Meandering the Mediterranean

Now that I’m back at home and navigating not only the time changes from being overseas, but also our first day back, Daylight Savings Time ends for us here in Arkansas, I’m trying to focus on some thoughts of our recent three-week extravaganza! First of all, our trip, for me, was far more than I’d ever expected it to be. Planes, trains and automobiles doesn’t say enough for sure. I’m overwhelmed as I think of how many amazing worldrenowned places we saw in such a short amount of time. I’m amazed at how many of my own personal bucket-list things that I’ve crossed off. Some of them have been life-long dreams such as actually being in Venice, Italy! Stopping in Zurich Switzerland before traveling through the Alps on a train was extra special for sure. It was surreal for me to see the tiny Swiss villages, country farms, beautiful mountain tops was like a dream! I’ve always loved train travel, and this was surely a highlight for our trip. Wat...

We took about every form of transportation during this trip except for hot air balloons and hand gliders. John and Larry started compiling the list, I finished it off. Just thought it was fun to see all the modes of transportation we used throughout the same trip. I did not include the airport trams, the trams up and down the mountains or any of the vehicles we were in during tours.  Van to LR airport Flight to Dallas Flight to Paris Bus to train station Train to Paris Station East  Train to Strasbourg Train to Basel Train to Zurich Train to Airbnb Train to Train station Train to Milan Train to Verona Train to St Lucia  Waterbus to Airbnb Waterbus to St Lucia Train to Mestre Train to Trieste Boarded Norwegian Dawn Boat tender to and from Kotor Boat tender to and from Santorini Boat tender to and from Mykonos Taxi to Airbnb in Athens Taxi to Athens airport Flight to Milan  Flight to Paris Taxi to Airbnb Taxi to Paris airport Flight to Dallas Flight to Little Rock...

We woke early, of course, and was packed and ready to leave the apartment at 7 AM. I contacted the driver that brought us here and he was in Lithuania so obviously could not drive us to the airport. He was nice enough to contact “an associate” who was there at 7:00 and we had a hassle free ride back to the airport. We mostly breezed through security, with a slight exception. Bryan was once again flagged for a gunpowder check, which he of course passed. That has certainly become a mystery.  Both coming and going Bryan was a gunpowder suspect. He claims he has no idea why and hasn’t been around any. I’m thinking I better start keeping an eye on some of his hobbies.  We arrived at the gate 2 1/2 hrs before the flight. I discovered that we had access to a free lounge at this airport but it was in a different terminal. Sometimes crossing terminals it’s not a problem, you can walk right over. Other terminals it can get messy and may even require leaving the secure area. We for sure ...

Before this trip I watched lots of YouTube videos and read information about our destinations. I have found it’s always a good idea to see what other people have been through at those locations and learn from their experiences and mistakes. Before this trip I kept hearing people talk about Merino wool and encouraging other travels to use it. So of course I had to check it out. According to the claims, Merino wool has some type of antibacterial properties that will keep your clothing smelling fresh and clean; even undergarments. T-shirt, socks, and underwear can be worn repeatedly without washing and still stay fresh and clean. I was skeptical. Not only did it just not sound very reasonable, or sanitary, I sure didn’t like the idea of wearing wool for underwear. I just imagined non stop hives and itching.  I continued to see many different people praising it that I finally bit the bullet and bought some to try it out for myself. Here is what I found out about Merino wool and why it ...

The morning came way too early once again.  Joe was still coughing a lot but his bedroom was on the opposite side of the apartment from the rest of us so we never heard him. But Bryan was having his own problems. His arthritic knees were getting worse from all the walking and he simply couldn’t handle another long day of it so he decided not to on the tour. Being our last day In Paris I rather liked the idea of a relaxing last day so I stayed behind with Bryan.  We slowly walked along the Seine River, visited the grounds of the Eiffel Tower and figured out the subway system.  The other four got up early and left for their meeting point at the Catacombs, a network of tunnels beneath Paris housing the remains of over six million people. The Catacombs unfortunately were not a part of the tour.  Since I was not there, Larry recorded the days adventure… A Trip to the Loire Valley - by Larry Our last full day in France found four of us (Joe, Alan, John, and Larry) travelin...

