Greece - Day 14 (Sun. 9/9/24)

This day began with some terror in the early morning hours. At 1:30 a.m. I got up to go to the bathroom.  Didn’t turn on any lights so I wouldn’t disturb Mike.  I was in there awhile. When I opened the door, there was Mike’s shadowy figure right in front of me.  I screamed and sprayed imaginary mace in his face.  A full volume horror movie scream in a big hotel at 1:30 in the morning.  We were both wide awake for a long time after that. Maybe some of our neighbors were too. We really didn't do a lot of sleeping on this whole trip. 

The breakfast buffet was pretty amazing. Here's just one section of it:

We took an hour-long ride on the bus to go to Halkidiki Beach. Our guide explained that this peninsula has three distinct fingers. The first one (where we went) is where single people go because it has bars and restaurants and more of a party scene. The second one is where married people go, because it's quieter. The third one is owned by the church and populated exclusively by monks. No women allowed, and even male guests are required to present a written invitation. I spent a lot of time wondering about that third finger. What are the monks doing over there? What are they wearing on the beach? Have any of them ever smuggled in a woman? Has a woman ever dressed up like a man (Yentl-style) and snuck in? Anyway, this beach was better than Laganas, but still American beaches are way better. This was a crowded, narrow strip of sand, but we did find a chair/umbrella where we could sit for free as long as we ordered a drink, so Mike ordered a rum and Coke. The water was the perfect temperature, cool and refreshing, but not shockingly cold, and it was that beautiful clear turquoise. I stuffed my phone case under my swimsuit so it wouldn't drift away while I was gazing at the sky, enjoying a relaxing float in the salty waves. 

The gorgeous Aegean Sea

Mike always knew where we were, where we were going, where the bus was parked, and what time we had to be there. Lots of people got lost and ended up being late, but we never did because I just followed him. Sometimes he even discovered shortcuts. 

Our next stop was a little town called Afytos for lunch and shopping. We didn't eat and only bought a Tshirt for Noah at one of these little shops:

It was a hot day with lots of walking, and I was wearing inappropriate footwear once again. We hiked up this hill to the most beautiful view I've ever seen, but my feet were so tired and sore that I had to sit in the dirt. I found this little sweater that some toddler had left behind, so I used it to protect my feet and legs from the ants that were crawling around. 

Mike took this picture and said it was "classic Janel".  I'm hot, sweaty, dirty, tired, sore, and bruised, and I've stuffed my blistered feet into the sleeves of  a toddler sweater to use as socks. Trying to enjoy the beauty behind me. We saw three different weddings going on at this spot. 

After we got back to the hotel, we packed for our early morning tomorrow. Mike wisely went to bed, but I couldn't fight the urge to go out exploring a little on our last night. I loved this boardwalk so much! It was wide and well lit and well traveled. There was a lane in the middle for scooters, bikes, etc. The sea was on one side, and on the other were parks, playgrounds, restaurants, fountains, etc. There were lots of people of all ages, but it didn't feel crowded. There were old men fishing in the sea, young lovers having deep conversations on benches, athletes jogging, families pushing strollers, teenagers zipping by on electric scooters, street musicians (my favorite!) with empty guitar cases in front of them for donations. Just a wonderful relaxed, safe atmosphere. I decided I was going to walk all the way to the end of it. How far could it possibly be?

It turns out it was 5K, which was too much for my already-sore feet, even though I was wearing perfect footwear. I discovered that the boardwalk ends at the Concert Hall, where Swan Lake was being performed when I arrived. 

My goal was figure out how to rent one of those electric scooters I saw everywhere and ride it back to the hotel, because my feet said, "No more walking. We refuse to haul you around anymore. You've demanded way too much from us today. And not just today, but the last two weeks! You're on your own now. We quit." It's hard to learn a new thing in a foreign country late at night when you haven't slept much for two weeks and don't have an international data plan on your phone.

After studying the scooters, I determined that I had to scan a QR code on the scooter to download an app. That required me to get the scooter to the Concert Hall so I could use their free Wi-Fi. I half-dragged half-carried the thing, because the wheels lock up if you don't pay for it within a couple feet. I scanned the code, downloaded the app, connected my credit card to the payment system, and then realized I couldn't rent the thing without entering a local driver's license. All this activity with slow brain and even slower Wi-Fi took about an hour. Then I had to drag/carry the scooter back and start the long walk to the hotel. I took frequent breaks to sit and listen to street musicians and watch kids playing at the park, even though it was almost midnight.