There are exactly two weeks remaining in our trip. The pictures posted today are actually from a week ago when Mark, Martha, Kim and I went to the island of Poros. Today we just returned from an overnight trip to Paros. Those pictures will get posted later this week (I think).

I have come to the conclusion I much prefer the slower ferry boats, and not just because they are cheaper but because we can be outside. The faster boats really are not as pleasant an experience. Once again, the message is that

efficiency may not always be the most important criterion.


I've also thought about how much people here just use the boats as a standard means of transportation. You can see people getting on the boats who are obvious tourists, probably on the boat for the first time, but you can just as easily tell that some of the people are veterans. On the boat trip to Paros yesterday we met a German man who has been going to Paros for decades. He was headed there to open the place up to get ready. He and his wife will return later in the
season to spend a couple of months.

I find today's news story provides another interesting perspective. June 7 will be the European Union elections. These are not quite as important as national elections. The article mentions how disgruntled people are and that turnout will not be good. They say that one in ten are expected to stay away from the polls. ONE IN TEN. If we ever had an election with a 90 percent turnout we'd be ecstatic.


While I'm using these boat pictures to catch up, I can mention our small gathering Saturday night. As I already mentioned, a number of people weren't able to make it so we had a small gathering, but it was still a very nice time. With Kim and me there were a total of 9 of us in the apartment at one point, so we had enough. Speaking of enough, we have enough food left over that I don't think Kim or I will have to cook again for the remaining two weeks.

Anyway, back to a week ago when we went with Mark and Martha. When we got to the island Mark and I grabbed a spot in a cafe while Kim and Martha found our return trip and bought our tickets. We had just enough time to have coffee before we caught the city bus up the hill to a monastery is the hill above the town. It was very quiet up there. The plan was to visit the monastery then walk down the hill, about 2.5-3 miles or so.

We took the ferry to Poros, which took a couple of hours, but actually it is possible to drive there. Poros is just off the Peloponnese coast so it is possible to drive north from Athens to Corinth, across the small land strip then south on the Peloponnese to a village just across a short channel, then to take a short 10-minute boat ride across. It would take longer and you wouldn't enjoy the trip as much, but it can be done. The picture below is shot from the monastery. The water is the channel between the mainland and Poros.

I've said before but it bears repeating: Mark and Martha have been doing these excursions for many years and they have it down to a science.

The trips usually include nice nature walks, a
nice meal and a coffee break or two. There may or may not be a museum involved but that's never the focus. It's a leisurely day to be out and enjoying, not a race to see as much as possible in a short amount of time. In our trips to Europe, we've been blessed with long periods of time so we've never had to be in the "hurry and see everything" mode. After years of having the luxury of "time," I don't think I could be a tourist for just a week.


When we entered the monastery, it was just us and two other tourists. As I said, it was a few
miles from the port, so not a lot of people get up there.

The iconostasis (wall separating the priest from the congregation with all the icons) in this church is hard-carved wood. There are other churches that have wooden ones but they're just as often marble, various metals, etc.


What tourists DO a lot on the islands is rent scooters. Some rent real cars or big motorcycles,

but some people rent little Vespa-like scooters. I have come to the conclusion that when Nicole graduates from college and takes a car, as her brother did, our second car will be a Vespa. I realize it's a bit of a romantic notion and it may not be totally practical given the Indiana weather, but it's fuel efficient, easier to park, and I certainly would never take it on any serious roads - just to work and back. Kim has assured me that she will drive me in the car on those extreme weather days when bundling up with a heavy coat wouldn't be enough.

Kim and Martha leaving the monastery.

I'll finish the pictures from Poros tomorrow.