of "Why did you come here, NOW???")We put in our two euros for cards- different than we usually played in US- and played a few games. I even won 5 euros for a "line", or 5 numbers in a row.
Wednesday it was nice enough we lay out on the rocks some (beach pretty dirty) and soak up the sun like lizards. Back to Gilly's that night for dinner and when asking them the best way to get back to port on Thursday to go back to Athens, they offered to take us!!
Loving the people, we catch a ride Thursday just in time for our 1:00 ferry to Athens. (If you are ever in Agia Marina on Aegina Island, go to Gilly's restaurant and say hi!!) They gave us recommendations on where to stay in Athens, close to the port, and how to get to the airport Friday morning.
That afternoon we made it up to see the Acropolis- probably the most amazing was the view from the top! I think we liked Athens more than expected because we heard so many bad things about the place, it was nice cause everything was open!! Some Christmas decorations were up and people were out just hanging out. Lots of time spent just walking around, enjoying a comfortable 60 degree day... Found a restaurant for some Greek food again finally- and since it was Thanksgiving and turkey is virtually impossible to find cooked, we found one package of turkey lunch meat in a store. Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday morning, after some difficulty with the bus that never came, we took the metro to the airport. Leaving a morning in the 50's, we arrive in Frankfurt to 0 degrees C!!! We found the coolest hostel ever, check out 5 Elements Hostel in Frankfurt if you are there. Then took a train to Heidleberg, town about 1-2 (depending on the train you find...) hours south. Didn't know it before we went, but they have a renown Christmas market that was so so cute! It was the perfect last afternoon in Europe, walking around a German Christmas market on pedestrian only cobblestone streets with Christmas music, lots of really good homemade food and crafts... Even though it was still literally freezing, we saw the castle there, tried warm spiced wine, looked in all the Christmas stores and decorations and just enjoyed really like 5 hours there!
Back to Frankfurt to wake up at 3:30 am, flew to Amsterdam, went through lots of security checks, and flew for ten hours to Portland! We arrived about noon on Saturday, in time to get back to Forest Grove before the Civil War kick off. Josh made it to Corvallis by the second quarter I think, and I stuck to the couch with my parents. Sadly it was a pretty bad game, but we are glad we are home safely after an amazing amazing trip!
