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

[Steppesister]

Let me guess... the paint was lead paint too? That old? Sounds sketchy!

Oh I'm certain it was! Loads of rust too.

Humans... A lot has changed since ancient Greek times, and yet in some ways, very little has changed.

Exactly. So stupid. So much talk about Evolution, and yet I see so little.

Is this vacation? Feels like a normal day at work watching people having pissing wars.

Yes, it sure can feel like that at work when egos rise up and the one-upsmanship takes hold.

It really is a shame how much history has been lost over the years because of these types of situations.

I agree so much. Archeology and art stewardship has come so far!

I can see what they were going for though. And I guess part of me wonders how many of the artists carving those statues had ever seen a lion with their own eyes? It isn't like they had photographs or videos to study back then, either.

Who knows! Good question, I mean maybe they were relying on first-hand accounts of others who'd traveled to N. Africa? or something? Not a clue!

Yuck! Hopefully nobody on an upper deck sounding like they were going to ralph on everyone below.

I don't think there was one on this particular ship, thankfully!!! Everyone was inside (mostly) safe.

 

[Steppesister]

Yikes. I definitely would not have enjoyed that. That is an absolute nightmare.

It super was, Kathy!!! Just absolutely frightening!

 

[Steppesister]

Yikes! While I don't mind getting up at the crack of dawn on a cruise ship, I rarely want to get on a tender boat that early. I get that you're in Greece and somewhere you might not see again, but I don't like to work that hard on a cruise vacation!

HAHA! I get that too. I wished our times that we were in ports were longer so we could get back later but also have a little time to sleep in.

That does sound cool, but so does relaxing with a drink of the day....

We had 2 1/2 sea days for that too, so we didn't feel like we were missing out on relaxing too.

I'm not sure how into ruins I would be. Might not be my thing, but I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I think the reason they were so wonderful was with the history, stories, and depth of knowledge she brought to the tour. She really brought in a lot of relevance, and made it all seem so real and alive. I loved that.

Yup. People haven't changed a bit.

Nope.

I was thinking they looked more like otters or sea lions.

Funny, that's what our tour guide told us that a lot of people mistake them for.

I had no idea that he was on that side of the earth. I guess before he trashed the other side of the planet.

I wasn't aware he damaged or pillaged as he (they) explored. Don't really know much about his journeys at all in fact, so now you have me curious!!!!

That's awful, I wonder if it would have been better to wait a bit, or if that would have been worse.

Actually, probably a whole lot worse, since there are NO accommodations on the little island. We'd have frozen for sure!

 

[Steppesister]

That pretty much describes the entire internet.

Once in a while I add some food porn and I've covered it all.

Oh, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about there.

Nothing to see here; move along....

I usually try and avoid being in one of those categories.

And sometimes it can't be avoided!

There's still time! You just have to quit all that nursing stuff.

If only I hadn't sunk a fair chunk of change into it already.

Wow, that looks really elaborate!

Those little tiles were so itsy-bitsy! Like 1" x 1". So intricate!

Now we use it to show superheroes fighting imaginary things in the sky.

How true this is!

Bah! Why waste the time! I can make my own conclusions based on what I want to be true.

Heh, I've heard that before.

I have! I always thought he just sailed in the Pacific.

Admittedly, I know very little about his exploring or journeys, but was also under the impression he only sailed the Pacific. Clearly, not true!

Well, yeah, that would do it. I'd be screaming right along with them. That's terrifying.

I was too terrified to even scream.

Oh my gosh, it feels like it will never, ever end. Thank goodness you survived! That's no joke.

I know you know having done it yourselves. Terrifying is a very good word for it.

 

[Steppesister]

Alrighty!!

I'm all caught up on replies here and hope to hit up some TRs of yours in the coming days. I no longer appear to have the ability to hotspot my phone for my laptop internet needs so have to trot to the "Rec Room" now. Which is a major PITA, so I have to be efficient when I do get on over here. I'm super bummed because, since I was not able to secure a Travel RN Contract this season I've asked my Program Mentor to accelerate my next class into this term. Once I push "ENROLL" on Monday, I'll have 6 1/2 weeks to complete the class, so will have to focus on that. Typically, these paper writing type Masters Core classes take me 4 or so weeks, which also means I'll have to manage my time well.

