Jamie’s foot came off the steps of the plane. She looked around, turned on her heels as she smiled and shouted to the rest of us, “WE’RE IN GREECE!”
The dry dusty hills around the Athenian airport welcomed us. Our first two days were wandering through the capital city. We sat at an outdoor cafe and a family meal of shared suvlaiki, Greek salads, pita bread, and feta dips that were magically savory and sweet at the same time.
Hours walking through one of the market districts and it was time to return to our hotel. Not quite ready for bed, we took the tiny elevators up to the Rooftop Bar. Every member of our group gasped and paused in the doorway. The Parthenon stood lit against the purple night sky, offering its own welcome to Greece.
After a restful night, we hit the pavement early with a city tour. It is hard to understand how ancient Athens and Greek culture really are until you walk the streets and realize that at every turn, there is a site of archeological interest. Even in the underground train station there is a cross section showing the layers of the city through the millennia, complete with a grave dating to 3500BCE.
We paused for the changing of the guard before hustling on to a stunning garden, then the march up the acropolis. Looking at the high point, the night before was staggering. Now we stood in the same place as Caesars, and countless worshipers of a religion that has passed into mythology. We even stood on the rock where the Apostle Paul defended his faith and pointed out the statue of the unknown god in Athens.
The Acropolis behind us, we made our way through the flower lined streets of the historic Plaka District. We stumbled into a family restaurant off one narrow street that was paved in marble several centuries ago. The food filled our tired bodies and opened gateways into friendship and family.
One more trip to the Rooftop, the acropolis looking different, one more “We’re in Greece” whispered among our newly formed troupe, one more sleep in our hotel, and one more amazing breakfast than we climbed onto the bus that took us to our home for the next seven days.We embarked on the Celestial Crystal cruise ship, a small ship for those overwhelmed by the idea of a Carnival cruise. With a passenger capacity under two-thousand even the most wary introvert can find space to recharge. We smiled and laughed together, launching from our first port, and we soon found our communal home sitting on the aft deck watching the ships’ screws churn the water from dark electric blue to minty teal. Still unsure if this was a dream or not, we recapped the highlights of our first days together.
The first day at sea brought us to the port of Thessaloniki, a modern city with a lively ocean front life, and rich history to rival Athens. We made our way out of the historic port and down to Aristotle Square. Grabbing the big toe of the statue to the great thinker, we hoped to gain some wisdom in the process. From the seaside, we turned toward the hills and walked to churches that reminded us America was still an infant. We visited a basilica built on the bath where an emperor had Saint Dimitrius martyred. After a long pause at the church, we entered a side street where the last remnants of tourism faded away and we found ourselves on long narrow stairways leading to the high points of the city. After a dozen sets of stairs, we found the monastery built on the site the Apostle Paul first preached to the Thessalonians in 51AD. The humble compound had a small zoo and offered sweeping views of the city and sea below.
Our party reveled in the march back to the port. We visited the White Tower and the statue of Alexander the Great before we joined the cafe life—sitting on the water sipping milk shakes and lattes like we were born for this. The sun sank behind the horizon and we dressed up a bit for dinner and the ship set a course for Turkey.
The sun rose in a new country and welcomed us to walk the largest archeological sites in Turkey. With Cuan (pronounced John) our guide, we started on the high streets of Ephesus and strolled through the gates of Hercules past the healing area. We paused at the doorway of the Library to stand in awe of the huge and beautiful structure that began its life as a mausoleum. Twenty minutes later, I stood in the center of the great amphitheaters stage. I read out Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and stood humbled by the magnitude of his work.
We climbed back on the bus and moved from one piece of Turkish history to another. Famous for their rugs, it seemed we didn’t really experience Turkey until we learned their fine art. They produce, by hand, some of the most beautiful rugs I have ever seen. The functional art works brought a tear to my eye. They threw rugs at our feet while we sipped apple tea. We danced in bare feet, staggered by the softness. Then they shared the magic of the rugs spinning them to make the color shift before our eyes. That night, visions of magic flying carpets, apple tea, and Turkish delight filled our dreams.
The ancient city of Rhodes was our next stop. The old walls still stand protecting the village, but they filled the village with beautiful shops and delightful restaurants. As soon as we disembarked from the ship, we grabbed a taxi to chauffer us to the feet of the Colossus of Rhodes, paused for a picture of the temple to Venus before we jumped back into the taxi. Then rode up to the acropolis of Rhodes for views that you need to sit down for. The taxi rolled down the pavement further, and we found ourselves at the pillars of the Patron god of Rhodes—Apollo. When we returned to the Old City, we made our way into some of the side passages in the walls around the fortress and castle, not knowing what adventures awaited us along the way.
