Interrailing in Europe summer 2010 ATHENS part2

Ready to leave for home. :/

On the last day of our trip we woke up around 1pm and took it easy, watching tv, eating and packing which was pretty difficult since we had been on the road for almost a month and we had bought souvenirs, clothes, shoes and other stuff. At 4.45pm we threw our packbacks to our backs, said thank you and bye to Poppy and started walking to Egaleo metro station and towards the airport!! Of course we were sitting like stupid in a metro going to the depot.. We were taking of the backpacks and putting them on the empty seats and talking that it's not so many people going to the airport until this one sweet leady called out for us that we need to get of quickly... A bit embarrasing.. At the airport we both felt really down 'cause we didn't want to hear finnish language in the queue or see the stupid finnish people with their flower patterned t-shirts, straw hats and fanny bags around their waists.. Or even to think about going back to work in two days! 

On the walls of the airport we spotted great sayings that we wrote down:

• " There's a great big world out there and it's all yours"
• " If your feet are on the ground, your mind can touch the sky"
• " Hope walks faster than fear"

"ANYWHERE", taken at the Athens airport

On the plane we wrote our last text of the trip. We watched all the (almost 2000) pictures from both cameras, we read our journal and then it was almost the end of the best adventure so far! I spent around 2000€ everything included (airplane tickets, interrail card, everything). Oh, and it was good that we looked for hostels with kitchen since we did our food ONCE on the whole trip..! (In London rye bread and chicken on it..) :D But, hey, it was a holiday! ;) 

 

We did what we had planned to do, we saw so many sights we'd always wanted to see, we tasted new foods, we partyed but the best part was that we laughed a lot and had so much fun together and met new people all over the world! THE BEST 26 DAYS EVER!

SURVIVORS

Interrailing in Europe summer 2010 ATHENS part1

Poppy and me

After the ferry ride we arrived to Pireus, Athens and I had absolutely no idea what Poppy looked like nowadays but she quite easily spotted us! She had arrived to pick us up with his boyfriend by car. :) We got a car ride to her home in Egaleo. Her place looked so nice, so cosy even though it was small. Poppy invited us to go watch a movie with her and her friend and we went to watch Street Dance 3D. We ordered some food to her place in the evening (pitogira) and they were really cheap and tasty! The night we hang at Poppy's place with her watching a movie and greek idols on tv. The next day we were planning to go see Athens. 

On 28th of June we woke up around 10am and headed to supermarket to buy something to eat. Poppy didn't quite understand us 'cause she never eats breakfast at home, she crabs something to eat on her way to school. We decided to go first to Acropolis to see the temple of Parthenon. It was nice to see it since we started our school history at the age of maybe 9 to study the greek Gods and saw pictures of the Parthenon.

Parthenon

Mount Lykavittos

After seeing the whole Athens from the Acropolis hill we made our way to Plaka which is famous for it's narrow street and the real life of Athens. We started looking for the Syntagma square and the Parliament house which we found just on time when they had the change of guards. The looked a bit funny in their national clothes and funny walking style.. On our way to Syntagma we walked passed MANY clothes shops and cafes etc. We also took a mini train ride in the streets of Athens near Acropolis hill. It was funny 'cause we had walked there where we felt like going without any maps or knowing were to go. When we took the mini train it went almost exactly the same streeets we had all ready seen! :D We had a quiet moment at the mini train since behind and in front of us came to sit some finnish people.. We ended up spending 9 hours in Athens. :) In the evening Poppy taught me some greek and put greek songs to my mp3 :) We went to sleep around 2am..

Change of guards..

On the 29th of June it was our last full day of the trip! :( We went to shop in Egaleo because it was a transportation strike going on. We found amazing shops, especially shoe shops! We shopped almost the whole day! :D In the evening we wanted to go out to eat and maybe drink a bit.. So we headed to the Egaleo metro station which was supposed to be open already but it wasn't so we took a taxi to Kerameikos metro station were was many bars and restaurants. We ate and went to drinks to a bar called Soho and then to a bar called Millenium. After a while we started talking with nice greek guys who offered to show us to some club near and it ended up being this house music place which we didn't like at all. Around 5am we took a taxi back to Poppy's place.

