Half Century

Shifting gears once again, this post comes from Florida. Our recent (and near-future) itineraries have been so confusing that it's going to be difficult to make sense of it in a blog post. But I'll give it a try, and start by saying that everyone's doing fine. No suspense here.

Hiking in Crete

     

Fun Family Photo

On Halloween, we took up occupancy of our great "winter apartment" in Pitsidia, Crete, which we rented through March 2017, when the tourist season begins again. We fell in love immediately with our 300 Euro/month accommodation, complete with separate bedroom, kitchenette, reliable heat and hot water (!) internet and satellite TV (!!) and sea view (!!!) The original idea, however, was to find an inexpensive place (check) to use as a base where we could leave our things/bikes while we traveled back to the USA for a bit to attend a very special event, visit family and friends and take care of other "business". So after just ten days in the new apartment we weren't quite ready to leave, but it was comforting to know that it would be there when we got back.

View from our apartment

My laundry enjoys an even better view

We really do love just about everything about Crete, except how difficult it is to get anywhere else from there. This is quite a pain in the ass for wandering souls like us - particularly for Matthias (hates complicated connections, long flights, etc.) and me (always looking for deals that generally involve complicated connections, long flights, etc). This time, our route to the US involved a bus to Heraklion, an overnight ferry to Athens (where we spent the night), and an early morning flight (via Frankfurt) to NYC. We treated ourselves well, however, with an actual bunk on the ferry (slept well!) and a hotel right in the center of Athens (budget, but very clean and super-central with a balcony).  I could even see the Acropolis from the balcony, if I leaned over the railing. On the evening of November 8th in Athens (election day, but still early morning in the US), as I leaned out to look at the Acropolis, I contemplated the birthplace of democracy and hoped that I wasn't heading into the twilight of another one. Our flight was very early the next day, so we were on our way to the airport as US election results started to roll in - the pilot announced the final outcome during our descent into Frankfurt. Shock, tears and an unsettling encounter with a fellow American on his way to Houston were all part of that day.

Glimpse of the Acropolis from the hotel balcony

In New York, we had reason to celebrate! We walked and ate our way through familiar neighborhoods, hung out with Andrew, Lindsay and Laurene, and attended Stu and Lorenzo's wedding! It was a beautiful, moving ceremony and a fun party! The celebration of love between two such special people, surrounded by wonderful friends and family was just what we all needed. And it was great to finally (!) meet Lorenzo (and even better to get to know him later). Next, we met mom in Highland Falls where we had a great visit with family before flying down to Florida. That's where we took care of business. We succeeded in selling the truck and trailer in just two weeks - yep, the glamping life is behind us (for now, at least).  

Soup dumplings in NYC!!

Meeting Laurene at GCT

Stu and Lorenzo's wedding!

Family visit in Highland Falls

Thanksgiving in Sarasota
 side dishes - Matthias style

Next, I put what's known in my circles as Judy's crazy plan (and birthday wish) into action. Matthias and I flew back to NYC - he continued on to Crete, and I stayed on in NYC to start my friends and family tour. My plan was to reconnect with people I haven't seen in for a long time. Luckily, at the onset, Sue and her boys were in town from California, and even Matthias got to hang with them since - due to a Lufthansa strike (right?!) - his stay in NYC was extended an extra day.  After that, and a lovely evening with Stu and Lorenzo, Matthias took to the air and I got down to business.  It was a whirlwind journey, which included couch-surfing in Manhattan, New Jersey, Albany, Maryland, DC, Norfolk and Atlanta, along with tons of walking, buses (yay Megabus!), public transport and riding in cars with family and friends who so kindly shuttled me around! Seriously, it may sound hard to believe, but I had the time of my life reconnecting with people and doing things like watching awesome shows on cable TV, playing scrabble, picking up kids from school, going to medical appointments, listening to podcasts, and (oh yeah) eating and drinking and TALKING.  I can't even begin to write about how awesome it was and how grateful I am for all the fabulous hospitality - even though I didn't get to see everyone on the list.  I'll let the pictures (click to enlarge) do the talking.

Andrew, Sue, Noah, me, Michael and Eli

Barb dropping me off to catch my bus

Linda and her family -
Dylan, Cassidy and Bo (the dog) 

Out to dinner with Matt, Dean, John and Lara

Out to lunch with Susan and Dexter in NYC

I can't believe they opened my favorite store
in my old apartment building!! Literally next door!!

Lunch with Keith and Alice!

Visiting with Lauren and meeting Eli
for the first time!

Chinatown dinner with Andrew, Lindsay,
Stu and Lorenzo

DC visit with Jennifer and Brenda!

Everyone sent me off with
goodies for my journey - these
amazing cookies are from Jen and Brenda!

