Epilogue

And so this story comes to an end my homeslices.  This is the last post I will add to my crazy adventures in Greece. It's been a great run...  For those of you who have enjoyed this story and are slightly upset that this is the end, no fear: this blog has given me the motivation to start another one. My grand adventures from last summer will finally be told under another brilliant title, which some one of you might have had the luxury of knowing when I was toying with this very idea last summer. I will add after this post little stories that I never told you and that I know my Homeslices will appreciate... I hope it makes you laugh as much as it made us drop to the ground in hysterics!

It's been about five days since I've landed back in Canada. It has not felt like home, nor has it been a slice. (I couldn't help it with the pun.) The BBQ my brother and I had wished to throw as a 'welcome back home, Julie,' with a couple of people turned into a flimzy fest, to say the least. I'll leave it at that with that one.
I'm finally and sadly, coming out of Greek-time. 
I've been missing my friends from Pylos like crazy.
I haven't been very happy, but I have been trying to surround myself with my friends here... May I add here that these homies have been rockstars for putting up with me and keeping me company almost everyday.

I finally went through all of my pictures today --- the final count is over 3000 pictures and 6 hours of home video footage: hilarious audio commentary provided by: Jess from Kansas, Tristan and Lianne.

I had dedicated a wall in my bedroom for last summer's adventures --- those of you who have facebook: I have a picture of it posted there.  I've run out of wall space in that room, but I think I'll have to bring down some old frames to make room for this summer's adventures. There's no way I'm not putting my favourite pictures up. 
No way, Jose.

After seeing a preview of my trip with the few pictures I had already developped, my neighbour noticed that I had loads taken with people. She noted that it's these pictures that keep the memories alive. Its these people who made the adventure meaningful and that its these pictures that count the most. 

She couldn't be more right.

As much as it was incredible to visit the ancient sites that I had heard of and studied for so long, it's the people I spent my time with that made my experience abroad so worthwhile. Here's a perfect example: Olympia.
Our group had a guided tour for the site and Kansas and I were hungover out of our minds.  It was hot and we absolutely had no patience to stand there, listen to the guide, and walk from monument to monument in the blistering heat at the pace the guide was going.. slooooow, slooooow, sloooooow.
So what did we do? We had fun.
Slowly, we crept away and created our own tour, posing with the monuments and making up stories as we figured out the real history behind each of them. 
A little fun never hurt anybody, eh? As much as we felt out of it, our day at Olympia turned out to be one of the best site visits I did with the excavation project.

With that said, if it hasn't been loud and clear by now, I've made a few friends that I know I will keep close to my heart for a very long time. 

Lianne, my Canadian sister, my roommate, my partner in crime and my bestfriend. She put up with my antics, took care of my drunken butt more than once and made sure that I was on the bus on that famous morning we left Pylos.
We hit it right off the bat the day I arrived, and our friendship blossomed in no time. People knew we were best friends and I suppose it showed.  She was my right-wing and I, her left. We travelled together after Pylos and had so many great and stupid laughs.  We acted as if we'd known each other for years, when we'd only been friends for a month.  People like Lianne are few and far in between and I feel very lucky to have had such an awesome roommate and friend --- who is one of my best friends now. How can I not consider her as my best friend? After all the crazy skata we've gone through... She's the only other person who experienced it with me.  She's the best.  You got that Homeslice? You're the best!

Jess from Kansas, my Numero Uno, my ranting buddy and my Midwest sister. I can't even remember how I ended up spending my evening with her and Jessie at our favourite frappe cafe, but DAMN. From that night on, her and I were glued to the hips. After our first Saturday night out, at Symposio, we both knew that we were meant to hang out together. We had so much in common... Her and I would let loose a little bit (just a little bit), and both of our roommates would roll their eyes and end up getting the short end of those sticks... everytime...
SORRY -- LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, JESSIE AND LIANNE.
We had so many hilarious conversations that were usually shot to hell, as they just didn't make sense anymore... We ranted and gossiped so much, sometimes a little too much for our own good, which made us both go a little bonkers. We made up so many inside jokes, some while we were sober, others... Not so much (!).
'Amen to that, sister.'
'Holy shit, he looks like a BULLDOG!'
'That's because HE'S. A. little. SHIT'
'What happened?? I. don't. know!'
'NO MAS TEQUILA!'
'Disaronno? Yesssss, Disaronnoooo!'
I love this girl so much and I miss her like crazy.
She is definitely my Numero Uno.

