Author: MichaelKey

HE SAID

Despite some drizzly rain, Micaela and I decided to take a drive to a nearby dormant volcano for a little hike. The drive their certainly tested my skills — up, down, around sharp cutbacks. Given that a number of sizable rock were strewn about the road having fallen from the overhanging cliff, I had good cause to worry. At one point the sea literally splashed up onto the road. At another, we could see islands miles away. Finally, we came around a bend and saw the sign for the path to the volcano…and a very slight area to park.

With our new hiking shoes on (which proved to be awesome), we began. A family of three passed us on their way down. I don’t know if Europe has a term for hippie, but that’s how I would describe them.

For me, the fairly steep hike was amazing. The temptation to leave the path and climb all the rocks continually pressed upon me. That must be the 10-year-old boy that still lives in me. For some of the path, pine trees blocked our view. However, when we peaked out, the view was breathtaking over the water.

Fortunately, the path was pretty well marked with symbols painted on the rocks to let hikers know the correct way. (We only missed a couple turns and realized it almost right away.) The top was clearly marked as you’ll see below. My goal was twofold: climb up the highest I can safely climb, and enter the volcano as deep as I safely can. Turns out neither was very high or deep, but still…it was pretty cool. Not quite content, I explored around the mouth of the volcano a little bit more, but since Micaela didn’t move quite as nimbly around the slippery wet rocks as I did, I came back. But I’m certain we’ll make the hike again.

Afterwards, it seemed like a good idea to take a drive around the small peninsula. Again, the driving was tricky at times, but fun, and the views were awesome.

HE SAID

Last weekend saw some of our first real adventures. I posted some quick updates on Instagram but figured the blog was owed a more substantial account.

My Ladies

I thought to myself, “How awkward yet accurate can I make a heading?” My Ladies won. Pictured below you’ll first what locals call the “sleeping lady,” an incredibly accurate description of this mountain formation. If you don’t see her, you’ll find her face on the right, followed by her bosom, torso, and upright knees on the left.

I took this shot while exploring with the lady. It’s been fairly rainy, but it dried up enough to venture down to the water’s edge on the property our house sits on. And it finally warmed up enough to take a nice stroll around the area, taking in the new landscapes.

First Time on the Water

We typically eat our meals at hotel three properties over. Actually, it’s a water skiing resort and has hosted previous world champions. Apparently, it’s a pretty famous resort and regularly attracts people from around the world. (One flew in on his purple helicopter just the other day.)

Since it has warmed up a bit (we’re talking highs of 58° F), the skiers came out in force with their wetsuits. We walked down to the dock to observe and were instructed by our patron/host, who is a world class skier himself, about how competitions work. The skier must pass through a slalom course at 34 mph. If completed, they shorten the rope, which creates a much greater pull on the skier who now must sweep from side to side with even greater precision.

We were told we just had to go onto the boat to see it up close, and so we did. It was indeed impressive. The power with which the rope pulls the skier and the ability to swerve just at the right time…no thank you. I’ll just observe. Maybe put me on a tube and drag me around. I’m okay with that. But in the summer.

The driving skills of the captain (also the hotel owner) were pretty impressive too. He knew just when to cut the engines and swing her around perfectly. I’m excited for summer time when the chill isn’t freezing my hands!

Poros and Poseidon

After school last Friday, we were swept off by our patron/hostess to Poros, the Greek island that resides closest to the mainland. She backed the car into a ferry, explaining how the ferries and water taxis work in case we want to return on our own. Check out the pictures, and you’ll see that, yes, we of course will return.

Walking past all the seaside shops, which were mostly in siesta, we made our way to a little restaurant. Spinach pies, fried zucchini, a sweet pepper cheese soup thing — our hostess said we just had to try all these appetizers, and as she is incredibly generous, we agreed, much to our delight. The main course was equally superb. Gouvleti it was called, I believe. Beef brisket basically and orzo in a tomato sauce. Then off to a bakery for a Greek pastry. I’m not sure what it was called, but it was flaky, filled with a kind of custard, and sprinkled with cinnamon. I’d devour another one, that’s for sure.

