Day 6 Santorini

A lemon tree outside of my hotel room...

We got home at 7am.  I have not been out that late in years.  We watched the sunrise while smacking on McDonalds.  It was a crazy night but I'm glad we all had a blast.  I was worried I was going to sleep the day away, but luckily I got up at 12pm.  I hate feeling like I'm missing out, especially since I'm on vacation.  I threw on my bikini and swim coverup and headed to Noma.  I definitely needed some coffee.  Kostas was not there, but some of the staff said he was at the restaurant at 10am.  Unbelievable!!  I felt so out of it.  I sat for a while and messaged my friend in Italy to tell her my new plans.  Originally I was suppose to take another ferry out to Mykonos later on the day.  I had planned on staying for one night on Santorini.  When I was doing my research, for my trip I read blogs about Santorini being more laid back than Mykonos.  After what I experienced last night, I've learned my idea of "laid back" was much more different than theirs!  lol.  First of all, Santorini IS a relaxing island with beach restaurants and boutiques all over.  Fira is the main center of Santorini, and officially their "downtown" so I could understand it being more congested than other parts of the island.  I was very much surprised by the nightlife I encountered, so I knew if Mykonos was the main attraction of Greece, I would much rather go there with a group of friends like the ones I hung out the night before.  The problem was, obviously, my new found friends are working all day at the restaurant, and I would be alone in Mykonos not knowing anyone.  I told my friend I would stay one more day in Santorini and head out tomorrow to Bari Italy, where she would be waiting for me.  I knew Santorini had an airport and Bari was one hour away from me.  I would get my ticket tomorrow, but for now, let me explore Santorini one more day.
After my coffee, (and lots of water), a staff member at Noma walked me over to an available umbrella waiting for me at the beach.  This is the life!  I ran into the couple from Athens at their umbrella spot and we caught up on the wild evening we had shared.  I like them a lot.  They were much more mellow than the others from the group, which was good because they balanced things out.  If there were too many crazies I can't imagine what trouble we would have gotten into!  lol



Dark sand between my toes.  This is the life!

I relaxed on the beach and then joined the couple in the sea to cool off from the hot sun.  I asked them a bunch of questions about Athens, and other vacation spots like Croatia.  Since they're locals, it was interesting to hear their input on the other destinations nearby.  One thing that I've noticed about vacationing in Europe, people love to spend HOURS on the beach.  Now that I am an older woman, I try not to stay out in the sun too long.  I made my way to Ntomatini restaurant to have some lunch.  Since we ate terribly early in the morning, I skipped out on breakfast, but the sun made me hungry.  Ntomatini specializes in traditional seafood so I opted for the grilled calamari.  I enjoyed my lunch and talked to the father and daughter while I was there.  I grew tired again and figured I'll squeeze in a nap in before I ventured out on the island.  I usually set my alarm for an hour so I don't end up sleeping too long.  It makes me more groggy whenever I over sleep.



Healthy lunch with a side of fries...

