Nebraska Trip - June 2017
7 years ago
Monday, June 28, 2010
Michael's Blog
Here is about the Award Winning Author Christa http://oiasantorini.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/santorini-dreaming-a-dream-comes-true/
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Beaches of Milos
Rented a car the night before. Started the day with breakfast overlooking the harbor. Spent the afternoon
exploring the beaches.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Lost track of the days
I think I found a great work environment. Just waiting on the interview! 
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Morning of day10
Ready to start our day of sailing.Perfect day, slight wind, no clouds and of course sunshine. We were picked up at our hotel at 9:30 and back around 5. What an experience it was so beautiful. We were served lunch - fresh fish red snapper, sushi, grilled vegetable, zuchinni, eggplant, tomatoes and some special dish tomatoe , feta sauce over shrimp.
Great service all day long. Thanks to Christa for sharing her dream with us and treating us to this incredible experience. I will never forget this day or group of women.
Day 9
The days have been full. Started out at the beach today, then lunch at an outdoor cafe on the beach. I love this lifestyle! In the evening met Michael and Allison (the people Christa won the contest through) in the town of Oia. Sat and had drinks with them all evening. It was so interesting talking with them and hearing there stories of the town and how they ended up there. Makes you think about your lifestyle. Ended the evening on the steps of the plaza watching the locals after hours, it was a great evening.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Day 8
Slept in a bit this am, up to 3:30 last night. Met Christa and Tracy for breakfast had omlets and crepes at a little outdoor cafe. On our way for a walk out to the point. To many shops in route held us up abit. We started the walk in the heat of the day. Thank God Laura let me use her hat, great having someone watch out for me.
Shelly (friend of Laura's and Christa's) arrrived today. Had afternoon drinks on the patio.
Took a walk into town for dinner and to watch the sunset. Stopped for gyros again, since they tasted so good last night. Ended the evening with desert at another outdoor cafe.
Shelly (friend of Laura's and Christa's) arrrived today. Had afternoon drinks on the patio.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Day 7
Day 6
Ended the day in Oia to watch the sunset
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Day 4
After our breakfast on the patio again, we were off on a serious adventure. We rented a car to drive to Elafonisi, on the south west end of Crete. Our hotel is located on the north end of Crete about 90 km away.
Car was delivered during our breakfast. Stick shift...it had been only 15 years since Laura drove a stick.
Didn't seem to be a problem, on the road...missed first exit. My navigation skills need to be improved, it's so confusing in Greek! We finally arrived at the beach, breathtaking view. I have never seen such a clear beach. Rented our chairs and umbrella and sat back and relaxed. Great way to spend a 90 degree afternoon.
In the evening had dinner around 11:00. The world cup was on the TV. It's great to be dining outside all of the time.
Day 5
Got up at 5:30 am drove 2 hrs to Iraklion to catch the ferry to Santorini. We made it on time.
The ferry is a great way to travel. Lots of sunshine. 3.5 hours later arrived in Santorini. Shared a taxi with a young couple on their honeymoon.
Arrived at Hotel Galini by now it was 97 degrees. We layed down on the bed for a quick rest - woke up 3 hours later - we still didn't feel refreshed, so we slept for another hour. Nice not to have any schedule or commitments!
The ferry is a great way to travel. Lots of sunshine. 3.5 hours later arrived in Santorini. Shared a taxi with a young couple on their honeymoon.
Arrived at Hotel Galini by now it was 97 degrees. We layed down on the bed for a quick rest - woke up 3 hours later - we still didn't feel refreshed, so we slept for another hour. Nice not to have any schedule or commitments!
Day 3
After a wonderful, quiet, nights sleep we had breakfast outside on the hotel patio pier side. Coffee, tea, fresh squeezed orange juice, breads, hard boiled eggs, greek yogurt with honey, tomatoes, cheese and ham. The atomosphere was serine. Although there we six or eight other people on the patio having breafast, everyone was talking so quietly that we had to almost wisper to talk to each other. Even the motor cycles passing in front of us were quiet. The fishing boats were also docking, but barely making a sound.
