Naxos, Athens, Rome Oh My!
Trip Start
Aug 30, 2005
1
12
20
Trip End
Jan 04, 2006
Rome,
Italy
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Since the creation of the European Union the border have been loosening. Its not enough to learn this is some politics class but to actually see this is really interesting. Whenever going and leaving Poland we have to get stamped because it is still changing its policies about visas but when I went into Italy, because I was flying in from another E.U. 15 country, there was no need to even have a booth for passport control. Suffice it to say that I was sorely distraught when I couldn't have a stamp
A Greek Orthodox Church at sunset
!So we finished Santorini and then went to Naxos. Naxos is another island in the Cyclades. The initial idea (from much advice from the friends) was to visit Myconos but it was the off season. We left Santorini in the afternoon and Maria the woman whose hotel we stayed at arranged for us a place to stay on Naxos so we were comfortable when arriving at night. Meg, Ania and I decided to explore Naxos town that night after discovering that Lois and Clark was the only thing on TV (I have to admit that the next two nights we all watched with bated eyes the old episodes cause this has been the first English television in months). We stayed on the main road and saw the shore and beaches but then (cause I am an dot) we walked up a road which said "ancient agora", thinking that It would be nice to see at night. Sadly enough the road became smaller and smaller until we could only walk single file and had to duck cause we were surrounded by monolithic white walls around us. We were officially lost and trapped in the maze, of houses which surrounded a castle. At some point the 3 of us had become silent in fear and had begun running in a panic to find our way out. Eventually 1 hour later after stumbling on a higher point, I was able to orient ourselves and we escaped and ran home.
After the night fiasco I decided the next day with Emily to stay in Naxos and actually find out where we were the night before, while the other 3 went off to climb mount Zeus
Inside the Vatican
. I successfully found the scary maze of houses and escaped unharmed in the daylight. We then walked to the sea side and went to the ruins of the temple of Apollo. To get there you have to cross a narrow spit of land with an angry sea on one side. We ran across untouched by the water. On the way back I have to tell you that I walked around soaking for the rest of the morning. I ran across and I thought that I was safe so I turned to tell Emily to follow, but as I turned a wave twice my size turned and slapped me right in the face. It was like being on the water log ride at Wonderland. The next day we all headed back to Anthens for one last night where we went to a museum and I saw the same red clay vase over and over again.
We took a flight into Roma on Sunday and the quickest sight see of Rome began. Emily ran us through Rome. The night we arrived we saw Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps as well as having the best Gelato possible. The next day we walked to the Colleseum, then the forum. From there we filled out water bottles from the fountains and walked along the Tiber river to the Vatican where we had lunch within its walls, and had another Gelato. From the Vatican we walked back to the train station via the Panthenon. Sadly enough I didn't see much but from what I saw I KNOW I will be back... much love to Roma.
I have a sad thing to report now... Since I have been writing this I have been able to consume the whole bag of Orgorki (Pickles). All I cant admit to you is that at least it wasn't cabbage; we consume cabbage at every meal...yummy breakfast.
