Double or nothing

There is nothing I like better than setting out to discover a new place. . .trying a new food. . .tackling a new language. . .charting a course to some new adventure.  

From Old Town Rhodes, Greece

Unless, that is, the new adventure takes me into the land of technology; that part of the world that still gives this notepad-and-pen-packing writer the chills.

Kastellorizo, Greece

I had planned this week to give you a look at that far-distant Greek island we recently visited, Kastellorizo. But that tale will need to wait a few weeks as the time has come for me to depart on a new adventure into the unknown: making changes in the way TravelnWrite is sent out to those who've signed up to receive it by email.

Adrift in the world of technology - Limeni, Greece

This new journey was forced upon me and the countless other writers who use Google blogs as their writing platform with a departure date of July 1st. So it is time to get packing!. Google is no longer providing a distribution service so to keep the posts coming to you we need to set up new systems of delivery.  

I certainly wouldn't have set off on this one by choice as I've long referred to The Scout and myself as those woefully behind-the-times 'techno-dino's' - whose technology skill set is pretty much limited to turning on and off the computer and signing in and out of applications as prompted.

While this post is meant to alert you to upcoming changes, I managed to find a real-life 'small world story' connected to this new adventure that you might find of interest. 

Searching for a 'Travel Guide', aka Technology Guru

Being a techno-dino approaching a frightening new adventure of changing email distribution, I turned to the most logical sources of help, technology! 

First, there was You Tube (for those do-it-yourself-tutorials and which in this case, became horror flicks when I saw what I needed to do), and then to FB pages specifically for blog problems (everyone there seemed searching for help as was I) and turning to friends who might have the skill set for tackling this adventure (but then how much can one ask of a friend, right?)

My Tech Guru on the other side of the world

It was while on one of those Facebook pages, a fellow blogger had posted a link to a web designer, located somewhere in the world.  I had nothing to lose so I opened the link. . .

 . . .And here comes the small world story: the business is located in Duvall, Washington. . .just 'up the road a ways' from where we used to live in the Seattle suburbs.  I've known the Duvall Mayor for years -- way back before she was Mayor -- so I wrote her asking about this company. I was hoping that she might have at least heard of  the company and might recommend it, as by then I had decided it was beyond my skill set and I needed serious help. 

Ann Marie Gill - Cascade Valley Designs

Mayor Amy's response was that I would 'love her' as she wrote of Ann Marie Gill the creative force/technology guru behind Cascade Valley Designs.  

Thanks to technology, Ann Marie and I communicated over the weekend and she is set to start work on the change over. The good news for my fellow Google bloggers still facing the task is that she is developing a tutorial as she does the work on the change over!  (And here, let me assure all of you who are 'subscribers' nothing used in the tutorial will give away any information about any of  you!! She is a pro and knows privacy issues!)

Double or Nothing

Greek islands from above

This idiom seemed fitting as a title of this blog post as when I was studying the tutorials there is a step where you must have the courage to delete the first distribution service and make the switch to the new service, otherwise readers for a time would get two emails for each new blog post.  I was thinking that with my skill set it could easily be double!

I doubt Ann Marie will let that happen as she knows what she is doing!  Hopefully she is going to teach me how to use the new email distribution once it gets set up, otherwise it will be nothing!

Kalamata, Greece

So until the switchover is complete I won't be writing any blogs as Google is real sensitive to sign in's coming some 8,000 miles apart and I don't want to lock us both out of the program.  When I do start it up again, I will post as usual to FB, my followers will still see the posts in their reader feeds and those of you getting it in the mail will continue to receive it -- it will just be coming in a new format -- one of which I have no idea what it will look like yet but it will come from Mailchimp instead of Feedburner.

Thank You!

Queen Anne's Lace - my Greek garden

As I was going through the subscriber list I found that many of you have been readers since back in 2010 when I first figured out how to add subscribers.  I can't tell you how empowering your continued readership has been!  And to all the new folks that have just signed on ~ thank you! I promise some interesting journeys in the future.

Heading into Techno Land - Greece

With that, it is time to set off on the Techno Land Adventure. . .hope to see you all back here in a few weeks! (If you haven't received an email from TravelnWrite by July, could you drop me an email and let me know? travelnwrite@msn.com  Many thanks!!

Our best,

The Scout and The Scribe

Writing A Greek Ferry Tale

Greece opened its doors to tourism (testing and/or vaccination requirements are still in place) on Saturday, May 15th.  And within hours of reopening, we were on the road again!  A week's adventure, a modern day 'ferry tale' was in the making.

Time to write a ferry tale!