Jessie from South Carolina, my Tie-Dye, my Palace of Nestor buddy and my southern sister. I was in awe the first time I heard her say "y'all" and I knew I'd be good friends with this girl. I seemed to share a certain immaturity with her that I didn't with my other homies.  At the dinner table, especially, we would look at each other and just start laughing --- TELEKINESIS --- nai, nai, nai, nai, nai, nai, nai, nai, nai, nai, nai,! 
She has a good conscience on her shoulders and I envied that from time to time. But, I was lucky enough to have her by my side to help me out when I needed it, (Lord knows I needed it from time to time! Oh, ti krima!).
South Carolina's definitely a diamond in the rough.
Nai, nai, nai, nai, nai, nai,nai,nai,nai,nai, nai, nai!

Last but not least, Melina, my Greek sister, Greek-speaking buddy and gossip partner. 

I got to know her a little later in the excavation project, but that didn't seem to hinder our antics. One dinner, in particular, that I'm sure a select few will always remember, had Melina teaching me a bunch of Greek words, which I then tried out with Lia, our lovely Karalis employee who had to deal with all of us, (I hope she had some good laughs with us from time to time!).

I tried so hard to fit in with the Greeks, by speaking their language, that I sometimes tried a little too hard. Here's a perfect example I'm not sure I've shared with you yet, my Homeslices:
My Greek shop owner friend once freaked out on me after I told her that I was 'dying', when I really meant that I was doing 'great'. 
Yeah... That went over well.
Melina was so welcoming and hospitable. She always made sure that I was doing good, especially during my last week in Greece and made a point to meet everyday to hang out.  My last week ended up being a hundred times better than I had anticipated.  We roadtripped down the coastal highway to Sounio, hung out at taverns late at night and laughed so hard that nothing made anymore sense...

That's a good time if I've ever heard of one!

I feel like I met the greatest people during my stay in Greece and I appreciated all of their company and the memories we've created together.  I'm so proud of myself for doing this.  I had the greatest time of my life. I've learned so much on the subject that I am so passionate about and other little lessons I'm sure some will laugh at as they read this!

I established other relationships throughout my summer in Greece and I hope that some of them stay alive for a while. I'm sure some will. Who knows what will happen, right?  Things will work out for the best, and that 'best' might be sucky for a little bit, or it could turn into something really nice --- I'm personally rooting the second bit, because it's been a while since I've felt so happy being around people and talking with others --- I hope I keep this one connection in particular, alive and happy.

It's funny how certain people, including the four I've mentionned above, can really turn your life around and make you come to life again. My four Homeslices and a couple other notable people have really made a difference in my life.  It's an amazing feeling to wake up everyday and to know that another crazy chapter is about to start, despite having to wake up at 5AM... Although it was unknown, I always knew that at the end of the day, I would be able to say that I had another great day. 
People don't always get the opportunity to experience that feeling and I feel like I finally caught a break. By flying across the world, living in a foreign country with a totally different alphabet and by starting FRESH, I suppose I can say that I found my Poseidon. I broke free and realized what was important to me and what really mattered.  Again, I had the time of my life.

It's not the greatest feeling being back right now, but it's OK. Handsome and I have been talking since the day we left our people at the airport. Being able to talk to him every day made me feel (still does) a lot less Pylos-homesick than I think I would have been otherwise. We still talk to this day... (smile!)  I've been talking to my Homeslices, ever since I got back in Canada and was able to re-connect my crackberry to the Telus towers. And, you know what? The pictures I have will soon be framed on my wall and will keep all these wonderful memories alive for a very, very, very long time.

Love, Love, Love.

One Starbucks, Two Starbucks

The waiting game then began.  It wasn't very nice outside and I was running low on Euros... I suppose I could add that my foot was throbbing and had swollen up so bad that it didn't fit in my shoe... (What the hell?!) 
I really didn't care about touring Amsterdam... I know: it's a sin just writing that line down.  I will make it up to this city next time I come over. I promise.
So instead of going outside, I stayed indoors, grabbed a caramel macchiato and breakfast... and bought a Starbucks mug from their World series: a nice orange Netherlands edition mug --- CHYEAH!