Athens

Interrailing in Europe summer 2010 POROS part3

So the next morning or the night we were supposed to wake up at 4.20 but we barely slept at all and woke up before the clock even alarmed. I woke up when Saija was in the kitchen eating at 3am.. We got to the town and crossed the canal to the side of  Galatas where we hopped to Manos' car. His mom was sick so he had to drive her to a hospital three times a week so he also gave us a ride to the city of Nafplio. In Nafplio the main sight is the fortness called Palamidi and it's built on a 216-metre high hill somewhere around 1680-1715. You can either drive to the top of the hill or climb 999 stairs up the hill.. It was 7.30am when we arrived below the hill. We were almost the only ones in the area at that time of the day and we decided to start our day by walking the stairs!

Quite scary looking, where is she going..?

Quite easily we got up the hill and we only stopped a few times to admire the view and the sleeping city. :) As you can imagine the stair were uneven and slippery. On the top there was this man almost sleeping at the ticket booth and was really surprised to see anyone there at that time. We got in for free with showing one finnish student card. :D I had been at the fortness once before but it was much bigger than I remembered! We had so much fun walking around it and being the only ones there! Our talks were sounding like we had woken up before 3am and had barely eaten anything and walked over 1000 steps.. We also filmed amazing nature films.. From the request of one of my loyal readers see the videos below:

Palamidi on the top of the hill

One part or side of the Palamidi

After watching the view and the fortness enough we made our way back down the stairs and wandered around Nafplio waiting for Manos to pick us up. The car ride went quickly when I fell a sleep, I had tried not to but I couldn't help it. Back at Poros we went to a supermarket and straight to the beach. And this scariest thing happened when we left from the beach! This old man started walking with us and talking nice things and nothing but when we started to make our way to our hotel he suggested something that we go to his house and...! I've grown on that the most safe place on earth and that happens there of all the places we had been in! And that wasn't even it! We made the rookie mistake to go straight to our hotel even though we watched that he didn't follow us..! I went to our balcony (maybe 30minutes later) which was next to the stairs that you have to walk up to come inside the hotel and the man came out of the hotel door!!! I just screamed! That was fucking scary!!! Saija came running from the shower and I pulled myself together and told the man that I will tell the owner if he comes even near the hotel! We never saw him again.

From the roof of Villa Violetta

On that Nafplio day we laughed a lot! Here some funny things what happened.. On the car at maybe 6.30am waiting Manos in front of the hospital Saija says: "This map smells so good! It's like.. it's like paper." or the next one at the same place suddenly from the silence Saija says: "But HEY, now I'll call to my friends to Finland!!" (I had to remind her that it was only 6.30am..)

In the evening Saija was about to leave without her shoes from the hotel.. We left to the town to eat at Manos place and after that we went to another restaurand with my family friend working there. And they took good care of us well, we drank ouzo, white wine.. We stayed in the restaurant untill it closed. :D 

Jorgos' restaurant in Askeli

On 26th of June it was our last day in Poros and we headed to the beach in the morning and in the afternoon to eat at Jorgos' place. His place has the best view of Askeli! It's built on the rocks beside the sea! We slept 3,5 hours on a naptime (as we did almost every day in Poros). In the evening we went to Manos place to eat and he seemed really sad knowing it was our last night! Every summer that I can remember the last night has been so sad saying goodbay to everyone we know on the island. A crybaby that I sometimes am, it's not fun at all! I hate to say goodbay, whether it's only for a days, months or years! The situation where you don't know when you're gonna see someone again has been the worst one so far.

Manos

 Anyway, the night at Manos restaurant was great but also sad. He introduced me to some couple from Holland telling them that i'm his daughter, not on paper but otherwise. We paid and got discounts as we had had on the other nights also. Hugging Manos was sad but he promised to come in the morning to say goodbay to us before we hopped on the ferry. Being the last night we wanted to have the last drinks at the Malibu bar (the thing we found different at bars in Greece was that you need to get a table and just sit and wait there and they'll come and serve you.. At the first night there we went to the bar to order and they staff looked at us like what are u doing..) From the Malibu bar we went to this Maskes Club which was so full of young people that people were hanging around on the street also. At that place I had to discuss this one guy (the same guy still trying to get me out on a date..) about 30 minutes to tell him why I don't like him more than just a friend.. Saija was laughing to me when I really struggled with my words. It was akward 'cause it seemed like I really hurt that guy by telling him that and not liking him like he liked me and I really didn't want to hurt his feelings. From Maskes club we started to walk to the island's only real night club called Room (it's open only maybe once a week). Our company was joined by two guys from which we really couldn't get rid of all night.. One of them I said really straight that i'm not interested in but he didn't really understand or spoke english. We had fun anyway with Saija and the view from the bar to the sea was amazing at night when it was full moon! Suddenly at 3.30 am we became aware of the time! :D So we left by taxi and went to bed around 4.30am. We thought that we didn't even drink that much but when we really started thinking about what we had drinken all night it wasn't that little..