The Scout put his months of lockdown to good use and had plotted out a trip that began with a luxurious night in Athens at the Grand Bretagne, (we used Bonvoy points), and then took us to the island of Kastelorizo, or by its Greek name, Megisti, a charming place only a stone's throw from the Turkish coast. We spent three nights there, then two on the island of Rhodes and then returned to Athens. All travel to and from Athens was by overnight ferry.

Our route to adventure

The ferry on which we traveled, the Blue Star Patmos, a newer vessel built in 2012, has a 2,000 passenger and 430 car capacity.  A small gift shop carried high end clothing and accessories, books and toiletries. The popular Greek Flocafe operated several coffee/snack/wine bars throughout the ship. A buffet dining room offered good selections of hot and cold food. 

Coffee, snacks and wine bar on board

As I've written before, Greek ferries, such as this one are much like cruise ships - large and luxurious.  

Our regular cabin outbound

Because our journey took 22 hours we had booked a regular cabin so we could stow our luggage and bags and also get a good night's sleep. The beds were comfortable, the linen of good quality and pressed, the cabin decor basic, as was the ensuite shower, toilet and sink. It had a flat screen television. If you look closely at the photo you will note four people could sleep in the room as two bunk beds are folded against the wall. As it was, two people made it crowded.

Our deluxe double topped any cruise room we've had.

So we chose on our return trip to upgrade to a deluxe double room which simply boggled the mind! It was more spacious than any cruise cabin we've experienced. The bed was one of the best we've found in our travels, the room also had a flat screen television. Slippers and a toiletry kit were provided as was a welcome fruit plate, and soft drinks and water in a small refrigerator. 

The ferry was pet-friendly with indoor kennels provided 

We loved that the ferry was pet-friendly, offering kennels in a protected room on the ship's 8th and top floor. There were a number of four-footed travelers with us in both directions.

The cost of the ferry journey isn't inexpensive and varies by destination and class of travel.  Our deluxe cost more than the regular room but the regular room cost more than just buying a seat.  I should note, many bought seats and chose to 'slump and sleep' on two chairs, booths or the tables as the journey progressed.

A Journey of Discovery

Arrivals and departures our favorite part of the journey

We've let far too many years slip past since we last explored by Greek ferry. When we first visited Greece - now more than a decade ago- we traveled by ferry. We were reminded again of one of our favorite things about ferry travel and that is the island hopping/sightseeing that comes along with the price of the ferry ticket.  

Many of our stops on this trip to and from the Dodecanese islands were at islands we've never heard of before. We now have a couple more 'must visits' on our list as a result of the quick look and subsequent research we have done.  For example, on our return from Rhodes our itinerary included:

Symi  

Symi from the ship

We visited Symi many years ago and so our stop was a nostalgic one. A new ferry dock outside the harbor eases the loading and off-loading, but it used to be fun to go into the heart of the village to disembark. The harbor is bordered by colorful neoclassic buildings. A return visit will be in order one day.

Tilos

Arriving Tilos

Beaches are predominant in the list of Top 10 things to do on this small island with a population of less than 1,000 persons. Located mid-way between Kos and Rhodes, it looked a bit too small for us as we aren't 'beach people'. BTW, that beautiful dog, pictured above, got off here and was wagging his tail as he accompanied his human out of sight.

Nisyros

Nisyros calls out for a visit

Nisyros has the youngest and still-active volcano in Greece. A population of just more than 1,000 people live on this circular-shaped island with a diameter of 8 kilometers. It offers a couple of picturesque villages, Mandraki and Nikia, both with traditional architecture and spectacular views.  This one may need a longer visit than a ferry stop.

Kos

Kos, another that calls out for a return

This island was the busiest with dozens of foot passengers embarking and disembarking. It is rich in Greek and Roman landmarks and also boasts a 15th century castle. Another one on our ' must return' list.

Kalymnos and Lipsi (Leipsoi) were two islands we missed as our stops were in the middle of the night.  It is difficult to think of catching a ferry sometime between midnight and 5 a.m. but I guess it is not much different than flying a 'red-eye'. You'd get used to it, if you lived on these islands.

We arrived in Athens Sunday morning about 8:30, ending this Greek ferry tale and ready for another one!  I will tell you about the enchanting Kastelorizo in the next post -- it is a little place with a huge history! Hope to see you back again.

For those wondering about travel in a time of COVID: we carried our U.S. CDC vaccination cards, as well as a medical certification written by our Greek doctor that said we had been vaccinated. We were required, as were all travelers, to fill out a health declaration and contact tracing type form which had to be submitted at time of boarding.  On it we declared we had been vaccinated.  We boarded three times during our week's travels and no one ever asked to see the vaccination cards.  As you can tell from the photos, masks were required when moving about on board and distancing was maintained.

