Kalambaka-Meteora
Day 20​
"Meteora" means suspended in the air; it is the place between the earth and the sky where monks during 14th Century built their monasteries, all through strenuous manual labor. Despite the many theories, the unique cliff formations are a great mystery to this day.
Other than isolation, the monks desired to be physically closer to God, believing that he would be able to hear their prayers better if they were higher up. Our tour group visited three of the monasteries, having to climb up exhaustingly long, but definitely worth it, flights of stairs.
The monks' dwellings are small and humble but astonishingly ornate, and their work is a manifestation of their faith in the Lord.
The amount of tourists to this location has increased rapidly over the years. With it being featured in James Bond For Your Eyes Only and on the cover of a National Geographic Magazine, more and more people have flocked in to see the incredible sites. With the Greek economy being as weak as it is, this is great news, but unfortunately, Kalambaka does not have a strong enough infrastructure to comfortably support all of the tourism.
If you are considering visiting this amazing city, I would recommend going before tourist season which is June-September.
Athens & Corinth
Day 17-18
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Written by Gregg Borror
It is easy to forget that the Bible records real people in real places doing- well, real things until you get to actually see one of the real places which we were able to do on a one-day tour to Old Corinth from Athens. Most of the ancient city is still beneath the modern city, but a portion was excavated and it happened to be the entryway into the old city. There are remains of the main road that ran from one harbor (Corinthian) to the other (Cenchrea) and it leads right into the town square. We were able to see the small streets of markets that were built around two main structures: the temple to Apollos and the Bema that was used as the stage from which a governor or even a Caesar would address the town. The most fully intact structure was a very well-designed cistern structure that provided water to the whole town from very early eras (3 and 2 cent. BC) through the whole Roman era.
Paul came to Corinth after leaving Athens (Acts 18) and spent over a year with Priscilla and Aquila who were fellow tent makers and from this important city center gave the next layer of Christianity to what is now Greece.
Santorini
Day 11
Crowds upon crowds travel up to Oía, Santorini to consume the warm, melty sunsets. In fact, there are signs marked “sunset this way” so that tourists may nestle up in the best spots to snap photos and enjoy the end of the day, soaking in the last remnants of the shimmering sunlight.
The buildings sit shoulder to shoulder on the hillside, looking like a page from a coloring book that was only half colored in. Stark white, rosy pink, blue, yellow, tangerine…the colors will instantaneously give you a surge of joy.
There were several moments when I would let out an evil-like laugh because the beauty of it all feels so wrong, like it cannot be allowed for some reason. It feels like a child getting away with stealing a cookie from the cookie jar.
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Even looking down you will find art in the beautiful mosaics of stones, or stairs down to an artist’s little cove of golden painted icons, or if your lucky a lovely bakery whose window is perched at the bottom of the walkway, so peering down your eyes are filled with shiny showcases of cakes, pie, and baklava.
One of the highlights from our day here in Oía was Atlantis Books, a quirky bookstore whose walls are filled with quotes from great writers and shelves packed with first edition classics which are tethered to the wooden shelves with a mere piece of twine. The store clerk told us that this weekend he will be traveling to London in search of more limited edition books-what a job!
Any bit of leftover stress has now been dissolved into the greatness of Santorini. The island truly incapsulates all that one would wish for in a vacation destination.
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Day 10
Now that we are finally acclimated to the island of Crete we are picking up and leaving for Santorini tomorrow! It has been a pretty crazy ride these past days. Here are some highlights:
Our host recommended us to visit a little, one-way street village packed with ceramics stores. If packing the fragile mugs and pots weren't so difficult, we would have come home with a variety of souvenirs, but alas we made it out with one mere mug.
For my 21st birthday, we spent the day at the beach. There is a taverna right on the beach that also rents out reclining chairs for day use. We plopped ourselves down, basked in the sunshine, and sipped on some nice refreshing drinks. After lunch, my dad took me jet skiing which was a very thrilling experience. Being out far in the ocean is quite surreal and incredibly exhilarating. Our adrenaline was pumping as we sped through the waves and got splashed with the cold sea water. We finished off the day with a wonderful dinner and delicious creme puffs.
Today, we took a nice hike in the Mili Gorge, just about a half hour from our villa. The hike is filled with ruins from a settlement of 1643, abandoned in 1972. Along the way, we stumbled upon an old man named Adonis who grew up in the village, now lives in a city nearby, but comes back every day to tend to his garden, sip on a cup of joe, and talk to visiting folk like us about his beloved childhood home. This serendipitous meeting was a nice addition to our hike!
With spirits of anticipation and excitement, we are saying our goodbyes to this wonderful island that we can now consider an acquaintance. We have had a lovely time here!
Crete
Crete
Day 3-Mother's Day
Today my parents and I were blessed with a sumptuous experience of hospitality and authentic Greek cuisine. Agreco Farms, just twenty minutes from our villa serviced us with a private guided tour of their farm and a three-course meal. I, among many other Portlanders, would consider myself a “foodie”, but honestly who wouldn’t consider themselves as a lover of food? The experience that we had today was more than a delicious meal, it was a meal woven with the tender care of many workers; the food represented the hard labor of many hands as well as the rich, fertile land spread across the island of Crete.
Upon arrival, a lady named Maria (born and raised in Crete), gave us a tour of the farm. It was easy to see the passion that Maria had for the land and the produce. We picked artichokes and apricots for a taste along the way and she also served us olives, potatoes with lemon juice and sea salt, cucumber, and tomatoes. She showed us various processes that the crops undergo before being served in the restaurant.
The meal was a set menu and so all we had to do was sit down and wait. Quickly plates upon plates appeared on our table, filled with bread, vegetables, olives, cheese, a potato artichoke omelet, and liver. Our eyes widened at the sight, and little did we know two more courses were on their way. The second course consisted of chicken, lamb, and a greek salad, and the third course was dessert with a heaping bowl of fresh cut fruit.
Our afternoon at the farm really revealed the hospitable nature of the Greek people, but it also showed me how impersonal and individualized an American dining experience can be, even in a fine dining establishment. Each person orders their own separate dish, and the farmers are rarely acknowledged or appreciated. There is something so special about sharing plates of food with one another. I love the idea that meals can bring people together, and that’s exactly what this spectacular meal did for us this afternoon! We felt connected to one another through the tastes of the food, but we also felt connected to the farm and to the people who were serving us.
Crete
Day 1
After hours and hours of travel, we have finally made it to Crete, Greece! Our home is perched on the side of a hill with views to die for. Alongside the rooster's song in the morning, the bells on the local goat neighbors jingle and jangle. Our hosts have been very hospitable and even brought us some of their homemade olive oil and wine.
Our first little excursion out of our villa was to the old town of Rethymno. It is always an interesting experience trying to navigate and understand a new culture. The pace of life is similar to Spain. People are in no rush to be anywhere and really soak in the present moments. I cannot understand what the people are saying to each other in their conversations, but I can see the engagement in their body language and tone of voice.
I am excited to continue discovering all that Greece has to offer! Next stops include Santorini, Naxos, Athens, Corinth, Delphi, Kalambaka, and Thessaloniki.
