Athina; a City of Crowds, Cops, and Oh Yea, the Akropolis

So we went to Greece this last weekend for a mini-holiday. I've decided to do a post on one day at a time, so I don't overwhelm you with awesomeness! We arrived in Athina (Athens in case the Greek is too difficult to understand) Thursday night around 9 PM. This was after our 40+ minute metro ride from the airport, so needless to say we were a little tired. Thankfully our hotel was right by the metro station. Off to bed we went ready for our first day of exploring!

When we got out the next morning to see some sites, this is what we came across....

Ok Ok....just kidding!! It's pretty close though ;) There were a TON of cops. Later we asked the nice man at the hotel if that was because of carnival and he said "No, it's normal because of our crime rate. Too many robberies." To which I replied "Has it helped?" Thankfully, all the po-po's has helped bring down the number of pick-pockets in the areas where the cops are. They aren't everywhere, and where they are not, it was creepy. Thankfully we didn't have any close encounters of the robbing kind-my bag was safely tucked the entire trip!

So first stop on our Athina day was the National Archaeological Museum. Now folks, this treasure trove of ancient Greek art is hidden away in a sketchy area. We were concerned that we had wandered a little far to find it but alas, we did. There were a lot of famous and great pieces in this place-so many in fact that it was a little overwhelming how much they would put in one case! Out of all that we saw, this was our favorite...

it looks like they're having a dance party. We kinda almost did a mini dance right there to join in ;) So after moseying around for a few hours, we headed off to our next stop, the main event.....

We kinda got lost. Well, not really. We just got a little turned around and up side alleys and in funny places. We knew where the Akropolis was the whole time, just not sure where the stinkin' entrance was! Many of the streets we went down did look like this.....

But we FINALLY made it!! And oh boy was it a site to see. It really is as awesome as people say it is. We are soo happy that we have a wide angle lens-it allows us to get shots like this....

We goofed off for quite a while trying to get that perfect shot. You'll have to check out our shutterfly account to see all those bad boys! We did get some good views of that dirty, dirty city.

And some that look like we are respectable, nice Americans, unlike some of our countrymen who we encountered and wanted to clobber because they are so stupid and ignorant. You know who you are out there.....no more shenanigans!!


Now I know some of you will not like this photo-too bad! I LOVE IT!! I really don't know what it is about it that make my little heart go "hey that's an awesome pic!" but I think it's great and you can keep quiet if you hate it!


Just a little more Akropolis view with some Athina behind it. They are doing some restoration on the whole site which is awesome! But the view of scaffolding around the place did deplete the sense of awe.



On the way back to the hotel to grab our rental car and go forth into the unknown, we walked by the Olympic Stadium. Matt didn't want to pay to go in so we just looked from the outside. I wanted to stand on the gold medal winners podium but I guess I'll just have to make do with jumping like I've won Olympic gold. Watch out world, this is the pose that I will strike, when I win the gold for being a total idiot!


Stay tuned for the next installment-Nafplio!!!

Traffic Jam on the Trail....

So a couple weekends ago Matt and I went on an adventure. We went to the Akamas Peninsula to walk around the Baths of Aphrodite and the "wilderness." The peninsula is the furthermost western point of the island, so we're knocking out some of the "most points" of where we live; Akrotiri is the southernmost point, Akamas is the western point. It was a lovely drive through Paphos and some villages through the hills of Troodos. Our guide books says that this area and the villages near by are becoming some of the best beach spots on the island so we're going to have to plan some beach days once the weather heats up.
The Baths of Aphrodite is where Aphrodite was bathing and had met her lover Adonis. Once upon a time people used to bath here to restore their youth but you can't do that any longer-bummer, I need to look younger ;) It was an easy little stroll to the grotto-there were lots of people out that day. Than we walked in the hillside and almost got lost and had to turn around because the sun was getting ready to set-we will have to return to finish the hike and really explore more.
After the hike we went into the village near by called Polis for dinner. We had a great meal at this pub-Matt had a small grill with the best sheftalia we've had yet! Yum! I had a grilled fish stuffed with spinach and feta cheese-super yum!! We drove home in the dark but thoroughly enjoyed the time together.

