From Ruins to Revelations-Athens

The first day of the Greece and Turkey pilgrimage began with exploring Athens. After breakfast a bus and tour guide was waiting for us. Our first event was Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite. Because we were a small group our service used the side altar.

Altar

On our way to the next stop we passed the Arch of Hadrian, more commonly known as Hadrian's Gate, which was built in A.D. 131 by Athens citizens to honor Emperor Hadrian.

Arch

Before we got off the bus at the Kaisariani Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, our guide passed out Whisper audio devices and earphones, which allowed us to hear her while walking around.

Kaisariani is one of the oldest monasteries in Greece. The church was built during the late 11th century over the ruins of a fifty-century Christian church, which was built over a temple of Aphrodite. The frescoes inside the church date from around 1700.

Our group got to wander around the walled complex and step inside the church. The tour guide gave detailed information about the complex's history, and thanks to the range of the Whispers I didn't have to be right next to her.

After the monastery we got back on the bus to go to the Acropolis complex. I assumed that there was only one acropolis in the world, but learned that the word generically refers to the elevated, fortified part of an ancient Greek city. The Athens Acropolis is just the most famous one.

We walked up the steps to the top, where we saw the Parthenon (which was built in the 5th century BC in thanksgiving for the Greek victory over Persian invaders), Erechtheion temple (dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon), and temple of Athena Nike.

Temple of Athena

Next we visited Areopagus Hill, where St. Paul stood to deliver a sermon which proclaimed the one true God and called the Athenians to repentance, recorded in Chapter 17 of the Book of Acts.

Areopagus Hill

After a busy morning, it was time for lunch. The group walked several blocks to an area with several restaurants to choose from. My yummy risotto was loaded with peppers, tomatoes, and chunks of feta.

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

From Ruins to Revelations

Hubby Tony and I do an extravagant vacation every decade or so. Back in January our church bulletin started running an announcement that our pastor was going to lead a trip to Greece and Turkey titled From Ruins to Revelations, A Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of St. Paul we talked about it, then signed up.

The tour started on September 23, and we got home last night. During those ten days we visited religious, historical, and unique sites that have been on my bucket list for decades. It was a jam-packed trip. I came home with serious cases of jet lag and airplane ear. As soon as those are gone I will be documenting my trip here.

In the meantime, I will be busy visiting your blogs to see what you've been up to.

Corinth

Five years ago: Google Is Amazing

Back In A Bit

Hubby Tony and I have decided to play hooky from real life for a couple of weeks, which includes going laptop-free. That means there will be no blogging or checking in. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone's been up to down the line. Until then......

Five years ago today: Counting Everyone, No Matter Where They Live

Swiftly Flow The Days

This morning Mevely wrote about a half birthday she received, and finished her thought with "Funny, I don't remember growing older".

I replied, telling her the statement made me think of the beautiful Fiddler on the Roof song "Sunrise, Sunset", with the line "I don't remember growing older / When did they?" I appreciated the song's sentiment when I was in my 20s, but now decades later I understand it on a whole deeper level. 

Since I've been humming the song all day, I thought you might like to share it with me. 

Professionally Pedicured

In the past few weeks my heels have been dry and cracked. I tried multiple soaking/exfoliating/moisturizing sessions, but eventually I realized it was time to get a professional nail technician's help and made appointments for today. (Two of them. A couple of years ago Hubby Tony came to a pedicure appointment with me and he decided he's a fan.)

I get my toes professionally pedicured a couple of times a year. Every strip mall within five miles of my condo has a nail salon. When we moved to this neighborhood I randomly chose one, and they've gotten my business ever since.

The session today was everything I wanted it to be...starting by cranking up the massage chair while my feet soaked in warm water. That soak was followed by cuticle maintenance (bye-bye hangnail on the right pinky toe), nail trimming (especially the edge of my big toes where the nail tends to grow into the skin), and filing. Next was a manicure scraper exfoliation, followed by a squirt of lotion and foot/lower leg massages. For the last step the technician wrapped warm towels around my feet and legs for several minutes.

At this point Tony's service was done, but I continued on with the rest of the pedicure. I left the salon with pops of color on my nails that will make me smile every time I look down at them. Five years ago: A Day Of Adventure

Searching For Words

Most days I sit down for a mid-afternoon snack, a cup of coffee, and a crossword puzzle. Last Christmas Hubby Tony gave me some New York Times puzzle compilations (Tuesday-Easy and Wednesday-Medium), but I've just about gone through them. I will add replacements to this year's Christmas list.

Without a crossword puzzle to complete, I've been working my way through a book of Word Searches I received as a white elephant prize a while back. The book was published by TV Guide Magazine in 2015, but the puzzles reference material ranges from the 1960s up to the publication date. So far, this has been one of my favorites:

Capitalized words are those to be found

About a dozen of the 'top' shows were unfamiliar to me. When I searched for them on the internet I found out that most were short-lived, only lasting for one or two seasons. 

If you were watching television in 1979, how familiar are you with these shows? Which ones don't you know?

Five years ago today: Tracking Down Trolls

Nature Is The Living, Visible Garment Of God

According to Wikipedia the phrase "Nature is the living, visible garment of God" was coined by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in Part One of his play Faust. 

Here are some "garments of God" from my camera roll. Unfortunately, I didn't keep track of where most of them came from.

Five years ago: The Basking King

Maybe He'll Be Cuddling Soon?

It was a little over a week ago when I told you about Foster Cat Pimento's latest medication issues. Last Friday he completed the courses of ear drop and antibiotic wipes, but still continued to give me the stink eye every time I got close to him.

This afternoon I was stilling on the bed working on my laptop. The cat sauntered in, looked at his favorite spot at the foot of the mattress, looked at me, and then back at the bed. After a quick cat brain calculation he jumped up and settled in.

Ten minutes later I decided to take a nap myself. As I was stretching out, Pimento woke up enough to make sure I wasn't getting ready to grab him, then went back to sleep.

Five years ago: Crisper Component

Not Fall Yet!

An organization Hubby Tony belongs to had a potluck picnic for this afternoon. The event used to happen in the summer, but for the past few years it's been held in mid-September so the weather would be moderate. This year Mother Nature didn't get the memo; the high today was forecast to be 98°F. (For comparison, the record is 101°). Oy!

Our section of the alphabet was assigned to bring a salad or side dish, and I had decided to make roasted vegetables with pesto. Last night I went to the grocery store and bought broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and a red onion. It wasn't until I got home that I made the connection between 'roasting' and running the oven in hot weather 😏. Even though the cooking process heated the kitchen up, I was thankful that thanks to the temperature it was easy to keep my dish warm at the park.

Big bowl of veggies

When we left the house it was 95°. The sun made it feel even hotter, and the air was still. Fortunately, the park pavilion was shady. A couple of fans placed on picnic tables got a nice cross breeze going, especially when I took a seat right in front of the one on the food serving table.

We were there for about three hours. It was nice to talk with friends and catch up with people I hadn't seen in a while. Shortly before the main dish arrived (fried chicken from a nearby restaurant) one of the organizers decided the fan by me should be turned off. That made it even hotter, and it was even worse when the table I chose to eat at was close to the west side of the pavilion and started to lose its shade as the sun moved across the sky.

Tony was also feeling the sun's heat. We finished our food, had some dessert, then decided to say our goodbyes. The car's temperature gauge registered 102°, and even with the air conditioner on full blast it took forever for things to cool off.