After my nap I got ready to hit the town.  My main objective was to head to the other side of the island to Oia for the infamous sunset.  I was determined to get over there.  Upon reading on my trip to Santorini I found out there was a bus that would take you to Oia.  I went to Noma to have more coffee and saw the daughter from Ntomatini hanging out with the crew.  Kostas was still no where to be found.  I asked her where to catch the bus and she told me to walk down the beach and I should see the bus stop.
Well here is where the adventure begins!!  What I have learned from my travels is that sometimes things that seem easy, well, aren't.  I walked and walked, probably close to 15 minutes to an area that was closed off on the beach.  I put two and two together since I remembered from my shuttle bus coming in that the road is blocked off from traffic.  I looked around and saw some people standing around.  Santorini has posts and signs only in Greek, so a lot of times you have to figure it out yourself.  I saw a bus on a sign and knew I was suppose to be there, but wasn't sure.  The tourists standing around weren't very inviting but I managed to ask someone if this was the bus stop.  He mumbled yes so I waited with the rest of them.  Luckily I had some euro coins, but I wasn't sure how much this was going to cost me exactly.  One thing to remember in Europe is to have some loose change handy since they do not use credit cards like we do in the States.
A small group grew upon waiting and then I saw a charter bus on the horizon.  He was heading our way.  Whew!
A big, very intimidating bus clerk stepped out and yelled that this bus was going to Fira and to Fira only.  "If you want to go to Oia (pronounced Eee-yah by the way), you need to transfer at Fira!!"  He was so scary!  You did not want to mess with this guy!
Off we went.  I sat by the window and looked out while the bus driver took off.  Again we were going through narrow roads which made me nervous.  More stops were coming up and more people climbed in.  A good looking couple came on.  The guy sat next to me and his girlfriend sat behind him.  I heard them speak English very softy to one another with an accent so I felt relieved.  If anything they were my safety zone!
The bus continued along and gathered more people.  I didn't understand where we were going.  There were times we were driving past open land.  I saw garbage, abandoned buildings.  I started to get very anxious.  Fira didn't seem that far to me the night before!  Me and my new friends were at Fira.  How come I don't remember us driving out that long?  The bus clerk bully came by and collected the fare and gave out his receipts.  My nerves couldn't take it anymore.  I turned to the good looking boyfriend and asked him if this bus was going to Fira.  He barely glanced at me and said, "Yes".  I couldn't help myself.  I was getting more frightened by the moment.  I whispered to him, "Why is it taking so long?"  He slightly shrugged his shoulders but never made eye contact with me.  I could see his crystal blue eyes gaze away towards the front of the bus.  He was so cold to be unbelievably beautiful.  I was hurt by our interaction, mostly because in my mind this couple was suppose to be my safety zone.  I felt so alone.
Next thing you know, the bus swerved into a lot and then the madness began.  People got up and started walking out.  Ok, we're at Fira, but how come I don't remember it being so unattractive? 
There was an agent at a booth at the bus station.  People were coming up to her asking questions about schedules.  I went up and asked her which bus was the one to Oia and she pointed it out for me.  I looked over and saw a small group of people waiting nearby.  Because of my anxiety I needed to use the bathroom.  I saw a restroom sign at the lot.  There was a lady outside collecting money.  I noticed in Rome that public restrooms have a fee to use, so I knew this was a common thing in Europe.  I paid my fee and entered a room where the sink was.  There was a stall but once I got inside I didn't see a toilet, but more of a hole in the ground, resembling a shower setup but without the filter.  I was confused.  I walked out and asked if this was the bathroom and the lady replied, "Yeah, they're all like that."  Yikes! 
Afterwards I made my way to the small group waiting for the Oia bus and soon we started to board.  Off he went and another bus clerk collected our money.  We drove for another 15 minutes.  I looked out the window for reassurance that we were heading to the right direction.  The tourists here do not speak to one another.  I found it to be such a sad situation considering we're all on vacation.