Our adventure continued back in the car and up the mountains, stopping close to our destination simply to take in the beautiful view. Eventually we reached the sanctuary of Poseidon, a ruin that sits at the top of Poros. It was interesting to walk around and see these remains of structures that are thousands of years old. You don’t get that kind of history in Dallas! My account of this trip will differ a little from Micaela’s. Mostly because I had to relieve myself in the worst kind of way. Suffice it to say, in search for the actual temple (which I’m not sure we ever actually found in the ruins…the signs were not great) as an excuse, I left to urinate among the ruins, which felt both very wrong and yet somehow quite satisfying. You’ll need the “she said” version of this story for a less crude account.

I thought that we’d make our way back to the ferry, but our hostess (and apparent tour guide) had other plans. She took us past a hotel that we’ll just have to visit in the summer since they have the best beach for swimming. (Two things our patrons keep telling us: there are a number of things we “just have” to do, and summer is going to be so much better. I’m taking their word for it.) Then on to a seaside monastery. Though open to the public, we only briefly encountered a single monk despite the premises being a decent size. Perhaps most interesting was the chapel. It was only dimly lit and we couldn’t find the light switch, but the iconography covering practically every bit of wall space was captivating (even if I have my theological qualms with iconography).

Also interesting was our hostess’s asides on spirituality and religion, which were especially brought out by the visit to the monastery. Comments about feeling the energy of the nature around us and lighting candles in prayer — I find them intriguing to say the least. I’m sure more conversations will occur in our time together.

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HE SAID

I had every intention of blogging more regularly. I suppose since we are only two weeks in, there is some time to remedy that. We will see.

Since being in Greece, certain things stand out as obviously different from Texas. The Aegean Sea radiates that deep blue for which it is famous. Mountains line the horizon. Houses and buildings bear different architecture. (Most houses, for example, have an outside stairwell to access the roof.) A variety of small shops (baker, butcher, hair salon, etc.) twist down the tiny village streets. These especially stand in contrast to the one-stop-shop that is Walmart or Target.

But being the detail-oriented person that I am, the little things interest me also. Here are some of the those things with a few comments.

Keys

This seemed like the most appropriate place to start. Most of the keys and locks resemble those in the states. However, the key to our little house is totally round up to the very tip where it breaks off into four sets of teeth (rather than just one) facing up, down, left, and right. The keyhole too is round. And the inside of the door does not have a deadbolt but the exact same keyhole. It’s just a little weird to have to lock yourself in at night and find the key in the morning to let yourself out for work.

Inside the house, just about every door also has a keyhole on either side of the door. A key remains on one side to lock the door if necessary. I’m not sure why I would every need to lock the doors into the kitchen, but if I wanted to eat all of the pastries our benefactors bought us from the nearby French pastry shop, I guess those keys might come in handy then. Given that I could literally grab any other key from any other door, I don’t know how they’re supposed to make that much of a difference.

Doors and Windows

Besides the main door, we have two sets of French doors that match all the windows in the house. Each of them has thick shutters with the same locking mechanism, and each has glass doors that swing inward. I just found it interesting that they all open the same way. The handle, which is on only one of the windows twists in three positions. When down, it is locked. When twisted horizontally, it swings open. And when turned up, it tilts down from the top while the bottom remains closed. When we first did this, we thought we had broken the window! It seemed to have come off its hinges, but then we found the arm holding the window from the top. I’d take a picture, but I don’t feel like getting off of the couch.

Plugs and Light Switches

I knew an electrical adapter would be needed, but when you’ve gone most of your life with the two vertical slits and one circular hold below them for an electrical outlet, seeing things otherwise just doesn’t seem right. Instead, outlets consist of just two parallel round circles, slightly wider apart than our two slits.

There seem to be more plugs closer to light switches as well.

Also, light switches. At what height would you expect to find these on a wall? If you said chest height, you would be incorrect. Try waist height. It’s actually kind of nice. You turn into a room, stick out your hand, and there it is. No groping up the wall for the switch. Granted that I’ve only been in four different bathrooms, I think, all of them has had the switch outside the room. Again, kind of nice. Light up the room before stepping inside.

