It's All Greek to Me!

Two days ago I was in Naples, Italy. Let me begin by saying that Naples is not high on my list of must-see-cities. But what I did see was completely worth it!

The one full day I was in Napoli, I climbed Mt. Vesuvius and walked through the ancient city of Pompeii. Oh my, it was SO NEAT!

Mt. Vesuvius. A volcano that destroyed the city of Pompeii in 79 A.D. Yep, I climbed up to the lip of the still active volcano. The funny thing once we all reached the crater was it was actually smoking in various places inside! I bet the insurance to have your shop up there is ridiculous. As we made our way back down it began to rain, so we headed off to Pompeii.

Pompeii. Wow. It is one of the most well-preserved Roman civilizations. Remember it was covered in molten lava for quite some time. Seriously the city is still in great shape, and the parts that are seeing some wear and tear are being restored slowly back to original condition as best as possible. I walked around Pompeii like a tourist at first and then decided to get lost. Not in a bad way. Get lost as in explore the city; imagine what life was like for the people of Pompeii back before Vesuvius took it.

There were houses and offices. It was a normal city. Streets that led to other streets that led to the center temples and courtyards. People back then were not so different from us now. They walked the exact streets me and 800 other visitors walked that day. The structures were breathtakingly beautiful - just like you see in the pictures. One was free to roam just about anywhere throughout the ruins. Again might I add incredible!

There was an area where you could see all the pots and objects archaeologists recovered from dig sites in Pompeii. Some of the saddest sites were people who had not been able to escape the volcanic eruption. If you look at a map, Pompeii is practically at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius (as is Naples, but on the other side). So it's easy to see how this city would be destroyed if there were an eruption.

Now let my explain my previous statement about not liking Naples. Where I stayed was great. The city of Napoli is dirty and is adorned with graffiti everywhere. If I had planned a summer vacation here, I would be beyond disappointed. The sites to see around are neat. It's just not a beautiful enticing city. Maybe it once was or maybe one day it will be.

As I write as of now, I am in Athens, Greece. I finally made it to one of my top favorite countries! We made it here safely by a 15 hr ferry. Oh, ferries here do not mean drive your car up and park and stand. No no. Ferries here take on a whole new meaning. They are little cruises but not as luxurious. Our seats were "airline seating". It was exactly what I just said. The area we sat in looked like the inside of a 747 Aircraft. But this provided a lot of room to sleep on the floor. Which is what everyone who sits in the seats does. It's quite a hilarious site to see no one sitting in their seat and all sprawled out on the floor.

Yes. Athens. Site of the 2004 Olympics. Site of civilization for more than 3,000 years. This city is rich (one of the gold mines) for history.

Upon our arrival here, we discover Greece is having a strike - just for today. Cool. That meant the train didn't run and the buses were running fewer than usual. That translated into "How do we get from Patras to Athens in order to make our ferry tomorrow to Santorini?" Thankfully we were able to catch a 3 hr bus (after shelling out a few more euros than we had anticipated) and arrived in Athens ready to see it all.

Well we didn't get to see it all. Actually hardly anything. We have seen it from a distance and will see it up close and personal on our return from Santorini. We did all eat a delicious very Greek meal at a restaurant at the foot of the Acropolis. I just kept thinking, "I'm eating with this magnificent site just feet away from me. Wow."

Watching the locals is always entertaining. Kids are just hanging out on some ancient ruins having dinner with their friends. This is normal life for them. Constantly they are surrounded by this history. I wonder what it would be like to grow up around Aristotle and Plato and olympic beginnings. Oh I actually saw a street that was a race track. It had divided lanes and each was numbered and lined!

Tomorrow (very early...actually in 4 hrs) I hop on another ferry to Santorini, Greece. That is where me and a few others of the Baylor 9 will be camping for a couple days! There I hope to drink in the sites, sounds, and life of all that is Greek. Maybe even lay on the beach for a bit and see if my ghost white body will ever tan again. :)

For now, good night! I wish anyone reading this the best. Please continuing praying!! This all sounds wonderful and fantastic (don't get me wrong it is) but there are trying times when you can't read anything...i go through culture shock at least 2x a day right now. But God is so good. The Giver and Provider. I'm learning more than ever how to lean on Him!

Daughter of the Only King,
Kaitlyn