Greece - Girls Day Out

While the husbands were in their 3 day long conference/seminar, us ladies (Pam and I) had all day to do as we wanted, at the pace we wanted, so we began Day 1 meeting up in the lounge for breakfast and plan making.  I must mention that Pam and I had only met once over a dinner a couple weeks earlier just to get introduced before this trip.  We didn't really know anything about each other at this point, even tho the dinner had gone quite nicely.

Day 1 - It rained..... torrential downpour rain, so that made our plans pretty easy for that day.  We would hop on the metro and go to the Acropolis Museum and wander around, saving the open air market shopping and other touring for the other two days.  Pam and I start chatting over croissants and coffee/tea and the next thing we know...... we have been sitting there chatting and laughing for a couple of hours.

While we were enjoying our breakfast, an adorable cute newlywed couple sat at the table next to us, speaking with a southern accent, and as always in a foreign country, you always ask other Americans where they are from.  They just happened to be from the area where Pam and her husband have a cabin and the 4 of us chatted for several minutes.  The rain had let up just a tid bit, we bid the newlyweds farewell and off we scamper to find the metro and the museum.  We had to play frogger to cross the several streets to get to the metro, but we made it before the rain started coming down hard again.  What we would discover the next day, is that we actually took the long way around to the metro, and we did get a bit wet, but.... we were soooo proud of ourselves for getting there and back to the hotel at the end of the day.

The museum was busy but not packed since it was off season, but busier than normal on a Tues because of the rain.  We stood in the foyer of the museum for over an hour just chatting before we actually gave our ticket and went into the exhibit area.  Too funny!  But we were just so wrapped up in our conversation we just stood to the side and kept chatting.  Then once inside the exhibit area, we looked at stuff but didn't really read any of the plaques or info, just enjoyed looking at all the marble statutes.  We continued our way through the 3 floors of artifacts chatting the whole way until we found the cafeteria on the top floor, and by now we are hungry and thirsty, it's still raining hard, so we decide to pop a squat, have lunch before we head back out to the rainy elements outside.

During the 2 hours Pam and I sat and chatted and ate lunch in the cafeteria our new newlywed friends, who also happened to have gone to the museum for the very same reason (nothing else to do in the rain, since all the ruins are outside) sat next to us, and we continued our conversations from earlier when we were at the lounge together.  I couldn't believe this young couple (guessing 26ish -27ish) wanted to sit next to us old chatty gals, but they did and the conversation was so delightful.  They sat and chatted with us for over an hour, then since they hadn't quite finished their tour of the museum, they got up and left and soon after we too left.  Pam and I made our way back down to the main floor to head back to the hotel, but again..... it was just deluge pouring outside, the whole front entrance of the museum outside was all marble and quite slick, not to mention it had 4" of water on top of it.  The museum employee's were trying their hardest to squeegee the water off the marble, but they couldn't keep up with the amount of water collecting on the marble with the downpour.  So.... since Pam and I were not in any hurry and we were still chatting away, we back our hinnies up to a big huge column and continue our conversation as we wait out the rain.  2 hours later....... a museum employee walks up to us and asks us if we are looking for our tour bus group or if we are lost.  We are cracking up, knowing we have been spotted on the security camera's just standing there talking for 2 hours.  Our newlywed friends (Vincent and Liz) wave to us as they passed by and left.  When the rain finally eased up to a drizzle, Pam and I hoofed it out of there and almost made it back to the hotel before the deluge started again.

Joe and I had a Committee dinner that night, and Pam and Ted had dinner solo that night after the main meet and greet in the lobby.  After we made it back to the hotel, I head up to the room to get showered and dressed for the meet and greet and then head downstairs to meet up with Joe.  The meet and greet went nicely, then we had our dinner.  This is the dinner where I met and became so engrossed in the two Greek fella's and their olive oil.

Day 2 - Pam and I meet again up at the lounge, have breakfast, start chatting again and again sat there for a couple of hours before making our way back to the metro to go to the Plaka (shopping district... flea marketing style).  This time we find the short cut through the park instead of having to play frogger across several heavily traffic streets.  We are quite proud of ourselves by now that we have mastered the metro..... no english, all in Greek.... and we figured it out nicely.

