The ABCs of Greece & Italy! X, Y, and Z, and that Friends is THE END!!! :) See you in Asia and Australia, Join Me THERE!!

[pkondz]

Nicely done.

Glad someone caught that. Was pretty proud of it.

 

[Steppesister]

Glad someone caught that. Was pretty proud of it.

Wish I want a clueless dolt here…

 

[irene_dsc]

Ooh - I didn't get to Olympia! Looks like a good stop (taking mental notes in case dh and I manage to do a similar trip someday - one of the many areas on our travel bucket list).

Oh, and misplacing your passport (and then finding it) isn't nearly as bad as getting to the airport and realizing that your passport expired! That didn't happen to me - but I know of 2 different families who had that happen to them. One instance was for a tournament in Canada (travelling from the US), and they just ended up cancelling the trip. The other was for a longer trip combining travel from the US to Scotland and England, and a tournament, and they ended up missing the touristy part but got emergency new passports by flying around the country to find appointments and then finally getting to London.

And of course, your photos are lovely as usual. Splitting up is definitely the plan when you've got different touring paces. So lovely to have adult children to make that an option.

 

[KathyM2]

I can neither confirm nor deny having…skimmed.

Hey I can confirm that sometimes I....skim....parts of TR's...not because they aren't stimulating and I know how much work people put into these TR's and I love it all....but....since I don't get on here often enough it can be hard to catch up sometimes without a little skimming...but I am loving the pics and your trip looks like it was amazing...Greece is somewhere I really want to visit - especially after seeing some ruins in Rome, and getting a taste.

 

[Steppesister]

F is for: Feasting with New Friends!
​

I’m currently up here near Ft. Meade visiting my son and his family. Busy busy busy! But, I’m not a slacker; I brought all of my study stuff and have been deep into Antianginals, Anticholesterols, and Treatment of Heart Failure- all things Cardiac Pharmacology. It’s…. a lot. I’m trying to make time for hugging my sweet grandbabies in between chapters. And now, having put in a full day, and while they’re off to the newly re-opened Air and Space Museum, I’m finding a little time to tell you all about the fantastic, really very wonderful meal we had in the town of Olympia.

ETA: I'm home now, 2 days later, and finally posting this. I realized I was missing a couple of photos I wanted for this chapter, so stalled. But it was a lovely trip north, and not only did I get to be there for my oldest grand"baby's" 5th birthday, but got to be there to celebrate my oldest "child" turning in his final assignment for his Bachelors degree. It took him 10 years, a marriage, 3 kids, (3) 3-year Army contracts with moves to Guam and Ft. Meade, and a lot of hoping and praying, but he got 'er done! I'm so proud! I also squeezed in lunch and a visit to Anapolis with Mary Ellen (MEK) and her husband Denny. Some of you probably know of her from the DIS many years ago. We've become close friends and she's been an enormous help with my NP journey.

To review, and in case you missed the chapter before this all about our touring of the Ancient Ruins of Olympia, Greece, we had just spent several hours wandering around the grounds and archeological site of Ancient Olympia and the museums that housed so many amazing ancient Greek treasures. But now, we were all pretty hungry. As I’m prone to do, I had spent many hours researching the various options there were to have lunch before we needed to catch the 3:00 train back to the port area at Katakolon and board our ship.

I settled on a very picturesque, off-the-beaten-path little Taverna called “The Symposio Taverna”.

https://symposiotaverna.gr/en/taverna-estiatorio-arxaia-olimpia-

The menu was full enough that it could accommodate all of our tastes and we could have the opportunity to have a nice variety of tastings of Greek food. The best part of it all was that the price was right. Here is what I could find online for the current menu: (which isn't really a menu, but a photo gallery of things they might have the day you go)

https://symposiotaverna.gr/en/taverna-estiatorio-arxaia-olimpia-TO-MENOY-MAS

After a bit of trying to figure out where my folks were by way of very, very expensive texts (we’d fix this issue after we got off the cruise), we met up and made our way to this charming little eatery. Which reminds me, I need to go back and give my Google review! I fell in love with The Symposio at first sight! The vines growing up the entrance area, the checked tablecloths, and antiques-turned-conversation pieces made for a simply charming setting for lunch.

​

Being the only party around (it was late in the season now, and all of these restaurants would be closing for the remainder of the season in just a couple of weeks) we were told we could choose any table. We made ourselves comfy and were given menus and left to make our choices. It was helpful that they were in English as well as Greek.

​

In the end, we placed our order with the proprietor and ended up with a veritable smorgasbord of goodies including some lamb gyros, chicken gyros, hummus with garlic bread, a HUGE Greek salad with homemade feta cheese, and a pile of fries which was all far more than we could possibly eat.

​

Over the course of our exercise in futility to finish what we’d ordered, the owner’s son, began to take over serving us. At first he would shyly come over and re-fill our drinks, then a little more boldly came to ask if we would like anything more, each time he added a few more words, sometimes used accurately, sometimes a bit off. But every time as endearing as it could possibly be. We asked him about school, his restaurant, what his favorite subject was (PE, of course!), and his family farm. He smiled as he brought me a shot of Ouzo. (I mean I HAD to try some no?!) Imagine that; booze served by 13-year-old!! When you travel, you learn things.

He began to clear the dishes of unfinished food from the table and asked with an incredulous tone, “You didn’t like our food?!”

“No, no, it was all so wonderful, but it was just too much!”

“Okay, because we need to know if our food is bad, or you don’t like it.”

His face lit up with pride as he brought our last course. We didn't order this, but I guess that's how things work in rural Greece.

“This is Greek yogurt with honey! My grandmother makes the yogurt every day and this honey is from our family farm!”

(This photo doesn't show how massive this dish of yogurt was! HUGE! and so creamy and delicious!)
​

And it was amazing! Seriously, although everything was absolutely delicious, it was the highlight of the meal… aside from this charming 13-year-old desperate to please and impress with his English skills. Before we left, I asked him if we could take a photo together. And this is what I got. It might be a favorite from the day.

​

Elias, your family restaurant is truly a treasure in Olympia! It set a high bar that would be very difficult to reach for the remainder of the trip. Will we come close? Stay tuned for more Greek adventures, Friends!

Αντίο!

 

[rdkeim]

Congratulations to your son! That's perseverance. What a wonderful day in Olympia! When traveling as a group sometimes it is best to split up so everyone can do their thing. Beautiful, authentic Greek lunch. I love to do that when traveling to a different country. Sometimes it's a crap shoot but you picked a winner!

 

[pkondz]

I’m currently up here near Ft. Meade visiting my son and his family. Busy busy busy!

Nice.
Tis the season.

But, I’m not a slacker; I brought all of my study stuff and have been deep into Antianginals, Anticholesterols, and Treatment of Heart Failure- all things Cardiac Pharmacology.

while they’re off to the newly re-opened Air and Space Museum,

Wait... and you didn't go?????

But it was a lovely trip north, and not only did I get to be there for my oldest grand"baby's" 5th birthday, but got to be there to celebrate my oldest "child" turning in his final assignment for his Bachelors degree. It took him 10 years, a marriage, 3 kids, (3) 3-year Army contracts with moves to Guam and Ft. Meade, and a lot of hoping and praying, but he got 'er done! I'm so proud! I also squeezed in lunch and a visit to Anapolis with Mary Ellen (MEK) and her husband Denny. Some of you probably know of her from the DIS many years ago. We've become close friends and she's been an enormous help with my NP journey.

Quite a bit of celebrations and reunions going on.
Congrats to your son on his accomplishment.

I settled on a very picturesque, off-the-beaten-path little Taverna called “The Symposio Taverna”.

Looks nice. I like.

After a bit of trying to figure out where my folks were by way of very, very expensive texts

Just out of curiousity... what are we talking here? $1/text? More?

I fell in love with The Symposio at first sight! The vines growing up the entrance area, the checked tablecloths, and antiques-turned-conversation pieces made for a simply charming setting for lunch.

Sounds great! I wondered if it would look like it's website photo... and it does!

It was helpful that they were in English as well as Greek.

I thought it might be similar to their online menu. Just point at what looks good.

we placed our order with the proprietor and ended up with a veritable smorgasbord of goodies including some lamb gyros, chicken gyros, hummus with garlic bread, a HUGE Greek salad with homemade feta cheese, and a pile of fries

Holy smokes! That sounds amazing! Do they deliver?

Over the course of our exercise in futility to finish what we’d ordered, the owner’s son, began to take over serving us. At first he would shyly come over and re-fill our drinks, then a little more boldly came to ask if we would like anything more, each time he added a few more words, sometimes used accurately, sometimes a bit off. But every time as endearing as it could possibly be.

Aww...
I bet the entire restaurant is family run and may have been for generations. Who knows!

He smiled as he brought me a shot of Ouzo. (I mean I HAD to try some no?!)

Nope. I've never been a big fan of licorice, so I'll pass on drinking it.

Imagine that; booze served by 13-year-old!! When you travel, you learn things.

Different culture, different rules.

He began to clear the dishes of unfinished food from the table and asked with an incredulous tone, “You didn’t like our food?!”

You've insulted the poor kid! Next time, shovel the leftovers into your purse.

“This is Greek yogurt with honey! My grandmother makes the yogurt every day and this honey is from our family farm!”

Whoa!
I'm gonna ask again... DO THEY DELIVER?????

Ever see the MASH episode, Adam's Ribs??

 

[rdkeim]

Congratulations to your son! That's perseverance. What a lovely day in Olympia. When traveling in a group, sometimes it's a good idea to split up so everyone can do their thing. What a perfect, authentic Greek lunch! Picking a place can be a crap shoot but you made a great choice! That yogurt looks really good!

 

[Steppesister]

Hey I can confirm that sometimes I....skim....parts of TR's...not because they aren't stimulating and I know how much work people put into these TR's and I love it all....but....since I don't get on here often enough it can be hard to catch up sometimes without a little skimming...but I am loving the pics and your trip looks like it was amazing...Greece is somewhere I really want to visit - especially after seeing some ruins in Rome, and getting a taste.

Hi Kathy!

Sometimes, as much as it kills me to, I just can't read every word right now. Classes are so time-consuming with more material than I can handle. Adding time on the DIS would put me really behind. My goal is to pass this class by mid-March, so I can have a couple of weeks off between terms. What I am putting into this TR is about all I can handle, which makes me suck at reading anyone else's. UGH, hate it.

Greece was so very different from Italy. In so many ways! I should do a little recap at the end to reflect what I perceived as how they are different.

 

[Steppesister]

Maybe this will help:

How do you remember stuff like that?!

 

[Steppesister]

Really!
I'm surprised by your answer. Really.

The stakes are just too high on these exams.

Pray you never do!

Me too! Maybe as a nurse. I hear they pay pretty well in those places.

Oh, no. Sorry to hear that.

Ah well.

Funny. I have that same feeling every time I go down into the US.

OH dear!!!

 

[Steppesister]

That seems...bad.

EEK, yeah.

Wow. Usually it's the women-folk in my family who come down with the hangries. The teen boys are just always hungry.

He's just always hungry and when we make him wait too long, it morphs.

I'm showing my cultural bias, but that just feels ridiculous to me.

I'm the same way with parking. I'm incensed every single time I have to pay.

This is called burglary.

Yes, and if I'd had more time and inclination I'd have sought out the police. I was so pissed.

Ever see Planes, Trains & Automobiles?

I have!

I had no idea my body type was "art".

Can you picture yourself on the front of a calendar?

This is more about squeezing every nickel of value out of the cost of the cruise.

Absolutely!!

I'm almost offended. How do you screw up donuts?

I guess you make them a week ahead of time. That's what they tasted like anyway.

This sounds less than free.

It was really a bummer. They literally blocked YouTube and every other really useful app, and basically either forced your to go "dry" or pony up about $30/day for it. A ridiculous joke.

Oh, that's cute.

I'm sure it worked more than it should have. People are so gullible.

Actually, I appreciate both the honesty and the permission to do the same.

Of course. We all know how busy things get now and then, and sometimes the writing is actually quality. But more often than not....

So this was the precursor to modern-day rope drops heading for Hagrid's motorbikes.

Nailed it!

So you'd have seven different opinions and all of them would be correct over poor Philip's. I guess it would all go to arbitration. The honey-do list would never end, and all of the furniture and decorations in the house would be moved daily. The one nice thing is, all 7 of them would go to the restroom at the same time, so that saves time on road trips.

Ok, I'll see myself and my sexist jokes out.

Looks like you've been around the block a time or two.

 

[Steppesister]

Ooh - I didn't get to Olympia! Looks like a good stop (taking mental notes in case dh and I manage to do a similar trip someday - one of the many areas on our travel bucket list).

Greece was so diverse in landscape and "flavor". This was one of the 2 "Green Islands" we visited. The rest were very brown and dry. Loved the variety!

