My Big Fat Greek Blog Post

Before we get into the details of the Johnson-Leck adventures in Greece, it’s worth noting that a horrible tragedy happened here just a few hours before our arrival. A terrible head on train accident between a passenger train and a cargo train occurred north of Athens, killing more than 30 people. It’s absolutely devastating for the country. Transportation infrastructure in Greece is a real Achilles heel and the government has failed to update and automate the train infrastructure across the country so everything is manual. There were protests in Athens while we were in-country, the metro in Athens was closed due to a strike, and train transportation was closed while we were there. We send positive thoughts to everyone in Greece as they navigate the aftermath of this terrible tragedy.

Our introduction to Greece happened on the water in the several days approaching our port of Piraeus. Our Captain is from Greece and prior to working for Semester at Sea, he captained ferries in the Aegean Sea that shuttled folks from Greek Island to Greek Island. So he knows the Aegean like the back of his hand. When we arrived in the Mediterranean, it was very windy and we spent the days sailing to sheltered bays off the shore of his favorite places. We anchored one morning on the northern shore of Crete, an absolutely breathtaking island with a massive snowcapped mountain in the distance.

Another day we anchored off the shore of the Peloponnesian peninsula within view of beautiful Nafplio. Now, we are sailing along the southern coast of the Peloponnesian peninsula and within view of absolutely gorgeous scenery – small villages, monasteries, and beautiful bays. The Captain gleefully blows the horn when we enter the most beautiful bays like a teenage boy on a joy ride in a fast car. Chris has threatened to jump off the ship, abandoning his job and family in favor of swimming to shore and making his home on the southern coast of Greece.

Once again, Chris was on-call for the first three days, but we decided to get an Airbnb which was located in the heart of historic Athens: within walking distance of amazing restaurants, excellent shopping, museums, and the Acropolis itself. Chris could just travel back to the ship if needed. 

After we settled our things, we met up with another family from the ship (the Cleveland’s—also from Fort Collins, also sailing with 3 children) for a local food tour with the best guide in Greece, Eva. In addition to being super knowledgeable about Athens, and specifically food in Athens, she was warm and kind, and totally perfect as a guide for families with children. She took us to 10 (11? maybe 12? or 13? We lost track.) different shops/restaurants in the Athens/Plaka area to try food.

One of the coolest parts of this experience is that most food in Greece is made right in front of you by the chef so not only did we try some amazing things, we got to see them made!

These people were making spanakopita with spinach and cheese. The lady on the left is using an industrial machine to roll out the dough for the crust. She probably rolled out 100 crusts while we were standing there. 

Our second stop was a Greek yogurt shop call Fresko. There were several different kinds of yogurt here. 2% fat, 4% fat, 8% fat and then off in the corner (where Eva headed) was the sheep milk yogurt. And not only did you get the real deal yogurt, you got to pick either honey or "spoon sweets." Spoon sweets are basically like jam, but without smashing up any of the fruit. The most popular flavor was cherry. 

We ate a lot of great food in Greece and the kids may all agree that this was the best thing they ate. We actually ate at Freskos four mornings in a row. The Johnson-Leck's will be in the market for some sheep and a permit to keep them in the neighborhood so we can start our sheep milk yogurt business complete with spoon sweets. 

Traveling with other kids is a good idea. 

This guy was making some sort of pastry filled with different things.

The one in the front was basically the best chicken pot pie you've ever eaten wrapped in a pastry and the one in back was filled with custard and topped with sugar. We plowed through the custard one so Eva ordered us a second plate. 

There were probably 3 more shops that we stopped at but didn't get pictures. It was going fast. We went in starving, but were starting too feel full.

We ended up in an area more for locals and sampled the different cheeses at this shop. They has something called soft feta which was a little too soft and gooey for our liking. 

This was the best thing Chris ate in all of Greece (and that's saying something). It was kind of like an unassembled gyro called Soutzoukakia. The mustard you see in the picture is strong and a little spicy. So, so good. 

We meandered from shop to shop and also got to visit some local historical sites like the first ever weather vane in Athens and some ancient tiny homes. After several hours of this, we were incredibly stuffed. It was at this point, Eva announces, "And now it will be time for our lunch." What???!!!  She wasn't kidding and guided us over to a restaurant where we tried to reiterate that we were too full to each much more. Despite this, plate after plate of food arrived: French fries, meatballs, bread, chicken, haloumi (fried cheese), caviar spread, eggplant, fava beans, zucchini balls with tziki sauce, and orange drinks.  We forced ourselves to consume more – the food was great and we also wanted to be polite 😊.

Stuffed like balloons, we STILL WEREN’T DONE. Our final stop was for dessert at Ice Roll, a local ice cream spot where they pour milk on a cold stone, chop up toppings into the immediately freezing milk and then scrape the ice cream into fun little spirals for your bowl.

