Lahania 1998

Christian 2.8.98

Day 38 - Today we went to see our relatives in a town called Lahania.  We saw where my grandpa was born and lived until he was sixteen before leaving to go to Australia because there was not anything to spend your money on, that he was making.  We saw 2 of seven brothers that he had.  They built the little town because of the spring that ran through it.  We also had a swim in the ocean that was really nice and sandy.  We hired a pedal boat for an hour.  Day 39 - We went to a playstation shop.  What you do is hire a playstation for an hour and play any games you want.  After that we met with dad's cousin and her daughter who was 13 years old.  They took us everywhere in the city, up on a mountain with a view, to a church and a park.  We met with other relatives who grew and sold their capusey which translated is a watermelon.  We ate half a watermelon each, it was nice.


Joshua

Day 38 - Today we drove to Lahania and on the way we stopped off at Lindos and had breakfast and the food was nice.  Then we looked at the shops and went to the church and the paintings were nice.  We drove to Lahania and when we got there we had a look at where our grandpa used to walk down to plough the fields.  We met our relatives and they were really excited to see us.  Then we went to the beach but it was all rocky and when we got back they had cooked a big meal.  On the way home we stopped at a sandy beach (Lindos) and hired a boat out.  When we got back home we got picked up by Sula, who is dad's cousin and we went to Faliraki and went on a Virtual Ride and it was really fun and the food was nice.  Day 39 - We met dad's aunty who was selling watermelons on the side of the road.  Then we went to the old city with Sula and Sambikou and then back to the hotel.

Rhodes 1998

Christian 31.7.98
Day 36 to 38 - Got up late we got in late from our plane flight.  We went to Goodies for breakfast which is like a McDonalds.  After we we went to the old city of the knights of St John.  Then we went and looked around the city and at shops.  We drove to Faliraki and went to a gold factory and bought mum a gold ring with six rubies, 5 diamonds, 2 saphires and 1 big EMERALD!  Josh bought a coin with the Parthenon and Athena on both sides.  I bought my star sign in silver and gold.  When you buy something from the shop you get a free evil eye which guards off evil spirits.


Joshua
Day 36 to 38 - When we woke up we went to breakfast at Goodies and played games in a 
games room.  Then we went to the old city and we got lost in it and it took us 1 hour trying to get out of it.  In the castle we saw soldiers and some police and we saw the ship.  We went home and got dressed and went to the lights and sound show and it was really boring.  Today we hired a car and we drove to Faliraki and went to a gold shop and mum bought a big gold ring with an emerald on it and we bought some gold too. Then we went to the butterfly farm and they were really pretty.  At the end there was a little cafe and we we had some spaghetti and it was really nice.  

Santorini 1998

Jo-Ann

27- 30.7.98 - Got up at 4 am but flight was delayed until 6 am.  Airport is very old, trip to Santorini took 40 mins.  Room wasn't ready so had breaky and swam in the hotel pool till 1 pm. We bought Joshua a soccer game for his birthday. Joshua's birthday - he got a surprise when he woke up.  Walked down to old port long, hot and windy, lovely place lots of cruise ships come in.  Caught chair lift back to top near church.  Pita souvlaki for tea and walked around streets.  Sat on verandah and watched sunset.  Started to get dark about 11 pm.  Restaurants very noisy and go till 5 am.  Went on three hour trip to volcano and hot springs had to book the day before.  About 30 mins to get to volcano by boat, 30 mins hot walk up had to take plenty of water.  Volcano is barren. 15 mins to hot springs.  You dive off the boat and swim to hot springs, boys and Stephen swam, but I waited on the boat, water looked very inviting and deep.  Went out to restaurant for tea just up the road from our villa.  Ate at about 9.30 pm - thats the norm over here. Hired a little car and drove to Ia and the top end of Santorini - quaint little place, beaches aren't much, had coffee and rizzogolo at a cafe.  Ruins were closed and then we got lost.  Got to the airport at 8 pm only to find our flight had been delayed.