Boiler Room / Laundry Room

Our house has two small A/C units fixed up on the wall, but it is primarily heated by radiators. Firstly, these things make startling popping noises every so often, when, when can be quite annoying if they decide to pop during the middle of the night. Secondly, they don’t also work. The boiler, which sits in a room that you enter from the outside of the house, and which also heats are hot water, has decided to shut off every once in a while. So I have to grab the keys, unlock the front door, swing around the house to the exterior room, unlock that door, remember not to whack my head on the short doorway, unscrew a cap on the boiler, and press the reset button.

While I’m offer complaints about small issues as I sit in paradise (yes, I understand my pettiness), a few words on laundry. The laundry machine sits in the boiler room and is quite small. When finished, clothes must air dry. Not really a big deal, just not the immediacy I’m used to.

Food and its Effects

We say that everything is bigger in Texas, and this is true in some respects. But the portion size for each meal blows Texas away. Micaela and I regularly share one serving. (And I can eat!) The Greeks don’t play. It probably helps waist size that fresh food seems more readily available and that the towns are more conducive for walking.

We also have taken for granted that when the food has run its course and nature calls, we can flush the sullied toilet paper down the toilet never to be seen or smelled by us again. Not so here. Their sewage system can’t handle TP, and so it must be thrown away in a trash can by the toilet. Just a little gross.

English!

Despite our being stereotypical Americans and only knowing one language, a surprising amount of things are in English. Many streets signs include names in the Greek alphabet but also our Latin alphabet. A fair number of food products are labeled with Greek and English. But when they aren’t, Google Translate saves us. It will even take a picture and translate the words. (Side note: paprika-flavored Pringles are the bomb.) Fortunately for us, most people, who have shown kindness above and beyond what we could have hoped, seem to know at least some English as well.

If you stayed with me all the way through, well done. I’m sure most people would find this quite banal. But like I said, it’s the little things in life that especially intrigue me.

HE SAID

We left Tuesday, and today is Thursday…I think. Jet lag is a real thing for sure. It doesn’t help that it’s rainy and dreary today. But this is what I remember of our getting here.

Dallas to Frankfurt The first leg of the journey is best summed in pictures.

Excitement. Exhaustion. Over it.

I soon found that the older gentleman next to me did not consider the armrest to be the boundary line for his elbow. The headphone jack didn’t work on my headrest screen, but thankfully I had downloaded some movies on my phone. And while it was cool at various times, I was quite warm by the end. Being tired, hot, and squished meant that I was on the verge of profanities. No one like cranky Michael, me least of all.

But the food was alright, the seats were relatively comfortable, and at the end of the day, it was a free ticket for us.

Frankfurt to Athens

I think we were on a plane or something like that. I was too tired and was conked out. By the time I came out of my stupor, Athens was upon us. Or the other way around?

Athens to Our New Home

This is where the excitement flushed back. Despite our plebeian status, or so I keep joking, we did not drive to our destination from the airport. Instead, we loaded into a helicopter because our host family has a helipad in their front yard. Yes, you read that correctly. A helipad.

We flew over Athens, viewing the Parthenon from a truly unique perspective. A few minutes later, we soared over the water, swinging around the beautiful island of Poros before landing. The sun peaked out from behind the clouds at this point, highlighting the cinematic landscape. Capping the movie-like experience, a host of friends were waiting outside to greet the family upon arrival with laughs, hugs, and gifts.

The journey was exhausting but at the same time exhilirating. We were soon introduced to half a dozen people, most of whose names I’ve lost, shown around the incredible property, given a thousand suggestions of sites to see and trails to hike, and lent a “murk” for our expeditions. (It turns out murk should actually be spelled merc since it stands for Mercedes, as in a sporty Mercedes-Benz that we get to drive around whenever.)

Our Home

We are staying in the quaint vacation home next door in an orange and olive grove. Truly picturesque. Now to get settled in and adjusted to life in Greece!

(That’s only a brief overview, but maybe Micaela can give her perspective soon.)

HE SAID

Being the Tolkien afficionado that I am, it is fitting that I begin our journey with a Lord of the Rings reference. The road goes ever on and on… We have some idea about where our road will take us: Greece and South Africa. But we are blind to what God may have on our road. Given that this opportunity to travel the world came unsought for, who knows where our feet will walk.

Side note: here we are getting some last minute game playing with Micaela’s family.