A couple hours later:
I made my way to the passport control gate, but didn't get in line yet --- I still had a number of hours to go before I could even board onto my final plane. I bunkered down for a bit: read, day-dreamed (a little too much) and stared at the in-coming people arriving from all over the world.  When I did go through passport control, the guy at the booth looked at me and stamped my passport.
Wait, what??  That's it?  I almost got detained coming into this area in the first place, back in France when I was having a shit-fit.  You people really want to get rid of me, eh?  Christo Hesus!  'No sweat' is an understatement here, man oh man.

On the other hand, you had this el loca lady at the next booth and that guard was grilling her (yeahh... that brought back a couple of memories).  Maybe the guard at my booth had gotten word that I was a P.I.T.A. and didn't want to deal with me... Or maybe, he loved me automatically, because I'm a Canadian... Who doesn't love Canada?!  HAHA!

After that, I found my gate for AMS - MTL and the waiting game continued... I really must have psychic connections with Starbucks, because I found another one as easily as I had passed passport control. HOT DAMN.  Well, I suppose another caramel macchiato is in order then... Nai?  NAI!!!  Aha: BUENO!!!!

One parallel I can definitely draw between my travels back to Canada is with my travels from Pylos to Piraeus.  Yes my homeslices, I pulled another all-nighter in beloved Greece.
Yes, I could've slept at the airport if I'd gotten there early.
Yes, I could've caught some shut eye in Pylos like most of the people did...
But, I would'nt have traded my last night in Greece with Melina and Karim, or my last night in Pylos, for the world.
And yes, I am turning into a caffeine-zombie. It's so worth it, sometimes... TEEHEE!

FYI: 3rd caramel macchiato.  UH OH!!!

How Much is A Canadian Butterfly?!

The fun really began once I met with Melina around 5.30PM.
The hotel shuttle gave me a ride to the metro station where I had a lot of fun dragging my bricks behind me... Aye Dios Mio.  I just kept thinking, 'you're chilling with Melina, you're chilling with Melina, you're chilling with Melina.' It was so damn hot and I was getting really impatient --- UGH. Pain in my ASS.
I finally transferred from one metro line to the other and reached our meeting point. I was a little early, but who cares: Melina arrived in no time -- WOOHOO! PAME! Let's go, let's go, let's GO!!

We drove to Karim's house, which was close by, and put my bricks to rest for a few hours. It turns out that Karim had made dinner for us... Wow! (And to think that I was going to bum around the airport that night until 5 AM the next day for my flight... No way, JOSE!
Here I was, hanging out with my Greek friends and having a good time chilling out and talking --- most of our conversations ended up being shot to hell when nothing made any sense anymore --- we were all caught into laughing fits...! Karim had made the best Greek salad with rizi and psari... Oh Thee Mu, OREA!
It was so good --- great last Greek dinner; nai, nai!

After dinner, we were sure of going out for a drink:
"I am drink. Julie, you are drink?"
"Nai, nai! I am drink!"
We went to a calm little cafe where we had thia potiri aspro krasi (the spelling's off most likely...) Karim left for a bit and brought back a souvlaki... mmm. Efkharisto!

We had so many laughs all through the night... Oh man.  At one point, Karim was miming a butterfly with his hands. But, he was really trying to mime an airplane... And trying to ask me how much was my plane ticket; that way he could buy me another one...for next MONTH.
Except, I understood this:
'How much is a Canadian Butterfly?'

Oh. My. God.  Melina and I entered another laughing fit. 

The next thing you know, 1.30AM rolled by and it was time for me to start heading towards the airport. Melina was so welcoming this week, showing me around the city, introducing me to her friends, going on roadtrips with me... Her friend Karim was just the same, from the get-go.
Karim is a fashion designer and he gave me such a beautiful gift. I couldn't believe my eyes when he told me that he was giving me the dress I tried on. The dress was a sample dress... Meaning that no one else has this design yet... Woah.

When I was packing my dress, Karim kept putting more stuff into my luggage. Stamata! I have a weight restriction and I'm barely making it already, please! Bless his heart, he has the biggest heart with strangers that I have ever seen.

I said my goodbyes to my friends, hopped on the bus and dozed off until I got to the airport...Where my SUITCASE crushed my foot. It timbered down on its side as I was trying to lift if up/down from the bus.

HOLY MOTHER OF SKATA.

My foot ballooned right there and then to blue and purple and goddamn, it freaking hurt --- it still does. My poor foot: a few days ago, in Delphi, a branch stabbed my little toe, and then I knocked the third toe, just by walking in the street --- I think I broke this one again.. F*!K.

