Greece - Day 6 (Sun. 9/1/24)

Nice leisurely day. This is the first morning that we didn't have to get up early. After breakfast, we had a long bus ride to our hotel in Olympia. We listened to some good playlists that our leaders had put together. Some American music (such an anatopism listening to "Bohemian Rhapsody" while driving through the Greek countryside) and some Greek music. 

We stopped here for a potty/food break. There was a fresh fruit stand in the parking lot, and our friends the Hinmans bought a large melon (maybe a crenshaw melon?) for 12 Euro to share with the whole group. So thoughtful.

A very nice lunch buffet was waiting for us when we arrived at what turned out to be my favorite hotel. Greek salad (of course), tabbouleh, gigantes plaki (huge baked beans), a mysterious yellow hummusy thing that may or may not be made from lentils (I didn’t completely understand what Nikos said, but he was adorable trying to explain it to me).

Then we had free time to enjoy this hotel setting: a quiet bucolic area on a hill above ancient Olympia. We had a nice balcony with a lovely panoramic view. This was the first day we finally started to feel like we were getting a handle on the jet lag.

In the evening, we went down the hill to tour the museum and ruins of the first Olympic Games from 776 BC. Our entertaining guide, Nikki, gave us lots of interesting stories and details (including the fact that the athletes were all naked men). I was struck by the fact that the Greeks were doing things thousands of years before America was even born. 

The athletes would go through this tunnel to enter the arena that held 45,000 spectators.

This is where they light the torch before carrying it to the city hosting the games.

The original starting blocks for the sprint.

We went back to the hotel and watched the sunset from the pool while eating the melon the Hinmans had bought earlier in the day. The hotel staff kindly cut it all up for us and served it. The melon was refreshing and mild and very enjoyable, and I was thinking how much our cats would love it.

Greece - Day 5 (Sat. 8/31/24)

Today we took a ferry from Tolo to two islands. 

 The first (Hydra) had no motorized vehicles and no roads. Donkeys carry heavy loads for people. I felt bad for the donkeys. I petted their necks and apologized on behalf of humanity. 

The island people do take good care of their cats. Cats roam freely on both islands, going in and out of shops and restaurants. They don’t belong to anyone, and everyone sets out food and water for them On the second island (Spetses), they even have little cat hotels and restaurants. They have no need for a Humane Society, because they ARE a humane society.  What a wonderful concept! 

We went into a sacred Greek Orthodox Church and roamed the quiet neighborhoods. I had a long chat with my friend Allison on the ferry ride.

It was a long day and we got home late. Skipped dinner and went to bed. Still trying to catch up on sleep.

Garage doors and grace

Pause in the travelogue so I can blog a current event. This morning, I was up in the spiritual realm, hanging out with God and worshipping for a couple hours. He was giving me new music, and I was playing what I heard on the piano. Then my alarm went off to remind me it was time for my gym class. So I was not fully engaged on Earth when I got in the car.  Also, today is the last official day of jet lag. They say to allow one day for every time zone you crossed to fully recover from jet lag. We crossed 8 time zones. We got home 8 days ago. 

In any case, I backed out of the garage before I opened the door. It made a terrible, familiar crunching sound, and I got out to discover that the door wouldn't open, and my car was scratched. I called Mike to confess and hoped he would give me the 40 lashes I deserved. But no. After I apologized, he said calmly, "It's just a door." His grace and mercy made me cry. I think I would have felt better with a flogging. 

The first time I busted a garage door was in 2005 at our old house on Lakeview Drive. It was grand opening day for the new Pizza Ranch in Morton, and I had been looking forward to this day for a long time. I had been home with toddlers all day and was so excited to go out to eat that I didn't wait for the garage door to open all the way. The second time was around 2012 and I was rushing to get Jee Hye to a ballet lesson on time. We did not make it on time, and JH couldn't wait to tell Miss Rebekah, "Sorry I'm late. My mom ran into the garage door because she forgot to open it." The third time was in February of 2019. JH called from school because she had forgotten her homework and wanted me to bring it immediately. And today was the fourth. I was self-flagellating and asked Jesus, "Why can't I just be perfect?" and He said, "Because then you wouldn't need grace." He doesn't condemn me and neither should I. Every time this happens, I end up overwhelmed at how gracious my husband is, and the repair guys, and the Lord. Apparently I need a reminder every few years.