On the 27th of June we got a ride from Thannassis to the harbour of Poros (If you can even call it as a harbour). In the morning we had packed again and paid to Thanassis who lowered the price for us for 17€/night/head. The room had tv, air condition, kitchen with all the cooking stuff, fridge, big balcony, toilet etc.. Manos came to the harbour to give me some papers I had to deliver to her daughter living and studying in Athens. During the days in Poros we had planned were to stay at in Athens and all the hostels were situated in the area of Omonia, to which Manos didn't allow us to go in! So, he ended up calling to his daughter Poppy if we could stay at her place. Poppy's mom is from the United Kingdom so she speaks fluent english. Poppy is my age but I really didn't know her at all. I had seen her couple of times when growing up but that's all. It was so difficult to say goodbay to Manos and even he was really touched, hugging me and letting me go. :/ In the ferry I felt really really down.

When the ferry took of from the port of Poros I felt like crying seeing the town get smaller and smaller. And I had no idea when I'll go back there. Poros was the best summer holiday place and memories my parent could have given me! It's the place were I fell in love Greece, the language and the people. The place were I got the sparkle to travel and meet new people. The place where I learnt how to swim and where I had my first crush. Most of the young people hate Poros when they get older because it's so small place where everyone knows everyone and there is nothing to do in winter time so that's way young people tend to move to Athens to study.

Last evening in Poros and the sunset

Poros <3

At Palamidi and the only way to come down those slippery rocks with flipflops..

Interrailing in Europe summer 2010 POROS part2

On the 23rd of June we left pretty early to the Askeli beach and we had decided that it was our beach day, all day at the beach! Well, it was so cloudy all day that it was almost cold at the beach and not even a glimpse of the sun. In the afternoon we left from the beach to the other side of Askeli (maybe 200-300metres) to the restaurant where one of our family friend Jorgos worked or actually he owned the place. He also had seen me since I was a baby. :) Just when we arrived there it started to thunder and rain cats and dogs! After eating we went to the swimming pool of Cascade where I had once learnt how to swim and we had lots of friends working there once but not anymore. Right next to Cascade was the swimming pool of Kamares which was rather new in Poros. It was the biggest swimming pool on the island and it's not even big one.. :D

Kamares

Thanassis and me

 In the evening we had a date with Thanassis and we took us around the island to see the sights. It was nice even though I had once seen them but I had been younger so I didn't remember all the sights. :) We visited the Monastery which was on the top of the hill in Askeli! There was this weird silence and mood going on, I can't describe it but it was really strange. I felt like I had to wisper there and I felt really humble being there. Then we saw the temple of Poseidon (or at least what was left.. mostly sand and rocks to my eye..). And on the back of the island was mostly trees and the view to the sea was amazing. Lots of coats on the streets and the Poros town looked really nice from the top of the island.

Saija and me in front of the Monastery

From the back of the Poros

Around 8pm we went to Manos place to eat and after that to the bar Malibu where we got company from one guy working at the supermarket who had tried maybe 5 years to get me out on a date.. So that night was a bit akward when they were sitting with us, so pretty soon we decided to go to hotel to sleep. :)

Poros town taken from Neorio

The next morning we left from the hotel to the nearest scooter renting place where this Nightwish fan man worked at. Couple of years back he gave a burned nightwish cd to me and my sister because he was so excited about we being from Finland.. :D After watching and thinking about renting scooters we didn't have the courage to rent them. I'm absolutely terrified of driving on the hills/mountains of Greece! It's just too scary and to see all the memorials put up to the places people have died in or crashed off from the road! To see the places where people have died in. :( That said, we ended up renting the safer choise: bicycles. :D The weather was cloudy again so we started our way biking to this huge mountain and to look for a swimming pool located on the top of the mountain. I had swam there with my dad when I was younger and it was also a place were some partys were held. At some point of our way we stopped at this old looking restaurant which wasn't open anymore to buy something to drink. It ended up being this old granny's home where we visited. She didn't speak english at all and I tried my best to communicate with her in greek. :) It's crazy how she and her husband can live there by themselves being so old, almost on top of some mountain. What if something happens and they can't leave their home? That was crazy but the granny was so cute and really kind to us and we bought some sodas from her to drink! :)