Christian
Day 32 to 35 - Plane was delayed to 6 o'clock, we stayed in Athens dirty airport for another two hours.  We went to wait to be taken to the plane in a mini bus, it didn't even have a walkway.  The flight was good and there was not any turbulence.  We had a look at shops and I tried a thing called a pita souvlaki which is like a greek kebab and it was really nice.  They have a lot of motorbikes and they even have lemon Fanta in Europe.  In the afternoon we had a swim in the pool and saw some Australians.  At the pool some ladies took their bikini tops off and Josh and I thought that was a pretty impressive way to get a tan.  For Joshua's birthday he got a plastic soccer table.  In the afternoon we got some photos of the sunset.  We walked up to the top of the volcano where the crater was.  On the way back we sa a hole with Hydrogen Sulphide leaking out and it really stunk, we picked up a rock each.  We went up the stairs on donkeys.  We hired a car and drove to a town called Ia, to look at the old city which was closed so that was a waste of time.  Mum bought a ring with dolphins on it.


Joshua
Day 32 to 35 - We got up at 4 in the morning but our flight was delayed until 6 am.  Had to wait until our hotel was ready.  We had breakfast at a restaurant that had a nice view of the sea.  We went to the hotel and the toilet started leaking so we had to get the plumber to fix it.  For tea we had pita souvlaki.  When I woke up in the morning I saw a soccer table at the bottom of my bed.  Christian and I played that for a bit and then we walked down six hundred steps.  We sat and had a drink and some food and we went up in the cable car.  We shopped and then we got home and took a photo of the sunset.  We caught a boat to the volcano and when we got there it was packed with tourists.  When we got up to the top we were so hot we had to drink lots of water. there was a big crater where lava came out, we saw some smoke coming up and it stunk a lot.  After that we went to the hot springs.  I jumped first and it was cold at the start but when you got to the springs it was warm.  When we got back we rode the donkey up and that was fun. We hired a car and went up to the ruins and mum was afraid because she's afraid of heights and when we got up there it was shut.  So we went to Ia and had something to eat and drink at the beach.  We drove back to Thira and Christian and I got mum a golden dolphin ring then we went to the pool and had a swim.

Athens 1998

Jo-Ann
25.7.98 - Slept in and went to the museum in Athens.  Looked at shops, they shut at 4pm so didn't have a lot of time.  The museum was huge and had heaps of artefacts - too many, a bit boring. On the bus home some beggars got on and sang for us so we gave them some money.  Got back late and watched T.V. and had an early night.
26.7.98 - Had breakfast at Goodies down the road from the hotel.  Drove to airport to have a look but it was so big and busy we didn't stop.  Swam in the hotel pool and generally laid around.  Went to the beach restaurant across the road from hotel. Had an early night and packed for Santorini.


Christain
Day 30 - Today we went to the museum.  We saw lots of statues and pots and ornaments.  We also saw the mask of a man that was flattened out.  When they used to die they would cover their face.with gold masks and jewellery.  I found out they invented safety pins in 2000 B.C. They used to make mirrors out of polished bronze metal.  But because bronze rusts it was all green and rusted.  The museum even had Egyptians tombs that had been traded back then.  After that we had a swim in the pool which was nice.
Day 31 - We went to the pool to stay the whole day.  The pool was good with water that was warm and the sun drying you off.  For tea we went to the beach to a restaurant and had spaghetti.  We had a bit of a swim in the sea as well and did some snorkelling before eating dinner.  Joshua and I made a sand castle at the beach and we could skip rocks.


Joshua
Day 30 - Today we caught the bus into the city.  When we got to the museum we had to hang our own bags up, you weren't allowed to take them in.  When we got into it we saw lots of jewellery and upstairs there were millions of pots with pictures on them.  We caught a bus home and some people came and sang a song and we gave them some money.  When we got home we watched a movie called the Cable Guy.
Day 31 - We drove to the centre square and we went to a place called Goodies for breakfast and the food was nice.  We came back to the hotel and had a long swim in the pool.  after that we went to the beach and went snorkelling and had tea at a restaurant on the beach.

Acropolis 1998

Jo-Ann
23.7.98 - Went to the Acropolis and walked down some beautiful little back streets to get there.  Very busy but what a beautiful landmark.  Walked round the Plaka and I bought a lovely ring - gold and silver $150.  Bought lots of souvenirs, worry beads etc. and ate a very expensive lunch.  Using public transport in Athens it is very easy.  Ate at a restaurant on the beach opposite our hotel.  Pollution in Athens is terrible, they are mad drivers.


Christian
Day 29 - Today we went to the Parthenon on top of the Acropolis.  Acropolis means high city.  It was built made out of tonnes of marble.  The columns are staked high, but inside filled with an iron bar that had been refilled with titanium because of rust problems.  The turkish once invaded it once and blew up most of it leaving only 20 to 30 columns standing.  Next to the Parthenon is ruins that the turks stored their gunpowder.  When the Venetians came to invade the turks  set fire to the gunpowder and blew it up. Fortunately it was reconstructed.