Anyway, all that said, I'll put in a few hours of Classwork/writing each day and try to squeeze in some DIS time on top of hanging out with my local retiree homeys here exploring all the incredible beauty Southern Arizona has to offer this time of year. That's LOT!!! Crazy gorgeous here!!

Meantime, in the evenings, I'll edit the next batches of photos and try to get some writing done as well so I can keep this TR moving along.

Here's a few of the wonderful views I've had in the last weeks:

Sabino Canyon is running full with all of the rain and snow this year! Such a treat to see it flowing!


The next few are from Picacho Peak (halfway between Phoenix and Tucson) which is having a spectacular and rare "superbloom" this year. Dropdead gorgeous!!



The sunsets are almost always worth a trek out into the "Backyard" for a sunset walk.



Happy hours are a thing. It's one of the things we do well here.



A friend and I went to the ghost town of "Ruby, AZ" a few weeks ago and it was really quite an adventure! It took hours to get to and we saw quite a cool old town that had some infamous murders, a school, post office, general store, etc... Worth the trek!

 

[Paulaparm]

Not a bad way to spend these long winter days! That's some gorgeous scenery.
Happy hour is my favorite time of day...although we usually wait until camping season to enjoy them
Best of luck with your next round of coursework.

 

[pkondz]

Sadly, it did not. I will not be working in Arizona this season, so have asked my program mentor to bump up my next class and I'll start that on Monday.

Sorry to hear that. I think?

Is that something you'd even consider!?

Probably not. Ice diving takes more training and some specialized equipment.

I'm in the camp of rumors and legends usually have some element of truth, some more than others.

Won’t argue with that

Coke's been around for as long as I have, and these days I feel as old as Moses.

Then why didn’t you part those stormy seas???

Nah, you're still young... lots of time for travel after retirement?

But not the overtime pay.

think they just liked sitting by the pool and reading and nibbling at the buffet.

And that’s okay too. Everyone can vacation however they want.

LOL!! Then it'd be killer CAT and killer SEAS.

Which really isn't all that far away.

But I wanna see it now!

Hmmm, you may have just made a pretty good point.

Really? That’s a first!

It's actually ginger-infused essential oil. We also kept lemon, mint and one other on hand. Some do better for pain, others are better for nausea.

Huh. had no idea.

 

[pkondz]

I no longer appear to have the ability to hotspot my phone for my laptop internet needs so have to trot to the "Rec Room" now.

Well that sounds less than ideal.

Meantime, in the evenings, I'll edit the next batches of photos and try to get some writing done as well so I can keep this TR moving along.

Yuss!!

Sabino Canyon is running full with all of the rain and snow this year! Such a treat to see it flowing!

So I take it that normally it’s dry?

The next few are from Picacho Peak (halfway between Phoenix and Tucson) which is having a spectacular and rare "superbloom" this year. Dropdead gorgeous!!

Very pretty.

Happy hours are a thing. It's one of the things we do well here.

A friend and I went to the ghost town of "Ruby

Like that shot. The door framed within the door.

 

[Wood Nymph]

The scenery is gorgeous. I love the dessert in bloom. The sunset is gorgeous, too.

 

[vamassey1]

Thanks, Vanessa! I'm so sorry I am so behind on your report and wish I had more time right now. Just a lot going on with school (I will start another course Monday) and RV renovations have stolen a ton of my time. And now that the weather has finally turned nicer, I want to be out hiking and walking and enjoying the Arizona sunshine!

I totally understand. Your plate has been very full and your accomplishing great things.

Enjoy life while you can. We can't do that in front of a computer.

No, this was actually pretty extreme and honestly pretty dangerous. I was surprised they let us be out there at all. I think that particular shore excursion should come with a warning about rough seas for sure.