20 year old man had driven of from the road on the mountain

On our way looking for the swimming pool we discovered many things about the nature and animals. For example that chickens and roosters have pecking order.. One poor chicken was without feathers! :D 

Finally we made our way to the top of the mountain and the swimming pool wasn't there anymore. :/ They had started to build something else there. Coming down the mountain was much faster than coming up.. :D Our brakes on the bikes were scaringly bad! After returning the bikes we figured that it was windy so we could go parasailing! The thing we had wanted to do already in Bulgaria! At first it was a bit scary but it was so awesome!! And the best part of it was that we could do it at the same time! 

Then we went to eat in a restaurant called Panorama where I also knew the staff working there. :) Then to the town to see the famous clock tower of which Poros is known for! :) We had to walk quite many steps to get there but it was worth it! :) We also looked for an internet before going to our hotel to take a nap. In the evening we took it easy, went to the town to eat and early back to the hotel. We were supposed to leave with Manos to the city called Nafplion very early the next morning.

Clock Tower

Interrailing in Europe summer 2010 POROS part1

After sitting two hours in a bus we arrived to Corinth bus stop and saw Thanassis and his wife waiting for us! :) It had been two years since I had last seen them. They have seen me every summer of my life since I was 5 months old, so it wasn't akward to see them. The famous Corinth canal was only 500 metres away so we walked there to see it. I had been there last time when I was 14 years old. It still looked magical! After seeing and taking pictures of it we started our drive to the island of Poros!

 

I hadn't even realised how much the place meant to me and how much I had missed it until I saw it again. All the familiar people and all the familiar beaches, restaurants, supermarkets etc, it was almost like the place I grew up in. The ride was fierce, highspeeding on the curvy mountains without seatbelts.. Because of the new highway it took only 1,5 hours before we arrived to Galatas. We also passed the village of Trizinia were me and my family used to go almost every summer to eat at our friend's parents house. They had the most wonderful house with dogs, cats, coats, roosters, chickens etc. on their backyard. I remember once leaving from the house with my little sister and this young boy (our friend's sister's son) who was at the time maybe 9 years old (I was around 14) and he took us the to place where all the neighbourhood kids played and used to spent time. We walked to this square through these narrow allies (no lights anywhere and it was pitch black) and in the square all the kids came to talk with us (at least the ones who knew a bit of english). They also wanted to play with us and talked us in greek. It was a bit scary to look after my 10 year old sister and I only had little communication with the boy and no idea how to get back. But in the end it was a nice memory to remember. :) Oh, and my little sister Trina has gotten her name after that village. :)

The feeling I had when we waited on the Galatas side for the ferry to leave to cross the small canal to Poros (about 300 metres) and watched Poros and its center town! I felt like beeing at home again! I had to call my parents to tell them the feeling I had 'cause I knew they of all people would understand! Poros is a small island only a little over one hour ferry ride from the harbour of Athens, Pireus. Around 4000 people live in Poros. It's used by many boaters and greek families to have vacations on the island. There aren't too many tourists in the island and that's what makes it so perfeck place to spent vacations. There are several beaches, one gym, bars and one nightclub.

"Today Poros with its traditional local color, its picturesque, its cosmopolitan life and modern facilities is the ideal holiday resort."

Most of the people living in Poros live in Askeli, Neorio or the Poros town (the little triangle).

We stayed at the hotel were I've always stayed at: Villa Violetta in Askeli. We got the same room where me and my sister usually have always stayed at (since I was somewhere 14-15 years old we got our own room). We left for the supermarket we always go, only maybe 50 metres from our hotel and the salespersons were the same they have always been. Before arriving to Poros I was a bit afraid that the people we don't know so well might not recognise me, but I was so wrong! When we were paying in the supermarket the man asked how am I and where my parents are. :) Then we went walking around in Askeli and I could introduce my second home to Saija and the neighbourhood: beaches, restaurants, kiosks, gym etc..

Taken from Askeli Beach. The first mountain is the back of Poros town and the bigger one is Galatas side (Peleponnesos).

