Monday, October 6, 2025

From Ruins to Revelations-The Beginning

Before Hubby Tony and I could start our Greece and Turkey pilgrimage, our group of 37 people had to get there. Most of the group was from the parish Hubby Tony and I attend, but there was a smattering from other churches, including some good friends of ours.

The process started with boarding a bus for a drive to the airport. Because it was an international flight, the ride was timed so we arrived the recommended three hours ahead of time. There were no issues during check in or security screening, so we had 90 minutes to kill before the nonstop flight to Frankfurt left mid-afternoon. Some of the group went to a airport restaurant for lunch, but I had brought a sandwich with me so I sat at the gate and talked to the others that were there.

The plane left on time. After reaching cruising altitude drinks were offered, and a surprisingly good dinner was served. Then, because of the time zone differences it would be morning when we landed, the lights were dimmed for 'sleep time'. I closed my eyes, and maybe snoozed a bit, but it was pretty unrestful. About an hour before landing the lights came back on and a breakfast snack was served.

In  the Frankfort airport one of the passport control stations was closed, so our group had to get to one quite a distance away and stand in a long line, which caused the last people to get to the gate for the Athens flight just a few minutes before it began to load. 

The Athens flight was uneventful. After landing everyone picked up their suitcases and found the tour guide assigned to our group.She made sure everyone was there, then led us to a bus.

The bus took us to a neighborhood where we could get a bite to eat and look around. Next we did a short driving tour of the area before heading to the hotel. By this time I was really tired, but I managed to stay awake until after dinner. It was great to fall into bed after setting my alarm so I could get ready for the next day's adventures.

Five years ago: No More Enumeration

18 comments:

  1. You made me think of the time I visited Athens. -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com

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  2. It's good that your flights were uneventful - tiring, though.

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  3. Sounds like you are ready for an exciting adventure. Glad everything has gone well getting there. Enjoy!!

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  4. Travelling east is so tiring but I'm sure you soon got over it. Looking forward to the photos.

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  5. What an awesome trip this is going to be!! Enjoy! have fun! Enjoy!!

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  6. I’ll bet it was good to fall into bed after a hectic schedule. I can’t wait to hear more!

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  7. You had a smooth takeoff, unlike our kids. However, you flew into Frankfurt, the kids left SFO for Amsterdam and there was a work stoppage there so their flights were scrambled and the 30 people on the tour were divided into 3 different flights. Jen's luggage was left in San Francisco for 3 days, only arriving just as they boarded the ship for the cruise. They were the youngest on the trip, and I'm assuming your group was probably of the older variety, too.

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    1. It doesn't sound like a good beginning to their trip. St. Louis only has a few nonstop overseas flights each week, and the tour company took advantage of one of them. You're correct that our group skewed older, although there were two 20-something children and one woman in her late 30s.

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  8. I can never sleep on a plane. Hope the jet lag wasn't too bad the first couple of days!

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    1. It was interesting; I usually have trouble falling asleep my first night in a new place, but I was so tired I drifted right off and woke up refreshed.

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  9. Sounds like you had a good time. I haven't flown on a plane in years.

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  10. Thank goodness for an uneventful flight(s)! I think there's a sense of security travelling overseas with a group and seasoned guide.

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  11. That to me sounds exhausting, just the flight over and time change. I would need a day to acclimate and rest I think before setting out.

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    1. It helped that we were part of a group with a common purpose.

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  12. Thanks for taking along dear Kathy 🥰
    I enjoyed the details,everything went well by the grace of God and I feel happy and grateful ♥️🙏

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