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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