There were even a few moments for cute pics.

Ok, before we move on we have to say one more thing about Eva. We're pretty sure we are best friends now. We were in communication for the rest of the week, chatting about whatever. She was like family and reminded everyone of our Auntie Joyce. Full of joy, hilarious with children, easily distracted by some other cool thing she had to tell us about. The tour was scheduled for 3 hours and we finally said goodbye after 4.5 hours together. Eva's heart was like the heart of Greece.

Day two, like every remaining day in Athens began with the family starting the day at Fresko, the Greek yogurt shop for yogurt with spoon sweets. It was a beautiful and warm sunny day (the entire time we were there it was unseasonably warm in Greece – in the upper 60s) so we prioritized outdoor activities for the day – the Acropolis and ancient Agra (ruins from Athens ancient marketplace). 

The Acropolis is located smack dab in the middle of Athens – a mountain topped with ancient structures, the most famous being the Parthenon. We had been clued into the fact that having a guide would enhance our experience, but also got a tip that the on-site guides are sometimes not great, so we decided to improvise.  Chris found a guided tour by Rick Steves in podcast format and we played this to take us through all of the ruins and history. It was a great way to see the Acropolis! Even for somebody that isn’t much into ruins, it’s nearly impossible to not be WOWed by the Acropolis: The structures are massive, impressive, and so full of meaning. Walking among them as a family was a really special experience.

There are cool pictures coming, but on our way up the hill we ran across this cat.

Happily asleep in a sunbeam. It reminded us of Euchre. 

Oh look! It's the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

They still do performances there some 2500 years after it was built and Rick Steves can tell you all about it.

The Parthenon. Lots of restoration and preservation going on, but it is absolutely remarkable. No matter what you expect, it surprises. 

After a refuel for lunch we headed over to ancient Agra where we toured an ancient shopping mall turned museum, walked the “streets” of what would have been the ancient marketplace of Athens, saw where Socrates would have taught his students, and visited where elections for the first democracy would have occurred. It was really interesting to learn about ancient Athens, and generally a lot of fun to stroll around outside among the ruins in the sunshine. 

In the evening we wandered the Capital Gardens catching the changing of the guard in front of the President’s residence (a crowd for another protest was gathering nearby).

We spent the morning at the Acropolis Museum.  They do a great job organizing the exhibits, and each kid used an age appropriate brochure to help guide them through the exhibit and keep them engaged. They have statues and artifacts from all of the buildings that make up the Acropolis. The top floor is exactly the same size and shape of the Parthenon and the original artifacts/statues are placed in their correct locations from the Parthenon. It was really, really well done and super interesting.  We learned that only about 45% of the artifacts from the Parthenon are held in Athens. 5% are found in various European countries, and 50% are housed in the BRITISH MUSEUM! Greece has asked for these artifacts to be returned, but Britain continues to refuse. In fact, some of the statues from the acropolis are split in half – i.e. the body housed in the Acropolis Museum in Athens and the head housed in the British museum in the UK. John Oliver has a great TV segment about this which is worth checking out if you get the chance.

Before lunch we meandered our way to the north east part of town to take the Athens funicular for a wonderful view of the entire city.

On Day 4 we (you know the drill by now?) started at Fresko!

Until next time Fresko!

Next we took the “slow ferry” (1.5 hour ride) to Aegina island, a recommendation from our Captain. It’s a peaceful little spot, particularly in the winter when fewer tourists visit the islands. This particular island is known for pistachios and immediately after departing our ferry we found ourselves at a pistachio shop tasting pistachio pesto, pistachio butter, and all other forms of pistachio products. Delicious!

We walked the streets of the small town, spotted 30 cats within the course of an hour, meandered the marina, and enjoyed a great lunch at a sleepy island restaurant. Wally found a dish that he liked (avocado toast with poached eggs) and ended up ordering two meals, polishing off both (we think he might be growing 😊).  

Day 5 sadly started without Fresko. We were on a sunny Greek island so we suffered through. Aegina was a sleepy place in the winter so we rented a car to see the rest of the island. Chris left his driver's license on the ship so Jen took the wheel.

First stop was a monastery. Like still a monastery. We crept around, but we are not a quiet family.

St Nektarios is buried here. He's a big deal in the Greek Orthodox Church.

Can't throw a rock in Greece without hitting a ruin. Actually don't throw rocks in Greece. The rock might be part of the ruin.

We found a beach in a town that was basically shut down for the winter. Not a single other human ever approached the beach while we were there.

Guthrie was happy. We were on the beach for hours. 