It's like the sign is saying "Aphrodite could help you get beautiful but we won't let you"

Matt's thinking about going for a dip-he's pretty enough and gets plenty of love ;)

Aphrodite picked a good spot to bath! Looks so refreshing!

Beautiful view of the shore and villages

An even better view with this handsome man!

Rednecks aren't just in Southern Maryland

So this was the traffic on the trail!! There were goats everywhere!! They had bells around their necks so we could hear the tinkle of the bells all around us as we hiked.

Just an FYI in case you didn't know about things blowing up

Cool old boat in the village of Polis. I wonder how long it's been there.

Fast Update

So life is getting a little wild for me here. It's been a couple weeks since the last post and that is mainly because my time and life is being consumed with one thing.....HORSES! Yes, I spend all day every day (except Wednesdays) at the "yard", as those crazy Brits call it. We haven't even really adventured around the island much lately. I think this weekend we need to go somewhere new. Here are the major updates as of right...now!
1. Christmas and New Year were fun and quiet spent at home doing not too much and skyping with family and friends
2. It feels like a bunch of my friends from CO are getting engaged/married this year. This year I will have had 3 previous roommates getting married-and I'm missing all those weddings :(
3. I'm planning a members only show next month at the barn and I'm SUPER excited about it. I am also being forced into competing (my instructor has given me no other options).
4. I've been taking lessons with a really tall, crazy, and awesome Brit who makes me laugh all the time with the exception of when she's trying to get me to fall off during a lesson. But I feel as though I am improving in leaps and bounds which is something that hasn't happened in years!
5. The big update is I'm coming home to get my dog in March! I'll be staying for 3 weeks, visiting friends in AZ and CO while I'm there. Also, my mom is having a BIG b-day (not saying what number) so we're having a big party for her which I am so happy to get to be part of!
And as always, we are looking forward to the loads of people who are coming to visit us in the very near future!

Holiday Season

So this year we didn't get to spend it with you, our beloved family and friends. We had a wonderful time with some coworker/friends eating a low key meal and playing some board games. We definitely missed spending the holidays with our family, especially after last year's fun time with my family for all three events. However, we are extremely grateful for this opportunity to live here and experience new things. 2011 has lots of promise for new and great things and adventures for not only us but our family and friends. We look forward to friends getting married, having babies, moving, and most of all, visiting us! As for life here on the island we look forward to taking an intro to Greek conversation class together (good thing I'm taking it with Matt, he's not the best at languages ;) ), traveling around the island more and finding new and fun places to visit, going to Paris in June to see our parents at the airshow and traveling with my parents after the show, having friends and family visit us, and most importantly, me going home to get Joey! It's been a very quiet and lonely house with out our boy! It will only really become our home when he gets here!
We are so blessed and thankful for your love and support, even though it comes from so far away. We love you all so dearly and want to hear from you! Have a very Happy New Year and we pray for only amazing and wonderful things in your lives this coming year!

ENGLAND!

So, we went to England! It was SOOO FUN! We met up with some friends (Peter and Kristi Kingsley) and had a fabulous time with them! We visited 4 areas; Peter's mum lives in Southport, Liverpool, Skipton, and of course London. Skipton has one of the best preserved castles in all of England so that was really cool to see. We saw the Cavern where the Beatles played. And the main touristy stuff in London. We are looking forward to going back when it's not so cold and there isn't some great "blizzard" to disrupt things. The weather really wasn't as bad as they made it out to be-they're just big sissies! Here is a small portion of the thousand or so pics we took while there. Remember to go to http://thecypruslife.shutterfly.com to view all the pictures!

Buckingham Palace for Changing of the Guard

So excited!

No tourist was going to get by him!

I don't blame this little one for being asleep already!

Matt's Christmas preset to me!!

Millennium Bridge connecting to St Paul's Cathedral

In front of Parliament

In front of Big Ben

London Eye at night

Peter and Kristi-that's true love there...

Beatles started out here

On England's second longest pier in Southport. It was REALLY REALLY COLD!

Sun setting by the pier

The wild "blizzard" of England. Worst December they've had in 100 years!

Skipton town and hillside view from the castle

Inside the castle

On the medieval potty!