Since I work in the insurance industry, my thoughts are always geared towards the risk. This was a risk they should not have taken.

 

[vamassey1]

Beautiful scenery and photos.

 

[franandaj]

I wasn't aware he damaged or pillaged as he (they) explored. Don't really know much about his journeys at all in fact, so now you have me curious!!!!

I don't remember a lot now as I think back, but I think that he inadvertently introduced invasive species to islands where they weren't before. Perhaps through stowaways on the ship that then escaped at the next island and introduced new predators. Don't quote me, it was from my ex's studies in college that I was introduced to his name.

 

[Steppesister]

L is for: Little Venice, Lunch, and Landscapes​

If you recall, we almost died. Sure, we were a little shaken, some worse than others, but most of the group toured on. Our rusty bucket docked at the old Mykonos Town Harbor and we started our walking tour of Mykonos Town. The Old City is, of course, famous for its white-washed, curvy and sexy architecture; one could easily spend a day there getting lost in the small alleyways and dipping in and out of the high-end shops.

(Not my photo)​

Our first stop on the way to the iconic windmills of the island was Little Venice, so named because the very edges of the buildings sink into the crystal clear, azure sea. While it was a bit breezy for my taste, it was still a really nice walk through town. Oddly, the highlights were not picturesque views, or history, or the savory scents of grilled Greek meats on spits; it was Petros the Pelican- the official mascot of Mykonos. Yes, you read that right.

​

From the interwebs:

“What is the story of Mykonos pelican?

In 1958, an injured pelican was found by a local fisherman, who took care of the bird and nursed it back to health. The people of Mykonos quickly grew fond of it and named it Petros (Peter), as a joke between the locals, as “petro” in Greek means rock, stone but metaphorically Old and Grumpy.”

Nowadays: “Is the pelican still in Mykonos?

"Apparently, the zoo of Hamburg, in Germany, also donated a pelican named Petros, and some years later, another wounded pelican found itself in Mykonos, where it was cared for by locals, who renamed it Nikolas. As such, today, there is not one but at least three pelicans roaming around freely in Mykonos' town.- May 20, 2022"

Our guide made sure to let us know that we were actually pretty lucky to have run across one at all as they are not always out or seen. So there ya have it. If you go to Mykonos, look for Nikolas or Petros and try not to step in large blobs of pelican poo.

​

Moving on, we made our way to the photo-op everyone was waiting for: the old flour mills which are part of the UNESSO Heritage sites of Mykonos.

​

While they no longer still have their sails, they are quite a nice backdrop for selfies. Mikki and I took turns, but the wind sort wrecked them a bit. (I’m not much of a selfie fan- more on this later…) In fact, one couple asked us to take their photos and just as I was about to snap it, his hat blew off and went a LONG way. It took some chasing to get it back, but in the end, they got a cute photo of themselves and a fun memory.

​

Mikki is a typical Millennial and hasn't responded to my calls or texts so I don't have the photos she took this day including her selfie. If I get them, I'll add them.

Most folks didn’t want to walk the short distance uphill to the windmills, so our guide gave everyone about an hour to wander on their own, find coffee, have a pastry, etc… Mikki and I were pretty tuckered out from the many days of being up early and travel in general so were done within 30 minutes of seeing the windmills up close. We wandered back to the meeting spot and then sat and froze for the next 30 minutes. It was one of the few times I really regretted not bringing a few more layers. Eventually, everyone showed up and we headed for the bus pick up spot to take us to our next destination.

Along the way, we got to see a bit more of the picturesque, historic district with its magenta bougainvillea draping over the white walls and bright blue doors giving homage to the nearby sea.



