Monday morning....6 AM "Wake up Mam Helen.! Room service for last breakfast...time to go!!"" Ouch, my aching head. A few of us table mates decided to party our last night away....I don't think any of us wanted to say goodbye! It was time to end our 16 day cruise though, perhaps some of us will meet again someday, somewhere.
OK....so now...time to get up and get moving. My expedited disembarkation time was for 7:15....and I made it! Getting a cab to the airport was easier than expected so my airport arrival for my 10:45 flight was very early. Flight was on time and and off to London I go for a few hours. I do NOT like Easyjet.....luggage policy stinks...no legroom...and not even a glass of water is free. I arrive at London Gatwick. This has got to be the world's worst airport! I've been in a few around the world and this one is just too confusing! Especially if you have to change terminals...which I did. A place to avoid in the future if at all possible!! Maybe my huge hangover had something to do with my confusion?? Another on time flight but packed full and lots of noisy kids. Oh well...that can never be helped. I arrive at Athens airport. It's 8:30 PM and there is no one there holding up a sign with my name on it!! I head over to Airport Help Desk and the kind woman there phones my hotel yto find out where my driver is. They forgot about me...someone will be there soon. Sure enough...after about 15 minutes I have a ride. I had opted to choose a hotel in Pireaus (the port city) so that the next morning would be easier. HAH!
Tuesday Morning: Ok..about 100 yards from the hotel....Gate 8, Alexandros Fast boat to Agia Marina on Aegina.....scheduled to leave at 9AM. Oh oh...I get to the ticket booth...no boat this morning. WHAT? So, I wander down the pier. I find a boat going to Souvala, also on the Island of Aegina. So, I hop on. An hour later I arrive in Souvala and try and find transport to Agia Marina. An old fisherman on the wharf tells me (in broken sign language) that there is only one taxi in town and he is not here right now. "Sit" he tells me with knarled fingers..."there is nothing but time. " So, I sit. After several minutes of nothing the old man of the sea pulls out a cell phone and makes a call. And signals me that everything is being taken care of. Ya? Several more minutes go by of the two of us staring at the boats bobbing in the harbour....and he again makes a call. This goes on for an hour. Suddenly he gets all excited! I'm guessing he found the taxi! Yes, but the taxi driver does not want to go all the way to Agia Marina! I have NO idea how far that might be, but I do know this is a fairly small island, just how far can it be? Finally, the taxi actually shows up and we negotiate a 20 Euro fare...to my ultimate destination of Kavos Bay, near Agia Marina. It turned out to be about a 10km ride. New Greek word worth remembering...MALAKA..!!! (Wanker!)
My friends at Kavos Bay were very surprised to see me....they had realized there was no boat and had been wondering just where I got to! It's great to see Irene and Nikos and Antula again! I made it!
Wednesday....nice sunny day but freezing cold! I spent most of the day curled up on my balcony with a blanket and a book...and reading an email from a friend in London bragging that it was 27C there!
Thursday Hot and sunny...hooray! Today I walked into Agia Marina. Not a very long walk....about an hour along the edge of the water and over a few wooded goat trails. I braced myself for this for several reasons. This is the first place that I have come to on my own that was a very special part of a holiday that Tony and I did together. None of the places that I went to in Mexico over this last winter count in quite that way....that was our home. THIS was vacation together. A special, romantic place. We walked these cliffs and trails together 3 years ago and had a wonderful time creating some very special memories. Memories that hit me today as I walked those trails, and then as I sat in "our" taverna sipping on a cool beer....and waiting for Tony to join me at the table. I like to think that he did. Cheers Tony my man.....I miss you.
Kalineekta......
OK....so now...time to get up and get moving. My expedited disembarkation time was for 7:15....and I made it! Getting a cab to the airport was easier than expected so my airport arrival for my 10:45 flight was very early. Flight was on time and and off to London I go for a few hours. I do NOT like Easyjet.....luggage policy stinks...no legroom...and not even a glass of water is free. I arrive at London Gatwick. This has got to be the world's worst airport! I've been in a few around the world and this one is just too confusing! Especially if you have to change terminals...which I did. A place to avoid in the future if at all possible!! Maybe my huge hangover had something to do with my confusion?? Another on time flight but packed full and lots of noisy kids. Oh well...that can never be helped. I arrive at Athens airport. It's 8:30 PM and there is no one there holding up a sign with my name on it!! I head over to Airport Help Desk and the kind woman there phones my hotel yto find out where my driver is. They forgot about me...someone will be there soon. Sure enough...after about 15 minutes I have a ride. I had opted to choose a hotel in Pireaus (the port city) so that the next morning would be easier. HAH!
Tuesday Morning: Ok..about 100 yards from the hotel....Gate 8, Alexandros Fast boat to Agia Marina on Aegina.....scheduled to leave at 9AM. Oh oh...I get to the ticket booth...no boat this morning. WHAT? So, I wander down the pier. I find a boat going to Souvala, also on the Island of Aegina. So, I hop on. An hour later I arrive in Souvala and try and find transport to Agia Marina. An old fisherman on the wharf tells me (in broken sign language) that there is only one taxi in town and he is not here right now. "Sit" he tells me with knarled fingers..."there is nothing but time. " So, I sit. After several minutes of nothing the old man of the sea pulls out a cell phone and makes a call. And signals me that everything is being taken care of. Ya? Several more minutes go by of the two of us staring at the boats bobbing in the harbour....and he again makes a call. This goes on for an hour. Suddenly he gets all excited! I'm guessing he found the taxi! Yes, but the taxi driver does not want to go all the way to Agia Marina! I have NO idea how far that might be, but I do know this is a fairly small island, just how far can it be? Finally, the taxi actually shows up and we negotiate a 20 Euro fare...to my ultimate destination of Kavos Bay, near Agia Marina. It turned out to be about a 10km ride. New Greek word worth remembering...MALAKA..!!! (Wanker!)
My friends at Kavos Bay were very surprised to see me....they had realized there was no boat and had been wondering just where I got to! It's great to see Irene and Nikos and Antula again! I made it!
Wednesday....nice sunny day but freezing cold! I spent most of the day curled up on my balcony with a blanket and a book...and reading an email from a friend in London bragging that it was 27C there!
Thursday Hot and sunny...hooray! Today I walked into Agia Marina. Not a very long walk....about an hour along the edge of the water and over a few wooded goat trails. I braced myself for this for several reasons. This is the first place that I have come to on my own that was a very special part of a holiday that Tony and I did together. None of the places that I went to in Mexico over this last winter count in quite that way....that was our home. THIS was vacation together. A special, romantic place. We walked these cliffs and trails together 3 years ago and had a wonderful time creating some very special memories. Memories that hit me today as I walked those trails, and then as I sat in "our" taverna sipping on a cool beer....and waiting for Tony to join me at the table. I like to think that he did. Cheers Tony my man.....I miss you.
Kalineekta......
What a lovely journey into memory and tribute, Helen. And...you are such an adventuresome lady! A real inspiration...I am always thinking, "Well, Helen does it!" Helps me over my fear of the "great unknown"!
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