So back to this morning. I remembered that Crawford and Brinkman did a good job fixing it last time, so I said to Siri, "Call Crawford and Brinkman." She replied, "Sorry, I can only call one person at a time. Who do you want to call?" I picked Crawford. She said, "I don't see a Crawford in your contacts. Who do you want to call?" I looked up the phone number and called them all by my big-girl self.
CB: Crawford and Brinkman.
Me: Hi. It's Janel Janes. I backed into my garage door again. Can you fix it, and do you have any advice for how I can stop doing this?
CB: I will send Jason to fix it. My advice would be to look before you back up.
Me: That's great advice! I'll give it a try.
I didn't even tell her about the jet lag clause.

Then she sent me a text with a picture of Jason, along with this information:

Hi, your technician Jason from Crawford & Brinkman Door and Window Co is on the way to Morton, IL 61550 USA. Jason has been working at Crawford and Brinkman for many years. He has been a installer on both residential and commercial doors in the past. This experience of installing allows him to be a better service technician. Jason has a keen sense to detail and will insure that your service needs at met. Please feel free to ask Jason any questions. He will gladly help. Call our office for any questions: (309) 691-8121

I appreciated that and thought it was a nice touch. To return the favor and let them know what to expect, I replied with a frumpy selfie and this information:

Hi, your homeowner Janel is getting dressed and on the way to the garage. Janel has been destroying garage doors for many years. She has been a destructive force at both this residence and her previous one in the past. This experience of destruction allows her to be a more gracious person. Janel has a keen sense  of curiosity and will insure that your service person will be asked many questions. Please feel free to ask Janel any questions in return. She will gladly help. Call our home for any questions: (xxx) xxx-xxxx

Jason arrived in impressively short order, and I did in fact ask him lots of questions, beginning with, "Do people back into their garage doors a lot, or is just me?"  He said it happens all the time and even multiple times to the same person. I asked him if he’s ever done it himself, and he said, “I don’t park in my garage.” I asked if he thought that would be a good practice for me as well, and he agreed that it might be. He was truly amazing, fixed it fast and cheap. It’s not like new, but it works and it’s good enough! If I hadn't confessed already, I'm sure Mike wouldn't have even noticed, because it's been damaged since the 2019 incident.  

Since I posted this story on Facebook, a few friends have sent private messages saying they've done the same thing. Others have offered tips on how to avoid doing it a fifth time. One suggested putting a sign on the steering wheel that reads, "Open garage door." Another suggested backing into the garage instead of driving in. He assumes I wouldn't drive head-on into the garage door, but I'm not so sure. 

Greece - Day 4 (Fri. 8/30/24)

Two hour bus ride to the Corinth Canal. We had only ten minutes to observe the pretty and interesting (although defunct) canal.  We were supposed to get off the bus, look at it, take a picture, and get back on. There was a Greek woman selling her wares where we got off the bus. I touched a silk dress as I was walking by, and she pounced on me. She spoke very little English but knew how to push a sale. She held the dress up to me and made yum yum noises. She grabbed my arms and started propelling me towards what I thought would be a dressing room while saying forcefully, "Come come! You try!" Turns out she was steering/dragging me to the cashier, to whom she handed the dress. The cashier said, "25 Euro" and held out his hand. She was barking, "You pay! You pay!" and the next thing I knew, I was handing over my credit card to buy a dress than I wasn't even sure would fit me. It felt a bit like an out of body experience that I had very little control over. While this whirlwind of dress bullying was taking place, everyone else looked at the canal.  Mike took a picture, and we got back on the bus. (Later at the next hotel, I tried on the dress and realized the neckline was more low-cut than I would wear. Fortunately, my mama taught me to travel with safety pins, so I pinned it up and it was fine. I ended up wearing that dress several times when my small supply of clean clothes ran out. Now that we're home, I sewed up the neck line so I don't have to pin it.)