I had been waiting so long to see one of our closest family friend: Manos, who works in a restaurant in town. (Our hotel is located near the beaches (less than 100m) and maybe 2km from the Poros town. Manos had been working in the same restaurant maybe for 5-8 years. And when we went to look for him from his usual restaurant the other familiar men working there, told me that he is not working there anymore. They told me were he worked nowadays and we went there. He recognised me from far away and he was totally in shock and almost started to cry! I almost started to cry, I call him my uncle and I really had missed him! He sat on our table for a long time and we talked about how's everything going and he couldn't believe I was travelling the world alone without my parents and that I've grown so much and become so big (read old). He has also seen me every summer since a was a baby.. He was so happy that he wanted to call my mom also. And he almost didn't bring us white wine we ordered 'cause he still taught I was too young. :P

After eating at Manos place we walked passed couple of restaurants and other friend of our family recognised me too and came to talk with us. :) He was also surprised seeing me alone without my parents and he wondered how the time flies past. :) We headed to the bars of Malibu (grreat drinks!), Joy and Orion where we met these two local boys: Kiriakos and Soto who offered us to show the island and the famous Russian Bay in Neorio with their scooters. It was a great evening with the boys, I had seen the russian bay many times before. I just loved to lie on the sand in the middle of the night and stare the starry sky! The boys gave us a ride to our hotel at 3.30 am! :)

Interrailing in Europe summer 2010 PATRAS

Silent city at 5 am

After sleeping a couple of hours we had to leave from the boat at 5 am.. We had already sent a text message to Mariada that we arrive at 7 am so she wouldn't have to wake up so early to pick us up from the harbour.. So we had to spent to our on a harbour when everything was closed. Before the trip started we had contacted Mariada through Couch Surfing page and asked her if she could give us a place to stay for one night. She lived in a very nice apartment near the harbour! She was funny, our age and outgoing person! It was fun to hang with her! Before she came to pick us up we sat alone at the harbour watching the sun come up and the city the wake up. She showed us to her apartment and to the nearest supermarket so we could buy some breakfast. She also gave us a key to her apartment so we could go when we wanted because she as at school during the day. 

After eating breakfast we went out the explore the city and to shop. All the shoe shops made us go crazy! :D But we ended up buying nothing. We found an info and we were told that we could get bicycles for free to go around. We tried to find this one castle or something and were cycling uphill on +32 degrees among the insane traffic.. Soon we decided to give up and return the bikes. At the train station we were trying to figure out next day's train schedules without getting an answer. They didn't know anything, not even if the train was gonna come the next day or not. At the train station we collided to three girls from Finland who were also interrailing. :) 

We went to this outdoors restaurant to eat and after paying we were still standing in the restaurant when Saija says: "Hey,hey,hey, now we need some kind of plan. First we're gonna find the shopping street and then some restaurant where to eat.." Girls need to eat, right? :P
 

The day went by shopping and hanging in Mariada's apartment and also sleeping. In the evening Mariada told us this good restaurant where we went out to eat while she was finnishing some school work. We hang at her place after eating and listening to finish musician Anssi Kela! :D

Mariada's friend, Mariada and me going out.

Greek lifestyle and the eating hours came familiar again when we left out with Mariada and her friends at 11pm for drinks. That's what they usually do even tough they have to wake up early the next morning.. The night was a great experience of greek lifestyle! We went out to this local people hang around place near this castle we had earlier tried to look for. We ended up being a group of 12 people and I spent to night talking with Mariada's friend and her boyfriend about the education systems, work hours and salaries. It lightened up to me why the tips in the restaurants are so important. It's because it creates a big part of their salary. For example it's common that they get paid maybe 25€ for 8 hours of working + the tips..

The next morning we hopped on a bus going to Corinth. Yesterday I had called to my family friend who has a hotel in the island of Poros and he wanted to come pick us up from Corinth with his wife by their car. :) It would have been really difficult to go to Poros without their help!

On a bus going to Corinth. Almost in every city we were it was raining at some point. We brought the rain with us no matter where we went..

Interrailing in Europe summer 2010 ADRIATIC SEA

On a boat we were guided to the back of the boat. There were seats maybe in six lines. We sat there satisfied until this huge group of people came in and started putting up a camp! They had everything you could even imagine you'd need! Inflatable mattresses, electric kettle, pillows, plankets etc.. Couple of the men looked at us feeling sorry 'cause we were freezing and it wasn't even night yet.. We had nothing like that with us! That's when we realized that we were actually supposed to sleep there! Then it got even better. We happened to bump into these two girls one of whom was from Canada and the other one was from New Zealand. They showed us the deck out side which was full of people who had already chosen the "best" places near the walls and next to the doors going inside. That's when we all realised that our tickets said "place on the deck" we were supposed to sleep outside, on the deck of the boat!! When to boat took off from Venice harbour we went to the reseption to ask for a cabin and the prices. Me and Saija got our own cabin for 4-people paying 62€ each. :) Expensive, but it was totally worth it and it was for two nights.