The drive around the island was like a movie. It was exactly what you would want a drive around a Greek island to be. A one-and-a-half lane road meandering over hills and around curves with the ocean right below. 

Most people on the ship, ourselves included, absolutely loved Greece. Greece is a charismatic country. It pretty much has something for everybody. You like ruins? Greece has it. Amazing historical sites? Check. Beautiful beaches? Absolutely. Amazing food? Prepare to be stuffed. Stunning mountains? Yup. We were lucky to visit in the “winter” season when the temperatures are mild (but pleasant) and the amount of tourists are at their lowest (it’s truly hard to imagine what this place would be like in the peak of summer visitor season). Five days is nowhere near the amount of time we wanted there. We’d love to come back and island hop for a few months (or forever), explore more of the northern parts of the country, and visit some more wonderful museums. Until then, we’ll cherish the memories of our wonderful visit to this beautiful country.

On to Croatia!

But not before the captain steers us past a few more glorious spots.

Suez Canal Transit - JJJ

Suez Canal Transit – February 18, 2023

In between family Covid tests (more on that in a later post), February 18 marked the date that we would enjoy the special experience of sailing the Suez Canal and moving from the Red Sea and into the Mediterranean Sea. In Global Studies we learned all about the canal – it’s about 100 miles long and the longest canal without locks/dams. When it was built, it created a significantly more direct and efficient sea trade route between Asia and Europe (the alternative was sailing all the way around Africa). We looked at photos of the container ship that got blown off course, jamming up the canal and exacerbating supply chain issues during the covid 19 pandemic.

The Suez Canal is a pretty important and interesting water way, and it was cool to experience sailing it first-hand. It took our ship about 10 hours to pass through the whole thing, from 0400 to 1600 so we had time to wander the decks and wave to Egypt on both sides of ship.

Before we knew it, we were leaving the canal and sailing into the Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus, here we come!!

Cyprus - JJJ

Cyprus February 21-February 24, 2023

While Chris was isolating due to Covid, I anxiously held my breath before every daily test, praying to Aphrodite, Zeus, and any other Greek god/goddess I could think of, that the kids and I would somehow all manage to test negative and be cleared to get off the vessel in Cyprus. The goddesses were on our side this time, and we were thankfully able to explore Cyprus. Fist bumping the ship medical team, I gathered our angsty teen, the 10-year-old boy-gazelle, and the Tasmanian devil to get our wiggles out on land. 

A few fun facts on our port before we get started on the Johnson-Leck adventure:

• About 1 million people live on the island of Cyprus. Most live in Nicosia, the capital. The other major towns are Limassol, Paphos, and Larnaca. In our four days, we spent time in 2 of these (Limassol and Paphos).

• Cyprus got its independence from the British in 1960 (after being occupied by a number of groups throughout history). At this time, the island was made up of 77% Greeks, 18% Turks, and 4% other. In 1974 a group of Greek Cypriot nationalists carried out a coup, attempting to reunite Cyprus with Greece. The Turkish army invaded the island in response to the coup, which led to the capture of 37% island in the north. Today, the Republic of Cyprus has sovereignty over the entire island by law, Turkey being the only country that recognizes Northern Cyprus as its own state. 

• As a result of the conflict described above, Nicosia is a divided capital, the last to remain in Europe. A United Nations “Buffer Zone” divides the capital in half and the Turkish Cypriot north (37% of the island) from the Greek Cypriot south (63% of the island). Cypriot people on either side of the divide can pass fairly easily today from the north to the south or vice versa (they show an ID in the buffer zone). Semester at Sea would not permit any voyager to travel to the Turkish north part of the island so all of our exploration occurred in the south. 

• At some point in history the island was infested with snakes. To solve the problem, cats were put on the island. Today cats are everywhere. You can find people leaving food for them in public places, at restaurants, etc. We saw cats eating out of a dumpster the way you might see racoons eating out of a dumpster in the U.S..  The cats are kind of endearing, and are almost a symbol for the place (you can find cat bags, t-shirts, etc. here). For the record: In Cyprus we saw 3451 cats, 17 free wandering goats, 2 French bulldogs (including a baby---eeeeeekkkkk!), and 0 pugs (whomp, whomp). 

The lingering image for me of Cyprus is that it is gorgeous. It is hard not to continually comment on how beautiful the island is. The weather and geography in Limassol are reminiscent of my favorite cities in the world –San Diego and Cape Town. Palm trees, citrus trees, clear blue ocean water, and brilliant blue skies create the backdrop for this Mediterranean island. We immediately liked it. Urban planners in Limmasol have done a great job making accessible the natural beauty of the place. It has a lovely waterfront, complete with well-designed and interesting paved pathways, cafes and restaurants, exercise equipment, and playgrounds. We spent most of our first day walking along the beautiful shore. Guthrie gleefully spent most of the first day having a “full body experience” in the water and the sand (and for the record, he made the “best sand ball that’s ever been made in the last hundred years”). 

