Saturday was a very long day. Long. We woke up around 9:00, and had breakfast, then I wanted to do some shopping, so I headed uptown to try to find some goodies. I'm sad to report that I just wasn't in the zone. Valiantly I tried, defeated I returned. Other than a few new pens and a pencil, I have very little to show for my trip to Greece. (oh, and the pictures...that I still have to post!)
The stores are only open from 9:00 to 2:00 on Saturdays, so I had to really concentrate and not lolly-gag around. Dave texted me around 12:10 to say that he wanted to come meet me (shocker!!), and asked where I was. I found where I was on the map, and told him, and he set out. 30 minutes later he still hadn't showed up, so I texted him again, and he was completely on the other side of town! Rhodes (city) is fairly well laid-out, as long as you know where you are going to. It is flanked on 3 sides by water, so you can only go so far before you realize that you aren't where you are supposed to be! Eventually, about 12:50 he found me, and we tried some more to buy stuff, then gave up and had a light lunch.
We stopped by the Internet cafe on the way back to the hotel, but I swear it was hotter in there than it was outside! Wow! So we didn't stay long.
We stopped by Pappa L's shop to say Hi, and he said that Dr L was going to be by later to do some business, and we should come back then. So we went back to the hotel and sat in a quiet, fresh-and-breezy corner for 3 or 4 hours. I was reading and writing letters and Dave was doing problems in his engineering book. It was really a peaceful time -- not stressy or chaotic like usual before we travel.
(there are stray cats EVERYwhere in Greece.)Dr L came by the hotel after a while, and we chatted for just a few minutes, but he had to go to a wedding that night, so...even though he would rather have hung out with us, he spent his evening in a suit and tie. Wow! It was so hot, I can't imagine having to wear a suit and tie in that weather!
We went to a new place for dinner, and found out that they had live, authentic music, so we sat down and ordered a glass of wine before we chose our dinner. No one was dancing to the music while we were there, but I can see how they would have been (maybe later, after they had more wine!) Dave and I had a very large plate with lots of different meats, and (of course) could not finish it all...which, I think, offended the waiter! :o) He must not be used to people leaving food on their plates! :o) Oh well. Dave, of course, had a scoop of pistachio ice cream for dessert. Good boy. So predictable. :0) I took a short video of the musicians - it's only about 8 seconds long becuase I didn't know how big the video would be. If you listen carefully you can hear the Greek music.
After that we walked along the beach for a while, and ended up back at the hotel for about another hour. It was probably 10:30 by then, so we gathered our luggage, and called a taxi to take us to the airport. Our flight left at 2:45 the next morning (Sunday), but we thought we'd feel more comfortable waiting at the airport so we could get checked in and ahead of the travel tour groups.
So we sat at the airport...me reading or writing, Dave with his new best friend, the engineering book. :o) Rhodes does not have the most well-equipped airport -- especially after 11:00 when all the shops close! What's a girl to do? I couldn't give my money away in the morning, and I couldn't give it away in the evening either! Darn! I guess Greece didn't want my monies! :o)
Our flight was uneventful, we slept a teeny tiny bit, and unfolded ourselves when we landed at London Gatwick. Our punishment for being eager beavers at the Rhodes Airport and getting in the check-in line first was that our luggage went onto the plane first. Which means, can you guess it? Means that our luggage came onto the baggage claim belt last. Grrrrrr. (Much practicing of the virtue: patience!)
We made it through all the rest of the doors and hallways, and found the lovely man who was our taxi driver home. Normally we take the train from Gatwick, but I wasn't about to do that this time! I was putting my flipped-flopped foot down! The train station in our town is about a mile away, which is not really a big deal to walk to. TO. From, however, is a different story. It's all up-hill. And I was not about to haul my luggage up-hill a mile at 7:45 in the morning! No. Stinkin. Way. Plus, our flight landed at 5:00 in the morning, but the trains don't start running till 6:00 or 7:00, so we would have had to wait. Considering all of that, I had told Dave before we left that we were going to take a taxi from Gatwick, and that was that. I didn't care how much money it was going to cost! Thankfully, Dr L is used to travelling, and he said that a taxi home from the airport was actually covered under the conference costs, and was a reimbursable offense, and he told Dave to do it!! Yay!! I could have hugged him!! Dr L, you rock! So, Taxi Man delivered us home at about 6:45. We hugged our kitties for a while, then pulled the curtains, and took a nap.
Alley wouldn't leave my side all day! We'd had house-sitters, so it's not like she didn't get any lovin' or attention, she just acted like she missed The Mamma. Sweet kitty.
We're still doing laundry, and the bags aren't entirely unpacked. And I haven't finished putting pictures up for each day, but I promise to do that. Please don't give up on me! Check back, okay?
So, with that, I leave you. Our final (for now) European Vacation is over. We are home. We are safe. Our hard-earned tans are fading. I have to cook and clean again. Dave is back to crazy hours. Yup, life is "normal" -- whatever that is! :o)
Hope you have a great week!
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