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!