At one point the view in Oia overwhelmed us.  The sun was beginning to set as we were driving up the road.  Unfortunately, it was hard to take a good picture with the bus moving.  I felt a sign of relief knowing we were almost there. 
I looked around and noticed again we were driving to deserted areas.  I was in disbelief it would take us this long to get there.  I had been in route in total for almost an hour!  It was past 7:45pm when the driver pulled into a lot.  There were a ton of people waiting to board.  Again the scene looked a bit chaotic.  I followed people off the bus and didn't know where to go.  People were heading to different directions.  Since now it was dark I grew concerned about how I was going to head back home.  I didn't want to ride that bus at nighttime.  I followed two young men walking away from the lot.  I had a hunch they knew where they were going since they seemed determined.  They are probably going to a happening area.  Sure enough, they led me to the infamous Oia skyline!  It was so beautiful even at night!  Everyone was taking pictures all around them.  I think I found the one end of the "strip" so I followed that pathway.  It led to endless shops and boutiques, from high end retail to souvenir shops.  There were art galleries and restaurants.  Because we were at a high altitude, the wind was gusty again.  I took cover by going in and out of shops.  There were so many beautiful handcrafted things that I couldn't stop admiring.  My stomach was beginning to bother me from the anxiety.  I couldn't help but rub it from time to time.  I walked into a jewelry shop and was browsing around when the salesman behind the cash register spoke to me.  "Did you eat something that gave you an upset stomach?" he asked.  "No.  It's just nerves," I replied.  "Why don't you go and have a glass of wine?" he suggested.  I smiled.  He seemed friendly enough.  I went up to him and asked him what time was the last bus out of Oia.  He asked one of his associates and she told me around 10pm.  I frowned.  I explained that I had just gotten there and was worried about how to get back to Perissa Beach.  "Do you have cabs here?  I haven't seen any around at all since I've been here."  "Of course we have cabs.  If you need a cab, we will call one for you," he explained.  What a sign of relief!  "That makes me feel a lot better!"  I told him.  He reassured me whenever I'm ready to leave, I can walk into an establishment and ask them to order me a cab and it shouldn't take no more than 15 minutes until it arrives.  "We don't have many cabs in Santorini but it shouldn't take long to get to you." 
I wish my anxiety magically disappeared from that moment, but of course it did not.  But I did feel a lot better that I could wander through Oia and enjoy my time there much longer.  I didn't want to miss out on anything.  I purchased some more souvenirs and was slowly beginning to feel like myself again.  I walked into a boutique and was greeted by a handsome salesman.  His smile made me feel it was safe enough for me to walk up to him and ask him where I should go for a drink around Oia.  He suggested Mary Kay's Bar which was right across the boutique from him.  I joked that I wanted a more lively place but he told me it would get busier later in the evening.  I looked over but there wasn't so many people inside.  I told myself I would check it out.  I continued to browse other shops until I found another friendly salesman smile back to me.  This boutique had beautiful Greek rugs which ran around 300 euros, as well as colorful handmade jewelry.  The friendly salesman and I striked up a conversation.  He lives in Athens but works in Santorini during the tourist season.  He explained it usually runs from March until October.  I asked what he did after the season is over and he told me he would have some time off and be in Athens.  I was curious to know what happened to the merchandise in the shops once everyone is off.  Did they lock up everything and leave the island?  Or do they ship everything off the island?  He said they pack up all the merchandise and it goes back to Athens where it will sit until the tourist season begins.  During the off-season months the boats coming to and from the islands will not be available to travelers.  They will be used to transport the merchandise and no one will be able to book any ferry rides.  I found this new information fascinating!  Who knew!
My new salesman friend gave me a little token of potpourri to take back to Chicago.  He said it's meant for good luck.  I found him to be one of the warmest people I've met in Santorini.  I will never forget his generosity.