Joshua
Day 29 - Today we caught the bus to the city and we walked to the Syntagma and a person took a photo of Christian and I with two pigeons on our hand eating seeds that he gave us.  We saw soldiers marching around the Syntagma to guard it.  Then we had lunch at McDonalds and dad went across the road to book a Villa on Santorini.  Then we went to the Plaka which is lots of little shops and mum looked in a jewellery shop while we got something to eat.  Then we walked up to the Acropolis and that took a long time.  That led us to ruins of the Parthenon which was a big temple with Athena in it and that's what Athens was named after.

Delphi 1998

Jo-Ann
23.7.98 - Got up early and drove to Delphi.  Visited the temple of Apollo and saw the museum.  Delphi is very expensive and touristy, lovely shops and magnificent pottery.  We decided to have lunch and enjoy the lovely view, olive groves that went on and on.  Decided to drive to Athens as it was only two hours on the freeway.  Stopped and had something to eat at an autogrill, which was built over the highway.  Arrived in Athens very late and found out the Galaxy Hotel was a dump.  We couldn't stay there, we finally found the Poseidon Hotel down the road - basic and very expensive.


Christian
Day 28 - Today we went to Delphi which is just outside Athens.  In Delphi we wanted to stay a night but it was too touristy so we went to some ruins called the  Temple of Apollo which was great.  It had an amphitheatre which is a shell shaped theatre.  Josh and I went up to the top of theatre and dad stood at the bottom and spoke in a normal voice and Josh and I heard it very clearly.  Because the theatre is shaped like a shell the sound is spread.  


Joshua
Day 28 - Today we went to Delphi which is a ruin of the Temple of Apollo and the Oracle and when we got there we had lunch at a taverna overlooking the olive trees.  Then we went to Delphi and you couldn't pick anything up but Christian and I didn't do what the sign said, we picked up some things and it was pottery.  There was a cave there and we found a dog in there.  When we went out we went to the museum and there were statues there and gold jewellery.  We went up town and we were looking for pots but we couldn't get them because they wouldn't let them on the plane.  After that we drove to Athens and on the way we stopped at a big autogrill where we had lunch and on the bottom floor they had a games room and a toy shop.  We looked in the toy shop but there wasn't much there so we drove to Athens and when we got there we got our hotel and went to bed.

Meteora 1998

Jo-Ann
22.7.98 - Started early to drive to the monasteries, just as well because all the tourist buses come in force.  Visited three monasteries - St Stephens, St Nicolas and Grand Meteora.  You have to cover your arms and legs, so they give you these pull on skirts - gross! Finished about 2pm stopped and had lunch in a lovely family restaurant, in Kastraki.  Went home and had a three hour sleep.  The boys played game boy.  Got up had tea rang home.


Christian
Day 27 - Today we went up to the monasteries to have a look.  The first monastery we went to was a pretty big one and had lots of old paintings.  The last two monasteries were just about the same as the first one, they all had old paintings on the walls.  Mum and dad saw some icons which they wanted to buy.  An icon is like a painting on a rock of Jesus or Mary. It is illegal to take original icons out of the country and you can be put in jail for it.  After that we went back to the hotel.


Joshua
Day 27 - We went to the monasteries on the mountains.  When we got to the first one dad wasn't aloud to go in because he wasn't dressed properly.  Mum had to wear a smock, which is a long skirt and we went into the museum in the monastery.  Then we went to the second monastery but this one was smaller and you had to walk up lots of steps before you got there.  Then we drove to the last one and all of the people were lined up and it took a long time before we got there.  We looked at the skulls and where they ate dinner and when we got back we had lunch and the food was nice.  Then we went home and had a rest for three hours.  After that we went shopping and had tea.

Kalambaka 1998

Jo-Ann

Goats in the mountains on the way to Kalambaka

21.7.98 - Left the boat about 9am and drove strait from the port of Igoumenitsa to Ioannina, a lovely little town.  We had breaky there and rang Pam.  Drove on trying to reach Kalambaka over the mountains.  A very slow windy road, took us a long time.  Arrived there about two in the afternoon and found a place to stay.  We had a corner room which was very noisy.  We looked around the town and found some wonderful restaurants and I discovered Retsina.  The people in the motel did all my washing for free.  We couldn't go to dinner till 8.30 pm.


