Several in our group decided to stay up all night so they wouldn’t miss the 3:45 a.m. hotel departure. I took a shower early in the evening, then dressed in the clothes for the trip home. I did my hair and got everything packed up in my suitcase. I had all my devices charged, etc. Then I laid down on the bed and set an alarm in the event I fell asleep. I had enough time to get about four hours sleep, and I did sleep. I knew I would still be tired today, but some sleep was better than none. I got up just after three. We were to meet in the hotel lobby at 3:30, so I was there. The hotel fixed us a “boxed breakfast” which included orange juice which I drank. There was a sandwich in the box and I ate half of that.

We made it to the airport and we got to our check-in without any problems. The business class check-in was empty, so I got right in and dropped my baggage and went out to find a seat to wait for the rest of the group who flew economy. The flight from Athens to Frankfurt was good and this time when we got off the plane, we knew where we had to go, which unfortunately was the other end of the airport. This airport is not fun to negotiate and even when we found the signs to our gate, we had miles to go. . . Or so it seemed. We only had two hours between flights and, believe me, in the Frankfurt airport, that is NOT a lot of time. But we kept moving.

We had to go through a couple of boarding pass and passport control kiosks and at least one x-ray screening. Our nurse got in more action when a woman in line started having a seizure right in front of me. Lynn stepped right up and helped her husband get her to the front where some security people helped get her to a safe place. Some call her the "pit bull of nurses" and I think they are right. I got held up while they frisked a four-year old in front of me. Fortunately while she looked confused and scared, she didn’t react and she was allowed to pass through. Her Mom was right there with her. I felt sorry for that little gal, but she was a trouper.

We just kept moving until we made it to our gate, but we had used up a lot of our “two hours” of time. So we didn’t have long to wait until they started the boarding procedure. Flying business class, I was in Group 1 to board which was great! It’s a long flight. Right now we still have three hours to go. I can’t wait to get home to see Brendon. I hope he’s as excited to see me! LOL I know he loves Monica, his pet sitter, and he will prolly miss the other two dogs at her house, but maybe we can schedule some play dates. They would probably all like that.

I am fortunate once again to have a very nice seat mate here in business class. He assisted me by putting my carry on up above in the bin and opened bottles for me. I had a similar situation on the flight to Frankfurt ten days ago. I tried to sleep, and may have catnapped, but that was about it. I just finished watching the movie, “The Accountant.” I saw it years ago and thought I remembered it, but it was like watching it for the first time. I may start watching the Bourne movies. I’ve seen those so many times, but I do love them. The food has been very good here in business class. I had halibut for lunch. Yum yum.

We landed in Tampa right on schedule and Global Entry made for a short walk down to baggage claim. Once I got my luggage, I headed out to find my elevators and get to the parking garage. My car was right where I left it, about 20 steps from the elevators. Made it out and home just after 6 p.m. It was a great trip and I met a lot of great people. There wasn't anyone in our group I didn't like, and we are hoping to have some lunch dates in the future.

I got my car unloaded and then took the golf cart down to Monica's to get Brendon. He never seems to get excited, but I think he was glad to see me. Hard to tell with him!

Till next time. . .

Dale

We had to be up and all moved out of our rooms on the ship by 7 a.m. I woke up at 4 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I got dressed and all ready to go and then went to breakfast. I found several of the others in the dining room. After eating, I went back to the room to grab my bag, then back up to the dining room to wait with the others till 7:30. We all had to be off the boat at 8 a.m.; but if you go early, you just have to wait at the exit ramp. So when we left, we walked right off the boat, through the terminal and waited till 8 a.m. when our bus arrived.

We got back to our hotel in Athens, the same one we had before we sailed, at about 9:00 a.m. Since our rooms weren’t ready, we were able to stow our luggage in a secure room, then I went and got a cup of coffee. Later I shared a pizza with a friend from the same coffee shop which is actually part of the hotel. We got in our rooms about 1:30 and I’ve been resting and repacking.

That’s a never ending job. LOL We are leaving at 4:45 for the Cathedral Basilica of St. Denis for Mass at 5:30. This church is very beautiful and it was truly special to celebrate Mass in such a historic church and city. There are very few Roman Catholic churches in the city. Most are Greek Orthodox, the official religion. When we returned to the hotel, we had our “Last Supper” together before leaving at 3:45 a.m. for the airport for our 6:45 a.m. flight to Frankfurt. We’ll have a two hour layover before we board our flight to Tampa. Hopefully, it will all go smoothly.

Till next time. . .