A short diversion while I get my old lady crank on. Sure, a few quick selfie snaps can be fun and can commemorate a visited place, but more than a few times on this trip we got to "enjoy" some long-a$$ waits for a few folks who held the entire group up for sometimes 10-15 minutes at a time while they posed for literally dozens of selfies. The hat had to be adjusted juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust right; shades on, NO, shades off; get the skirt lifted just so; OMG, just take your photos and let someone else have a turn! I dunno, maybe it's just me, but don't book a group tour that's on a schedule or that has 25 people wanting a turn at the same spot you are hogging up for WAY too long- do a solo thing. Yes, you'll hear me rant about this again when we get to Zakynthos.

Rant over... for now...

Here within the city center, and in fact all over Greek villages on every island, are hundreds of tiny little chapels, built, maintained, and used by individual Greek families. Most have been in the family for generations and are quite old. Generally, they are very plain and utilitarian- here is a typical one that our guide pointed out and was one of the few that was open for a wedding that day.

​

Random shots from Mykonos:

http://[URL


​

Finally, we boarded the bus which was taking us to the small village of Ano Mero in the center of the island about 20 minutes away from the coast. The island of Mykonos is quite dry and sparse, nothing like Zakynthos or Olympia, but pretty in its own right. We pulled up to a café called Paprika and were shown to some outdoor seating where we were promised a nice Greek lunch.

It was okay.

It did the job of filling us up and wasn’t bad. Here are the few photos I bothered to take:

​

The grilled meats were dry, and the salad was ho-hum, but the dancing was kinda fun. They invited folks to join in, but only one lady did. I think the rough seas stole any desire any of us might have had to boogie it up and left it in the middle of the Cyclades.

​

After lunch, the guide led us to our last stop of the day- The Monastery of Panagia Tourliani. I actually really loved this beautiful church, parts of which date back to an incredible 1542! Most of it wasn’t completed until 1767, which is still rather mind-blowing. The legend of the icon was fascinating enough! For those of you who might be interested, here are the best write-ups I could find.

https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2021/08/the-monastery-of-panagia-tourliani-in.html

https://kinglikeconcierge.com/panagia-tourliani-monastery-mykonos

https://mykonos.gr/en/ano-mera/

“Miracles” notwithstanding, the décor is simply over-the-top. What fascinated me most were the hanging incense holders in various shapes including these super cool ships. Our guide shared that when someone wants to commemorate a loved one in a special way they would have these crafted and they would symbolically represent what they did or a memory of them or such. The ships she said were dedicated to a family member that was a sailor and who had died at sea or the family was asking for ongoing protection.

​

She also gave us the story of how each year one particular icon, the one for which the church and monastery is most known, is taken into town with a huge island-wide processional and it’s really the religious and community highlight of the year for the locals. There are feasts and parades, and lots of singing and dancing, and just a general celebration of Spring and fun. She said that if you’re ever on Mykonos during the Festival that you should definitely join in!

With that, we headed back to the ship and took a little nap before dinner.

​

We opted for the specialty dining of Japanese and it looks like I chose Udon and a little sushi.

​

I have zero recollection if we did anything else, which makes me think we didn’t and went to bed. I think things were catching up with us and we needed the extra rest. The next day we’d be in Athens for another hella long day.

Stay tuned…

 

[pkondz]

If you recall, we almost died.

Sure, we were a little shaken,

The Old City is, of course, famous for its white-washed, curvy and sexy architecture;

ooh la la!

(Not my photo)

What?!?!?!?
Whose photo is it??????

the very edges of the buildings sink into the crystal clear, azure sea.

Someone needs to be told how to use weeping tile and a sump pump.

it was Petros the Pelican- the official mascot of Mykonos. Yes, you read that right.

Thanks. At first I thought it was Mykonos, mascot official - Pelican the Petros
Then I realized I was reading it left.

"Apparently, the zoo of Hamburg, in Germany, also donated a pelican named Petros, and some years later, another wounded pelican found itself in Mykonos, where it was cared for by locals, who renamed it Nikolas. As such, today, there is not one but at least three pelicans roaming around freely in Mykonos' town.- May 20, 2022"

Wait... so you're saying the original 1958 pelican is still around?? I knew birds lived long lives, but... whoa!