I wasn't happy to be here in this damn airport either. I have nothing but sucky memories here:
- Arriving in Athens in the first place: I just wanted to go back to Canada the minute I had landed.
- Coming back from Pylos and saying goodbye to my numero Unos and my person.
- And now, actually LEAVING Greece.

Checking in was easy-peezy and security? A breeze.  After all, it was 4AM and the airport was full of zombie-looking tourist.
The first leg to Amsterdam went as follows: I was on the Athenian tarmack one minute, and then I finally saw rain for the first time in two months, in Dutch territory.  Ok then, I'm officially not in Greece anymore.

Oh, Thee Mu, Den To Pistevo!

I can't believe I have been in Greece for a month and a half. It sure hasn't felt like it: it went by so damn fast... Too fast!
I went back to my Starbucks for the second time today.... It's so poli zesty that I just couldn't resist. Ella, I'm gone tomorrow anyway --- who cares?!
I was listening into people's conversations and trying to understand what they were saying...I'm really getting there! I can make out half the words they say sometimes!
Last night at the taverna, Karam caught me focusing on another table's conversation... I snapped out of it and him and Melina thought it was cool that I was really making an effort to understand and to speak Greek.

I walked around Piraeus and visited its Archaeological Museum this afternoon, since I had time to kill before heading to the metro with my luggage full of bricks (wish me luck with that one..) It was small, but nice...and had AIR CONDITIONNING. BUENO!

I love this country. I've met none but great peple inevery town I've visited or lived...! Although it's bloody zesty, I quickly adapted in Pylos and it was good practice, because once I got into Piraeus, BANG! Freaking poli zesty!!!
Who cares though, I'm in Hellas!

One of my favorite moments was befriending Melina. I thought she was so orea back in Pylos, teaching me words so I could make up my own half-ass sentences, and look where we are now! I'm hanging out with friends in a foreign country. Oh Thee Mu, it can't get any better than this!

To think that when I planned to stay an extra week after Lianne left that I would do day trips here and there and chill out...This whole trip was meant to be:
- I found a best friend in Lianne from the first minute I finally got to Pylos
- I found my my other numero unos in Kansas, South Carolina, New York and Indiana with whom we've shared so may crazy amazing times
- I met a poli oreo Americano whom I think is totally awesome
And last, but not least!
I found an apithana friend in Melina who is, in Karam's famous words, "you is shine... you is star... a shine star!"

I'm seriously going to miss this place. It was incredible that I had the opportunity to participate on an excavation (and to make the coolest friends EVER), to live in a beautiful town that is nice, quiet (unless we created some ruckus...TEEHEE!) and to travel a good part of the country afterwards to have a taste of what Greece is really about!

Hellas: S'agapo poli, poli, poli, poli, poli, POLI!!!!!!!

Oh, Canada: I'm COMING backkkkkkkk <3

I Am Love For You

Once we got back into Athens, we settled for a nice taverna outside of the bustling downtown buzz and had Greek salad, patates and kotopulo souvlaki --- ahah, BUENO!

There isn't a whole lot to write here, because we were just sitting here for a few hours... But what I can write is the company was wonderful. I love Melina, she's such a wonderful person and her friend Karam, from the get-go, welcomed me and both of them made me feel so much at home and apart of their friends.

Karam was still trying to tell Melina how much he loved her and, oh, bless his heart, it always came out in the funniest ways.
He is Egyptian and I suppose the way they speak in Arabic doesn't translate properly, or directly to Greek.  And so, everytime he would say something as simple as, 'I want you to sit', it would come out as 'I am want you sit'..or something like that! At one point, he kept saying 'I am love for you'. Oh, it was so cute, but damn! It was funny.  Oh man, our conversations were shot to hell half the time they weren't making anymore sense!
We kept trying to correct him and then he would go on a tangent and speak to me in Greek really fast and I would have to say,'WOAH! Back up! Slowly!!!'

Two more friends joined and one didn't know much Greek. When Karam would begin speaking to his buddy, this guy would say, "HEY! IN ARABIC, I only know 6 phrases!"

Oh my God, I hadn't laughed this much since Lianne and I had our own little party in Santorini with Dirty Dancing!

When 1:30 finally came around, we said our goodbyes, but made plans for today --- CHYEAH!

Since I won't be sleeping tonight --- my flight is at 5AM and I have to be at the airport for 2AM, I will be meting up with Melina and Karam and will most likely have another great night like last night. Orea! NICE!

