Greece Day 3

Hello everyone!  Today has been a long day with much walking and sweating! :)  It is sooo hot here right now!  It's bearable because there is almost no humidity, but even with no humidity, 90+ degrees is hot.  There isn't a lot of shade here and the sun is very bright.  I have to wear sunscreen anytime I go outside so that I won't burn.

Anyway, today we took the guests into Athens so they could learn how to ride the bus and subway so they can go back on their own if they would like.  We got off the metro at the Acropolis station, and there is just something so amazing about coming up out of the subway into modern day Athens and seeing the ancient ruins of the Acropolis in the background.

After we got off the subway, we walked to see the original entrance into old Athens.  This is the gate where Paul would have walked through as he entered Athens and went to the Acropolis and Mars Hill where he preached.  You can see the Acropolis in the background through the gate.

There were a bunch of temples that Paul would have walked past on his way to the gate, and this is part of the ruins of one of those.

After this, we walked through some of the shopping areas and went to a really cool wine place.  They have wine tastings and all sorts of stuff with their store, but I thought it was one of the most beautiful stores I've ever seen.  The way they had the lighting and all the different colors of wine.  It almost looked like potions! :)

We had to head back to school for the lunch they had provided for us, so we headed back to the subway and bus and made our way there.  The traffic was really bad because in Greece, they have a siesta/quiet hour time from 3-5, and they all go home and then go back to work for a few more hours when it's over.  Such an interesting concept.

Today was also about delicious Greek food!  I may have skipped the lunch at the school and had my first gyro instead! :)  It was fabulous!  And then after dinner, we walked and had our second ice cream. I love the food here.  So fresh and yummy!

We went this afternoon to buy the tickets to take the ferry to Andros Island on Tuesday.  Here's a picture of the port.  The water is so pretty here!

Now it's time for relaxation and hopefully good sleeps.  Today and tomorrow should be the worst feeling days for jet lag and then it should be much better.  Tomorrow we are taking the guests to a special ruin and a beach for some relaxation.  Should be very nice.  More to come!

Greece Day 1

Hello everyone!

Yesterday was our first full day in Greece.  It was a crazy day!!  We had just landed the night before, so jet lag was in full swing.  However, the way to get on track in the new time zone is to get out in the sun and eat 3 meals at the normal time, so it was actually helpful to have a busy day.  Today the jet lag is much better.

We started by going to the Corinth canal.  It's a pretty amazing canal that was built, and there is a bridge that you stand on to look down on it.  It was fun to watch everyone see it for the first time.

Then we went from there to Old Corinth, which is one of my favorite places we visit.  It's so amazing to walk in the same places that Paul walked.  And to know that some of these ruins have been around for thousands of years.  Beautiful!

We had lunch overlooking Old Corinth, which was amazing and then we stopped by Cenchrea, which is the dock where Paul took the Nazarene vow and left Greece.  There are still some of the old ruins there.

Finally we went to Epidaurus, which is an ancient Greek theater that has perfect acoustics.  It's one of my favorite places!  It's amazing to me that with all of the technology we have now, there are ruins that were buried under an earthquake, uncovered and still have perfect acoustics!

A great first day!  I am putting more pictures on Facebook than I put here, so feel free to look there if you want to see more.  Have a great day!

The Pictures of Greece

Hi everyone!  Well I know in my last entry I said that I might be done with my blog.  And the length of time that it continues is still up in the air.  However, I have the opportunity to return to Greece this summer, and I am leaving in just a few days!  I am VERY excited to go back there, as this year I will be in a much different role.  When I went as a student, I had to take a class along with the sightseeing portion of the trip.  Now I have been done with school for a year-and-a-half so NO MORE CLASSES FOR ME!  This year, I am going as the trip admin/liaison person to help coordinate all that will be taking place while we are there.  So I definitely have a job to do, but this is also a vacation for me.    And I am SO READY!!  Breaks are good for anyone, but it is especially necessary when you work in this field.  I always know I have hit my wall when I reach the point with my clients that I want them to stop talking and get out of my office.  That's when I know I need to go recharge so I can come back fresh.  And let's just say it's about that time. :)

So I am bringing my blog back into existence at least for this trip.  I have realized again lately how much I see the world in pictures and how important pictures are for me to both express deep parts of myself and remember important places, experiences and people in my life.  My goal is to post at least a picture a day while I am in Greece that will be a reminder for me of what that day represented or is something I don't ever want to forget.  You're welcome to follow along on this journey.  I have great anticipation for all that God has in store for all of us going on this trip.  We leave Monday.

For now, enjoy a few of my favorite pictures from my last trip.  Until next time, much love to you all!