My brother's big fat Greek vacation...

[Wingnut]

Somewhere on this website, I've already mentioned that my family lived in Athens, Greece, from 1968-1973, and those were some of the best years of my life. My large family was still together, you understand, and every summer we'd load the camping gear atop the VW Bus and tour some part of Western Europe... during the school year, we'd take weekend trips to explore Greece. Those were halcyon days, and we were fortunate to be in Europe at that time, as it has only gone downhill in recent decades. My brother Pete (who lives overseas with his German wife) booked a vacation to Greece earlier this year... he went with his wife, they joined my one and only sister, and of course Pete took a ton of photos to share with the rest of the family. We've been enjoying this nostalgic tour---while noting modern differences---and we still have a ways to go, lol. My brother provides a hilarious narrative and breaks out pics as he goes along, aye? I thought of sharing some of these pics earlier, but didn't bother because many of the pics have yet to be resized... and I deleted some posts with nice pics too, but that can't be helped. Anyway, I'm gonna try to post some of those pics, maybe the mods can automatically resize 'em or something. I'm not gonna try to caption all of these, just a few... starting with a pic of the Acropolis.

Views of modern Athens, much larger than it was when we were there, look at the sprawl! But first, a Greek cat!

Sheesh, thank goodness I no longer live there, lol. Here's the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, I like these pics! We went to all of these places decades ago, the ruins were still there!

Primo view from the Temple of Poseidon at sunset...

This guy has the right idea... to heck with all that road traffic, this is the only way to travel the Med, lol.

 

[Wingnut]

Okay, another round of pics... I'm gonna ask my brother to resend the rounds I deleted, there were some great shots of the Parthenon & Acropolis in those rounds! But for now, here are some random shots of ancient & modern Greece!

The Temple of Aphaea... there are several ways to spell this name, I'm just throwin' out the one my bro sent, lol.

And some old ruins, dunno where, the country is full of ruins like these which aren't quite as famous, lol...

 

[Wingnut]

Alright, that allowed me to clear the old emails from my computer... like I said, I'll have my bro resend the first few rounds which I deleted, there were some great shots in those rounds. At the same time, I don't wanna clutter up the website with a bunch of travel pics, so I'm only gonna send pics I like, lol. Yes, you'll probably have to deal with the occasional cat pic, lol, and most assuredly some coastal & nautical pics! Again if you mods can resize those pics, great, I don't wanna bother with it at this end. Hey, I found a pic in my computer files which actually predates our time in Greece, it's a classic photo so I'm gonna include it here... some of you may remember those goofy glasses back in the day!

There I am at lower right... the pic was obviously taken at Christmastime! File caption says 1967... nice pajamas on some of us! Wait, I have one other family photo which I keep in my wallet, lemme grab it and post it, it's even older than this one! I'll be back in a moment to post the pic, it's a CLASSIC!

Wow, the pic is all torn up from being in my wallet for years, lol... there I am, the youngest of 9 kids, front and center! Tell me that's NOT a dress I'm wearing, lol... some of my brothers look rather nattily-attired, sportin' suits and ties! This photo was probably taken in 1963, since I look about 6-12 months old.

 

[Pearl]

Alright, that allowed me to clear the old emails from my computer... like I said, I'll have my bro resend the first few rounds which I deleted, there were some great shots in those rounds. At the same time, I don't wanna clutter up the website with a bunch of travel pics, so I'm only gonna send pics I like, lol. Yes, you'll probably have to deal with the occasional cat pic, lol, and most assuredly some coastal & nautical pics! Again if you mods can resize those pics, great, I don't wanna bother with it at this end. Hey, I found a pic in my computer files which actually predates our time in Greece, it's a classic photo so I'm gonna include it here... some of you may remember those goofy glasses back in the day!

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There I am at lower right... the pic was obviously taken at Christmastime! File caption says 1967... nice pajamas on some of us! Wait, I have one other family photo which I keep in my wallet, lemme grab it and post it, it's even older than this one! I'll be back in a moment to post the pic, it's a CLASSIC!

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Wow, the pic is all torn up from being in my wallet for years, lol... there I am, the youngest of 9 kids, front and center! Tell me that's NOT a dress I'm wearing, lol... some of my brothers look rather nattily-attired, sportin' suits and ties! This photo was probably taken in 1963, since I look about 6-12 months old.