Sampling beer with Josh
in Norfolk, Virginia

Elisha and tyypo

For the last leg of the trip, I flew to Tampa from Norfolk and met my mom so we could drive up to Atlanta together to visit cousins there.  Though it went completely against my sense of order (and direction), it turned out great.  My mom picked me up at Tampa airport,  we donned our best Thelma and Louise attitudes and even stopped at a roadside motel and "Texas Roadhouse" for dinner (okay, it was a steakhouse chain and not a real roadhouse - but still!)  In Atlanta, Gloria, Fred, Danny and Florie rolled out the red carpet for us, and we really enjoyed the visit.  Then we listened to almost all of season one of the "Serial" podcast on the way back to Sarasota  - two episodes to go! 

Hitting the Road, Thelma and Louise style!

Solving the world's problems over refreshments with Danny

Danny and Florie's gorgeous family
(not pictured: Kemp)

Happy Hour at Gloria and Fred's

Back in Sarasota, I got to experience one more very very JOYful reunion - a virtual Hallmark movie Sunday where Olivia, Yvonne and I drank so much wine and had so much fun that we never even got around to watching the movie!  During the rest of my time in Florida, mom and I got things organized, played with Maju, and ate, drank and made merry with the Sarasota crowd.  I even spent an evening trying to understand/talk sense with some supporters of the new administration. Alas, our respective "truths" bear so little resemblance to each other that it was a wasted (and somewhat depressing) effort.  I guess I'll have to think of something else to try, besides getting the hell out of Florida, which I'm going to do tomorrow.  Driving with mom down to Fort Lauderdale (finishing the Serial podcast on the way, I hope) to catch a flight out.  I'm heading to Crete by way of Copenhagen (spending the night in town) and Athens.  Matthias' parents are visiting and we'll spend new year's with them.  Can't wait to say goodbye to 2016!!!  AND THEN, we're heading back to Florida in mid January to go on a FAMILY CRUISE in the Caribbean.  Yes, it's been a very poorly planned, yet eventful year of travel.  I guess I'm ready for the next half-century.

Virtual JOY!

Lunch with mom and Maju

Lunch at O'Leary's in Sarasota
(not pictured: Maju - under the table)

My Inner G(r)eek

We are in Crete!


When I last wrote, the ferry from Italy had just deposited us in Patras on the Peloponnese Peninsula from where we would pedal to the Port of Piraeus (oh how I love a little alliteration).  We began with threats of rain, but the good weather held and there was significant wind at our backs (not such a big deal with ebikes, but always nice!)  So it was a lovely ride along the coast to our first campsite at Akrata Beach.  We remembered it from our stay nearly eight years ago on our way back to Germany from Crete.  It was still nice and the weather was a lot better than in April 2009, so we stayed two nights and enjoyed some time biking along the coast and spending a little time on the pebbly beach.

Sunrise on Akrata Beach

Mew friend on Akrata Beach (that was actually a typo, but now....pun intended!)

As we arrived at the next campsite in Korinthos, we were trying to decide whether to ride our bikes or take the train to Pireaus (near Athens) where we would catch the overnight ferry to Crete. We don't like taking trains with all of our gear (especially the bike trailer) but we weren't sure how busy the roads to Pireaus would be.   We also heard that the campsite along the way was awful - cold, saltwater showers (!?) and  lots of traffic noise.  Then we learned that there was a two-day maritime strike.  So not only could we not ride our bikes to Pireaus the next day (as the ride involved two short ferries) but we had to spend an extra night in Korinthos because there would be no ferry to Crete for the next two days anyway.  No problem, though; we spent a nice day riding around ancient Korinth and the area, as well as visiting the train station to strategize how to best manage with the bikes.

Ancient Corinth

On the subway in Athens

Turned out the train ride was easy (says Judy) and we made it to Pireaus early enough to enjoy a nice lunch, buy some wine/groceries for the ferry and chill out at the port until it was time to leave (in the evening).  With our bikes, we got to be one of the first ones on board, so we were able to find a place to charge the bike batteries and scope out a good sleeping area on deck.  The trip was good.

Sleeping place on the ferry deck

Before sunrise - early arrival in Heraklion, Crete

We arrived in Crete in the town of Heraklion at about 7am and had to make the 65 km ride to Pitsidia - or a campsite a few kilometers away in Matala - over a mountain range.  I was worried that our batteries or motors wouldn't make it, but it turned out just fine, and we rolled into Matala well before lunchtime.  Unfortunately, the campsite, though beautiful (and cheap!), was extremely sandy and the wind picked up in the afternoon - picking up the sand with it - making it even less ideal.  The original plan was to stay at the campsite until we found an apartment, but that plan was more or less blown away.  Or perhaps I should say the answer, my friend, was blowing in the wind - yes we were camping in the shadow of caves once inhabited by Bob Dylan (Nobel Prize winner/snubber!) and others in the '60s.