Next stop was a museum and ancient theater at Epidaurus, dedicated to the ancient Greek God of medicine, Asclepius. While our guide, Katherine, sang his praises, I listened to the interesting info while being thankful for modern medicine and Jesus, the Great Physician.

Ancient surgical instruments. Scary stuff. 

Storm clouds were gathering and thunder rumbling while we were in the museum. Katherine rushed us to the theatre so she could demonstrate its perfect acoustics before the storm hit. Constructed in the 4th century BC, it could accommodate 14,000 spectators. No fancy sound systems back then, but if you stand in the acoustic center of the theater, every audience member can hear you easily, even if you whisper.

Mike hustled back to the bus, because it was starting to rain. I stopped to pet a cat, because it was my goal to pet every cat in Greece. That one-minute delay cause me to get caught in a drenching downpour while Mike remained dry on the bus. 

The bus dropped us at our hotel (the Rex) in Tolo, and that night we toured the Palamidi Fortress in Nafplio with the same guide we had earlier in the day. The fortress was beautiful and interesting, and the views from up there were gorgeous. I loved it.  

Mike at Palamidi Fortress

The whole herd on the steps of the fortress

At the fortress, with Nafplio in the background, wearing our earpieces so we could hear Katherine.

Mike and Bob in the prion cell in the fortress. What a miserable place for prisoners to await execution. It smelled like ancient urine in there, and the air was stale and hot. Uneven rocky floors where the prisoners couldn't even lie down. I thanked God for grace and got out of there before I got mired in the sadness of medieval punishment.

The herd on the bus

Palamidi Fortress on the top of the hill

View from the fortress

Greece - Day 3 (Thurs. 8/29/24)

Nice breakfast buffet at the hotel and early departure for the Acropolis before the heat and crowds got worse. Our tour guide (Thanos) did a great job keeping us on track through the Acropolis and the museum, and told us interesting stories and information. It was hot and crowded and awe-inspiring and dangerous. Everywhere you put your foot is an uneven, slippery fall hazard, so you have to be careful. 

The crowd around the entrance of the Acropolis.

Thanos

On the Acropolis with the Parthenon behind us.

Big Greek flag across from the Parthenon on the Acropolis. It was hanging straight down and I prayed that the wind of the Holy Spirit would blow it out. Right after I prayed, it started moving. It never made it to full extension, but it waved around some.

                                        Wearing our earpieces so we could hear Thanos.

A little tortoise on the way down from the Acropolis to the museum.
He walked over to me, so I petted his head.

Mars Hill, the setting for Acts 17. I imagined Paul preaching there.

The ruins of ancient Athens. They built modern Athens around them so we can still view them.

Then we went to the Plaka, which was supposed to be for shopping and lunch on our own, but I hit a wall of exhaustion that  made my only goal finding somewhere to rest. We went in a hot, stuffy, beautiful church and sat on the hard pews until we got kicked out because they were closing for the day. I like how all the churches are just open for anyone to enter. 

Then we found a couple park benches, and I collapsed on one and slept like a homeless person until Mike woke me up to catch the bus. I slept hard on the bus until Mike woke me up when we got to the hotel. I was totally confused and groggy. I'm thankful to have a traveling partner who watches out for me, and I feel sad for those who don't have that.