OMG how cool!! Thanks for sharing those pics!!

 

[Peanut]

Very nice!!! Been to most countries around the med, never saw Greece. Nice shots of the water, sigh. The med isn't always that calm though, lol, I'm sure you know! Some of the roughest water I've ever seen. Sometimes think about going to sea again, same conclusion, nope... thanks for the pics!!!

 

[Wingnut]

A few more pics, starting with the Propylaea, or "monumental gateway" to the Acropolis...

The Parthenon... I went here many times, back when tourists could actually stroll through the temple.

I've been to the Parthenon in Nashville too, lol... here's the Theatre of Dionysus below the Acropolis, the theatre is still in use today! My family went to plays in this theatre, and we also saw the "Sound & Light Show" on the Acropolis several times.

Philopappas Hill as seen from the Acropolis...

Mount Lykabettos as seen from the Acropolis... composed of Cretaceous limestone, its summit is the highest point in central Athens.

Some random shots taken elsewhere...

We have more shots coming, I will post 'em as they arrive... this tour may last awhile, lol. My brother visited in late spring, the crowds are much worse during summer!

 

[Wingnut]

Got a couple more rounds this morning, catching up and moving forward, lol... here are some shots taken early in the tour, my bro spent nearly three weeks touring Greece.

The Theatre of Dionysus with the Acropolis looming above...

Next, we have two shots of the Odeon which I really like...

Gotta throw in at least one statue pic, lol...

The Temple of Hephaestus as seen from the Acropolis... this ancient temple is in remarkably good condition!

Another view from atop the Acropolis...

I wonder if any technical rock climbers have developed routes on that limestone crag? Lol... probably illegal! But what a view you'd have of the Acropolis! That would be awesome!

 

[Wingnut]

Okay, moving on to Aegina, the first island I remember visiting when we moved to Greece in 1968... we ultimately visited many islands, including Crete, Rhodes, Corfu & Mykonos, but I remember Aegina as the first because it's not far from Athens. Here we go with some shots of the island and island life... as you can imagine, the place is a tourist trap, lol.

Gotta like the one apartment building in blue & white, the Greek national colors. Some of those boats were probably present when we visited decades ago, lol...

 

[Wingnut]

Peanut, I know you're enjoying these shots, we're gonna have some kick@$$ Greek island shots in this thread, lol... my bro, his wife, and my sis toured Greece in a big way, and my family already spent 5 years there back in the day, so they knew exactly where to go, yeah? My bro Pete is like a general in the field, he makes plans and carries them out despite any obstacles... his German wife is hardcore enough to keep up with him too, lol. They know how to enjoy themselves as well, which is a common family trait... what's the point of being here if you can't enjoy yourself?

You mentioned earlier that the Med can get rough, and you are correct... any relatively shallow body of water will always kick up wicked surface chop in a storm. The Salton Sea and the Sea of Galilee are two good examples... I recall passages in the Bible which describe sudden storms and wicked chop on the Sea of Galilee, and the Salton is probably worse, the chop there can be downright nasty! The Med is deeper in some areas, but many coastal areas have relatively shallow water, so those areas can see heller chop when the wind picks up, or when a storm moves into those areas.

Anyway, you can look forward to some cool island shots in this thread, and some classic nautical shots as well. In fact, I have to ask my bro to resend some historic battleship pics he sent earlier... like a dumb@$$, I deleted them before I decided to share these Greek vacation pics with y'all. My decision was all about the resizing, you understand, a task which I do NOT want to tackle when I already have so much to do here, aye? I'm hoping the mods will set things up so the larger pics I post will automatically be resized. I always resize pics of my own by using the camera itself, 10-4?

 

[Weedygarden]

Okay, another round of pics... I'm gonna ask my brother to resend the rounds I deleted, there were some great shots of the Parthenon & Acropolis in those rounds! But for now, here are some random shots of ancient & modern Greece!

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The Temple of Aphaea... there are several ways to spell this name, I'm just throwin' out the one my bro sent, lol.

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And some old ruins, dunno where, the country is full of ruins like these which aren't quite as famous, lol...