So how about you? Are you traveling yet? Still in lockdown? Let us know in the comments or send us an email. We loved to hear from you!!

Linking up soon with:

Through My Lens
Travel Tuesday
Our World Tuesday
My Corner of the World Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday

Greek Easter - A Giddy Sort of Week

 After so very long, we finally had cause to celebrate in Greece.  And even better, we were allowed to celebrate!

Pascha - Easter in Greece is not to be missed even with COVID

Megali Evdomada - the week between Palm Sunday and Pascha (Easter) is a time to celebrate rebirth. This year we were celebrating not only the rebirth of Christ but what feels like the rebirth - most certainly, the reopening -- of Greece itself. 

Church bells tell the Easter story

Traditionally this Holy Week is marked by church bells chiming with regularity, their peals heralding the days of Easter with dirges mourning Christ's death or upbeat peals of joy for His resurrection.  A year ago, the Easter bells were silenced by the country's first Covid lockdown. At the time none of us suspected it was only the first multi-month lockdown and that the second would drag on until it was a few days short of lasting six months.

Church bells rang out during Easter Week

On Maundy Thursday, the church bells began chiming. They rang again on Good Friday. While not a joyful peal because of the days in which they were commemorating it was a joy to hear them wafting across the water again as they had in year's before Covid. 

Greek Orthodox Easter Week was the last week of April this year with Easter falling on May2nd.

Easter Saturday night in the village

Although we are still in lockdown, the government allowed modified church services and Easter traditions to take place - a significant step in reopening the country. The next giant leap came Easter Monday when restaurants, bars, cafes and tavernas were allowed to reopen for outdoor seating, (distancing, masks and group size limitations are in place at all those establishments). We still text for permission to leave our homes and curfew is in place.

Nothing Short of 'Giddy"

Getting ready to open after six months closure

The excitement of the upcoming reopening of eateries and watering holes, combined with the celebration of Christ's Rebirth brought the village to life last weekend. Painting of storefronts, setting up of outdoor tables and chairs under enormous umbrellas, planters being filled with colorful blooms, . . .well, to be honest, there was just a plain old 'giddy' attitude among us all.  

Easter Saturday fireworks

Easter Saturday is one of the biggest nights in Greece -- the night when church services throughout the country concluded with the glad ringing of the church bells and candles are lit and the proclamation, 'Christos Anesti!' "Christ's Resurrection!" rings out from those gathered.  

Usually held at midnight, this year took place at 9 pm as we still have a late night curfew in effect. Although not officially open until Monday, tavernas along the harbor allowed those coming for the service, the fireworks and festivities to sit -- socially distanced, of course -- but it felt so almost 'like normal'.

Hot Air Balloons an Easter tradition

We watched small groups of teenagers sharing whatever it is they share on mobile phones these days, their heads bent over the small illuminated screens. We watched younger kids racing through the parking lots.

Adults were lighting and launching hot air balloons, a tradition at Easter.  We watched others walk towards the church where the evening service was getting underway.  In previous years so many people attended the service that it has been held outside the village pharmacy so that crowds filled the streets. Not this year, as all services were confined to the church yard. 

Friends pause for a photo after candle-lighting

The candles were lit at the conclusion of the service, calls of  "Christos Anesti!" rang out, fireworks exploded over the harbor. 

There have been bigger crowds and celebrations and there will likely be bigger ones again in the future.  But after a somewhat bleak and very long lockdown, for the couple hundred people that had come to the village, this was definitely a night of celebration. 

What's Next for Greece?

Restaurants are reopen - a big step towards normal

Major international media outlets have been announcing that Greece reopens to tourists from around the world this coming weekend, May 14/15. (Proof of vaccinations and/or negative tests are still being bantered about as requirements to avoid a quarantine. And arrivals will be subject to random testing as well). But at least the country is putting back the welcome mat they rolled up more than a year ago.

However, Greek media has been speculating that we who live here may still have some restricted movements, need to seek permission for movement (those SMS/text messages to the government) and other constraints. The Covid counts remain high in some areas.  

Cafes along the harbor in Agios Nikolaos are open again!

Others speculate that once the gates open, they will be open for all.  We are hedging our bets and making plans to travel as soon as it is allowed. You might just say we are continuing that giddy attitude, just thinking about the possibilities.  At this point your guess about what will happen is as good as ours. . .we'll answer this cliffhanger in our next post!

Our thanks for the time you spent with us and our wishes for a 'giddy sort of week' for you and yours! Hope you will be back with us next week!

Linking soon with:

Through My Lens
Travel Tuesday
Our World Tuesday
My Corner of the World Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday