I'm thankful for...MICKEY!!! My Thanksgiving '08 TR!: TR Update, Last Day!

[Native NYer]

If my DH ever wrote a ptr, I would probably die of shock. And then I wouldn't be able to go on my Disney trip. So I hope he doesn't write a ptr!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Beautiful pics! My favorite was the night view!!! Such a great view!!!

Too funny about your TGM comment!!! I am so glad that your DH is getting excited about some of the rides! Slowly, but surely...

 

[jordanyosh]

Greece Day 4

We woke up at 4:45 this morning in order to be at a bus stop at 5:30. DH and I got dressed, ate the breakfast that had been delivered to our room the previous night, and headed out to get the rest of the group. Upon arrival at their hotel doorstep, we were greeted by my mother in law. She informed us that my SIL was sick (probably from her pizza the night before. Poor girl.) And my BIL was going to stay home with his sister (at my MIL's request.) So the three of us walked over to the bus stop in the dark.

Greek nightlife doesn't really get going until midnight, so we saw MANY people who were apparently on their way home from the clubs at this hour!

Our bus arrived promptly at 5:30, and we climbed up to the top floor and took a seat. I fell asleep pretty quickly on the bus, but not before I snapped this photo.

It was so pretty!

After 1.5 or 2 hours, we finally arrived at the top of the Samaria Gorge, the longest gorge in all of Europe. And let me tell you, it felt like the longest gorge in the universe! DH and I are pretty avid hikers (how can we not be in this gorgeous valley we live in?). However, my MIL is not such an avid hiker. She goes to the gym daily and walks her pooch at least a mile a day, but hiking is a whole different story. Especially this hike. It was SO rocky! And steep! We were dropped off at the top and hiked 17 kilometers (more than 10 miles) down to the bottom, where we rode a ferry to where the bus would meet us. DH basically acted as a crutch for his mom on the last half of the hike! Her feet were KILLING her. And despite our constant pestering, she did not drink enough water, which was a big problem because it was at least 90 degrees outside. And this hike took about 8 hours. So by the end of the gorge, my MIL was not doing so well. The hiking guide called a car to come pick up my MIL at the gorge exit. That car took us the last mile or so to a beach on the Libyan Sea. There were restaurants there, so my MIL camped out on the patio of one of the restaurants (after we bought her water and gatorade and flip flops). And DH and I jumped into the water! The Libyan Sea was CRYSTAL CLEAR!! It was crazy. Someone told us that on a clear day, you could see Africa, but we didn't see it! The water was cold, so we didn't stay in very long. And besides, we had a dehydrated mom to take care of!

DH and I pretty much forced her to drink some water and gatorade. Then it was time to get on the ferry boat. We found a table with 2 seats on one side and 2 on the other. DH and I sat on one side and my MIL lay down on the other side. She fell asleep immediately. The scariest part of all this (aside from wondering if she would make it out of the gorge alive) was that she was saying some things that made absolutely no sense. She kept saying she was just really, really tired. But I am positive it was dehydration. After the boat, we found the bus and got in! We all slept on the bus a little bit on the way back to the hotel.

Some pics:

MIL and me at the beginning

The "steps" we had to walk down for 4 kilometers at the beginning

Some ruins we saw along the way.

The wall of the gorge

The creek/river that flowed through. It was so tempting to cool of in the water, but the hiking guide said it's not allowed. This is the water supply for the people that live in the village at the bottom of the gorge, so we weren't allowed to taint it with our sunscreen and sweat!

The beach at the bottom

My sleepy MIL on the boat:

My sleepy DH on the boat:

The bus dropped us off and we walked back to the hotel. I saw this dog on the way and I wanted to take him home with me!

We returned to our respective hotels and showered and got ready for dinner. My MIL was back to normal by the time we got off the bus, thank God! And she was hungry and ready for dinner like the rest of us. My SIL was feeling better at this point and my BIL was ready to go out! We dined at a wonderful restaurant right on the water.

DH and I at dinner

The view from our table

After dinner, we strolled around the town for a bit. Then we stopped in an arcade/bar kind of place and played table tennis for a while. My BIL kicked everyone's butts. He's been living and teaching in South Korea for the past 2 years and he has apparently brushed up on his table tennis skills.

After the grueling ping pong games, it was time for bed! We slept HARD this night after our long day of hiking.

I think I made the gorge hike sound like torture, but it was actually very beautiful. DH and I would have enjoyed it immensely if we had not been worried about his mom throughout. But in the end, everyone was okay, and that's what matters!

Great sleeping pictures!!!!!

That crystal water......heaven I bet.

 

[jordanyosh]

After a 25 minute phone call with a very nice young man, I requested the section of Pop that we want to stay in, I made an ADR for Boma for dinner, and I gave him our flight numbers for Magical Express.

And DH actually sounds excited about Boma!

I asked DH yesterday "On a scale of 1 to 100, how excited are you about our trip to Disney World." His answer? "20."

After some more questioning, DH said he'll become much more excited about the trip as it approaches. And he admitted that he does actually enjoy himself at Disney World. He just wishes it didn't cost so much money. You know what I said to that? "Too bad!"

After seeing those pictures of Greece, I can see how the DH may put WDW at the lower end of the register. THAT SAID, being at WDW requires a unique frame of mind. It's hard to get people to that point and really what gets people in that frame of mind is so different for each individual.

I really found myself watching Erin and Dylan interacting with the characters this past trip and that made the trip for me. I found myself misting up a number of times.

Hopefully, there will be some moments for your husband that will help him see the MAGIC of Disney that transcends Mickey Mouse and the rides....I wish you all the best....

 

[jordanyosh]

Greece Day 5

We woke up this morning and packed up all our stuff. This was the day we would go to Santorini (a.k.a. heaven on earth!)

A couple of taxis took us to the ferry dock on Crete. We boarded the ferry and found our seats, which was 2 seats facing 2 other seats across a table. It was so nice to have that table there!

I loved traveling by ferry! It was so cool to see the coasts of the islands and it was so roomy!

Here's a pic from the ferry window:

Here's DH and MIL sitting on the boat

We made friends with an elderly Greek couple who were just the most adorable people! They were so sweet. They didn't speak much English, but we didn't let that stop us from talking with them. The man told me that they were going to his nephew's wedding and they were going to dance the night away. Even with a metal knee. I think he wanted to show me his scar on his knee, but we arrived at port and ran out of time!

After arriving at the port in Santorini, we found our driver and started driving to our hotel. I think it was the combination of the breathtakingly gorgeous sight of Santorini and the atmosphere on the island that suddenly made us all positively giddy!

All five of us were giggling, talking, singing, etc!

We arrived at our INCREDIBLE hotel and checked in. While checking in, we saw brochures for private boat tours and we asked the concierge about it. They were VERY expensive, but the feeling of giddiness influenced us to just book it! So we were checked in and booked for a boat tour the next day.

Then it was time to check out our rooms! Again, DH and I had our own room and MIL, SIL, and BIL shared a room.

Here's our room (after our stuff was strewn about):

The bed was upstairs in the loft

After dumping our stuff in our rooms, we all quick-changed into our swimsuits and began the hike down to the water. Our hotel was perched pretty high up on a cliff, so the hike down was a little rough, especially after hiking the gorge the previous day. But it was oh-so-worth-it!

Our hotel is right under that windmill at the top left-ish

At the bottom of our cliff

Our swimming spot

We found a good, flat spot on some rocks, ditched our stuff and jumped in!

Soon, the diving and jumping from high places ensued!
BIL jumping/diving

Me entering the water after a big jump (my BIL took this pic and snapped it too late. The jump was much more impressive than this picture makes it seem. Oh, and I can't believe I'm posting a swimsuit shot)

DH cliff diving

After a couple heavenly hours in the Aegean sea, we began the hike up to the hotel.

At the top, it was time to shower by the pool and then jump in! Here's DH in the pool

After some real showers, it was time to watch the gorgeous sunset

Then it was time for dinner. Dinner was pasta tonight and was DELICIOUS!

Back to the hotel for some poolside drinks

Then, we went to our rooms and slept hard again!

It was a truly AMAZING day in Greece and tomorrow would be a fun day of boating on the Aegean Sea!

Does it get any better than this?

WDW is looking like a 20 for me after these pictures!!!!! Just kidding....I think.

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

Ohhhh like a one month anniversary? That would be fun. Oh or did you mean wait an entire year?!?

Just an option. The exbf has been talking about getting married a lot lately. Not sure if I should keep calling him the ex

Maybe you could just stay in Europe UNTIL your one month anniversary!

How exciting! I love wedding talk! You better spill it on your ptr!

I cant get over the beauty of Greece!! Since I live in a tropical area, I love vacations that take place where there are no palm trees!! One day I will get over there...my friend went on a 2-3 week Mediterranean cruise! now THERES my future honeymoon!

A Mediterranean cruise does sound awesome.

There were some palm trees in Crete, which was weird to us.

Also, they had Oleander and Bougainvillea everywhere, which is exactly what we have in AZ. I guess it's cuz the climates are similar.

Beautiful pics! My favorite was the night view!!! Such a great view!!!

Too funny about your TGM comment!!! I am so glad that your DH is getting excited about some of the rides! Slowly, but surely...

Yep, slow and steady wins the race (to Disney)!

Great sleeping pictures!!!!!

That crystal water......heaven I bet.

I knew you'd love those sleeping pics.

That water was heaven. Indescribable.

After seeing those pictures of Greece, I can see how the DH may put WDW at the lower end of the register. THAT SAID, being at WDW requires a unique frame of mind. It's hard to get people to that point and really what gets people in that frame of mind is so different for each individual.

I really found myself watching Erin and Dylan interacting with the characters this past trip and that made the trip for me. I found myself misting up a number of times.

Hopefully, there will be some moments for your husband that will help him see the MAGIC of Disney that transcends Mickey Mouse and the rides....I wish you all the best....

I'm hoping that when we have kids, the magic will become much clearer to my DH. Until then, the brainwashing attempts will continue.