Cheers, my Homeslices! IYA MAS, my Homeslices!!

The Temple and The Sea

My homeslices, I have finally seen it!

Melina, her friend Karam and I took a road trip down to the tip of Attica peninsula, to Cape Sounio. What was there you might be asking?? Have you ever wondered what temple is in that picture at the top of my blog?!

THE TEMPLE OF POSEIDON!

What a way to spend your last full day in Greece:
Wonderful company, an amazing temple, and a fantastic time...! POLI ZESTY MERA.. very (very very very) hot day, though. Oh well, who cares!?

The drive to and from Sounio is GORGEOUS!  We took the coastal road and 'Oh, my God, I can't believe it!' It felt like I was in a California movie where the people drive by the sea ---- But I was GREECE. Who got the better end of that stick... HAHA!

Karam is pretty cool --- and funny.  I spoke the Greek that I knew which entailed having 2 black and white cats and 1 black cat with TWO green eyes.  He got a kick out of that! 

When we reached the Temple, I was in total awe.  It is not as preserved as the Parthenon, but so much more than say, the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, or of Zeus at Olympia --- FO SHO!
We walked around it, took a bunch of pictures... yes, I was picture happy here too.

We got a kick out of figuring what what kind of birds were clucking and strutting their stuff around and ON the temple.
Melina suggested that we roast one for dinner. Ah, ha!! Kotopulo for dinner? BUENO!

We walked around by the site where it is basically CLIFFS!  I was right at the edge and next thing I knew, Karam pokes me, I turn around and he's saying, "please! please! come!" AHA. He was waving me over -- AWAY from the edge.  AHA. I told him "Dont worry! Stop! Stamata!"

I think I gave him a heart attack...!

We drove back towards Athens, but stopped outside of Sounio for a swim. Oh Thee MU --- the water was AMAZING.  It was so WARM! We stayed there for an hour or so. It was so nice, none of us wanted to go --- until my foot started cramping. UGH.

The sea was so calm and when Melina was doing laps further out, Karam and I stayed a little behind and he's hilarious.  He knows English --- he gets his point across and the thing is, bless his heart, when the words come out, you know what he's trying to say, but sometimes, it comes out wrong and it becomes the funniest thing ever. 
Melina came back to join us and she asked, "What did he say?"
HAHA
"Then skero!" "I don't know!"

After our swim, we decided to head back into the city and go for dinner at a taverna. The region near Sounio is absolutely beautiful. The are huge hills in the background where houses have been built and it is so PRASINO! Green! It's such a difference from downtown Athens... *sigh*

TI OMORFI MERA my Homeslices!

Oh, El Starbucks. You Got Me Hooked!

Another nice morning, my homeslices, because it started with me SLEEPING IN. Oh, so glorious! Second day in a row after never EVER doing that for a month and a half... SIGH!

I got up when I felt like getting up...11AM sounds more reasonable, eh?

What did I do next? Teehee... El Starbucks, around el corner, chyeah!
It's a nice little walk:
Heading towards it, I walk down (literally) a hill and reached the Zea Harbour --- 2 minutes max. (2nd biggest harbour in Piraeus), make a left and pass through KFC (yes...), Pizza Hut (yeah...) and the really nice restaurant Lianne and I had gone too with the honking swordfish. Then, I pass a supermarket --- so trippy! I went a couple days ago to get some healthy food (I think a fruit should be in order from time to time eh?!) and this place is three stories high. Do you know how you bring your shopping cart up to the next floor with you??? There are conveyor belts you just roll your cart on and bring yourself with it... holy cow... haha, I thought that was something else! I ended staring at the people doing that... until a lady started telling me to get on with it or she would go in front of me at the checkout register... Oops... Sighnomi, sighnomi!
What's conveniently located right next to this store? El Starbucks <3

What is scary about this is that the minute I walked in, the same lady smiled at me and said,"hello!"
I start saying my schpeel, but today....Aye Dios Mio!
She cut me off with a big smile and said, "Tall hot caramel macchiato!!"

Oh dear God.

Some of you will totally get this and will be laughing your asses off at this very moment, and rolling your eyes.  I know. I know. I know.

Not only is this Starbucks location a great one, but the employees are like the ones back in North America --- all smiles, welcoming and they REMEMBER REGULARS.

Have I become a regular in Piraeus, GREECE????

HOLY SKATA!
I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!