It is strange how quickly one can begin to feel like they belong, in a city thousands of miles away from their home.  Athens has begun to feel like home to me.  On my last night I took a “volta” along the skirts of the Acropolis just like I did my first night.  That first night was so magical, and as I gazed up at the Acropolis I realized that the magic was still there.  No matter how familiar things become, there will always be so...

I had to leave my wonderful hotel room today… I think I was able to make up the price of the room by stealing food from the all-you-can-eat breakfast for later meals.              Back at a hostel, I met three great British girls, Lizzy, Beca and Vics.  They had all met during their gap year in Tanzania.  We went out to dinner and spent hours talking.  Although hotels are nice, I re...

Traveling in high season without reservations came back to bite me last night.  After calling every hostel in Athens yesterday, and finding no empty beds, I finally caved in and booked two beds at the Best Western.  My own bathroom, satellite TV, air-conditioning, all you can eat breakfast… how am I ever going to go back to a hostel?  Oh yeah… when I run out of money.            V...

I went to my usual place in Fira to get my breakfast crepe; ham, cheese and onions.  When I walked in the lady recognized me and began making my crepe.  As she was spreading the batter she told me, “I eat onions every morning too.  They keep you healthy.  All my friends, they get sick, not me!  It’s the onions.  I smiled in agreement.  She handed me my crepe and told me 2 euro 50.  I thanked her, recognizing tha...

While buying my ticket back to Athens I had an interesting conversation with the travel agent.  She asked for my name and when I told her “Melanie” she looked at me with one eyebrow raised and asked, “was your mother Greek?”  I told her no and she explained “Melanie is a Greek name, but here is Greece we do not name are daughters that.”  When I asked her why, she replied, “it is a name meaning darkness, mys...