It was our first full day in Paris. The six of us originally booked a day tour to see the palace of Versailles. After thinking about it, we decided we would really like to see more of Paris proper so we cancelled the tour.  Joe and Alan has been to Paris before and they decided to go ahead with the tour.  They left the apartment just after 8AM. Their tour lasted about six hours and they thoroughly enjoyed it.  The Palace of Versailles is one of the most famous and opulent palaces in the world.  The palace became the seat of political power in France from 1682 until the French Revolution in 1789 and is a symbol of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime, showcasing the grandeur and power of the French monarchy. The palace is home to numerous works of art reflecting the artistic achievements of the time and is surrounded by expansive and meticulously designed French gardens. The Palace of Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage site, attracting millions of visitors ea...

We touched down in Paris and a gate agent picked up Joe and whisked him away. At this point we had no idea where we were going, much less where they were taking him.  We had instructions on how to take the subway to our AirBnb, but after discussing it we opted to use Uber. Actually, John made the decision as he was weary of all the traveling and schlepping our bags on and off various modes of transportation. We were all equally tired of it but it was his moment to vocalize it…strongly. We followed the signs to the Uber pickup spot and there sat Joe and Alan. Joe was certainly not planning on taking a subway. We were in the process of requesting an Uber when a man parked there in the Uber pickup area told us he was an Uber driver and was already there and ready to go. He had a nice sized mini van that sat all 6 of us easily plus luggage so we hopped in and away we went.  I told him the address and without even jotting it down he knew where to go and he dropped us off at exactly...

Our time in Athens was short but enjoyable, then it was time to move on to the final leg of our trip. Joe seemed to be getting worse and decided to start looking for a doctor. Being a holiday, options were scarce. But he did manage to find one that would accept him and his insurance. Alan went with him. After a multitude of tests and a lot of waiting, his diagnosis was Bronchitis. We met back up with them later that evening after dinner. The doctor suggested he not fly for several days and get some rest.  We were to leave the next morning on an early flight. We discussed his options, and Joe ended up following neither of the doctor’s instructions. He did get some medicine though, and we were all relieved to know that he wasn’t dying from Covid. The morning came earlier than we hoped, and again there were bouts of coughing heard throughout the night.  Levi’s flight departed earlier than ours and he left the apartment at 3:30 AM. A few hours later the six of us were in two diffe...

We met our guide for the day at a trendy little area full of restaurants and souvenir shops next to the Acropolis museum.  Our guide was a very proper looking Mary Poppins sort of French lady named Maria. Her umbrella was her marker for us to keep track of her among the throngs of visitors ascending the mountain.  The Acropolis is the most iconic landmark in Athens, home to the Parthenon, Erechtheion, and other ancient structures. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a symbol of ancient Greek civilization. The Acropolis has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with evidence of human activity dating back to the Neolithic period. During the late Bronze Age, the Mycenaeans built a massive palace on the Acropolis, surrounded by a Cyclopean wall. The most famous structures, including the Parthenon, were built during the 5th century BCE under the rule of Pericles. The Parthenon standing today is actually the third one built on that spot.  It was quite a walk up the mountain...

Our first night was rather rough for all of us.  The apartment was quite spacious and there was a good bit of distance between the rooms.  Bryan and I were in the bedroom at the back of the house. John and Larry were in the bedroom in the front of the house. And  Joe and Alan were in the bedroom in the middle. Levi’s room was just across from Joes.  By this time Joes coughing was continuous. Larry and Bryan were also coughing a fair amount so each bedroom had one person with a cough.  Joe would go into a coughing fit, then Bryan would rouse and start coughing and Larry would follow suit. The three would hack on together for a bit and little by little they would slow and everything would finally calm down again.  Just when the pillow was starting to feel comfy again Joe would start it all up again which again would jump start Bryan and Larry and off they would go. Like a rock tumbling down a hillside and creating an avalanche on the way down.  This was ...