Greece: Yinonte Episodia?!

Kalimera! Well, it's 7:30am and I'm sitting in the breakfast area of our 13th century old hostel (was a pilgrim hostel, and than later a Monastary) finding myself behind in posting...again! I told myself I needed to a) write in my journal more often and b) write posts more often, because frankly, we have been so busy it has been taking me longer to remember little details! Ahh my brain is slowly failing me... I must say though, I have been doing the journal thing quite frequently so I can refer back to that when my memory seems slippery. Okay, so Greece! Being that we sort of bypassed busy season, we definitely didn't get the whole "European crowd" thing going quite yet (not to worry, Italy had plenty of that in store for us). We stayed at a hostel called Athens Backpackers in a 6 bed dorm with a little mini-kitchen and balcony. The first thing we did was drop our bags and head out for a walk im search of a grocery store of some kind. Walking around Athens most definitely had a different vibe than Istanbul. The map we were given from the hostel staff has a brief "speak Greek" on the back of it with translations for everything from Good Morning to Are there riots? Wait..what?? Needless to say, we were a little more on guard (and to answer "Yinonte episodia?" nope, no riots). With the country being in such dire straights we weren't surprised to hear the level of pickpocketing has risen as well. We werent bothered; Andrew likes to think it was the beard..) but we did hear of a few people who had backpacks swiped from them. Both cases of backpack swiping, the owner of the pack had left it sitting behind them, and with so many people around, it's easy enough for someone to sneak by and take it unnoticed. A guy we met from Detroit staying in our dorm was contemplating starting a website where people could share their pickpocket stories..I suppose it happens often enough. With groceries in hand we headed back to sit on the balcony and enjoy a glass of wine and some tzatziki and pita bread! That night we went with a couple guys from our dorm to "the rocks", a huge hangout spot for locals and travelers alike with a wicked view of the Acropolis and the city of Athens. The nighttime view was incredible! I was snapping away and walked away with a few really good shots of the Acropolis all lit up (Facebook!). Before I move on, I MUST share with you the greatness that is Greek bakeries. Ahh, I can smell the fresh bread and baklava now... If you are so lucky to walk in to one of these heaven-like shops DO NOT LEAVE EMPTY HANDED. From moist and fragile to crunchy and chewy, the cakes, cookies, and confections will tempt any sweet tooth! We also took advantage of the €0.80 fresh bread to make some dynamite sandwiches. Alright, back to business. Our first day in Athens was spent walking through Athens and checking out the many temples, stadiums, ruins, and gardens. There is so much history in that city, it's a shame to thing Athens is going downhill. We actually had a hard time accepting that some of the sights are SO old. It's like, okay, so your telling me Zeus sat in this temple?? The Acropolis was amazing. Massive, and unfortunately under a good deal of construction. But then again, pretty much every historic site we have seen is under some sort of "restoration". Athens is also home to many dogs. Yes, dogs. Not the scraggly, havent-been-fed-in-days type dogs we found on Asia, but the fat, friendly, and lazy type dogs that Athenians seem to love so much. There were several that the staff at Athens Backpackers had names for. These dogs don't seem to be owned by anyone in particular, they just roam the streets, wooing passerby to feed them and pet them. I'm not going to lie, it really made me miss our family dogs at home! Someone in my household needs to remind Jagger and Mona that I haven't disowned them and WILL be coming home again(I'm sure they are just gutted without me there...). After a couple of days in Athens visiting the sites, eating gyro's and drinking frappes, we decided to book a ferry to Santorini(Thira). An 8 hour ferry ride, on probably the nicest ferry either of us has been on, landed us on the dry and barren piece of giant rock. Don't let my description deceive you..Santorini is absolutely beautiful and full of life. With houses built in to the hilltops, and roads switch-backing up the mountains, there is much to explore on this island! We spent 2 nights there with a friend, Carl, whom we met in Athens. He was the organized Kiwi, and we were the crazy Canadian couple. Our guesthouse was great! The couple that run it are so sweet, and had lunch and a bottle of wine for everyone on arrival! There was a giant pool(freezing) and an amazing view of the island and ocean. We took walks throughout the vineyards right down the road from Villa Manos, and sat out in the blazing sun. It's a dry heat, but with the wind it felt a little bit like home. We rented a motorbike for Andy and I, and a quad for Carl, and spent the entire day driving around the island. We went to the most southern point, the highest point, and in the evening, to Oia, the most northern point, to watch the beautiful sunset. We stopped at a wine museum for a tour and tasting, then beach hopped to dig our feet into the hot black sand. Andy and I both agreed that this was the real Greek experience we were searching for. After another 8 hour ferry back, we spent one more night in Athens, with a flight to Rome booked for the next day. The anticipation was great!! During the planning stage of our trip, we both chose "must-see" countries, with Iceland being Andrews, and Italy being mine. I was giddy with excitement boarding that plane, knowing that Rome was only 2 hours away from my grasp! I'll just say for now...Italy has not let me down. More to come soon! Hope all is well, efharisto to all for reading :) Love A&C