Bus dropped us off for dinner on our own on Ermou Street. We had dinner with our old friends Marc and Allison at a restaurant along the harbor at Piraeus port. This was the night I realized that Greek salad contains zero lettuce. It's a huge bowl of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and olives with a slab of feta on top and and a vinaigrette swimming at the bottom that you have to dig for. I learned some lessons eating this salad tonight that would prove helpful for the duration of the trip. I think we ate Greek salad every day. Also, we didn't know it yet, but this would prove to be standard dinner time throughout the trip (around 8:00 p.m.).  Greeks in general are night owls but they take a long nap every afternoon. Even the stores and restaurants close for nap time.

After dinner, we had a little time before the bus picked us up, so Allison and I swung on a swing set at a playground.

Greece - Days 1 & 2 (Tues. 8/27/24- Wed. 8/28/24)

We had breakfast at Woody's in Groveland on the way to the airport. Breezed smoothly through security in Peoria, and the flight left on time (11:00 a.m.). Long walk at O'Hare, but just the right amount of time to do it. Easy flight to Washington, D.C. Made the connection in good time, but then sat on the runway for over an hour while they addressed maintenance issues. Landed in Athens behind schedule and then had another delay while we waited for an available gate. Then the door to the jet bridge didn't work, so we waited for them to fix that before we could deplane. Finally got off the plane and had a little trouble locating our guide, Nikos. So everyone else in the group was already on the bus waiting for us. I think it was around noon on 8/28 when we arrived. Even though it wasn't our fault, I felt bad about being "those people" and was afraid that first impression would stick in everyone's mind, but they were gracious.

It was about an hour bus ride to our hotel (The President) in Athens, and everyone was exhausted and silent. This was the one and only time the bus was quiet. The President had a lovely but chilly rooftop pool with lots of unwritten rules that the Americans quickly violated. No towels allowed on the edge of the pool. No feet touching the pool after 7:00 p.m. No sitting on towels, etc. Bought a quick lunch from the bakery across the street (I had a salad, and Mike had a sandwich, and we shared a huge doughnut) and bought some sunscreen from the pharmacy next door. 

Views from the rooftop of our hotel

Rooftop pool with all the rules

The bus took us to the city center (Monastiraki) for some shopping. Saw lots of old buildings. Stopped for a brief visit at the Panathenaic Stadium, 2500 years old and the only one in the world made entirely of marble. It is still used today and houses 50,000 spectators.

Momastiraki

Allison and I

Panathenaic Stadium

Branson

We were in Branson this weekend for a wedding and found ourselves with some free time. I was browsing the brochures for things to do.  There were numerous shows, concerts, rides, tours, glitz and glam everywhere. It was overstimulating and unappealing to me. The Butterly Palace caught my eye, but it cost $27 each.  Then, amidst all the big ads with flashy colors and fonts, a tiny black and white ad that said only: “Shrine of the Holy Spirit” and an address.  It was 10 minutes from our hotel, and it was the only place I wanted to go. The first thing I saw was this rock with the 10 commandments carved into it. I stood there for a long time thinking about my sins and repenting, which I don’t do very often.

Then I looked up and saw the cross and felt the forgiveness. 

As I continued walking, I came to this statue of Jesus coming out of the tomb. 

The look on His face took me to a holy place that would be cheapened if I tried to describe it.  I put my hands on His face and stood there with tears running down mine.  

Swallows were nesting in the eaves all around the shrine, and they were flying and swooping all around me. I could hear their wings. And there was lovely music playing from speakers.  I walked around and read the verses etched into the walls, and then I just sat on the concrete and basked in His presence. 

I walked around the outside of the shrine and saw an apple lying on the ground. It made me reflect on Adam and Eve in the garden, the fall of humanity, and God’s plan for our redemption through Jesus. 

When I came around the other side, I saw the biggest beetle I’ve ever seen. Mike googled it and told me it was a Hercules rhinoceros beetle. I had no spiritual revelation, just gawked at it for awhile. 

The chapel was locked, which was disappointing because we’d brought our Bibles and were planning to do our morning reading in there. Took a picture through the window.