Dale

We arrived on the island of Heraklion in the morning; and as soon as they dock, they want you ready to leave the ship if you are scheduled for any excursions. There were two optional excursions we could sign up for and I did both. I know I will never get back over here and wanted to make the most of my time.

In the morning we visited the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the residence of King Minos. This is the site that supposedly housed the labyrinth, where the Minotaur was to have lived. There were a lot of rooms in this place, indicated by the “labyrinth” of passages, but the guide said the Minotaur was only a Greek legend and it really didn’t exist. It may have been one of the more “intact” as far as “ruins” go. It was a little easier to see the layout due to the restoration process.

We went back to the ship for lunch, but first we had a disembarkation talk we needed to listen to, so we were off to the Amphitheater for that. Then we were able to get some lunch. Father Zach then had Mass for us in one of the conference rooms. It’s a moving experience when a group of devoted followers join together to celebrate the Mass.

The last excursion was to the island of Santorini, so while we were doing all of that other “stuff,” the ship was sailing away to the land of blue domes! We visited the villages of Fira and Oia (pronounced EE-ah) and it was very beautiful there. We got very little time to shop and a little time to take pictures. I managed to do a little bit of both. When we first arrived, we went by cable car up the side of the cliff to the town of Fira. I believe at one time that was the only way to get to the top. We had a long walk up to the top of the village of Oia and the spectacular views from up there. I walked to the point where you were supposed to get pictures of the blue domes, but the line was too long. I took the shorter route and still got to capture some blue domes but prolly not as many. But had I stayed in the other line, I would have had to leave before I even got a picture because of the time constraints. It was a long walk back to the bus. . . Albeit all downhill, but rugged and many cobblestones. That has been the rule on this trip.

Fortunately once we got to the bus, the guide and driver took us the “other” way down the cliffs to the dock. This was much better. . . No walking, but the road was treacherous and full of 180° switchbacks with a 45’ bus. It was scary. This is the “new” way according to our guide!

Once on the dock, we were loaded into our tender and motored back to the ship. It was close to 9 p.m. but we managed to grab a bite to eat, then I went to bed.

Till next time. . .

Dale

We left the ship this morning and took a bus into the countryside to what is reputed to be the house where Mary, the Mother of Jesus, resided in her later years. This was before her Assumption into Heaven. She lived there and was cared for by St. John the Apostle. Some dispute this theory, but it is still revered as a Holy site and it was very moving to think that we were standing in the home where the Mother of Jesus once lived. Very little but the foundation was found when the site was discovered, and the rest of the home was reconstructed. But it is thought to be as original as can be. After viewing the home, we were directed to another building where we had Mass. What an overwhelming experience. . . To participate in a Holy Rite of the church on the site where Jesus’ mother lived. Father Zach does such a great job of making any place we have Mass a reverent experience and he slides right into the role of priest from being a traveler like the rest of us. He is a gifted leader. Mass has been one of the highlights of this pilgrimage for me.

Then it was on to the ancient city of Ephesus, home to the Ephesians from the Bible. These are ruins of course, but they were massive. It is a working archeological site and they show the boundaries of where buildings were and how the village was organized. These places are thousands of years old. The “Library” at Ephesus is actually one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Much of the facade is still standing. It is quite impressive. It is so hard to imagine what life was like back then, but we do get some insights by studying where they lived and worked.

Once we left there, we went back to the boat for lunch.

We then sailed to the island of Patmos and the ancient site of the “Cave of the Apocalypse.” It is thought that this is where John the Apostle wrote the Book of Revelations. There are a couple rooms built in front of the cave, but it is definitely a “cave” space behind those rooms.

Further on to the top of the hill sits the Monastery of St. John the Divine. This is also very old, but additions have been added throughout the centuries. There are some relics here including skulls of two saints. After viewing these, we made our way into the museum, which was small, but had many significant artifacts including some books that were printed on animal hides and some parchment.

These sites are almost all up high on a hill in order to keep invaders out. It is an interesting idea, but then they had a long, strenuous walk to get up there.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Today we boarded our bus at the usual time and traveled to the port city of Lavorin. There we board the Celestyal Discovery for the next three days. They said we had calm seas but I think it’s anything but. There are 2-3 foot seas I would say and it’s totally white caps out there. The ship is rocking a bit and that normally doesn’t bother me, but I’m getting out the Dramamine in case I have trouble overnight.