Oh, and misplacing your passport (and then finding it) isn't nearly as bad as getting to the airport and realizing that your passport expired!

That would be the worst! I'm so hyper vigilant over mine these days and 100% don't want it to expire! <goes to check it again>

but I know of 2 different families who had that happen to them.

Now you know 3.

One time we were traveling from Kaz to Thailand with 4 of our kiddos. We were kindly met at the gate in Bangkok by a team of officials who informed us that 2 of our kids' passports had less than 6 months on them. Yes, duh, we know that; we're HERE so we an go to the Embassy to renew them. It took a LOOOOONG night of explaining and pleading to let us in so we could do that the very next day. The alternative that they legit could have enforced was putting us back on the plane to sit there for 3 days so Air Astana could fly us back to Kaz. It was stressful to the MAX!!!

they ended up missing the touristy part but got emergency new passports by flying around the country to find appointments and then finally getting to London.

OH man does that ever sound horrible! Yikes!

Splitting up is definitely the plan when you've got different touring paces. So lovely to have adult children to make that an option.

I have REALLY loved traveling with my adult kids. Although I don't get to very often. They are busy with their own lives to find fun stuff to do.

 

[Steppesister]

Hey I can confirm that sometimes I....skim....parts of TR's...not because they aren't stimulating and I know how much work people put into these TR's and I love it all....but....since I don't get on here often enough it can be hard to catch up sometimes without a little skimming...but I am loving the pics and your trip looks like it was amazing...Greece is somewhere I really want to visit - especially after seeing some ruins in Rome, and getting a taste.

Feel free to read as much as you have time for.

 

[Steppesister]

Congratulations to your son! That's perseverance. What a wonderful day in Olympia! When traveling as a group sometimes it is best to split up so everyone can do their thing. Beautiful, authentic Greek lunch. I love to do that when traveling to a different country. Sometimes it's a crap shoot but you picked a winner!

He's such a good dad and I'm so proud of him for sticking with it when most would say forget it.

We did that quite a bit on this trip so everyone felt like they could do what they wanted.

Definitely had some hits, and others that were horrible "misses", but this was sure a winner winner, tasty Greek dinner!

 

[Steppesister]

Nice.
Tis the season.

Have a few guests joining us for Christmas week dinners too here. Nice to have a little break from the drudgery of studies.

Wait... and you didn't go?????

No, unfortunately, being in this program is going to necessitate a ton of sacrifices in a lot of things. I just don't have the time or $$ to spare right now. I'm choosing not to work so I can really focus so have to be careful with how I spend so I can maybe have a little cushion for a few fun things before I get a part time job locally in May.

Quite a bit of celebrations and reunions going on.
Congrats to your son on his accomplishment.

Thanks!! Pretty proud of him!

Just out of curiousity... what are we talking here? $1/text? More?

I didn't look at the phone bill when I got back. I should ask. I do know that I kept my own roaming off and tried to find free WiFi wherever I could!

Sounds great! I wondered if it would look like it's website photo... and it does!

It does!!

I thought it might be similar to their online menu. Just point at what looks good.

Holy smokes! That sounds amazing! Do they deliver?

know what? I bet they do. Europeans perfected the art of delivery with Covid lockdowns there. I doubt it'll go away anytime soon. But going TO the restaurant to relish the ambiance sure doesn't compare with eating on your couch.

Aww...
I bet the entire restaurant is family run and may have been for generations. Who knows!

I'm certain you are right. It looked that way anyway. Such a charming place.

You've insulted the poor kid! Next time, shovel the leftovers into your purse.

We def could have asked for a doggy bag, but with unlimited food on the ship... why?!

Ever see the MASH episode, Adam's Ribs??

I probably have but not since high school. And that, my friend, was a very, very long time ago.

 

[pkondz]

How do you remember stuff like that?!

By forgetting important stuff. Only so much room in the ol’ noggin’.

The stakes are just too high on these exams.

Yeah… I can see that.

Me too! Maybe as a nurse. I hear they pay pretty well in those places.

They better!
I think pay should increase exponentially with your likelihood of getting shivved.

Nice to have a little break from the drudgery of studies.

I bet!

No, unfortunately, being in this program is going to necessitate a ton of sacrifices in a lot of things. I just don't have the time or $$ to spare right now. I'm choosing not to work so I can really focus so have to be careful with how I spend so I can maybe have a little cushion for a few fun things before I get a part time job locally in May.