Oia

Again with the sex cards...

Beautiful church!

Tourists shopping away!

Galleries galore

Donkey love

A flower shop

At this time it was 11pm and I felt it was a good time to head over to Mary Kay's bar.  The handsome gentleman from before was right.  Now the place was getting packed and the dj was playing Motown music to get the crowd going.  I found a seat by the dj and ordered a glass of white wine.  As usual, the waiter brought over my glass along with a side serving of nuts.  This to me is a lifesaver when traveling in Italy and  in Greece because it helps you curb your appetite.  The crowd was letting loose and people finally started dancing around.  I love being around this type of energy so I enjoyed watching everyone have fun.  I knew my new friends back at the restaurant were working until 1am so I figured I could hangout here until then.  I was having such a good time I decided to have another glass of wine.  People watching could be very entertaining.  There were a group of British tourists who were tearing up the dance floor.

Mary Kay's Bar

Gotta love the cigarette ads!

It was now nearing 12:30am.  I figured it was time for me to make my way over to Perissa Beach.  Now to find a cab (or a shop what will have someone call me one).  I walked back to my original path of where I began on the strip.  By now a lot of businesses were closed.  People were strolling around but I did not hear any English speakers.  I was getting nervous again.  I saw a restaurant that was closing up and I peaked inside to see if anyone would be able to help me.  Two staff members were in the kitchen and they looked preoccupied.  I walked back up to the beginning of the strip when I noticed a cab drove up.  I ran up and waved my arms like crazy before he continued to zoom away but he put on the brakes.  I was so relieved!  I ran up to him and then noticed a couple sitting in the back seat.  "Oh I'm sorry!  I didn't know you had someone.  Do you know where I can grab a cab?"  I see the pair of eyes staring back at me from the couple.  "Where are you going?" the driver asked.  "Perissa Beach?"  It took him a moment before he replied to get in.
I sat in front and said hi to the couple at the back.  The woman point blank asked me in English, "Why are you alone?"  Her tone made me worried because I did not want to give away that I was indeed alone, at least not to this cab driver.  I told them that I was waiting for my friends to get off from work and decided to kill some time in Oia.  She had an accent but her male friend was definitely American.  At one point she kept talking to the cab driver on where to go and told him she works "here" and not to try anything (which made me worried).  "Where do you work?" the cab driver asked suspiciously.  She replied that she worked at the hotel from where he picked her up from.  "What do you do?" he continued.  I could tell he was trying to figure her out.  "I work the concierge but I know Santorini; I know Greek!" she proclaimed.  He said something to her in Greek to test her and she quickly added, "Yes I understand.  I know what you said.  I understand Greek."  The driver still wasn't satisfied.  I grew very nervous because I did not know what I walked in on.  He asked her "What are you?  Where are you from??" and she answered that she was Italian (although she never revealed from what city).  The driver stayed silent and the couple continued their conversation.  It seemed to me that they had just met and that the male had been drinking.  She was fine and very firm with her answers.  They were going to Tango and that's when I told them that I had been there the night before.  Although I wanted to invite myself to their party, the woman never really paid much attention to me and they seemed more preoccupied with each other.  Once they got to Fira they quickly jumped out and the male companion paid the driver 20 euros and off they went.  I was worried about how much cash I had on me but prayed that it was enough for my ride.  He continued to drive until he stopped at a mart and asked me if it was ok for him to get some cigarettes.  I told him that's fine and he went inside.  I was SUPER nervous now that I was alone with him so I took pictures of whatever I could find at the front of the cab.  Everything was in Greek so I didn't know what I was looking at.  He came back into the car and off we went.  I decided to strike up a conversation with the driver so I wouldn't anxious.  I felt I was putting myself in a very vulnerable position being out this late by myself.  The cab driver looked pretty scruffy too, but he continue along.  I told him I was having a hard time looking for cabs and he said there are only 39 cabs in all of Santorini.  No wonder I didn't see them very often!  That explains a lot.  I already knew that the roads looked pretty deserted but now that it was nighttime it looked more scary to me.  There wasn't much lighting out on the road.  I held my guard and continued saying random things to the driver.  We finally reached the blocked off area at the beach where the shuttle bus had dropped me off the night before.  I was so happy to get out of that situation!  I ended up giving the driver 38 euros and explained to him that was all I had.  He took it and said fine, although I'm aware he was going to pocket the money regardless.  I ran down the strip and everything was pretty much closed.  It was 1:15am.  So much for that.  I went back to my hotel room.

Good bye Oia!  It was all worth it to see this at night!