Karen, the shop owner from the night before had recommend a beach for us. the night . Our first adventure was at hand - taking the city bus to the beach. "It's easy" she assured us. Off we go - "Wait, was that a shop?" - we only made it a half block when we stopped in a shop - had to get a few items for the beach - beach mats, sun hat, and beach flip flops. We asked the shop owner to confirm our directions to the beach. His directions weren't quite the same as Karen's but we follow them anyway which led us to the main market - more shops!! We took a very quick stoll through the market, trying hard not to buy and harder not to even look. At the end of the market was Town Center where we would catch the bus to the beach. Thank god Karen had written our beach name on a piece of paper for us. We would hold the paper up when ever we wanted to ask for directions, buy bus ticket, confirm with almost every passenter on the bus that we were on the right bus and lastly confirm the stop. We are certain that everyone on the bus knew where we were going (other than us that is). Keep in mind we could not pronouce the name of the beach so we would just hold our note from Karen up. It certainly brough back memories of the first bus ride to school. We were told the bus ride was only a few minutes, so after about 15 we staretd to get anxious and would ask the bus auditor at every stop if it was our stop. At least twice he told us "sit down", waving his hand at us. We decied they know where we are going and will certainly tell us when to get off, so we sat down quiety and waited. After passing several beach areas, we once again got anxious but decided to wait. On our second loop around the beach area the bus auditor seems to realize that we were still on the bus (quietly mind you). Finally, we were told we were at our stop - the same stop we had passed 15 minutes ago!
Apostoli
The beach was a small cove with calm, clear, waters. We rented a couple of lounge chairs and an umbrella. Ufda- we're exhausted! It is hard work getting to the beach. The sand was so hot it burned your feet. The beach boasted our first experince with a "squatting toliet" - no stool, just a hole in the ground and a couple of mats for feet to guide in your aim. This was a deluxe toliet though there was TP - to be placed in the can after use, not in the hole. We had a beatiful day at the beach. We lounged in the water a few times - it was very hot so we had to go in every so often to cool off. We got lunch from the beach snack hut - toasted ham and cheese and a frappe. At the end of the day we were a bit disoriented given our bus route on the way to the beach. We weren't sure where the pick up point was so we found ourselves zig zagging across the streets trying to determine the stop - remember it was close to 90 degrees. All ended well and we found ourselves at our hotel in no time feeling proud of our single accomplisment for the day - taking the bus to the beach.
On the walk back to the hotel we browsed a few shops - eyeing up suitecases which would allow us to trasnport our purchases from the day before and to continue to shop.
No new Greek words to report for the day. We tried to learn please and thank you (several times), with no luck. The map shop owner - a professor - spend about 5 minutes trying to teach us to say "please" and "thank you" in Greek. At the end of our lesson we graciously repled "Thank You" - in English. Give us a couple more days. Maybe we are trying to do too much (that is what my forture said "You can't do it all"). Let's try for "Please" first. Maybe tomorrow today has been a taxing day already.
Day 2
Arrived in Chania at 1:30 check in to Porto Veneziano in Old Town. This is great hotel in a perfect location easy access to Town Center, bus, beaches, lots of resturants. Had a oceanview with Patio. Excellent view of sunset and morning and evening fishermen. Great breakfast at the hotel each morning, served harbor side.
Took Greek Sea Cruise - one hour cruise docking from old town port. Saw first topless sunbather - riding a paddle boat. From the boat you could swin or snorekel (which we did not since we didn't have our swinsuits). We had dinner at Movaoinpi (aka Monastiri Taverna) located on the old town habor. We ate greek salads, ice cream with baked candied apple. We finsihed off our meal with the customary shot of restina (wine flavored with the resin of pine trees). Old Town offers lots of resturants and shopping. We started wondering through the shops and easily found too many items to resist - sun dresses, red coral and beaded jewlery. Many of these items were hand made in Greece.
We met a shop owner, Karen, from Buffalo NY. She moved to Chania in 80's and married a Greek man. We tried to convince her we wanted to partner with her to open a shop like hers in Maple Grove. "Yea, yea" she said. "Another vactioner with too much time on thier hands" I am sure she said under her breath! Once we got a home we immeditaly stareted to panic -where are we going to put all of these things. We were already at maximum capacity with our backpacks. Not to worry we'll worry about that later - we're already catching on to this Greek mindset. After one afternoon and evening in Chania we've managed to learn to Greek words. The proper pronunciation for Chania (hay-na) and yasu (hello).
Friday, June 11, 2010
Tomorrow we leave
Some things I learned about Greece:
1. You will typically be introduced to older people first (they are greatly respected in this culture) followed by men then women. So I guess my age will pay off here!
2. Greeks say no with any upward nod and yes by tilting the head from side to side.
3.Yes is nai
4.No is Oci - That could confuse me a little
5. Greeks are very friendly and gregarious and will talk very openly and ask all sorts of personal questions.
It is OK for you to reciprocate and ask your host similar questions.
1. You will typically be introduced to older people first (they are greatly respected in this culture) followed by men then women. So I guess my age will pay off here!
2. Greeks say no with any upward nod and yes by tilting the head from side to side.
3.Yes is nai
4.No is Oci - That could confuse me a little
5. Greeks are very friendly and gregarious and will talk very openly and ask all sorts of personal questions.
It is OK for you to reciprocate and ask your host similar questions.
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