In Rhodes, we embarked early so we could sail through the night to the tiny island of Crete. Our visit to Heraklion was short, but pleasant. Some climbed on buses and headed for the countryside to learn to dance, and a few of us stayed near the ship and walked along the docks to see where adventure might take us. Lunch on the ship and then to much anticipated Santorini.
Santorini was our first tender from ship to shore. We piled into the smaller ship and made our way across the submerged active volcano to the inner slope of the ring. Another bus and we were climbing the switchbacks to the rim where they built their cities. Buildings of bright white and brightly colored doors lined the narrow streets. We stepped aside to allow a group on horseback through. Down through the town to the bus waiting to take us to the famous city of Oia. If you buy a puzzle picturing Greece, it likely has the white walled, blue domed churches of Oia waiting to be put together. The most beautiful picture I took in Greece was in the narrow, tourist filled streets of this tiny village. Despite the world famous beauty of Oia, the most wonderful sight of the island was still ahead of us.
We had a final short bus ride until our bus broke down. The short ride became twice as long while we waited on the side of the road for a new bus to pick us up. The cool evening air and lovely countryside made the wait worthwhile. Without the delay, the sky would have still been bright and the wonder of the capital city of Fira lessened. With a broken-down bus, it was full dark when we reached the capital and entranced by white buildings with strings of warm glowing lights stretched between them. We were hungry, but the beauty that surrounded us was enough to quail the pains.
A mountain tram, which is a close cousin to the gondola ski lift, carried us back down to the port. From the tram we looked up at Fira and discovered the most stunning site in Greece—Santorini, at night. I am convinced the view of Fira, at night, from the sea, was Tolkiens’ inspiration for the white city of Minas Tirith. It was a beacon of light against the dark night sky above, and the black volcanic interior below. We returned to the ship and, for hours, sat on the aft deck chatting and staring up at the wonder.
The next sunrise was on the island of Mykonos and Mykonos Town. Some walked down the roads, some took the shuttle. I was determined to be in the Aegean.
I walked, took buses, and taxis, but finally found my way to a small secluded stretch of sand well away from the tourist zone. The sand didn’t belong to me alone, but there were far fewer people at Kapari than any of the organized beaches we passed. I walked from my towel into the sea and it welcomed me with cool, clear water. You could see the bottom even when I swam out to water 20 or more feet deep. Under the water you could see for meters in any direction. After a couple of hours swimming and enjoying the sun and the beach filled up, it was time to begin the journey back. A bus carried me back into town and I made my way through the narrow streets to get back to the ship.
A shower, nap, and change of clothes and I headed back out to explore the town I had only walked through earlier in the day. The streets, in places, were so narrow two people couldn’t walk shoulder to shoulder. The walkways and paths between buildings vibrated with life. People laughed and talked as they meandered the marbled trails. Turn a corner to head back to the bay and deep rhythms, and pulsing music filled your ears and life radiated from people dancing in clubs, on the streets, and in restaurants. All of this unassuming town emanated vitality and invited you to join in all that is life giving.
Our latest night out on the town ended with us again sitting on the aft end of the fifth deck. We laughed about our day and our varied adventures before we headed back to the cabins for our penultimate sleep.
Friday found us in port at Milos and ready to swim. We were off in search of beaches. Our first was not a traditional beach but the alien surface of Sarakiniko. This white stone beach felt like they pulled it from a sci-fi flick. The weirdness grew when we discovered the tunnels that were dug by the Nazis as an air defense at the end of World War Two.
We wandered in the tunnels and on the alien landscape for an hour, and then it was time to flee this abnormal spectacle and head to the more conventional Paleochori beach.
Two natural rock walls divided the seaside paradise into three sections. In the middle is the family friendly portion. To your right is the semi private area called Deep Blue, and to your left is where those that want to be one with nature go. No matter the section that calls to you, the water is the same—unbelievably clear blue. Above or below water, you could see far in any direction.
Between the family friendly portion of the beach and Deep Blue, there is a cave that cuts through the rock and sets you in a pool of water that is a volcanic vent. If you stand in one space too long, you are bound to burn your feet. It was worth the risk of seeing the little hidden treasure.
An exhausting two hours of swimming and it was time to return to the ship. We had one last sleep and while we rested, our Cruise-liner carried us back to our port of origin. From there we rode the bus to the airport where our united adventure around the Aegean sea became several individual journeys back to home. Delayed flights, rerouting, and a few lost bags, but everyone made it home with a story to share for a lifetime.