Day 5 Santorini

The next day me and Simon woke up early and he drove me to the bus station.  Again my nerves were getting the best of me.  I was planning on catching a ferry in Athens to Santorini at 2pm, but first I had to get out of Kalamata.  We said our goodbyes and off I went via bus for another 3 hour ride.  I was destined to arrive in Athens at 11am, which gave me plenty of time to get on the boat.  I had trouble napping on the bus because it was so hot again and they didn't turn on the ac.  Once I arrived at the bus station I hopped on a cab with written note that had instructions Simon wrote for me.  He knew how worried I was in case I got a driver again who only spoke Greek.  The instructions read that my destination was for the port for Blue Star Ferry.  My cab driver understood my note and did what it said.  She even even asked someone which lot to pull into for Blue Star Ferry.  She drove me to an office and said this was it, (in Greek), and helped me with my luggage.  Then off she went.  I walked up to the office and of course, everything was locked.  The doors, the windows, everything.  It didn't look opened for business.  It was officially Saturday and it began to sink in that I might not get on this boat.  I looked around and saw the Blue Star Ferry was docked, so I knew that was my boat.  I decided to ask people, but of course, no one knew English.  There were some people sitting on benches at the port but they did not know about the office opening up or not.  I saw some patrons walking up to the boat and decided to do the same.  A man was standing outside the ferry and gave some instructions to a couple so I knew he was the one to ask.  He laughed when I walked up to him, and it dawned on me he might not know a thing.  But he did confirm that this boat was leaving at 2pm for Santorini.  He told me to check with the office for tickets to board.  I verified that the office was not open, but he insisted that it was.  I walked back over and still no luck.  The port was very quiet and Blue Star Ferry was the only boat at the port.  It made me nervous to think I might miss it.  I concluded maybe I was suppose to purchase my ticket online, but now the wifi was acting up at the port.  Go figure.  I walked back to the boat to ask some more questions.  Now the mystery man has disappeared (of course), and I walked up to another woman who was staff.  I asked if I could purchase my ticket on board, but she replied no.  I had to get them at the office.  I told her they were closed.  She spoke Greek to another staff member and he said something back to her.  "Come back in one hour", she said, (referring to the office).  Ok.  Maybe we're on to something.  I thanked her and went back outside and sat on a bench.  It was now 12:30pm.
The crowd slowly started to grow.  It made me feel better that I was not alone on this boat, but at the same time no one was speaking English (or Spanish for that matter).  Eventually I saw something happening at the office and I quickly ran over to see if it finally opened.  One window was up, and there was a ticket agent taking care of a customer.  Whew!
I purchased my ticket and ran over to the boat.  There was now a bigger crowd than before, and everyone was waiting anxiously to board.  Finally a staff member came out to greet the crowd and we slowly boarded.  To my amazement, the boat did take off at 2pm, but I conclude that the office officially opened back up after 1:15pm.  That's too close for comfort for me.
I was very nervous about the boat ride because I hate boats as much as I hate planes.  I didn't even realize we were in motion when I settled in.  Hey, this isn't so bad after all!  The Blue Star Ferry was  huge and I didn't feel a thing.  I managed to take a nap onboard, but for the most part, the ride was very boring.  You can't  look out the windows for a view because it would get misty and foggy from the sea.  I counted the hours away, and knew something was happening when people kept getting up and walking out.  I was curious to where everyone was going.  I saw people go through the exit door and decided to follow them. 
Little did I know, I walked into the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen in my life!  Everyone around me was completely mesmerized!  I couldn't help snap pictures off my iphone.  People were doing the same.  The crowd grew bigger and bigger.  We were approaching land and I knew we were going to dock soon.

What a sunset!!!

I've never seen anything like this!!

Having fun on snap chat...

Once we landed we were greeted on our way out.  It was after 7:30pm and I was worried it would get dark soon.  I wanted to figure out how to get to the restaurant that my friend Simon was recommending.  A friend of his runs the restaurant but has some rooms to rent at the back for me.  I started to feel overwhelmed and noticed all the commotion around me.  People were holding up signs with names.  There were charter buses driving in and out.  I heard someone yell out that they had shuttle buses to take you to your hotel for 20 euros.  I ran up to him to see if he would help me get to the restaurant.  He escorted me to a shop where I paid them via credit card and he handed me my receipt.  He then told me and other the patrons to line up and someone would come get us.  We waited shortly and then another gentleman lead us to a bus.  We hauled our suitcases at the back and met our driver.  He asked us each where were we going.  I knew I was heading to Perissa Beach.  We hopped on and he began to drive up the cliff.  I swear those roads are so narrow!  He finally reached the top and off we went.

So many things happening at once, but luckily I found my destination...

