We have all been having the most amazing time in Greece! On the first day that we arrived at our first hotel in Greece, we were amazed by the beauty of the place. First thing in the morning, we got our pool floats and beach balls and spent the morning swimming and sunbathing by the pool. We then had a poolside lunch, where we enjoyed our first taste of authentic tzatziki! That afternoon, we were headed to the beach! It was a perfect, sunny day. We had dinner and free time in the town of Parga where Trip Members were split up into groups to go exploring.
The following day we kayaked out to a little island and had a fresh watermelon snack waiting for us. The afternoon was spent tubing and playing some beach sports. Many Trip Members mentioned that this was their best day so far! After such a wonderful day, we came together for dinner and each trip member took 5 minutes to reflect on the trip and what an amazing experience it has been so far. We then lit lanterns and walked down to the beach. We spent the evening sharing stories, laughing, and singing together. What a wonderful memory.
We are on the move again, this time to the small mountain town of Monodendri. The Trip Members were surprised by many of the customs in this town, which has much more of traditional Greek culture. We were told when it is not tourist season, only around 20 families live in the area. Our tour guides took us on a hike through the town to tell us more about the town’s history, complete with sightseeing of old bridges that connected the townspeople to one another. We ended the day with a family-style dinner which included the town’s famous flour pie.
The following day was an action-packed adventure! After getting suited up in wetsuits, helmets, and life jackets, we went river tubing down the not-so-lazy river. We had guides kayak down beside us as we made our way down the river. With a little encouragement from their friends, everyone successfully made it to the end! The Trip Members decided to get dressed up for dinner and we got to take some beautiful photos with the stunning landscape.
Our next stop is the much-awaited town of Olympia. Our guide showed us around the original Olympic stadium. We all went to the first-ever Olympic track, where we raced for the honor of deciding who would get to choose our location for an ice cream treat before the end of the trip! That evening, we continued touring Olympia and ate together at a restaurant named after Zeus.
The next morning, we were up bright and early as we headed white water rafting! The rafting was a great adrenaline rush, as we went over the rapids while our instructors guided us along the way. There was lots of laughing and excitement throughout the whole day.
We’re on the road again! This time to our second last destination, Nafplio. Everyone immediately loved this town and our beautiful hotel! We were ready to explore the rest of Nafplio. There were lots of restaurants located right on the water, where the view was stunning. There is lots of history in this town, and we got to learn more about it during our visit to the ancient ruins of Mycenae and Epidavre!
We’ve now made it to Athens, the last stop on our trip! How neat is it to have traveled so far across Greece, and gotten to see so many amazing places? As we arrived in Athens, we wasted no time getting out and exploring. We all grabbed gyros for lunch, and they were the best gyros we’ve had on the trip! What a lucky find. We then headed up to the Acropolis to learn about the Parthenon. It was really breathtaking. The day ended with our final family dinner. The restaurant had live singers and dancing waiters, and of course, we all got to throw a plate on the ground at the end. OPA! The evening closed off by sharing memories with each other and thanking each other for such an amazing adventure together. We could not have asked for a better summer,
The Westcoast Blogger
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