Mr. Schmoozer and a Rose

Today was nice. I slept in until 10:30AM, went for a walk to Starbucks (don't roll your eyes!), read a nice email from my person and chatted to some friends back home who apparently don't sleep!

I stayed in town today and ventured into Athens before meeting up with my friend Melina. I did some tourist shopping in the Plaka, got a frappe and stared at the beautiful Acropolis. When 3:30 kicked around, I took the metro to Monastiraki Station where we had settled to meet --- BUENO! There was Melina!

Being a local, she knew where to catch a nice glimpse of the Acropolis from afar while enjoying (yes, another) COLD frappe in this blistering heat -- even at 4PM. We chatted and gossiped our hearts away for hours until hunger set in.

Monastiraki is beautiful --- but when the sun sets --- MUCHA BELLA! We ate at a taverna, where I had my beloved pastitsio, while Melina had chicken souvlaki. Yes, I also had TZAZIKI and we split a Greek Salad --- POLI KALA!

The owner (I presume he was the owner) kept schmoozing in customers and Melina...It was funny, and cute. I only caught glimpses of the conversations --- he came by our table quite often!
Melina and I talked our hearts away here too and before leaving, the owner gave us both roses. Except, little did I know that Melina had told him that I had a boyfriend --- NOT MY WORDS, but daksi, daksi.
So, apparently, my rose came from my boyfriend... Ha. Ha.

The walk back to the metro station was beautiful --- Athens had come to life:
People were eating at every restaurant, the cobblestone streets were lit up by the shop lights and in the background: the Acropolis, lit up like we've all seen in the postcards... BUT SO MUCH MORE OMORFI!

It was so nice to chill out and hang out with a friend in a foreign country --- I loved it.  Melina's such good company and a great person -- -we made plans for tomorrow to add more fun to everything!

Until tomorrow, my homeslices, Kali Nikhta <3

To Delphi!

After our four hour long treck through the sanctuary, we slowly made our way back to the village ... it's only a km but it was so cold --- as gross as this will sound, this day was the day where I sweated the most --- YUCK.

At least, we were walking against the wind, so we got some air... SIGH.
Hunger had set in a long, long time ago and I was ready to eat a freaking elephant.  New York had spotted a decently price gyros place on our way to the site so we stopped there for supper. 

We walked inside and no one was there... uhm, ok...

A man finally comes out from the back, says, "Please... have a seat!"
That's what I love about Greece, the restaurants or little eateries (which are the best) don't have to look as great from an aesthetics point of view. The Greeks put a whole lot more care into the quality than anything else, and this place was a prime example.

I had a Greek salad -- left the onions and olives alone -- I know, a shame, but I just can't do it --- and a chicken gyros with a COCA COLA. I haven't had a coke in so long and damn, the sugar was welcomed with wide-opened arms.

We toasted to Delphi and left 30 minutes before our bus was scheduled to get here.  Right when we paid for supper, which was excellent, the man says, "Wait, my friend!"
Say what?

He pulls out three little shot glasses and says, "Ouzo! Yes?!"

Lianne had told me that this liquor was 'vile' and I hadn't tried it yet... I guess I should at least once before heading back to Canada, eh?  He poured a shot for each of us and said, "Just a little bit for me, I'm still working!" Haha, and away we go. 

HOLY SKATA.

That was VILE.  We laughed and thanked him again and walked out.  I was trying to talk to New York and damn! It was burning and I burped a few times... EESH. 

We waited a little bit for the bus -- which was fine since the view is OUT OF THIS WORLD.  I spotted the tail bit of the Gulf of Corinth and next thing you know: the bus for Athens came around the bend.

In all it was a good day, my homeslices!  Once we got into Athens, we said adios and I cabbed back to my hotel where I talked to my little momeyh for a bit, wrote an email to my new favourite person and chatted with my Pylos bait master where I had a few good laughs... and then I called it a night.

BUENO!

The Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi

I went into an info centre and found no help there... I wasn't surprised: the old mand was funny, but helpful like a prickly tack.  So I walked out and was about to head towards the ancient site when I saw New York, "Hey, New York! You going to Delphi?"

And as easy as that, I made a friend for the day and we walked to the site.  We visited the museum first since it was closing earlier than the actual site. It was really cool: the tall sphinx statue, freizes from the temples, the bronze charioteer... I even bumped into on of my dig's supervisors (again)... What a small freaking world, Man!

New York and I climbed to the site afterwards and we had fun figuring out which ruin was what according to his out-dated map. We finally reached the temple of Apollo.

Later, we reached the theater which was still in use until the early 1900's and then we trecked up to the stadium. It was blistering hot, but so worth it! The stadium, much more well preserved than the one at Olympia, had the stands and fountains still standing.  Then, turn around and the view is impeccable...

I spotted the famous temple of Athena down, down, down below... So we climbed back down and walked and walked and walked until we reached the ancient gymnasium and lo and behold --- THE TEMPLE OF ATHENA. 

Yes, I was picture happy and got some good shots out my day.