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I'm always enthralled by walls and fences built with rock. It helped to get rid of all the rock, and served a functional purpose.

 

[Wingnut]

Okay, the next round or two will be dedicated to Peanut, as well as other site members who served aboard ships... this is the Georgios Averoff, a battleship built in Italy for the Royal Hellenic Navy (Greece). Georgios Averoff was a Greek tycoon who put up 1/3 of the money needed to build the ship: 24 million drachmas total, which means about 70,000 Euros by today's standards. Now the ship is a floating museum and tourist attraction... my bro Pete, knowing that the rest of us would like to vicariously take such a shipboard tour, went aboard and took these photos on a beautiful spring day. When we were young and my family toured Western Europe, my dad always took us on tours like this, same way we toured castles and ancient ruins... we saw a lot of cool stuff back in the day! Here ya go, Peanut! Enjoy the pics!

That's a shipboard chapel in one shot... I reckon the ship is maintained by civilians now, so let's not bash the Royal Hellenic Navy, lol. I'm not sure whether this ship ever saw any real action, but the ship is in pretty good shape overall, considering the date of construction.

 

[Peanut]

'Haze Grey and Underway'!!! Thanks!

 

[Wingnut]

Another round of Georgios Averoff shots... starting with this BIG-@$$ WRENCH, lol. My bro thinks it may have had something to do with the gun turrets. It would certainly require some hands to even pick it up, yeah? Not the kind of wrench one slips into a pocket, lol...

Second rack of rifles for officers... no bayonets, lol. Slinging of hammocks an approximation, just to give tourists an idea of shipboard accommodations, aye?

 

[Wingnut]

Okay, a few more shots of the ship...

The Admiral's Walk... probably had a nice view!

A Greek naval hero of the Balkan Wars...

Two small shrines on Aegina... there are many of these across the island.

The Boss! And don't you forget it! Lol...

 

[Wingnut]

The Temple of Apollo on Aegina... or what's left of the temple. Meh, ya win some, ya lose some, lol...

Views from near the temple...

Some night life shots... folks enjoying themselves at a restaurant and taverna!

Some funky ride down by the waterfront... an EV, I reckon.

 

[Wingnut]

My bro had a computer glitch he had to sort out, but the pics should start rolling in again... here are a few more of the Greek island of Aegina, my bro snapped the boats for me since he knows I'm a diehard small craft sailor, lol. He was a good sailor himself in younger years, but I don't think he kept at it the way I did over the decades. Here ya go...

 

[Wingnut]

A few more waterfront pics from the Greek island of Aegina, then we should be moving on with the tour...

Warning: Do NOT attempt to fire the cannon! Lol...

 

[Wingnut]

In our own private family thread, my brother who lives in Italy with his Italian wife told our bro Pete that he had the scooter lineup shot all wrong, here are shots of scooters and little 3-wheelers lined up in Italy. Gotta get the perspective right... my brother John in Italy is a lifelong motorcyclist too, so he knows about these things, lol.

Okay, just wanted to share those with y'all, lol... hopefully some more Greek shots will be waiting in my email inbox manana! I think there's a 12-hour time difference between Alamo and Germany, might even be greater...

 

[Wingnut]

Guess we haven't left Aegina yet...

That home in the second shot is pretty nice, it incorporates many elements of modern Greek architectural style... an enclosed patio, multiple balconies, a walled rooftop deck, some cover for when the sun gets fierce in the summer, etc. Town homes like these never have much yard space, but once you go a little farther out, you'll find homes with land around them. Also note the lemon tree in the first shot, citrus trees do very well in that Mediterranean climate, you'll see 'em everywhere... when we lived in a semi-rural northern suburb of Athens, there were abandoned farmhouses in our area with nice orchards, and we'd roam through those orchards and eat fruit right off the trees. It was awesome!

Nothing special about this small Greek church, which is exactly what makes it so authentic... there are many of these smaller churches in Greece, some not much larger than roadside shrines. My bro must have popped into this one just to see what it was like inside. Some Greek churches are so small, they're really more like chapels, and only a few folks can fit inside them. Some of the roadside shrines can be quite elaborate, I'm sure we'll see some examples later during the tour. I'll post more pics as they trickle in, my bro will probably be sending more today. Oh, yeah, note the bird atop the church cross, I reckon it makes a handy perch, lol...

