GREECE
Day 1
April 10, 2011
My host parents drove me to a tiny little train station in Liège, where I met up with a large group of kids who were all heading to Greece with me. This group included the hilarious Aditi, the wise Jordan, and the always-ill Christian. The ever-fantastic Emily Snell joined up with us later, in Arlon, where she gave me a box of Mac n Cheese and a Cooperstown, NY t-shirt. She's pretty much the coolest cat I know. She also didn't laugh when I brushed my teeth behind the bus and spit all over myself, instead of onto the ground like a normal person when I was done (I trust you're not laughing either).
We drove all night long, through France, then Switzerland and into Italy. I didn't sleep much -- only about an hour and a half, which was not pleasant. It was a very, very, very long bus ride. Very long. On a fun note, we stopped at a convenience store and Emily and I bought Bugles. Oh I love Bugles. We also found cheeseburger flavored chips. I just had to try them, so I bought a bag. Surprisingly, they were quite delicious. Just goes to show, you can't ever judge a junk food by how disgusting it sounds.
Day 2
April 11, 2011
We arrived in Ancone, Italy. After stopping to eat at a restaurant called Gino's, where we partook in some scrumptious authentic Italian lasagna, we headed to a port to get on our cruise ship/ferry to go to our final destination, GREECE! The boat was an all-nighter as well, with cute little cabins for groups of four. I roomed with Aditi, Emily, and Gabby (ze spreekt Nederlands). Our cabin was the last cabin at the very end of the hall. Lots of walking was involved.
The next morning, we arrived in Igoumentisa, Greece! I couldn't believe we were finally there. Greece is the birthplace of so much history, it's hard to realize that I was actually there.
Day 3
April 12, 2011
This day was spent in the bus. In all honesty, most of our days were spent in the bus. But this trip was especially long, curvy, and mountainous. Add in the fact that there are very few roadside barriers in Greece, and that we were in a very large, very cumbersome bus. That drive was a nail-biter. During most of the bus ride, Jordan, Christian, Emily and I played different card games.
Life Tip: Always carry a pack of cards. You never know when you'll want to play.
While riding in the bus, we are required to stop every 2 hours. In all honesty, that was a good thing, because 2 hours seems to be the time limit for most 18 year old bladders. At our lunch stop, we had a little bit of time to kill, so we headed out behind the restaurant/gas station (in the middle of NOWHERE), and followed a trail leading down a small trail to an orchard. At the end of the aisle in the orchard, there was another small hill that seemed to be a paved road. Jordan and I climbed over and went down to the other side, which is an old, dried-up river bed. It's exactly how the Pridelands are depicted in the Lion King after Scar takes over (when Simba comes back and reclaims the throne...?!). A bit further on is the river. Jordan and I walked down that way and took a few pictures, in addition to getting our feet wet. The water is super clear, and COLD. It was lovely. I know that that wasn't one of our official stops, but it was probably one of my favorite moments during the whole trip. I love little adventures like that.
That night, we arrived in Kalambaka, our first destination. Rotary let us loose on the town (kind of... this town wasn't very big, and was rather secluded, so there wasn't really much to be let loose on) until dinner time, a span of about three hours. Emily, Gabby, Aditi and I did some souvenir shopping and found some really cool souvenir shops. One of the proprietors was very nice, and all of his prices were cheaper than the other stores around. I bought a number of post cards there and a few other souvenirs, and when we left, he gave each of us a free post card of the Météors (our tourist stop the next day). We continued on and Aditi and Gabby both bought bracelets with their names spelled out in Greek letters (Aditi's broke throughout the entire trip... every time she managed to fix it, it would fall apart again). After taking a large group picture in front of a fountain, we all went back to the hotel for dinner.
We ate, and then headed back to our rooms to hang out until lights out at 11:30 or so. Emily, Aditi, Gabby, Jordan and I all hung out in our room (which had a spectacular balcony looking over the entire town) and had a wonderful time.
And now, for some pictures!
Sunset, as seen from the boat. I watched the sun slip behind those rocks; it was incredibly beautiful.
On the left, Miss Emily. On the right, yours truly.
Emily and I at Gino's in Ancone, Italy.
Emily at our lunch stop in Greece, because she's just so DARN cute.
The river in Greece.
The fountain in Kalambaka.
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