Skipton had these sheep all over the town and the placards said "flock to Skipton"

On the train from Manchester to Southport

Sender BEWARE!!

So I thought I'd post these too-they are pics of the box Matt's mom sent to us! Seriously, this is how it looked when it arrived here! Hopefully nothing was lost in the shuffle ;)

Do I spy Bisquick??

Doesn't look so bad from here....

I'm sure little woodland critters weren't knawing at it!

Good thing the postal guy is honest!

Just thought you all would get a laugh at how badly this thing was beat up! Thankfully all did arrive and NOTHING was damaged, unless you count the corners of the stuffing and Bisquick boxes being smashed in....

"A Most Authentic Experience"

So I am well aware that it has been a little while since my last post. Sorry about that. Things have gotten a little wild around here. We moved into our new place and are getting settled nicely. It's the perfect size for just the 2 of us, and Joey when he FINALLY gets here! Matt is motoring around beautifully now on his bike! And I have started to ride out at the barn and am spending lots of time there. So needless to say, life is happening!
A few weeks ago, some of the boys down at work wanted to go to the Cyprus Ralley (cars!!) and I was not interested in the slightest. Thankfully, some of the other wives were not to thrilled about it either sowe decided to go to a little town called Lefkara. This town is famous for it's lace and sliver-wares. They even have a pattern that is recognized by UNESCO and Leonardo da Vinci came here to request a pattern that is now on display in Milan! Cool huh? This town was very lovely and as we left, Jamie, who has lived here for 3 years and has traveled extensively said "this is the most authentic experience with Cypriot people I've had while living here!" How wild is that!! Let me explain why....


This is Marina from Marguerit! She works at a co-op with something like 9 other ladies who live in the village. They hand make the lace into table cloths, runners, hankies, little bags, tiny potpourri pillows, you name it! As we wandered by her shop she told us to come in and she'd show us how they made the lace; she even said " you don't have to buy in order for me to show you." We talked with her for over an hour while she showed us the different patterns and explained how they made each one. She also explained the differences in the threads and linen used and how to tell the difference. And also why the prices are so steep-we're not paying for the end product really, we pay for the time invested. Some pieces can take months to complete and that is with several different ladies working on it at different stages. Technically there are 5 different patterns that are created here. She even told us that if we came back she would teach us how to make the lace! Of course we'd start out at the 8 year old level ;) She said that the women in the village are taught how to make the lace by their mothers and grandmothers-it's a family enterprise! Each generation teaches the next which I can only imagine requires tons of patience! She also gave us a restaurant suggestion and she did not lead us astray! Oh man was that food amazing!! I will definitely be going back to it again!

Here Marina is hard at work making a table cloth!

She's proud of her work!

After lunch, we met this guy! His family was one of the first to export the Lefkara lace; he claimed his great great, great, grandmother was one the first to take the lace to Alexandria so sell to the wealthy Egyptians! But here we learned more about the silver-smithing. He explained about the different types of silver used and how it is made. When a piece has a lot of filigree, it is so similar to the delicate lace patterns used on the cloths. He was very nice and charming to talk with-we learned a lot too. His family traveled throughout Europe to sell their wares and their first shop that opened really was in Liverpool-I think Matt and I may need to find it while we're there ;) He spoke to us as though we were his friends-it was really nice.


Now this lady-she was going in for the sale! Jamie ended up getting a beautiful (Onyx I think) earring and necklace set and a ring for a bargain price! The lady would just keep telling her "Don't think! Yes or No! Money comes and goes! Yes or No!" It was funny to watch. However, this lady also gave us lots of history from her family-they owned the shop and produced the silver products there. She definitely was very chatty! She had some very beautiful and unique things in her shop which is a huge reason Jamie was drawn in. It will be interesting to see what else she has to offer when we go back again-hopefully new things in store!

Beautiful little hillside town-you can see the sea!!

So Jamie said it was so authentic because people actually talked to us and cared to hear what we had to say! Sadly, a lot of the Cypriots don't care to hear you or know you so it was nice to have a conversation with some who were just super friendly! The first two definitely did not try to push and sell their wares on us either-we bought because we knew the story and history behind them and what they do. All of us walked away from the town happy that we had such a lovely day and had learned so much!