GREECE!!!

Before I begin, I must say that no words can accurately describe how wonderful my trip was!

We stayed in Athens, which had just recovered from a snow storm, but was warm and beautiful when we were there! It was sunny and high 60s. The landscaping reminded me of Hawaii but with very different architechure standing on it. Everything was plush and green, flowers were everywhere, and every kind of palm tree you could imagine was there. Lining our hostel's road were picturesque orange trees (with very bitter oranges!) and I had the top floor with a balcony and a great view!

The first day we just walked around and familiarized ourselves with the area (we had a long night of traveling to recover from). The second morning we did a 3 hour walking tour and saw the Gateway to Olympeion and the Temple of Zues, the National Forest, the Ex-Guest House, Parliament and the changing of the guards, Syntagma Square (all the shops and markets), and of course the Acropolis (where the Parthenon is). Our hostel was within walking distance of all of this! That afternoon we did the Acropolis; it was a long hike up, but worth every bit! The views from the top were truly breathtaking! (The only bad thing was that there was scaffolding up on the parthenon for reconstruction/maintenance purposes.)

The third day we took a trip to the closest island to the mainland, Aegina. It was technically a ferry ride, but more like a cruise! We sat on the top deck (outside) on the way there in short sleeves, but it was a little chilly. The ride was so beautiful! The island itself was amazing too, it must have gotten up in the 70s that day! We had a nice relaxing day. We hung out on the beach, walked through the town, and ate lunch at a cute cafe on the water; I got a Greek Salad which was large chunk tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and feta cheese on top. We also got some Greek Cookies....yum!

Our last day we shopped in the market for souvenirs then headed home. It was a blast!!! I've decided that my honeymoon will be to the Greek Islands...indisputable! I absolutely fell in love with Greece. I'm not exactly sure what it was that pulled me in so much, but all three of us LOVED it! I already miss it and I haven't even been home 24 hours yet! We got home and in bed by 3am, despite an hour and a half delay at the airport, and ready for class by 9:30! It was a wonderful weekend, but I'm ready for my Spring Break in Italy...and I get to see Jake! yay!