Overdressed much?

We had been planning the boat trip about 6 months before hand and it was supposed to be Saija's high light of the trip to be on the boat and party (like the way we do it in Finland when we take a cruise to Stockholm).. Just like in Finland we went to the ship's tax free shop to buy some alcohol to get the party started.. Well, there was this one tiny little tax free shop with candy and some ouzo bottles only. We bought some Rosso Martini which was so so terrible Saija couldn't drink it at all and I drank it a little bit. We had a glamourous dinner at our cabin with the two of us eating chips, chocolate and drinking that martini. In the evening we were planning to hit the disco!! ;) 

So that never happened. We put our make up on maybe for the first time in days and put something nice on and went to the bar to start the night. We were a bit overdressed at the bar! There were only old people watching football.. We started talking to this greek/german girl Ana and her cousin. Then also to other interrailers, three boys from the States: Tony, Mike and Alex. They had been in all the same cities we had!!! Almost on the exact dates. We talked with them maybe couple of hours about everything including travelling ant other stuff too. Together we laughed that we really were to only young people on board. Saija and I went to check out the disco which was empty! We ended our, yet again, wild night by eating chocolate and chips for evening snack and getting to bed before 11.30pm..

The next morning (20th of June) we woke up early to get to breakfast. Of course we had forgetten that we must change the time to greek time.. So we barely made it to breakfast before it closed up. We spent our day by watching to coast lines of Albania and trying to spot dolphins, sun bathing on the deck, playing cards, taking a nap, playing word riddles, playing hangman and different other games. Saija showed me some macig tricks.. :DD Then we spent time on the deck with Ana, Tony and Mike. We were absolutely starving and were the first ones at the dinner line 7 pm waiting to get spagetti bolognaise and greek salad with the real feta cheese! 

Me, Ana, Tony and Mike and the coast line of Albania behind us

After eating Ana and her cousin got off at Igoumenitsa and we said goodbye to them. We thought that hey let's just sit around for a while and then go to bed because the ship was supposed to arrive to Patras at 5am.. We again bumbed into the other traveller girls and they told us to join them and one german guy Aaron and Mary and Leo from Edinburg. We sat on the deck of the boat drinking whine and enjoying each others company and the warm weather on Adriatic sea and ofcourse the starry sky. :) Our night was amazing! Leo was this crazy 27-years old guy (I would have said he's somewhere near maybe 21..) He told us about his insane adventures in India and how he had tried to smuggle hash in his stomach and how he had been so nervous walking past the customs.. His girlfriend had never heard the stories even tough they had been together already couple of years.. Her face expressions were fun to watch. :D Aaron on the other hand was from this free love community and he had 15 siblings. He told us about his life there and his childhood and it was straight from some Dr. Phil show or some document on tv! They had had no tv, no internet. The schools were run by the older people living in the village. We asked him what did the children do there and how did they spent their time and he answered by playing football, fishing or having sex. The children could be pregnant at the age of 14 or even younger. At the age of 16 Aaron had started feeling different from his siblings and felt like he didn't belong there. He had had a girlfriend (in the community people didn't have girl or boyfriends) and they had decided to leave from the community. At the age of 20 Aaron had left from there and is still missing his siblings but not so much his parents. All the kids are usually raised by all the adults. Aaron's girlfriend and their child had died in Spain in some car explosion. It was so terrible to hear him telling this and showing us their picture! :/ You might wonder if this is even true but it really was! :( He was so open about it and asnwered all of our questions we had. Aaron had lived on the help of the church so he had gotten used to paying bills etc.. Now he just wants to see the world, he had learnt english by reading it from the books. He basically had only his clothes and passport with him. He didn't have any plans were to go or who to meet. He went when he felt like it, where we wanted to go. :) Leo and Mary got off at Corfu and it was so fun to follow them starting to plan where to go next because it was the middle of the night. The rest of us continued our night and headed to disco were we five were the only ones there. We had heard to urban ship rumour that we don't have to leave from the boat until 7 am so we could stay up a little later. :P

Me, Mary, Leo and Aaron

Spotted from the Minoan Lines magazine: " You should always remember that it is the journey and not the destination that matters, and the unique feeling of adventure and escape."