Our driver explained how the island was divided into 3 parts,  Oia was at the top of the island, Fira (the downtown of Santorini) is in the middle, and then Perissa which was at the other side of the island.  We all looked out the window to checkout our surroundings.  It was refreshing to hear some people speak English.  I was curious to where they had sat on the ferry.  I haven't heard English in a while. 
Little by little he dropped off the passengers.  I was the last one left.  He told me he didn't know that Noma restaurant had rooms.  I told him I was suppose to meet someone there.  I really didn't know what I was walking into.  He dropped me off by a gate and said the beach was closed off for driving at night.  He gave me directions to where the restaurant was.  I tipped him some euro coins and off I ran.  I noticed some streets were relatively quiet.  Maybe this part of town was closing down.  It was officially dark outside.
I ran up the beach and saw a string of restaurants and venues.  It kind of reminded me of South Beach, but more quiet.  There were people taking strolls, but some of the business were closed already.  I found the restaurant and noticed how busy it was.  I walked up to the host and told him I was looking for Kostas.  He ran towards the back.  I saw staff looking at me but I still didn't know who was who.  The host ran back up to me and grabbed my suitcase.  Another gentleman asked me to have a seat.  I watched the crowd who were mostly enjoying their dinner.  There was a soccer game on tv.
The gentleman who seated me turned out to be Kostas.  He was busy but he told me to wait for a bit.  He then joined me and we were officially introduced.  He was a friend of Simon back from Chicago.  I liked that he knew him well.  I felt relaxed again.  The host returned and Kosta told me to follow him to the back and he'll show me where I'll be staying.  "Why don't you go freshen up and get settled in and come back?  You can have some food if you're hungry.  I have some friends who came in from Athens too.  We're all suppose to go out after wards.  You could join us if you want."  I told him all I wanted to do was take a shower first, but agreed to come back once I was freshened up. 
I followed the host and he took me to a motel area.  They had a beautiful pool  I walked into the office and they gave me my keys and walked me over to my room.  It was small but it would do.  I was really looking forward to my shower. 
I got my second wind plus I realized it was Saturday night.  I rushed over to the restaurant once I got ready.  By now it was past 10pm.  I felt good freshened up.  I sat by the bar and ordered a glass of white wine.  It was windy in the evening so I wore my kimono jacket.  I was worried it would be too hot to wear on my vacation, but now that I was technically on an island, it came in handy for me.



Saturday night at Noma!

After a 3 hour bus ride and 6 hour ferry ride, I needed this!

Happy girl!

Sweets!

Kostas joined me for drinks.  He was surprised I wasn't hungry but I explained to him that I bought a foot long sandwich at the bus station and ate the rest of it on the boat ride.  He brought over a fruit tray anyways and we both snacked on it.  His friends stopped by the restaurant and we all introduced ourselves.  I was feeling good.  They insisted for me to join them for some live music and I agreed.  We closed down Noma and walked over to Mythos which was further down the beach.  There was a duo on stage and they were fantastic!  They were called Namaste and they sang Greek music while both playing the guitar.  The crowd was mostly Greeks so that was a nice experience.  We had a good group going and I was having fun.  People were dancing.  I loved it!

This place was happening!

After a while Kostas suggested we hit up Fira so we walked back to the restaurant to grab his car.  Off we went into the night.  I didn't realize how much action was happening at Fira.  There were a lot of people bar hopping.  Some of the cobblestones were hard to walk on because of how narrow the pathways were and the steps.  We made our way to Tango which was super packed with people.  Again, I looked around to see what kind of people were there.  I couldn't make out the crowd, but the smoking was telling me there were more Greeks than tourists.  I enjoyed the music but it wasn't a place to dance.  It was more of a place to look very cook (if you get what I mean).  Kostas and his friends ended up ordering bottle service.  We made our way to our table but I grew very tired because of the sitting.  I had been on a 3 hour bus ride plus a 6 hour boat ride.  I needed to move.

Outside of Tango...

The crew!

A young woman in the group sat next to me and we started to hit it off.  She was bored as well and wanted to go to some other spots, but she needed a co-pilot to come with.  I wanted to see other places too so I volunteered to go with her.  She went up to her father (who was Kostas friend) and told him we would be back in 30 minutes.  They work at another restaurant right by Noma.  Her dad runs that place and needed help for the summer.  She agreed.  Who wouldn't work in Santorini for the summer??
We got the ok, and off we went.  There was a lot happening at Fira and I didn't know where we were heading.  A string of pubs, bars and restaurants were lined up back to back.  I noticed high end retail shops, too.  We stopped by a lounge that was playing house music.  We got curious and went inside for a bit.  We took a shot of tequila and made our way to the next spot.  This time, we walked into a Greek club and everyone was going nuts in there.  I was having so much fun!  My new friend kept dancing and singing to the music.  We took a couple of shots in there.  Before we knew it, we had to head back to Tango.  We made it back in time before the rest of the group noticed how long we were gone.  We finished up our bottle service and decided to hit up another club.  We walked into a place where there was a live dj spinning house music.  The crowd in there were definitely house heads, dancing away.  I was growing very tired, but my group did not want to end the night just yet.  They kept ordering drinks at the bar.  Eventually we staggered our way to McDonalds to sober up.  I was beat.  I joked to the daughter that this was too much for me.  "What do you think Mykonos is?"  I was confused.  "It's all party!  That's what it is!"  My eyes widened.  "It's all nightlife", she confirmed.  And at that moment I realized I was not going to Mykonos.