The famous caves/coast, Matala

Above Komos beach - by Pitsidia 

We found a place to stay for the last week of September in Pitsidia at what we thought was the rock-bottom price of €28 per night, but then the next day we found a nice apartment (but not until November - after the tourists leave) for €300 per month.  The host there directed us to her niece who rented us a room (with kitchen outside) for €300 for the month of October.  That's where we are now (or where we were when I started writing this).  Great room, but the internet/cell service is dodgy.  Still, compared to eight years ago when we had to walk a couple of miles to the internet cafe to make contact with the outside world, walking up the street to send an email or make a Whatsapp call is a luxury.

The terrace outside our October digs

Healthy eating in Pitsidia

It's been fun reacquainting ourselves with Crete and Pitsidia.  There are still a lot of tourists here - mostly German - many of whom visit often for extended vacations (weeks/months).  But the tourist season is about to end and the town is beginning to empty out.  By the beginning of November, most of the restaurants will be closed, but a few stay open for the winter.   Not too many people stay for the winter, but we've already recognized some people from last time we were here.  Not too much seems to have changed, although some of our favorite places/people are no longer here. The couple we really liked who ran the local "pub" moved away and the pub is no more.  Another favorite, a Cafenion (traditional Greek coffee house/meeting place) run by a woman we knew also closed - although she's still here running her guesthouse.   We'll see what the winter holds.

Enjoying a beer at the beach in Kalamaki
(while the restaurants are still open)

Great setting - calling Shirley Valentine!
(thinking often of that movie...)

We've been exploring the area by bike, and the ebikes make a lot of interesting destinations a lot more accessible.  We found some beautiful roads leading into the mountains that we probably wouldn't have conquered without the battery power.  We've also been riding to the local weekly markets for fresh produce (and souvlaki and beer, of course).  Also during October, I spent a lot of afternoons on the beach.  And now that the weather is starting to get cooler, we're exploring some of the back roads on foot.

Souvlaki in Timbaki - at the market

Making the Souvlaki

Matthias riding with the sheep

Yup, we rode that road

My favorite spot on Komos beach

Oh, and getting in touch with my inner geek: learning "code" has been on my to-do list for a while, so I've been using the dodgy internet when we have it to take an online course. Was hoping to add a splashy feature to the blog using my newfound knowledge,

but all I've learned to do so far is format text.

(and that was hard!)

And finally, of course we voted. Sent the absentee ballots a few weeks ago and received confirmation that they were received in Florida.  I'm sure I don't need to explain who we voted for.  Please, please, please let her win! Next installment from the next chapter in American history - hope I'm not censored!

Absentee Ballot 

Bikes, Boats and Bahn

Whoa.  Looking back I see how long overdue I am for a post. As with most things, the longer I put it off, the harder it is to sit down and do.  But here I am in a hotel in Patras, Greece, with wifi connection.  Matthias is sleeping and I've got no excuses (except for the desire to catch up with Bill Maher, Trevor Noah and the rest....)

Speaking of TV, I visited a mineral water factory in Bavaria - kept thinking of Laverne and Shirley and wanted to throw a glove on one of the bottles and watch it go through the motions.  Kinda like one of those FB posts "Like" if you remember this....

We've come quite a long way since I left off in Bavaria.  We got our bikes tended to (and wallets emptied) in a nice town called Traunstein.  After that, we started riding north, in the general direction of Gommern, where Matthias' parents live.   First, we followed a regional bike trail to a small town called Marktl, now famous (in Germany) as the birthplace of Pope Benedikt.  We had been to the campsite 10 years earlier and had fond memories, and it was still a nice place - a family run farmhouse-turned-campsite.  Another reason we went there was to visit Burghausen.  It boasts the longest castle complex in Europe - we had seen it from across the river on our way to Salzburg and thought it would be interesting to visit.  It was.

Scene riding from Rosenheim to Traunstein

Biergarten in Traunstein - a highlight while our bikes were getting tended to.  Judy is somewhere in the picture  

The "Burg" (Castle) in Burghausen

After that we headed over the rolling hills of lower Bavaria toward Landshut.  We really had no inclination to visit Landshut but there was a good train (Bahn) connection to Gommern, and the campsite was located fairly close to the train station, so it worked for us.  But it's always good to have low expectations, right?  We found Landshut, located just an hour outside of Munich, to be a really nice town.  The campsite was great - quiet, riverside, and totally close to town - and there just happened to be a huge festival going on while we were there (oh darn).  So our last two days of the summer bike trip ended on a high note - great food, music and (of course) beer.

