Vivir Mi Sueño

For the past week, we haven't had Internet, and I have limited time right now. But I'll try to catch you up as much as possible. Right now we're back in Athens; Jason and I caught a bus this morning from Nafplio back to the house of Takis. We jumped right back into the routine of going to Yiayia's for lunch. (Today we ate with Aunt Loula? I forget how we're related to her, but she is very sweet and speaks a little English. She's also visited Wheeling before.)

I don't know if I wrote about this or not, but for a while we couldn't find a place to stay on the island of Sifnos. So for a while, we made plans to go to a beach on the mainland, Preveza. But a few days ago Sophia went out in the morning and came back to the house to tell us that she found a house for us on Sifnos. We quickly canceled our plans at Preveza, and tomorrow morning at 7:00am (or PM if you're Greek) Jason, Grigoris (Gregory), Takis, and I catch a ferry to Sifnos for six days. And we're taking the bikes with us. Not only are we excited about getting to spend time on an island, but we anticipate meeting our other cousin, as well. Takis has a twin brother, Grigoris, who lives on Sifnos, so we'll get to meet our other Thios.

But the past week was relaxing but at the same time, eventful. Here's a brief recap:

* We went to many beaches around Nafplio. We also spend several evenings shopping and sitting in cafes in Old Nafplio.
* Sophia and Mariana took us to a performance in the ancient theater of Epidavros to see one of the three plays of Euripides' account of Oedipus. It was all in Greek, and we didn't understand it all, but it was a beautiful show under the stars. They haven't made an reparations to it since the ancient Greeks built it because they did not want to risk affecting the acoustics. Without microphones, the actors can stand in the middle of the stage while the people in the last rows can hear them clearly. Afterwards we went to a small village for traditional ribs--of lamb.
* Marianna took us to Old Epidavros the following night to watch her friend perform. He sang songs about the passion of Greece--wine. We shopped for a while and then went to a bar to watch a cover band perform American songs.
* Sophia and Marinna took us on a road trip throughout the peninsula of Mani, where there are many old and abandoned villages with houses that look like castles. After driving through the mountains and stopping at a monastery built into the side of the mountain and a small village, we stayed in a small castle that was transformed into a hotel. That night we went to a very small village for dinner and then played Euchre (Marianna's favorite) on the balcony all night. Then next morning we woke up had the best breakfast I've ever had: fresh bread, blackberry jam m and apricot jam made from the fruit grown on the property, freshly squeezed orange juice, frappes and coffee, and fresh kaloudia (cookies). And we were the only visitors for the night.

The next day we drove in the mountains along the coast (with many winding curves and no guard rails). We stopped at a cave at sea level that went into a cliff on the edge of the sea. We put on our hard hats and life vests and climbed into a boat as a guide took us through the cave for about a half hour. Afterwards we drove around half aimlessly making stops when we felt like it. Eventually we stopped in yet another small village to "have a coffee" and swim. While we were there, we decide to stay there for the evening. Our balcony overlooked the green sea with crystal clear waves; we couldn't even sea the shore from the balcony. Adjacent to the beach was a huge cliff with fishing boats docked below. We ate dinner at a very elegant hotel--I ordered sea urchin. A little too salty for my taste.

The following morning, we headed back to Naflplio, making stops in other villages. We drove to the cove that was supposedly the entrance to Hades and then another one that was the entrance to Heaven. We also stopped at a small sanctuary constructed for Poseidon. That is what I like about Greek road trips. You pack up, leave the house 25 minutes after the plan departure time, drive 15 minutes, turn back around because you realized you forgot something (no, it wasn't me this time), and then make stops whenever you feel like it. There is no rush to get to your destination because half the fun is getting there. Plus the view from anywhere in the country is BEAUTIFUL.
*Lena, Sophia's sister, visited for a few days, so we got to spend some time with her.
* Yesterday Sophia and Marianna also took us by ferry to the islands Hydra and Spertes for the day. At Hyrda, we sat at a cafe for lunch and shopped around for a while. The law does not allow cars on the island, so the people travel by donkey. (We didn't ride any because it was overpriced and nothing can beat last year's experience at Santorini.) Spertes was less crowded, so we just walked to cafe and sat and read on a beach for a while. On the ferry ride back the four of us played rummy. Then when we returned to the port around 9, Marianna and Sophia wanted to go swimming (here they call it bathing). So we stopped by a "seaside" and they hopped in. To them that water was warm, but in reality...it wasn't. They laughed at the two of us as we slowly made our way into the water.
*We spent many evenings sitting on the patio looking at the stars and playing guitar.
*Jason read a novel about a young girl who falls in love with a vampire. I made of him and laughed whenever he talked about how romantic it was. Sadly, I picked it up and reacted the same way. So one evening he wanted me to reread it to him allowed. We sat on the patio for three hours as I read aloud and added my own sarcastic commentaries to mask my interest in this shamefully ill-written book.
*One morning I woke up early and climbed 999 stairs to the fort on the top of the hill. After walking around the castle for an hour, I walked back down and Sophia picked me back up. ...Then I passed out for a good hour.
*We had to brush our teeth and wash our faces with bottled water several mornings because the water company temporarily shuts off the water supply whenever they decide that the citizens have used too much. It's unpredictable.
*We learned that "tzitziki" and "tzatziki" are two totally different things. "Tzitziki" is the huge cicada that lives in the olive trees and perpetually "sings," while "tzatziki" is the yogurt sauce that is typically served with gyros. I almost ordered giant cicadas for lunch one day.

So tomorrow we're off to Sifnos. I will be sure to write my final entries when I return to Athens, which I won't think about again until it happens.

Yia!