May 19th, 2024 – The Colossal Weight of Vacation
Well Rich, it turns out that vacations aren’t quite the same when you have 2 kids…
I know what you’re thinkin’. “Wow, that’s a nice picture!” Well, let me tell ya, it was a miracle we were able to get that one, because we just got back from this place called Rhodes and I feel like I need a vacation from the vacation! That trip wore me out! I mean, when you go on vacation, you’re supposed to be sitting on the beach, drinking a few beers, hanging out by the pool, eating a bunch of fancy food, and all in all relaxing the days away. I even tried to make it easy by staying at a resort near the water for a couple of nights, and well, apparently, that was too much to ask. No kidding, for the entire time I was there, it was like I was doing everything I could to prevent the little ones from getting us kicked off the island! And finally, after all the screaming and running around and one is finally ready for a nap, it’s the other’s turn to wreak chaos. Geez Louis! I seriously could not catch a break!
Oh, and to make matters even worse, the night before, I accidently ate some bad lamb and ended up doing some barfing all night! I knew I should’ve listened to Niko about ordering lamb from a restaurant on Easter…
And that’s another thing. Last year, we made a big hoopla about Orthodox Easter. But since we were flying out on a vacation the next day, we settled for the Easter bunny this year.
Anyways, remember how I told you how much the Greeks hate the Turks? Well, apparently back then, it was even worse, because the big deal with this place was since it’s so close to Turkey, they built a giant castle on the edge of the island so they could shoot at them and fight them off whenever they came by. And well, I suppose it was a pretty good castle, because it’s still standing today. And actually, if the kiddos were behaving for a minute or so, I could actually enjoy the place a little bit. I mean, they had shops inside, restaurants, museums, and all sorts of other medieval stuff. Even a few places to get a beer or two. And you know me, Rich. I’m not the fanciest guy in the world, but I’m not a barbarian either, so if it came down to it, given the right conditions, I could spend a few more nights in a place like this.
Oh, and when I was reading up on the place, there was also supposed to be this giant statue called the Colossus where this dude stood on each side of the bay and all the ships that came in had to go under him. Apparently, it was so big, that they considered it a “wonder of the ancient world.”
But, when we got there, he was nowhere to be seen, and when I asked around, the word was it fell down a couple thousand years ago or so, which in the end, I think I’m alright with.
Not that it wasn’t impressive and all, but can you imagine having back in your navy days pulling into port and having to go under some guy’s dirty crotch? What kind of sick mind devised such a thing? And what if you had kids on the boat? You’re telling me they were forced to be exposed to that? Den Nomizo Taki!
Good riddance, Statue of Colossus. I for one am glad you were toppled years ago. And now that I think about it, if I was a Turk and had to go under that thing, I’d be pretty pissed off at the Greeks too!
Sheesh.
June 23rd, 2024 – The Hot Hot Heat Calls For Hot Sausage!
Kalimera, Rich!
I guess today is officially the first day of summer, but if you were over here, you’d swear it’d been summer for the last few months now! Holy moly did it get cookin’! So much that we just had to get out of town for a little bit. And this time, I’m glad we did!
Now Rich, you know I won’t be here forever, so if you come and I’m not here, you gotta meet this guy Niko. Not only is he my best bud over here, but he is a grill master. Just take a look at him on the bbq! It’s not every day you come across a rock star like that!
He invited us to his villa in this place called Agio that’s on the coast of the Gulf of Corinth. Not only did he make us lambchops, which is my favorite over here, but and he had this sausage… You know me, Rich. I’ve been to many a sausage fest in my life and tasted all different kinds. But his… I don’t think I can remember a better tasting sausage if I’m honest with you. It was just so flavorful and juicy… I mean, it was like a party in my mouth! I’m tellin’ ya, you gotta try it. So, when you head over, give me a heads up and I’ll get you in touch with Niko so you can taste his sausage. You won’t regret it.
And I’ll tell ya, we were lucky to have it as well! That day they had record temperatures in the Peloponnese along with several wildfire alerts, which happened to be the day that these two hunks decided to go to grace the beach with their presence. Coincidence? I think not!!!
We also made it down to Kalamata, and I know what you’re thinking. “Hey, isn’t that where those olives I buy at Costco are from?” And the answer to your question is, yes. But if I told you we went down for the olives, I’d be lying. Sure, they’re great and all, but a three-year-old could care less about some slimy olives. All he wants is trains. Train, trains, trains.
So, we went to the biggest train park in Greece, on the hottest weekend of the year. I’m glad he was having a good time, because I was struggling! I think I went through about 3 or 4 coke zeros and Schweppes sodas just to get through the afternoon!
Though you can complain about the heat, you can’t complain about the views. This was our dinner that night. I don’t care what Mike says. You can’t beat this!
The Trials and Tribulations of a Grizzly Chadams 