home again!

I started out in Thessaloniki, and after four days made it to Patras via Athens; Kavasila is between Patra and Olympia on the coast (approximately!)

Home at last! And a blog at last! My trip was amazing - I had an awesome time visiting with Carla, Chris and Layne in Thessaloniki and also with Nik and his family in Kavasila. I didn't really budget much time (any really) in Patras which I kind of regret, but I was able to see some friends there for a short (but sweet) time. I left Salonica on Monday morning, and bused all the way to Patras - about 8 hours (eep); I spent the afternoon in Patras with some basketball friends, and then met up with Nik for dinner - a stuff-my-face affair at one of our favourite tavernas. Afterwards, we made the trip south to Kavasila where Nik's dad said the most becoming thing: after having fully pigged out on saganaki, keftedes, pulled pork, meat pie, cheese pie, tsatziki, olives, bread and fries, I walk in the door and he says, "You look skinny - you lost weight?" Sweet sweet music to my ears. (And stomach and taste buds.) The rest of the trip was a veritable food-fest - I could go to Greece just to eat! We had fish, grilled chicken, salads, lentils, broccoli, pizza (probably the best deep-dish I've ever had), feta, mandarins fresh from the orchard, bougatsa, trigonos... on and on I could go. Nik and I went for coffee every day at least once - the coffee tradition is even more pronounced in Greece than it is at home, and the selection and assortment of coffees is just yum. Plus, it's enjoyed over a two or three hour time span - none of this rush-rush to-go business that is the norm at home. We went out on the town on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to Zeppelin, a fabulous little rock bar in Amaliada - a town not too far from Kavasila - that serves up beer and great music until the wee hours of the night. What else did we do... ooh! We went to aerobics and pilates, both of which made me feel better about the copious food inhalation that was part of my daily (er, okay, hourly) routine... and, yup, that's about all of the exercise I had on my trip. I did hit up my old yoga class on Thursday night, which was super fun - great to see some friends and get a good stretch-strength workout. Nik and I made it back to Patra in time to have a club sandwich (they're a big thing in Greece - and are again, super delish) before he had to head to work and I had to get to yoga. I'd bought a ticket for the 2:30am bus - it would get me to the airport just in time for my 7:30 flight - but wasn't sure what to do after yoga (class finished at 10:00)... Well! Who was I kidding - I was going to eat. I met up with Nantia, a friend that I'd met just before we left Patra two years ago, and she invited me out to have some drinks and food with some of her friends - and drinks and food we had. She took me to a small, cramped place that was a bit like a tapas bar; every time you ordered a new drink, they'd bring you a little plate of this or that - first salty and then sweet. I stuck out like a sore thumb in this place, and food was traveling to our table (and empty plates traveling away) like the speed of light... it was all so so so good. I was filling up fast, but stopping was not an option - especially when the dessert plates started coming! It was unreal... the amount of food I ate and how delicious everything was. I should have taken pictures but was too busy eating - there were plates of cheese and meat, fish and vegetables, more cheese and cured meat and salami - and then the sweet: candied oranges and figs, dark chocolate chunks, chocolate mousse and pudding, thick yogurt topped with stewed cherries (my favourite) and turkish delight... it was amazing. So, when Nantia dropped me off at the bus station at 2:15, we were both stuffed, and I was looking forward to catching some zzzz's on the bus. Alas, I think I was too full to sleep. I made it to the airport in time to catch my flight and, just like that, the whirlwind trip was over. It was great though, and I really can't wait to go back to Greece!

Me and Eleni

Me and Nantia - we had a blast!

So here I am, back at home - and still a bit full from Thursday night's feast... I'm not sure how this is possible but I am really not that interested in eating dessert yet - super strange and extremely unlike me BUT... I think I just need a break. I'm sure I'll be ready to seriously indulge again by Christmas. Or tomorrow. Anyways, we bought Christmas decorations this morning and decorated this afternoon! It still seems a bit bare around here, but there wasn't much (anything) on the walls to begin with! While I was away Steve bought a small tree and a beautiful poinsettia, and downloaded some Christmas tunes to get us in the spirit! Yay! And... the countdown is seriously on - only two weeks until we leave for Toronto! How exciting. Also exciting are my plans for the evening... the opera! Random, I know, but why not? Some girls from the team are going and Tammy asked if I was into it - so sure! Steve can't make it (he's crushed) as he has practise SO... I'll have to tell him all about it later. Okay... time to get ready!

Decorating our little tree!!