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Published: April 22nd 2009
Meteora
High up upon the rocks are monasteries build in impossible locations.4/19/09
Lily:
Today we saw Meteora, a bunch of big rocks that have churches and monasteries at the top. Monks and nuns stay there. There are 6 montestaries in all. We saw five of them. There are lots of frescos on the walls (a piece of paper with painting from long ago), some have killings on them.
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Mom, me, and my brother bought Easter Eggs on Easter (today) because they would be nice souvenirs. They are wooden Easter eggs that are painted very fancily.
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Lily: Today I went in a LONG car ride ! I threw up once . I DIPED MY FEET IN A EMRELED COLORED STREEM. It was fun! I saw Sydney hotel !
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Austin:
Today I noticed that people are served food quicker in Greece, but they stay longer at the dinner table. They stay later at the dinner table because the check doesn’t come until they request it, and when they pay for the check, they are expected to leave.
Today I also tried a sweet called Turkish Delight. It tasted like soap with powdered sugar. (I have tasted soap before and know.)
Today, we also went to the beach today and saw
Meteora 2
Monastery used in James Bond film. Austin desired to dive off cliffs handgliding.
a castle. On the beach were lots of pieces of wood, so I made a barrier to protect us from the wind. The water was warmer than Maine water.
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Jon:
Our travels through Greece have led us to some amazing scenery and eye awakening cultural differences. The spiked peaks of Meteora with impossible to build monasteries perched on top are truly amazing architectural feats. History is everywhere with ruins from 500 BC being found in “everyone’s” backyard, and Castles from 1200 AD being considered brand new. The coastline near Piros with turquoise tinged water in the face of sky high mountains makes one’s sense of time, and need to own a watch, evaporate.
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The spring fruit supply is cheap and plentiful with oranges, lemons, and strawberries coming from farms insight of us. The inefficient production of bread, cheese, and meat by separate vendors in EVERY town provides very tasty and fresh meals, yet requires shopping for small amounts of food daily. Shifting to a dining schedule of 2-3pm lunch and 8-9pm dinner initially resulted in some “double” meals, yet has led to longer gradual relaxing meals, a Greek habit worth mimicking. At least the kids now sleep
a little later.
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Language barriers have reduced us at times to negotiating with our hands and fingers, and some limited communication has come in the form of German or French. The kids have tried to make friends at playgrounds a couple of times, yet language prevented more than a wave.
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Driving has been like being in a video game with two lane roads being driven in a four lane format when cars are passing from both directions at the same time. Speed limit signs of 50km/hr are complemented by drivers passing me when I am going 100km/hr, and the “no pass” zones with straight lines and mountain turns are nothing more than gentle guidance for restless passing drivers.
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The kids are holding up to traveling well. Some sleeping arrangements consist of multiple or all in one bed (and they don’t make “kings” in Europe). Price is by the person, not the room (regardless of person size). And the showers always seem to leave huge puddles in the bathroom with the use of hand sprayers and curtains that don’t go low enough or wide enough. Kids in control of the hand sprayer doesn’t help. The kids have done
Olympia
The location of the first original olympic games. their studying for school in the car, at sights, and during pauses of the day. Surprisingly, they are spontaneously reading the materials with little prompting.
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Cathy Planchart
non-member comment
showers
Wow. You are having the time of your life. I had to laugh when I read about the hand held sprayer shower head and water going all over the bathroom. Welcome to Europe.