 

[Pearl]

Guess we haven't left Aegina yet...

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That home in the second shot is pretty nice, it incorporates many elements of modern Greek architectural style... an enclosed patio, multiple balconies, a walled rooftop deck, some cover for when the sun gets fierce in the summer, etc. Town homes like these never have much yard space, but once you go a little farther out, you'll find homes with land around them. Also note the lemon tree in the first shot, citrus trees do very well in that Mediterranean climate, you'll see 'em everywhere... when we lived in a semi-rural northern suburb of Athens, there were abandoned farmhouses in our area with nice orchards, and we'd roam through those orchards and eat fruit right off the trees. It was awesome!

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Nothing special about this small Greek church, which is exactly what makes it so authentic... there are many of these smaller churches in Greece, some not much larger than roadside shrines. My bro must have popped into this one just to see what it was like inside. Some Greek churches are so small, they're really more like chapels, and only a few folks can fit inside them. Some of the roadside shrines can be quite elaborate, I'm sure we'll see some examples later during the tour. I'll post more pics as they trickle in, my bro will probably be sending more today. Oh, yeah, note the bird atop the church cross, I reckon it makes a handy perch, lol...

These have been great pics, places I'll never see otherwise!!

 

[Wingnut]

Yeah, I'll probably never get back there, not with all the travel restrictions & requirements, but that's okay, I spent 5 years there when it was truly a paradise! Here are some more shots of Aegina, my bro ain't done with that island yet, lol. Like he said, it must be nice to live along these narrow alleys & walkways, no heavy vehicular traffic involved. Here ya go...

That place in the second shot looks cool for town living, though I'd rather be on pastoral land in the country. That Tower of Markellos was built when Jefferson was in office... not as old as some Greek buildings, but old enough, lol. That last shot shows the entrance to a small hotel, there are many like this in Greece, Mom & Pop establishments rather than large hotel chains. When I lived in Athens, the Hilton was the only hotel run by a large chain... now I reckon there are more.

 

[Wingnut]

Okey-dokey, we have some more pics taken while wandering round Aegina... keep in mind that the sea is never far away from these locations, just a few blocks at most. Here we go...

 

[Wingnut]

Another round of pics, starting with this old home amid the newer surrounding homes...

Nice rental scooter! Showroom condition! Hey, you're in the Greek Islands now, baby! Moi, I'd probably find another rental location, but you know me, I'm mighty particular about the bikes I ride... besides, ya can't pick up any hot tourist wimmin riding an old beater like that, lol. Not unless yer a smooth-talkin' devil and ya still have yer youthful charm!

P.S. Good-looking rubber on that scooter, each tire has 'BLOWOUT' written all over it, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

 

[Wingnut]

Okay, these next shots are for Peanut, this is a local band which was playing at a taverna where my bro and other family members stopped for some refreshments... I like the shot which makes ya feel like you're in the middle of everything, that shot has a very Greek feel to it, lol. Those tavernas are pretty cool, you can have a good time there...

Spot the sniper in this next pic, lol...

Flowers below look fake, but hey, at least the folks are TRYIN' to add some color, lol...

Last shot is a bit crooked, probably because my bro drank some of this, lol... mind the attack cat!

 

[Wingnut]

Last shots of Aegina as my brother and other family members depart... note the lone column from the Temple of Apollo in the background, the last column still standing after so many centuries.

Next we have two shots of the Corinth Canal... I remember the canal well, we'd always stop there back in the day and eat souvlaki & shish kebab from a stand which no longer exists. In those days, there was only one bridge for cars and trucks, a 2-lane deathtrap which was rather narrow... now there's a modern 4-lane bridge, and what looks like another bridge as well. I think what appears to be a railroad bridge is actually the old 2-lane deathtrap...

Here's the hilltop fortress compound (Acrocorinth) which overlooks the town of Corinth... the Corinthians sometimes allied with the Spartans, and at other times they fought one another, hence the fortress. We have a shot of some ruins down below as well, I don't remember these though I'm sure I walked through 'em many years ago.

Here's a shot of a modern plaza in town, just to show y'all how it looks... ice cream is good after trekking, lol.