Yeah I’m guessing not working might have a slightly negative effect

I didn't look at the phone bill when I got back. I should ask. I do know that I kept my own roaming off and tried to find free WiFi wherever I could!

I do the same.
I do buy a US text package when I’m there, but don’t know if that’s available for off-continent.

But going TO the restaurant to relish the ambiance sure doesn't compare with eating on your couch.

Plus by the time it gets to Canada, it’ll be cold.

We def could have asked for a doggy bag, but with unlimited food on the ship... why?!

Good point.
But was the ship’s food as good???

I probably have but not since high school. And that, my friend, was a very, very long time ago.

Huh. I don’t consider 10 years or so to be “a very, very long time”.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

But it was a lovely trip north, and not only did I get to be there for my oldest grand"baby's" 5th birthday, but got to be there to celebrate my oldest "child" turning in his final assignment for his Bachelors degree. It took him 10 years, a marriage, 3 kids, (3) 3-year Army contracts with moves to Guam and Ft. Meade, and a lot of hoping and praying, but he got 'er done! I'm so proud!

That's awesome! Sounds like just rewards for a lot of hard work.

I also squeezed in lunch and a visit to Anapolis with Mary Ellen (MEK) and her husband Denny. Some of you probably know of her from the DIS many years ago. We've become close friends and she's been an enormous help with my NP journey.

Nice little getaway to my neck of the woods! Glad you could meet up with Mary Ellen and Denny. There are some really good places to eat in Annapolis.

The best part of it all was that the price was right.

Always a wonderful bonus.

The vines growing up the entrance area, the checked tablecloths, and antiques-turned-conversation pieces made for a simply charming setting for lunch.

I like it! Almost like a hidden treasure.

In the end, we placed our order with the proprietor and ended up with a veritable smorgasbord of goodies including some lamb gyros, chicken gyros, hummus with garlic bread, a HUGE Greek salad with homemade feta cheese, and a pile of fries which was all far more than we could possibly eat.

Holy cow, that is quite the spread! Looks amazing (and filling).

Over the course of our exercise in futility to finish what we’d ordered, the owner’s son, began to take over serving us. At first he would shyly come over and re-fill our drinks, then a little more boldly came to ask if we would like anything more, each time he added a few more words, sometimes used accurately, sometimes a bit off. But every time as endearing as it could possibly be. We asked him about school, his restaurant, what his favorite subject was (PE, of course!), and his family farm.

I love this interaction. Wonderful that you could help him practice his English.

“Okay, because we need to know if our food is bad, or you don’t like it.”

Ha! Love the honesty, too.

And it was amazing! Seriously, although everything was absolutely delicious, it was the highlight of the meal… aside from this charming 13-year-old desperate to please and impress with his English skills. Before we left, I asked him if we could take a photo together. And this is what I got. It might be a favorite from the day.

This is so great. How cool would it be if you went back in 10-15 years and met up again?

 

[afwdwfan]

Treatment of Heart Failure- all things Cardiac Pharmacology.

Something I'm learning more about than I want to all the time...

ETA: I'm home now, 2 days later, and finally posting this.

I can relate

It took him 10 years, a marriage, 3 kids, (3) 3-year Army contracts with moves to Guam and Ft. Meade, and a lot of hoping and praying, but he got 'er done!

There's a lot of life that happened in there. Gotta give credit for sticking it out and making it happen!

He began to clear the dishes of unfinished food from the table and asked with an incredulous tone, “You didn’t like our food?!”

“No, no, it was all so wonderful, but it was just too much!”

“Okay, because we need to know if our food is bad, or you don’t like it.”

And it was amazing! Seriously, although everything was absolutely delicious, it was the highlight of the meal… aside from this charming 13-year-old desperate to please and impress with his English skills. Before we left, I asked him if we could take a photo together. And this is what I got. It might be a favorite from the day.

That's really great! I know how much you value the people you meet and interact with. This must be high on the list!

 

[franandaj]

OK. I'm jumping in, but won't have much in the way of comments.

However on the subject of boarding since we now fly Southwest exclusively, I want to be on that plane first so I can pick my seats. Luckily with Fran and preboarding we can do that.

Glad you all made it Covid free. We'll see when I can get back and read the second chapter.