Christian

St Stephen's Monastery

Day 26 - Today we got off the ferry and drove to a place called Kalambaka, which is famous for its monasteries that are on top of a mountain called Meteora.  They built the monasteries on top of the vertical mountains because when the barbarians invaded learning almost died out everywhere except for in the monasteries.  The barbarians couldn't invade the monasteries because the only way up was to be hoisted up in a net, so they would just pull the net up and be safe from flying stones.  Tomorrow we are going up to see some monasteries.


Joshua

Lunch at Kalambaka

Day 26 - Today we had to get up at 6 am in the morning because that's when we got to Greece.  When we got to the dock we had to get the car and then put the car on the car lift so that we could get out.  When we got out we were in a place called Igoumenitsa.  In Ioannina we had breakfast, went shopping and bought some shampoo.  We drove up a mountain and through lots of mountains and it took a long time until we got to Kalambaka where we found a hotel and had lunch at a little restaurant and the food was really nice.  Then we walked up town and looked in shops and markets and bought some souvenirs and shoes.  Then we went back to the hotel and had a rest for a couple of hours.  Then went went up town again and had tea at a restaurant and the food was nice there as well.

Brindisi 1998

Jo-Ann
20.7.98 - Another long day of travelling, Stephen drove all day.  Travelled along the highway glad to get out of southern Italy.  Got to Brindisi and found out the ferry left at 7 pm.  We booked a cabin and sat in the park all day.  The boys played handball, a bitch of a day. When we got to the port it was filthy, the toilets were filthy - shit all over the walls. We arrived at about 4 pm and sat in the car, too unsafe to do anything else.  We boarded at about 6 pm.  Cabin was small, old shower bath and toilet.  Food was good and before we knew they were waking us up to get off.


Christian
Day 25 - Today we got on a ferry to go from Brindisi to Greece.  It took 10 hrs to get to Greece so we slept on the ferry over night.  On the ferry we took our car so it was sort of like a ship.  We ate a meal on the ship and it was really nice food because the Greeks are really good cooks.  Joshua had spaghetti and he said it was better than the Italian spaghetti, which is pretty good I think.  In the afternoon we sat and had bagels and coke because we were one of the first people on the ship.


Joshua
Day 25 - We got up early and did a long drive down the coast of southern Italy. We bought some tickets for our ferry trip to Greece.  Because the ferry didn't leave until late we played handball in a square of the city.  We played some other games as well until 4.30pm.  Then we drove to the docking area and got on our ferry.  We had a cabin on our ferry, it was pretty small and had a shower and two lots of double bunks.  I am sleeping of one of the top bunks and mum is sleeping under me.  There is a nice dinning area and a lot of cars are coming in.  There is a room where there are some video games and a lot of poker machines.

Giovinazzo 1998

Jo-Ann
19.7.98 - Another long drive towards the south of Italy. They are mad drivers over here, you have to drive very carefully.  Drove through some lovely country but decided to push on towards Brindisi.  What a bad move came to some terrible areas, real slums.  Finally stumbled across resort style accommodation.  Took a punt and got the last room, clean and comfortable.  The boys had a swim in the pool and the sea.  No sand, lots of rocks and cement, Christian cut his foot on some rocks.  The boys need to wear their surf shoes.


Christian
Day 24 - Today we drove to Giovinazzo and stayed in a hotel called Club Lafayette.  It was right on the beach and had a big pool because the beach was all rocky and polluted.  In the pool you had to wear a little cap because head lice is really bad in Europe.  They had soccer tables that josh and I played for a little before going to the sea water.  The beaches in Europe have white stones and washed up seaweed on the shore.  At night we had a party, it had fireworks, food music dancing and a lot of waiters serving about ten meals at a time.

Pool at Hotel Lafayette

Joshua
Day 24 - We got up early and we started to drive to Brindisi.  On the way we stopped a food place and the toilets were awful.  We went a bit further and we ate there.  I had a pizza and Christian and mum had a toasted sandwich and we bought things to play with in the car.  We didn't make it to Brindisi so we stayed at a beach resort and it had two plastic soccer tables.  When we got down to the pool we had top buy a cap and they wouldn't let you wear a swim shirt.  After the pool closed we went down to the beach and had a swim there.  When we got back to the room we got dressed again to got to a party at the pool. When we got to the party the food was nice and the fireworks were good.