We will arrive in Mykonos about 6 p.m. and our group is just getting off and shopping/looking around. Not doing any excursions of any kind. I’ll be getting off with the group and may come back on my own if I get too tired. It’s been another tiring day just because of the stress of getting all our tickets. . . Being told to go to one window only to have it closed and then going to another deck/another window and being told Fr. Zach already has all those. I needed to see Fr. Zach about this evening’s venture, so I text him. He told me where he was so I went there and got my ticket for tonight. I then asked him about the excursion tickets for the last day and he said he didn’t have them. When I told him about the run-around I got at the excursion office, he went on down to see what was going on. Whatever magic he worked, he came back with everyone’s excursion tickets for those excursions on the last day. Those were optional and we had to pay extra, but I did because I knew I’d never be back here.

So tonight is just a shore visit. I went on the tender to the shore and then did some shopping. Loved the time to myself. The shops were right along the shore and a row or two back, but I stayed close to the main crowd of people. At one point, I turned and went down a path and turned again and decided I didn’t want to be there. It wasn’t scary and there were some people around, but I didn’t want to get lost. Got some souvenirs. We sail tonight at 11 p.m. and then tomorrow we have new excursions. They are quite exciting. I’ll tell you more tomorrow.

Till next time. . .

Dale

We left this morning for the Acropolis. On the way we passed some ruins. These are centuries old and B.C. It’s so hard to imagine that these ruins were built that long ago and parts remain standing, albeit, not in great condition. Most were destroyed by earthquakes and never rebuilt.

There were many temples including one to Apollo and one to Athena. The Parthenon was quite impressive. It’s footprint is still there and they are working on restoration. Many of the outside columns remain and there is some scrolling artwork on the lintels. It is a very impressive building and I am also impressed by the people who are trying hard to restore something built thousands of years ago. There were some other buildings dedicated to gods. They are doing restoration work and I think they are basically trying to keep buildings from deteriorating further.

There were so many people there today, but everyone was kind and there wasn’t any shoving and pushing. From the parking lot, there was a lot of walking on ramps, steps, cobblestones, uneven terrain, etc. Travelers in those days didn’t have the steps, etc., that we did. . . They just had to walk on the rough terrain. I can’t imagine how long it would have taken them to climb up to the structures. They had a marketplace and a forum to hold public events. Structures were built up high to be protected from invaders. It was really amazing. Once we came down from that hill, we next went to Mars Hill where Paul preached. It is a large rock outcropping that just pushes up from the ground. It was quite high, but it wasn’t as hard to get up to the summit as the Parthenon was.

From there, our guide took us across the street to a church he wanted to show us. Part of it was burned by the Germans in WWII, but it was rebuilt and was very similar to the other church we saw yesterday. The altar is behind curtains and no one is allowed in there or even to look into the sacred area. And a bonus that we got to see was the prison where Socrates was held and eventually killed. It was in the area across the street from the church and looked to be a protected area where there might be some ongoing work and excavation. Father Zach was especially interested in this because he studied Socrates and when he saw how close the prison was, he wanted to go. It was a special treat for him. It was actually not on the tour and our guide said it was only the second time he had taken a group there, but he said we are not the typical group and he knew that we would be interested. He appreciated our attentiveness, and was happy to show us something extra.

We then drove to Corinth which was about an hour away, I think. Along the way we cross the Corinth Canal where we stopped and walked across a foot bridge. It is a canal that bound the Ionian Sea with the Aegean Sea. It was impressive and they allow bungie jumping! When we arrived in Corinth, we stopped right next to a restaurant and had lunch. Corinth is another ancient city where Paul lived for about 18 months while spreading the Gospel. This is also in ruins but they do know what the structures were for. Again there was a forum and a church. It was easy to see all this as the layout of the town is known. They also had a small museum.

Tomorrow we are boarding our cruise ship in the morning and heading to Mykonos. I’m hoping they will have some food I like. I have not been eating much because I don’t like Greek food. It’s too rich and has too many ingredients and then they slap some kind of sauce all over it. Most everything they fix has an overwhelming vinegar tartness to it. I just don’t like it.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Today we left the hotel at 8 am after breakfast and drove to Delphi. Delphi is home to the Oracle of Apollo and the Pythian Games. It lays in ruins but they are working at restoring it, which basically amounts to put artifacts back in places, like columns, etc. They clean it up to where you can see outlines off the buildings and you have to imagine the way it looked. We started in the museum where many of the marble (?) statues are displayed. There are depictions of pieces with outlines of what is missing which makes it a little easier to understand. I’m just in awe of the sculptors who created these masterpieces out of stone. It’s one thing to draw something on paper or mold something out of clay, but these statues and other works of art were carved out of stone. There is a building in the ruins which looks like a small scale model of the Parthenon. Over many of the temple entrances were lintels with engraved carvings and they could be very detailed. The ruins of the Temple of Apollo are there as well. There is also the Delphi Stadium which functioned much as the Colosseum in Rome but on a much smaller scale. They did, however, have rooms underneath where animals were kept for some of the sports. Most often lions, our guide said. The city lays in ruins due to earthquakes.

Once we finished our tour, our bus took us on a long drive to Athens. We stopped along the way at a restaurant and had a meal. Once again, they were ready for us and had the welcome mat rolled out. We were in/out in about 45 minutes. We then got back in the bus and drove to Athens, arriving about 5:45 p.m., earlier than expected. We were able to relax a bit before dinner which again was a buffet. I can’t lie. . . I am not a fan of Greek food. It is just too rich for my taste and has a lot of vinegar in the dishes along with large chunks of cheese. I like cheese, but they serve it with everything.

We are in The Stanley Hotel which is very nice. I have a balcony room that overlooks a courtyard below with a waterfall. I went up to the top/pool deck with some friends because the Parthenon is visible from there. I even went back a little later to get a picture of it all lit up. I’m anxious to go visit it tomorrow, but we are leaving a little earlier. The forecast is for 95° and it’s going to be miserable.

Will next time. . .

Dale

Today after breakfast in the hotel, we boarded our bus and drove to the ancient city of Berea, which is now called Veria. I think that is the same name, but Veria is the Greek version. We have a man in our group who tore a gash in his arm at one of the airports coming over and it has become inflamed and today he had red streaks moving up his arm. The one nurse (we also have a pharmacist) drew a circle to see if it spreads and it did. So they discussed with our tour guide what to do. It was decided we would drop him off at a hospital along the way. Eventually our tour guide called in a favor with a pharmacist in Berea and when we got there he took the gentleman into the pharmacy. There a doctor was called and he gave a prescription of what the nurse recommended and the pharmacist filled it. So we were on our way once again with our friend being treated and now comfortable with the plan. The tour guide said their company has agreements with various businesses to aid in situations tourists find themselves in. What a relief that was. We had another lady who suffered from the heat and one of the nurses went with the others and got her some over the counter medicine and she is also doing better.

At Berea we stopped at the monument dedicated to the Apostle Paul. It is a very nice location, up a few steps from the street and an area with a statue of Paul and an area where Fr. Zack placed a makeshift altar and we had Mass. Mass has been the most special time of the day for us and Fr. Zack is a wonderful priest. His Mom is with us on this trip and she is a very sociable person. We also start each morning on the bus with prayer and today the prayer was about healing for our injured and sick travelers. We all took a little time to shop at a tiny shop across the road. The proprietor is the one who is responsible for maintaining and setting up the altar site for our Mass. We showed our thanks by buying lots of things at his shop.

When we departed Berea we drove to Kalambaka but before we got there we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. Apparently this restaurant caters to only the tour buses because we were the only ones there and it was very large. It’s possible they had another area and food service for other travelers but we were the only ones in the place that we could see. Before we left, two other tour buses arrived! They had a buffet set out for us and we got to choose our food and it was a timesaver as we didn’t have to wait.

Our tour guide is Constantine and he then took us to a shop where they create religious icons. They showed us the process by which they make them in the ancient Byzantine method using silver and gold leaf to decorate them. I bought a small one. They were expensive, but we learned that the family who owns this business is Constantine’s family! How cool is that? He lost his father when he was young and the uncle who owns this shop took him in and raised him so he has also considered them his second family. We all bought stuff there just to have a “special” memento from our trip and to show our gratitude for the family of our guide.

From there we traveled to Meteroa to the mountaintop monasteries. This will eventually become a wonder of our world some day. They are now. They are beautiful monasteries. We visited two. I think the first was the highest one. To think of how these were built, using a sling to haul rocks and other buildling materials up the cliffs to build these huge structures is mind boggling. We drove to the top and then there were steps leading all the way up. Some people chose not to do that, but I was able to. We have done a lot of walking and we have lots more to do. I’m hoping I am able to do it all. We also toured another monastery which is for nuns. The churches in these places are large rooms basically with gold decorations and icons painted all over the walls and ceilings. Icons, more specifically iconography was how stories and life experiences were passed on from age to age because so many of the people of the time could not read. So the icons tell the story of what was happening. Many apostles and the Holy Family are depicted in these icons and our guide interpreted them, telling the story of how Paul came to the area and evangelized the people.

We got to our hotel about 6 p.m. These are long days for us as we start at 8 a.m. every morning. But we have seen a lot and Constantine makes sure we see the most important things as we venture out.

Till next time. . .

