Yamas!

I finished out the semester in Paris very well. The weather got beautiful and Paris really changes in the spring. We spent a lot of time in parks and one day at the Bois de Bologne a foresty area on the west of Paris where we rented a row boat and rowed around the little lake. I had a great last night with all of my friends at my favorite bar, Le Merle Moqueur and the next morning Jayda and I got on Easy Jet from Paris to Athens.
Athens was awesome. We stayed in a hostel near Omania Square and took the metro to the Acropolis. At the top of a hill overlooking the city--It was gorgeous up there. I loved the Parthenon and these statues of women on the side of the ruins. It was the greatest achievement in classical Greek art. From the top of the hill we looked down onto a theatre and we climbed up Mars Hill where Paul the Apostle supposedly read the Gospel. Jayda and I bought Gyros from a street vendor and just walked around the curvy stone streets. We also had baklava then went to the ancient Olympic stadium.
We made friends while touring and met them at the Hilton bar, Galaxy that night for wine. It was the most beautiful view. On the top floor of the Hilton, overlooking the city, and eye level with the Acropolis which is brilliantly lit at night. Lovely.
Next morning we caught the ferry to Santorini, aka my new favorite place. The island used to be a volcano and when it erupted, it collapsed into the ocean so now there is the volcano island in the middle with water all around. Then Santorini surrounds that with a caldera and sloping cliffs. It is known for its white buildings with blue roofed churches. We stayed in Hostel Anna on Paraissa Beach and met the most interesting people, including Australian girls who were backpacking and working their way through Europe "indefinitely" (and I thought a month was impressive!!)
We met up with 2 friends of Jayda's, Lisa and Laura, too. My favorite day was when we rented 4 wheelers to tour the island with. It allowed us to have our own schedule and see everything! We went to the Red Beach, the lighthouse, up to Ia, one of the major towns and walked around. I fell in love with the bright blue and white churches overlooking the Mediterranean. Jayda and I climbed down to this huge rock that used to have a castle built on top of it and watched the sunset.
The rest of the trip we spent on the beach or chillin in the capital, Fira. I even got some sun after gray Paris ;)
It was also reeeal cheap there and we got to try all sorts of new great foods--sesame round bread (mix between a sesame bagel and a pretzel), yogurt and honey and frappe coffees(breakfast treats), moussaka (layered potatoes, eggplant, tomatoe dish), stuffed vine leaves, souvlakakia (super flavorful meatballs), stuffed tomatoes...mmm. Great time and seriously enchanting. We met the nicest people ever--everyone went out of their way to help us and suggest things for us to do. (our waitress told us about Ammoudi Bay where at the restaurants you literally watch the fisherman bring in fresh fish from their boats and throw it on the grill, and the man who rented us the 4 wheelers was so grateful for our business he bought us drinks at a local bar.) I think it is the most beautiful place in the world and will post pictures soon. We took two overnight ferries and two trains and ... I am in Rome now! Loooving it. More to come bisous!
(oh I learned "yasas" (hello and goodbye), "yamas" (cheers), and kefi (fun) in Greek.
Greece was kefi kefi kefi all around.