Blue and White

By Jay

Most buildings on Greek islands are painted a brilliant white with a rich blue trim, complementing the country's flag, the whiteness of clouds and blue essence of sky and water. On a bright day the white can be a little hard on the eyes but round corners and archways soften the architecture and the buildings blend well with the steep terrain.

Many buildings of diverse use and ownership, angles and elevations make for interesting, photogenic views. In older sections of towns the streets and walkways meander back and forth across the landscape in confusing patterns and it can be difficult to get directions from locals and they will often just choose to walk or drive you to your destination. A good compass and sense of humility are good tools for finding your way.

Easter in Greece

By Jain

Paros Greece Saturday April 30th
By Jain

We arrived in Paros after a 3 hour ferry ride from Santorini. The town is buzzing because it is Easter here. Lucky us we get two Easters this year. Greece celebrates its Easter according to the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar as we do in the Western world. Easter here is the biggest holiday of the year and overshadows Christmas by a long shot. It has nothing to do with  easter bunnies, easter egg hunts, hollow chocolate rabbits or candy filled plastic eggs. Instead this religious holiday centers around lamb roasted on a spit, wine and family. Oh yeah and making the traditional treats like Easter cookies and Magiritual soup. For you lamb lovers that is soup made from lamb innards, egg, and lemon. Since I don't care for lamb that much I doubt if I would like the soup. (Saved by the bell).

So let's see Friday April 29th was Good Friday; today Saturday April 30th is called Easter Saturday; Sunday May 1st is Easter Sunday; Monday, May 2nd is Easter Monday referred to as Bright Monday (also known by our family and friends as our 38th wedding anniversary); and Tuesday May 3rd will be Labor Day and May Day. Come to Greece if you want a good time if you like holidays and of course like lamb.

We are staying at Joseph Apartments in Parikia, Paros. It has a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. It is nice, clean and basic and for $40.00 a day can't be beat. It also has the standard Greek bed as hard as a rock. I am sure if you slept on the floor  you could not feel a difference. It is pure torture. Over the years traveling so much I have encountered beds that were equally miserable. I usually find creative ways to make them bearable; padding them with extra blankets, pillows or towels, borrowing pool lounge cushions, flipping the mattress, or using a blow up rubber pool matress. Here was easy, I slept on the futon in the living room... problem solved.

This morning, Easter Saturday, our landlord delivered us traditional Easter homemade cookies, and two hard boiled eggs dyed red. She explained the tradition of rapping the end of your egg against a friend's egg to see which egg cracks first.The one whose egg cracks first loses and ensures the winner will have good luck for the next year. She also invited us to join the rest of the town in the main square at 12 midnight for candle lighting complete with fireworks, drums, singing and church bells.

Today we took a long walk around town trying to find where we attended the Nose, Flipper and Hat party at a local seaside tavern 30 years ago. We never found it but did find the pensione we stayed in and also the fountain where I hid a present for Jay on my compass scavenge hunt I planned for him back then. On our walk it was fun to see the locals preparing for upcoming festivities including preparing their lamb spit in their yard.

I like Paros. I don't especially like holidays; everything usually is closed. Here everything seems to be buzzing at least for today.  Shops are open for business and almost all the restaurants are working like crazy preparing for their 5 course Easter meal complete with lamb,and that yummy lamb soup.

Opah!!!

Sent from my Galaxy Tab® S2

Paros Poppies

On PAROS

By Jay

Passport Renewed

I just received my renewed passport and putting the old one away reminds me of all the great destinations recorded there. 130+ stamps and many Visas make for great memories.
I'll be curious to see how the TSA agent reacts to this new one.

Home is where the heart is

I think that is how the saying goes. At any rate, it's also a good place to do laundry, download the pictures, open the mail, check to see that all bills are paid and re-stock the refrigerator.

All in preparation for the next trip...

Approaching home

After 14 hours of travel we decide to spend the night at the Peppermill in Reno, rest up and make the final forty miles in the morning. By coincidence there is a fire conference here at the hotel and I was able to slip through the gate keeper in the exhibits area and look for friends. I'm reminded of my age when out of three hundred+ folks attending, I can't find one. Life goes on,

Homeward Bound

So we made the 5:15 and now sitting out a three hour layover in the Delta lounge at JFK and reminded how much we dislike this part of travel. It's bad enough sitting in an airplane but at least it is moving in the desired direction.