Europe Trip 2012

Greek Guards at Syntagma

The Changing of the Guard

Plaka

Acropolis at Night

The Parthenon

It has come around to that time again, where Sweet Lorraine (SL) and I head off to Europe for a couple of months of adventure, experience and fun.  We hope you come along with us through this little blog. Please feel free to add comments and share with your traveling friends.
It has been a year of BIG changes, some happy, some sad, some  - well, different.
It has been just over 3 months since Lorraine's beautiful sister, Lisa, tragically ended her young life.  In some ways, it seems like yesterday, in some ways it seems years, but mostly, it seems unreal and unbelievable.  Happily, SL's mother, Kathy, now lives in Burlington with Lorraine's sister, Michelle, so we were all able to be together to prop each other up.  Thanks to Sandy, Brian, JB, Geoff, and everyone who helped us tunnel past that mountain. We could never get over it, but we got through it.
We sold our little Hobbithole in Burlington and moved to Grimsby – so far, we think it was a good decision – time will tell.
Our trip this year will include Lesvos, Sifnos, Paris France, various places in Tuscany, Italy, and Corsica.  We will be back on Sept 3.
We left Pearson airport and flew to Athens, where we took the bus to Syntagma Square.  After an afternoon nap we ate in Plaka, an artistic, historic, and cultural area near the Acropolis.  Our hotel had a beautiful view of the Parthenon from its rooftop patio where we enjoyed a nightcap gazing at the floodlit columns on the mountaintop.
Next day we watched the changing of the guard at Syntagma Square.  No disrespect intended to the Greek guards, but I couldn't help being reminded of ostriches in their plumage.  One would have to think they would all come down with shinsplints the way they goosestep on the hard pavement.
We then spent the afternoon a the Benaki museum, awed to be in the presence of art, pottery and jewelry that dated back thousands of years.  The highlight for me was Yoko Ono's jewelery, with a design called “Imagine Peace”.
After spending the day in Athens we headed to the port of Piraeus where we were told that we had out-bound tickets, no no return tickets on the ferry.  We'll let you know how THAT works!
Tomorrow we wake up in Lesvos!