Once we hit the main market..... they only take cash, which I didn't prepare myself for, but had enough cash (euro) on had for that day.  However..... I stop in the first store on the corner and find scarfs.  My main goal was to buy scarfs on this trip because my girls and I just love them, and I couldn't find any scarfs when we were in France a month earlier and was soooo disappointed.  These are pashmina type scarfs found all over Europe, everyone wears them and they are beautiful and I just can't buy enough of them when I'm abroad.  But...... it took every euro I had, so my shopping was done for the day.

Pam and I are still chatting, and just meandering through these narrow market streets, keeping our purses tight to our sides until we are in this alley that has a tour train.  We have nothing else really to do, so we hop on the tour train for a rest and to see the city.  The train took a one hour tour around the city, so we hop aboard and wait for about 15 minutes for others to board.  We have yet to stop chatting, and we sat and chatted through the whole tour (kinda a cheesy tour, but relaxing and a place to sit for an hour).  Then after the train ride, we meander ourselves back through the market and back to the metro and back to the hotel and get ready for the dinner that night.

Joe and I along with Pam and Ted had a really nice dinner to go to that night sponsored by the conference.  The whole 160 folks go by chartered bus to the restaurant that is on top of this hill with a gorgeous view of the Acropolis and Parthenon all lit up.  STUNNING site!!!!  Dinner was delish, we chatted with everyone at our table and had just a delightful time.  As we were leaving the restaurant, boarding back on the busses for the hotel, we are all given gifts of this beautiful picture book of Greece.  I want to frame every page!

Day 3 - Once again Pam and I meet up at the lounge for breakfast and to decide what the day's plan will be.  Both she and I are recovering from medical issues and we didn't want to go see any of the big sites, knowing our husbands wanted to join us for those after the conference is over.  We are both tired and jetlagged as well.  So we ended up just sitting in the lounge for several hours...... yep..... you got it..... chatting!

Then this British couple come over to us (Pam and I think they are with the conference and have recognized us!  TEE HEE!!! but they weren't with the conference)...... they had come over to tell us that they had seen us everywhere.... there in the lounge, in the museum, on the tour train and again in the lounge and that we were chatting the whole time!  They were cracking up at how much we could actually just sit and chat with each other!  Pam and I are laughing so hard we are literally in tears and we can't stop laughing because it is true...... we have not stopped chatting for 3 days and we had just met each other!  Then.... to make matters worse, our newlywed friends come in the lounge and they again sit beside us and we chat with them for another hour or so.

After several hours of chatting in the lounge, we both decide to just head back to our rooms for a rest while we wait for the fella's to finish up their conference and join us.  We all were going to dinner with the Greek fella's Joe and I met at the Committee dinner who produce that marvelous olive oil.  We have about 3 hours to kill before the guys are done, so I take out my Julia book and sit on the balcony to read in the sun.  However, it was soooo hot in that sun, I open the sliding door and sit on the edge of the bed to read, but the sun is shining through the door over the entire bed, so I decide..... hum...... I can just lay on the bed, read and suntan..... which is exactly what I did, remembering to turn myself every 30 minutes like a rotisserie chicken for even browning.  That is the first time I have ever sun bathed while lying on my bed!  And it worked beautifully!

That night we took the venicular (a tram on a track that goes in this tunnel that takes you up the hill) to the top of this hill (the tallest hill in Athens) that has this quaint restaurant at the top.  But before we go in to dine, our hosts take us outside to the roof top for a view.  AMAZING!!!!!  OMGOSH!!!!!  SPECTACULAR!!!!  The whole city was lit up and you could see 180 degrees around the entire city.  STUNNING!!!  ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!!!  Dinner was delish, the conversation was wonderful and these two brothers gave us gifts of another beautiful photo book for Joe and a cookbook for me.  A very very delightful time was had by all.

Day 4 and Day 5 are another blog itself, since it involves the vacation part with our husbands in tow.  Tune in tomorrow for the 'rest of the story'!  The days of just Pam and I were filled with soooo much chatting and til we cried kind of laughing.  I have truly met a very dear friend through this experience!

YAMIS!