Greece!

At last I am settling down to write about our amazing trip to Greece – a month after we got back, but none the less!

We started out in Athens.  We stayed in a lovely apartment called Áegean View’ (somewhere in the distance, we could see the Aegean Sea!).  It was spacious, had great views (for a city!) and was close to both the Tram line and a Spar supermarket.

We arrived on Easter Saturday, so by the time we had recovered from the flight and were ready to tour it was Easter Sunday, where almost everything was closed.  Fortunately the Tram line was running and, after some confusion as to how and which tickets to get, we got easily into the centre of Athens.

The National Gardens were open and we took and un-intended meander through them.  Lovely.

Ancient ruins abound.  This is the Temple of Olympian Zeus. 

Getting ones head around how they built such massive structures all those years ago was difficult.  At least this fallen column reveals that it is not one solid piece of marble, but made up in pieces.  Renamed ‘sliced cucumber’ by Carl!

We took a walk up the hill opposite the Acropolis (which was closed because of Easter Sunday) and had a lovely view over the Acropolis and Athens.

Next morning, we headed to the Acropolis and were seriously impressed by it.  This is one of the ancient theatres in the Acropolis area.

A rare photo of Roland and Caron!

After a looong morning of touring, we were very happy to rest our weary pins and enjoy a good meal.  Easter was the time for lamb so we feasted!

This little church amazed us – an enormous multi-story building was built right over it (and one of the columns actually went through it!).  Still an active church where people would pop in to say their prayers.

Meg’s dream wedding dress – made of toilet paper!

Yet another ancient church (this one is probably only 600 years old!).

We did a Segway tour which, while great fun, wasn’t the most informative or value for money.

After 4 days in Athens, we caught the ferry to the island of Paros.  A 4 hour ferry ride.

This beach was just 50m from our apartment in Paros (in the village of Nauossa).  What was not mentioned was the 132 steps to get down and back up!

By far and away the best skipping stones on any beach we have ever been to.  Alistair has become quite the stone-skipping expert!

Two of the days we hired mopeds which was such fun!!  Roland named us Wild Hogs.  Megs & Ali went with Roland and Carl and Caron & I had our own bikes.

On one of the days, we took a ferry (with mopeds) across to the little island called Anti-Paros.

We stopped for lunch and what must have been the most idyllic setting for a restaurant in the world!

Megs ordered cuttle-fish for her lunch.  Didn’t taste too bad.

And I have now run out of photos, but that about sums it up.  A wonderful time with A LOT of eating, resting and walking.  A highly recommended holiday destination!

We're in!!!!

It's been six weeks now since we moved, which has given me time to unpack most of the boxes and get quite a few of the pictures up.  I am so happy with the house and even though there is still a ton of things to do (curtains, more furniture, cover existing furniture, buy rugs etc., not to mention the garden!), we are loving being in and feel very settled already.
I am going to give you a guided tour of the house, room by room.

Welcome to our home.....

 

 The entrance hall:

 

The formal lounge & dining room:





 

The TV room/kitchen: 

  

The Games room:  

 

Tradesman's entrance -the passage from the garage toward the kitchen/games room 

 

The stairwell - a source of pride.  Hand crafted by a friend of ours who is a master carpenter (& a German, so it is VERY well made!)

  

The Pyjama lounge - couches still on order!

 

 The Guest bedroom:

 Megan's bedroom: 

 

 

Ali's bedroom:

 Main bedroom:

Carl's study - well used.  In fact, the only room in the house which has earned its keep so far (except maybe the kitchen!!).

 

The loft room - still unclaimed, but full great for storage!

The view from the garden, which ironically, hardly anyone sees!!

 

From the patio to the garden:

 The bottom section of garden with newly laid grass:

 

Our baby - a giant eating, drinking, pooing, chewing, biting, barking pain in the butt whom we all adore!!!