Dale

We traveled by coach to Kamala and made our way to the baptismal site where Lydia, a rich woman, was baptized by Paul. It was the first baptism he performed. There was a memorial actually set on what you might call an island with the creek/river running down both sides of it. To get to the site, you cross a small footbridge. There was an amphitheater where we are were seated while Father Zach said Mass for us. It was a very special time learning the history of centuries ago and worshipping at the same time. We were able to go inside the new chapel dedicated to Lydia which is also on the site.

We then traveled on to the ancient city of Philippi where Saint Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians and started to preach the word of God to the nations. We walked all around the ruins which were quite treacherous, with cobblestone roads and slick marble making up most of the pathways. There was a stadium, which we are finding is pretty standard among all the ruins we saw. They had many spectator sports and the stadium’s a good way for people to be able to view these spectacles. They had underground rooms where animals were kept for the games and we also saw a chamber where Paul was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. It was quite a large city with a Roman forum in the center. Interestingly, there were ruts in the marble parthways which our guide said were made by chariots! It is hard to believe when you see the columns, stadium and the remains of church foundations that this was all built thousands of years ago. . . Not hundreds.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Today in Thessaloniki we boarded a bus with our tour guide. We toured more of the city which was built in 316 B.C. It was named after the wife of the Macedonian King who was the sister of Alexander the Great. Here is where Saint Paul wrote his letter to the Thessalonians. 

Among the landmarks we toured were the Roman Market, the Arch of Galerius, some of the remnants of the City Walls, the Citadel and the White Tower. Also we saw the statue of Alexander the Great astride his horse. We also visited the Archaeological Museum and saw how gold was used in the making of artifacts.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Today is the day I fly to Greece to begin an 11 day pilgrimage, “In the Footsteps of Saint Paul.” St. Paul was the founder of the modern church; and the priest, Fr. Zack, who brought me into the church was the organizer. I had booked it the week it was announced. And the day has arrived!

I dropped Brendon off at the pet sitter’s house. Monica is very good with dogs and she has one of her own now and another that she often cares for. Brendon gets along with other dogs well and so far, Monica reports all is well.

I drove to the Tampa airport. I had paid for parking, so I entered the garage and was lucky to find an empty spot across from the elevators. I will be returning during the day time, but I am glad I am close to the elevators.

I have never been to the Tampa airport before, so I had to ask for help getting to the ticketing gate so I could drop off my luggage. They weren’t open yet, but I didn’t have to wait long. And there was no one else in the Business Class line. . . The economy line was full! :-) Once I got checked in and walked around to find my gate, I then went to a restaurant to get something to eat. I was early, but I don’t like being late and before long, other “pilgrims” arrived. We eventually boarded and before long we were in the air. 

The first leg of our journey took us to the Frankfurt, Germany, airport, which is a nightmare to navigate for first timers. Coupled with that was they didn’t have the correct flight information for our second flight until closer to our flight time. But due to incorrect information posted, I walked from one concourse to another before it was changed once again. I figure I walked (fast) prolly five miles. It was brutal because I was totally stressed at not being able to find where to go. I finally found a kind employee and I explained to her what the problem was and she tried, but couldn’t get more info. But she said that the info they have on their app is the current information which meant I needed to backtrack to the other concourse once again. She went with me to make sure I got there and when I arrived I did find a couple people in our group. I stayed there and eventually more showed up just to have our gate changed once again. But that gate was just four gates away and it did work this time. We got aboard our plane and were off to Thessaloniki, Greece, before long. We arrived and were greeted by a representative of our tour agency and our guide for the trip. We took a tour by bus of the city and learned some history before getting to our hotel for check in and dinner. Good night all...

Till next time . .

Dale

Brendon got groomed today. I was able to talk with his vet as well and the medication he’s on for Cushings is working as it should and has greatly reduced his body’s production of cortisol.

The numbers went from 32 down to 1.2! I call that pretty good.

While I was waiting on him I went to one of the early voting centers as I will be gone on my trip to Greece on Election Day. This was for the primary, so I actually didn’t have to vote, but I do every time. Voting in Florida means . . . In person with a voter ID card and a picture ID. That’s just how we roll!

In other news, I hate my hair. Getting a perm was not really the problem, but I guess I wasn’t specific enough about how I wanted it done. I expected it to be in tendrils, but it’s just curls and I don’t think she rolled it very good as I have some hairs that are almost frizzy. And tonight I cut my bangs because I had all this hair hanging down in my eyes. I think that will help. I was hoping I could get by without spending a lot of time every morning doing my hair while on my trip. I’m not sure I will be able to get by with that.

Till next time. . .

Dale

I got my hair permed today. I had debated what to do with it because I don’t like taking time to do it every morning when we have a schedule to keep. I’m not sure I like the perm, but I do think it’s going to work for me on the trip. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Till next time. . .

Dale