Our guide made sure to let us know that we were actually pretty lucky to have run across one at all as they are not always out or seen

I'm not surprised. That's actually pretty cool!

try not to step in large blobs of pelican poo.

Ew...

Beautiful!
Postcard worthy.

(I’m not much of a selfie fan- more on this later…)

one couple asked us to take their photos and just as I was about to snap it, his hat blew off and went a LONG way.

Maybe you weren't laughing, but the scene sounds pretty comical to me.

Dunno... you look like you take a pretty good selfie to me.

Mikki is a typical Millennial and hasn't responded to my calls or texts so I don't have the photos she took this day including her selfie.

Kids these days. You can't live with them, you can't beat them into giving you their pictures.

Most folks didn’t want to walk the short distance uphill to the windmills

Really? Steep?

I see what you did there.

A short diversion while I get my old lady crank on.

<buckles up seatbelt>
Okay... go ahead.

Sure, a few quick selfie snaps can be fun and can commemorate a visited place, but more than a few times on this trip we got to "enjoy" some long-a$$ waits for a few folks who held the entire group up for sometimes 10-15 minutes at a time while they posed for literally dozens of selfies. The hat had to be adjusted juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust right; shades on, NO, shades off; get the skirt lifted just so; OMG, just take your photos and let someone else have a turn!

Yuck. Luckily, I've not had too many experiences like that. I do remember in the tunnels at Niagara Falls where there were a couple people taking FOREVER to take their photo with their selfie stick while everyone else waited and waited. I wanted to beat them over the heads with it... and then toss it in the roaring, nearby falls.

Here within the city center, and in fact all over Greek villages on every island, are hundreds of tiny little chapels, built, maintained, and used by individual Greek families.

Huh! Cool!

Translation:
Warning. Remove child from shoulders before entering low doorway.

Apparently dumb people exist in all ages.

we were promised a nice Greek lunch.

It was okay.

Well.... okay. That's disappointing.
The salad looks okay, but that meat does look (and apparently was) dry.


Also forgot to comment about the dancing.
Looks kinda strange with just one (or two) dancing. Makes it look like someone might've had a wee too much ouzo.

Most of it wasn’t completed until 1767, which is still rather mind-blowing.

That is. But the article I read said it was renovated over 10 years. That's different.

What fascinated me most were the hanging incense holders

Oh! I just assumed they were candelabras. Huh!
And it took me a while to find the ship. I didn't see it hanging below for quite a while.

We opted for the specialty dining of Japanese and it looks like I chose Udon and a little sushi.

No offense if it was good, but.... looks very... pedestrian? Kinda like what you might get in a mall foodcourt?

The next day we’d be in Athens for another hella long day.

I see what you did there! Bravo!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I had to look up Mykonos to see where it was located. I never realized how many Greek Islands there were! I'm intrigued by the buildings that are right up to the sea. It is a stunning view.

I would be super annoyed by the people would delay the tour schedule. It is very inconsiderate.

The church is gorgeous, and the commemorative incense holders are very interesting.

I hope the boat ride back to the ship was a lot calmer than the ride there was.

 

[Steppesister]

Having to make an “emergency” trip back to Bowling Green to help care for my mom after her back surgery. Taking the red eye tonight after a day of shadowing a hospital CNO here in Tucson. I’ll be there 2 weeks, fly back, have a little more time here in Tucson, then pack up and drive back to Bowling Green for the Summer/Fall.

Whirlwind!

 

[pkondz]

Having to make an “emergency” trip back to Bowling Green to help care for my mom after her back surgery.

Oh no.
Hope everything will be okay.

I’ll be there 2 weeks, fly back, have a little more time here in Tucson, then pack up and drive back to Bowling Green for the Summer/Fall.

Good luck with everything!
Best wishes for a full recovery to your mom.

 

[Paulaparm]

Hope your mom recovers quickly!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I hope your mom's recovery goes well.

 

[KathyM2]

Oh no!! Wishing for a speedy recovery and smooth travels for you!