After several miles of walking, we turned our attention to lunch. Wally had a very clear goal for this, and Cyrus delivered. For the last several days, Wally had used his journal as an archive for the list of the food he’s craving (It’s hard to be a vegetarian, let alone a picky vegetarian on the ship). He’s also spent several hours at the ship library computer googling “pizza delivery to ship in ocean.” His belief is that pizza places could really expand their market if they implemented a drone delivery system to ships at sea. As we stepped foot of the ship in Cyprus he reiterated that if I could get him to a Dominoes, he’d consume an entire large pizza on his own. Prove it, buddy:

He didn’t meet his goal, but he did put away 8 pieces in about 15 minutes. The four of us ate two larges together…..maybe Wally wasn’t the only one getting a tad bit tired of the World Odyssey Salad Bar 😊. 

We returned to the ship in the afternoon so the kids could rest in preparation for Carnival and I could put on my student affairs hat for a few hours and respond to a student who was appealing the outcome of a conduct hearing (sorry, friend, you will, in fact, be dismissed from the program for behaving so poorly). 

Carnival is the biggest festival in Cyprus, and we were very fortunate to be in port during the few days it happens every year (the 12 days before Lent).  On our first night in port there was a carnival parade, costumes, and a 90s dance party – right up our alley (aside from the fact that it occurred after my 8pm bedtime!). 

Cyprus has a well developed and affordable public transportation system and on Day 2 (covid negative again – wooo hooo!) we opted to take a public bus to nearby Pathos. Somehow, I managed to book an overnight in what is quite possibly the oddest (and AWESOMEST) hotel I’ve ever stayed in – a Roman themed boutique hotel. There were strange murals and mirrors everywhere, cats wandering in the hotel public spaces from the outside, and a kick-ass buffet breakfast complete with every food imaginable including local olives, and oranges (the damage we did on oranges in Cyprus was reminiscent of our work on pineapple in Kenya). 

We enjoyed exploring Pathos, which like Limmasol, has an awesome marina, a great waterfront, and World Hertiage Sites of ruins and ancient mosaics intermingled throughout the whole town. We enjoyed the sunset over lighthouse beach and I even squeezed in my first “on land” run along the beach. I’d trade that route for ship treadmilling any day. 

We were hoping that day 3 would be the day that Chris would be released from covid isolation and could join us for adventure in Cyprus, but it was not to be.  The kids and I tested negative for the 6th and final time (via home test and emailing photos of our results to the ship), fully clearing us from mask wearing and testing by the on-ship medical team. Learning the news, we did some quick regrouping and made a plan to head out to the Western part of the island to do a hike I had been researching – Aphrodite’s Bath’s. I was blown away by the views on this 7km loop. Fueled by Snickers bars and Pringles, the kids proved their Colorado identities by hiking like absolute champs the entire way, Guthrie, of course, rocking his Crocs. We made our way back to the ship through some creative use of public transportation and taxis with enough time to smuggle in some non-ship-food for Chris. Only a few more hours before we would be reunited as a family. 

Finally joined by Chris, we spent our fourth, and final day, in Cyprus in Limassol. We meandered along the beach and got updates on Chris’s recommendations for Netflix shows, stopped at our favorite beachside café for coffee and pastries. Wally skipped rocks into the crystal clear ocean, and Guthrie fetched the rocks out of the sea like a dog. Midday, we turned our attention to food, enjoying an amazing Cypriot lunch and the infamous “bubble waffle treat” from Hansel and Gretal’s before returning to the World Odyssey. 

Reflecting on this port, I have some regrets about my inability to curate more meaningful cross-cultural experiences for our family on the island.  A lot of factors contributed to this – the ambiguity that came with daily covid testing, being a little fatigued at this point in the voyage, and knowing that there’s a limit to how many ruins/churches/mosques/historical sites/”educational experiences” the kids will tolerate. No doubt, we had a very good time in Cyprus – enjoyed stunning beaches, amazing food, and perfect weather. But, there is a lot more to see here –most of which we didn’t even attempt during our short visit. 

At the end of every port, I ask the kids an impossible question: “If you had to capture this port in a single word, what would it be?” Wally had his response for Cyprus ready to go immediately, and although it doesn’t describe the country of Cyprus, I think it accurately captures the role of Cyprus on our voyage: Reset. We’re now all covid-free and reunited as a family, we used hotel wifi to update our devices with new podcasts, games, and movies, and the spirit of the island rejuvenated us as we move into the second half of the voyage. 

Thanks, Cyprus, for the reset! It was exactly what we needed. Onward!