WDW is looking like a 20 for me after these pictures!!!!! Just kidding....I think.

I know...Greece was pretty amazing. But I love Disney just as much!

 

[jordanyosh]

I am NOT a world traveler like you and DH, but I have been a few places and WDW always wins hands down. WDW and Castaway Cay on the Disney Cruise......

 

[Native NYer]

I'll need to update on that situation soon

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

I am NOT a world traveler like you and DH, but I have been a few places and WDW always wins hands down. WDW and Castaway Cay on the Disney Cruise......

I'm going to have to go on a Disney cruise one of these years. I went on a Disney cruise with my family when i was 12 year old and I was sea sick a lot of the time. So all I could do was lie in bed and then run onto land as soon as possible!

But I would like to give it another go because they sound like so much fun!

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

I'll need to update on that situation soon

You certainly will!

 

[jordanyosh]

I'm going to have to go on a Disney cruise one of these years. I went on a Disney cruise with my family when i was 12 year old and I was sea sick a lot of the time. So all I could do was lie in bed and then run onto land as soon as possible!

But I would like to give it another go because they sound like so much fun!

It's definitely different than WDW, but soooooo nice. It CAN be much more relaxing depending on how many things you sign up for.

For me, it's laying by the pool or hanging on a beach or getting a massage......oh and lots of eating.....

 

[Native NYer]

You certainly will!

 

[k_reile]

I'm hoping that when we have kids, the magic will become much clearer to my DH. Until then, the brainwashing attempts will continue.





ME TOO!! DH said last night that he is not going back...he went once...wasn't that enough? Umm...NO!! I told him he will want to go when the baby is older and most likely it will not be until we have another baby anyways....and I want to go at least every 3 years which I think is managable. He does want to camp at Fort Wilderness though...I think he just likes to put on a show infront of other people. He just does not want to admit to other people that he likes it at WDW.

 

[Michelle_and_Aaron]

The boat tour looked amazing. Now I am really rethinking our original plan of Greece over my beloved Holland Tulip Festival. I just don't know maybe I will go plan another Disney trip to get my mind off of Greece. Haha!

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

It's definitely different than WDW, but soooooo nice. It CAN be much more relaxing depending on how many things you sign up for.

For me, it's laying by the pool or hanging on a beach or getting a massage......oh and lots of eating.....

Sounds sooo nice...maybe someday!

ME TOO!! DH said last night that he is not going back...he went once...wasn't that enough? Umm...NO!! I told him he will want to go when the baby is older and most likely it will not be until we have another baby anyways....and I want to go at least every 3 years which I think is managable. He does want to camp at Fort Wilderness though...I think he just likes to put on a show infront of other people. He just does not want to admit to other people that he likes it at WDW.

Are we married to the same person?

The boat tour looked amazing. Now I am really rethinking our original plan of Greece over my beloved Holland Tulip Festival. I just don't know maybe I will go plan another Disney trip to get my mind off of Greece. Haha!

Have you been to the Tulip Festival already? If so, I say go to Greece this time!

And you should definitely plan another Disney trip to take your mind off of other travels!

 

[TarzansKat]

I am in awe of your trip to Greece. Everything looks so beautiful, the food so yummy. It totally reminds me of when I went to Italy. Ahhh...

 

[luvfigment]

You day on the boat and dinner look amazing!!! Your report is making Greece my #1 to do in Europe now.

Your comment about your TGM was hilarious!!! My DH mentioned to me today that he may want to go in Oct when he is home for a visit and before I move over there! Now that is from a man who wasn't that interested in Disney only 2 trips ago and doesn't want me to go 2 months in a row! I will just have to make sure we can get reservations at Boma since that is one of his favorite places to eat. I will keep you updated!

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

I am in awe of your trip to Greece. Everything looks so beautiful, the food so yummy. It totally reminds me of when I went to Italy. Ahhh...

Everything about Greece was wonderful...I miss it!

Where did you go in Italy?

You day on the boat and dinner look amazing!!! Your report is making Greece my #1 to do in Europe now.

Your comment about your TGM was hilarious!!! My DH mentioned to me today that he may want to go in Oct when he is home for a visit and before I move over there! Now that is from a man who wasn't that interested in Disney only 2 trips ago and doesn't want me to go 2 months in a row! I will just have to make sure we can get reservations at Boma since that is one of his favorite places to eat. I will keep you updated!

You must go to Greece! It was the best!

Hopefully, my DH will have a change of heart like yours has!

It's so exciting that your DH wants to go there before you move...please do keep me updated on that!

Will you go to MNSSHP if you go in Oct?

 

[TarzansKat]

Everything about Greece was wonderful...I miss it!

Where did you go in Italy?

Oh, gosh. Um, predominately Assisi (I actually cried when we left there I loved it so much), Sorrento, Naples...I'm totally going out of order here...Rome, the Amalfi Coast...

Ugh, I'm drawing a blank. I need to go look at my scrapbook! It was right after college, I remember exactly what I did, but not so much where!

 

[k_reile]

Are we married to the same person?





I hope not because your DH and I would have some explaning to do.