European Finale
May 12th - 22nd, 2017
Time is relentless. Nine months in Europe sounded like an incredibly long time, yet the end has already come. Before taking a plane to Africa, we made three final European stops and picked someone up along the way.
Mykonos
Two weeks on Andros gave us a good feel for the slow and time-free side of island life, so we headed to Mykonos island to taste a bit of the fast and furious tourist side of island life. Spurred on by our 4x4 experience on Andros, we opted to beach hop during our one full day and rented a 4x4 (thanks, maman!) to cruise around, covering most of the island.
With the wind rushing past us and magnificent views spilling into view around tight corners, the occasional whoop escaped us as we took it all in. We even met a semi-famous greek actress on Elia beach, Athina Oikonomakou.
Pro-Tip: You may not be laying out all day, but sunscreen is a must on the 4x4. Kate’s shoulders took the brunt of the burns — ouch!
It’s not all fun and games on Mykonos, however. Immigrants have been pouring into the island looking for work, which is how we met our Pakistani friend, Mohammad. Due to family turmoil, he was forced to leave his hometown and move to Greece and was struggling to find consistent work.
Kate’s compassionate heart connected quickly with him and we spent an afternoon sharing food and hearing about his story, his interests, and just being a friend. I am reminded of Apostle John’s call to love one another, because love is from God. I want to make lists and accomplish things, but the only thing that will truly last is love.
Thankful for a wife who loves well. ❤
Athens — Part 2
From Mykonos it was a 5 hour ferry ride to Athens, where we spent a couple days enjoying our apartment with views of the Pantheon and eating. Of course we had to re-visit our favorite restaurant in Greece, Feyrouz (you must go!) but we got around to a few new places like the €0.80 juice shop we went to 5+ times.
In between meals, we even managed to see a few touristic sites like Panathenaic Stadium, the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble and used for the first modern olympic games, and the Acropolis Museum. Athens is a great example that while it feels so good to be on top, BOOM! 2500 years later and you’re mired in debt and tourists hide in pharmacies while protests and police roam the streets. There’s a lesson here.
Barcelona — Part 2
And then there were three! Jamie met us in Barcelona to start his 7 month journey in Europe and Africa for study abroad. We explored downtown Barcelona, drank from the Barça fountain to guarantee our return, saw Messi’s Ballon d’Ors while touring Camp Nou, and ate loads of food from Mercado de La Boqueria.
Timing favored us, and we were able to catch the final game of FC Barcelona’s season against Eibar. Messi even scored twice for us — a PK and crowd pleasing masterful goal after weaving through multiple defenders.
And there were four! Aunt Kris happened to be in Barcelona studying Spanish and we met up to share food, explore the city, and even a day on the beach in Cubelles where we stayed. Her energy and love of Barcelona were contagious and our enjoyment of time with her was immense, as were the smiles and laughs as we attempted to rent tandem bikes (fail).
Barcelona, Athens, the Greek Islands, Athens, Barcelona. The Greek Island Hamburger was completed. Now off to Africa.