This is a "milk automat" on the road - you bring a bottle (or buy one from a machine) and get it filled with fresh cow milk.  We somehow figured out how to have a taste.  The enlarged picture (possible by clicking) shows it better.  It was quite good. 

Festival in Landshut - the band was awesome!

Must admit, I don't remember taking this picture, but I think it's pretty cool!

Leaving Landshut, we took a few trains to reach Gommern.  Traveling on German trains is wonderful, but with our fully-loaded bikes, and the bike trailer Matthias pulls, it can be a stressful experience.  We did miss one train connection, but that meant we had to have lunch (döner kepab) in Hof while waiting for the next train - a treat, in fact.  And we arrived in Gommern just in time for dinner with Matthias' parents a couple of days before his father's (Achim's) 70th birthday.  Upon our arrival, we learned that Achim's sister, Ingrid, who lives near Bonn, had changed her plans and would not be able to make the trip for the celebration.  While I was sorry to learn that she wouldn't be joining us, it turned out that Achim had bought a lot of her favorite regional eats that needed to be consumed.  As we were enjoying some of the treats, I remembered that Inge was terribly fond of red wine.  And yes, it turned out that Achim bought a few bottles for her, and it was up to us to enjoy them.  JOY!

Red wine!

The 70th birthday party was nice.  I can now understand a lot more German than I could at Achim's sixtieth ten years ago, so I could communicate better with family members.  It was a lovely, typical German affair - Achim invited a man who played the accordion, so there was a lot of traditional music and singing to go along with the eating and drinking.  Prost!

Two of a kind

Family Photo!

It was that kind of night - I ordered a vodka!

Video sing along!

Breakfast the next day - on the terrace.

So, following the birthday festivities, Birgitt and Achim (Matthias parents) took off on a trip to Croatia.  We were waiting for a set of keys to be made for one of our bike locks (Matthias lost his keys in Salzburg), and it turned out we needed to wait nearly two weeks for one of the special keys to come in. So we squatted at Matthias' parents' house for another week, where we did some shopping, bike riding and tv watching.  The key was ready just before his parents returned so we got to visit with them again before heading south - to Greece.

Castle near Gommern - built by the mother of Katherine the Great (Russian Tsarina) who was born nearby.

We took another long train journey back to Bavaria, and luckily made all our connections to Rosenheim, where we stayed at a campsite we visited a month before.  We then rode a few days to Innsbruck, stopping at Kufstein and a beautiful campsite in the Zillertal (Ziller River Valley in Austria) on the way to Innsbruck.  From Innsbruck, we took a train to Bologna.  More on that in a minute.

Back on the Inn River Radweg (Bike path) riding toward Innsbruck. 

OMG - best campsite bathroom EVER!  Seriously, this was the shower room at the campsite in Zillertal.

The view from the Zillertal campground (with our tent in front).

Bologna.  Let me just say I knew Matthias would hate it, but I REALLY wanted to go because I heard it was one of the great places to eat in Italy.  So I basically said, "Suck it up, Matthias, and let's have our 13th anniversary celebration in Bologna!"    By the way, the reason we stopped in Bologna is  because it was on the train line to Ancona, where the ferries leave for Greece.  So we had to stop there anyway.  Matthias wasn't loving it - he really doesn't care for Italy, to put it lightly, and the fact that the campsite cost nearly 30 Euros didn't help.  But we spent two nights there, with a full day to explore the city and EAT.  It did cost a lot, but I really enjoyed it!!

First stop in Italy - deli at Brennero (the Brenner Pass over the Alps) for a snack! 

Gelato in Bologna!!

Scenes from the Anniversary dinner - looks like Matthias could enjoy it after all!

Still eating!

And eating...

From Bologna, it was an easy train ride to Ancona, where we got the ferry to Greece.  I was amused (after being annoyed?) seeing the change in Matthias as we boarded the ferry.  I guess he feels at home in Greece, and I can't really blame him.  The ferry was fun - lots of people from everywhere, beautiful scenery, and interesting accommodations.  We didn't book a cabin (of course) but we did have our sleeping bags and air mattresses with us so it made "deck accommodations" quite comfortable.

Rainbow over Ancona as we were leaving! 

Our dinner on board!

Greece!! (or Albania - I'm not sure)

And so, we just arrived in Patras and booked a hotel for the first night.  Had a delicious dinner by the sea (Matthias couldn't stop talking about how much better it was than in Italy - not sure I totally agree, but let him have the moment) and now I've just finished writing the blog (or blogging, I guess).  Tomorrow we're off on our bikes toward Piraeus and Crete, with a few camping stops on the way.  It's supposed to rain, but can I really complain?  No.