Day 4 Kalamata

Since we stayed up late the night before we finally got up around 11am.  We figured today we would spend the day at the beach, but first, coffee!  We got dressed and headed to the centro.  It was relatively quiet in town.  It was nice being able to see the hustle and bustle of fellow citizens.  For most Europeans, they were still on vacation.  We went to visit a friend who ran a coffee shop and I had my first Greek pie for breakfast.  Filled with cheese, the pocket was made of a croissant flaky bread.  You had your choice of ham, chicken or spinach.  Those things are filling!  We went to take a walk around the "old center" of Kalamata and I browsed through a couple of boutiques.  I must say, I was very impressed with the retail I encountered there.  Me and my friend discussed the differences between Italian and Greek style, but for the most part, Europeans DO have a "style" when it comes to dressing.  Since Kalamata is next to the sea, the look around town is more relaxed beach wear.  We chatted at a pub nearby while we people watched.  A couple of gypsies were working the corner and were harassing people taking money out of the ATM machine, as well as stopping patrons outside the cafe.  It's hard to watch especially when they involve children, but Simon assured me it's a bigger problem for them to solve.  Sometimes panhandling leads to petty theft, and eventually it grows to serious theft as well as the selling of weapons.  Yikes!



Hot Greek pies ready for breakfast!  I saw these everywhere at cafes.

People enjoying their morning coffee at the café.

Strolling around at il centro...

Retail therapy

We visited an old church at il centro.

One of the surprising things I found in Greece is seeing a variety of ethnic restaurants.  Here a Greek who use to live in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood opened a Mexican restaurant in Kalamata.

A shot of masticha at a bar.

We headed back and grabbed our swimwear.  The beach was waiting for us!  We settled at a beach club and were escorted to our umbrellas.  I wasn't aware the Brazilian bikini was a huge favorite among Greeks.  I people watched for the most part during my time there.  When I finally had the nerve to dip in the water, the waves were consuming me.  I do not know how to swim very well, but the water felt great.



Time for some sun at Secada beach bar.

Since we spent most of the day there, we opted to checkout the sunset.  I took my time getting ready since I knew we were going to have dinner and stay out the rest of the evening.  Once I showered up we headed back to the old part of Kalamata and I had my first souveki.  It was delicious!!



Had my first souveki at this gem...

More fries!

Now to head back to Kastraki for the sunset.  Unfortunately it was not opened yet so we decided to take a quick drive back down to a nearby beach.  That's when we heard some dance music.  We stopped in a beach bar to checkout the action.  The sun was beginning to set but we had some clouds that ruined our view!  Oh well!

Panoramic view up at Kastraki...



Checking out another beach bar during the sunset.  The music was awesome!

We drove back to town but first we went to the bus station to checkout the schedule.  I was planning on leaving the following day.  We headed to his place to check on his mother who lived upstairs.  She was a handful!  Right away she handed me an ice cream candy bar and started pouring me a glass of orange juice!  Apparently she thought I was too thin.  She was a riot!

We met up with his sister who just came home from work and discussed the bus schedule along with the schedule for the ferry heading out to Santorini.  Looks like I will be catching the 8am bus.  

It's Friday night and we had the itch to go out.  Since his sister worked all week she wanted to unwind as well.  We headed back to the centro for a glass of wine.  We talked about everything which I loved.  It was a change of pace for me.  

The next day we got up early and Simon drove me to the bus station.  I am happy that my friend is doing well back at his hometown.  He's a good man who loves his city and is now getting involved within the community to help improve the conditions in Kalamata.  I am confident he will be fine.