Title 1: Zakynthos: The pictures can't do it justice and Alternate Title: My Life Is In Your Hands!

So, I'm working on about an hour and a half of sleep as I wait on the 5:40 am flight to Zakynthos! I'm waiting at the gate for my flight on Olympic Airlines, expecting to walk onto the plane like usual. Thank you Athens airport for one hour of free internet access! However, instead of walking straight onto the plane, we board a little bus; the bus drives us out on the runway, and we walk outside to climb up the steps of our little propeller plane! Yep, Jodi . .it is time for another Bonine (motion sickness meds)! And, I was ready! Throughout the month, I learned always to keep Bonine with me! It was just before dawn; there was just a hint of pink in the sky, and although I was tired, I couldn't help but notice how gorgeous it was that morning.

However, before we went out on the runway, I had some entertainment on the bus as we waited. There was a family of Americans (they were from Chicago) on the bus, and the stress one of them was experiencing was palpable. Why you ask? Because she was the bride-to-be! It was easy to figure this out because her groom- to-be was carrying a well-wrapped and hidden wedding dress. She kept telling him, "Don't drag it; lift it up higher!" Along with the couple, who were getting married in Zakynthos that weekend, were other family members: the bride's mom, dad, sister and brother-in-law. Again, it wasn't hard to figure out. The bride, probably afraid of lost luggage, was trying to carry on her wedding dress and 2 really large carry-on bags stuffed to the brim with important stuff for a wedding! However, she had too much stuff so we were waiting on her to figure out what she was going to check and what she was going to carry on the plane. Because everyone was waiting on her, I'm sure she was super stressed as she tried to figure it out. Anyways, as the bride tried to overstuff one bag, her sister chimed in that she wasn't going to be able to fit everything in that one bag, and the bride, offered a quick "shut up" retort (that's how I knew it was her sister!). The mom stepped in and helped the bride (everyone else waiting on the flight was really patient; no one said anything . .I think everyone understood that the bride was stressed out, or maybe we were all too sleepy), but everyone was defnitely watching the family. The sister of the bride had a 2 year old and maybe a 4 month old so her hands were definitely full. Once the bride figured out what she was taking, things calmed down and she was talking about how perfect it was to come to Zakynthos for their wedding, and how everyone in the family was so excited. At that point, by the look on her face, I'm not sure the sister traveling with the 2 year old and the 4 month old agreed. For the whole weekend in Zakynthos, I kept hoping I would run into them again. They were actually a very cute family; it was just typical pre-wedding stress. On the flight, the 2 year old and the 4 month old were perfect. I know because I sat right behind them on the plane. So, I hope the couple from Chicago had a beautiful stress-free wedding in Zakynthos!

We boarded the flight, and just like I believe that modeling agencies cast the male police officers in Spain and Greece, it had to be a modeling agency that cast the female flight attendants on Olympic Airlines. They were beautiful. They gave everyone a piece of candy after we boarded, and then our little plane took off. Although I was sleepy, no one should ever sleep on this flight to Zakynthos. Because it is such a short flight (only an hour), you never reach too high of an altitude so you can see the ground the whole time. So, you get to see the water and many gorgeous Greek islands along the way. I can't even explain how beautiful it was. The beautiful flight attendants gave us some coffee and a little cake for breakfast. Then, before we knew it, we were there.

Cindy had everything arranged for me. A guy named Dmitri was going to pick me up at the airport, and take me to the hotel, and sure enough, after I got my bag, there was a guy holding a sign that said, "Jodi". So, I said hello, and we walked outside. Then, he told me, this is going to be your cab driver, and put me in someone's else's cab. I thought "hey, he already ditched me!" I later found out that I had caused a big snafu because there is a cab driver union, and the rules say that cabbies have to take turns. Therefore, technically, I was supposed to be driven to the hotel by the next cab waiting at the airport. Whatever the case, the guy got me to the Astoria Hotel, where I checked in, went promptly to my room, peeked out at the beautiful ocean view on my balcony and collapsed into bed! Cindy had told me to sleep for a while, and that she would then come wake me up around lunchtime.

So, sure enough . .there was a knock, knock on my door, and Cindy and Andreas welcomed me to Zakynthos. I got ready quickly so we could go grab lunch and we headed out the door. At our first lunch, I got my first look at the beautfiul island of Zakynthos. We walked from the hotel to the restaurant; you can really get around easily just by walking.

We had lunch right on the beach. The pics below show you the view from the restaurant.

So, for those of you who don’t know, Cindy is married to Tassis (who is from Zakynthos), and they spend their summers there. Tassis has two brothers, one older (Denis) and one younger (Yannis), and the three of them together run a restaurant/bar. So, that night Cindy and I had dinner at the restaurant, and once again I had a Greek salad, pita bread, and tzatziki! I was so tired that night I didn't take a picture of my food, but don't worry, there are more food pics coming up later. The food is so fresh in Greece. Every tomato and cucumber tastes just a little sweeter and better than the last. (I have to admit . .these tomatoes and cucumbers seem to taste better here in Greece).  So, I called it an early night that night so I could get some sleep because Cindy had a big day planned for us the next day.

The next day I woke up and got ready. Cindy had a babysitter for the day so we could go out with Tassis and Denis to see the island. So, everyone says the best way to see the island is not by riding in a car. You apparently have to see the island by riding on a bike (not a bicycle . .a motorcycle). Well, I’ve never been a big fan of motorcycles, but I guess . .when in Greece ...

So, Cindy came to get me that morning, and as I walked out of my hotel room, I said, “Oh, I forgot my Bonine.” And, she said, “You better go get it.” So, we know planes and boats and even buses make me feel sick, but motorcycles too? I said, “Really?” But, Cindy said, “yeah, we will be going up really high and it’s curvy.” (Even with that warning, I still had no idea what was coming next.) So, I took my Bonine (I should buy stock in the company), and we walked outside where I saw Tassis, Denis, and 2 bikes!
Here's an approximate version of the dialogue that took place next.
So, I nervously and only half-jokingly said, "so . . .do I get a safety briefing?”
Everyone pretty much ignored me, and then I said, “um  . . . . .where are the helmets?”
Denis said, “Oh, it’s too hot for helmets.” (Interesting logic Denis! Is it too hot for a TBI (traumatic brain injury?) Sorry, but that is the psychologist in me!
My response, “Ok, seriously, we have to protect this head of mine; it’s the only thing I’ve got going for me.”
Laughter was the only response. (not sure what that means!)

So, I hopped on this motorcycle sans helmet; there wasn’t much room for me, and I had just met Denis, but I planned on hanging on tight anyways. My life was in his hands! I was thinking to myself: so is this guy a daredevil or the safe and responsible type? Then, I remembered the "too hot for a helmet comment"  Uh Oh!

So we take off, and I’m truly nervous, and then we start going up and up and up, and then I’m more than nervous. I’m actually scared. Why you ask?
1) I just met the driver!
2) Well, we didn’t want to ride too near the center line of the road in case tourists in cars were crossing the center line because the road was so curvy. (Probably smart.) So, we were closer to the edge of the road . . . that was beside the DROP-OFF to the water! Were there guard rails? Nope! We were just inches from the drop-off. I told Cindy later . . "I can't believe there aren't guard rails." And, Cindy said, "Oh, guard rails would probably make things worse." Huh? What's up with this interesting Greek logic?
3) I can't help but imagine oil slicks on the road, or potholes, or a bunch of gravel appearing all of a sudden that would make us lose our traction and then send us sailing over the cliff.

So, we are riding along, and I would look to my right over the drop-off at how beautiful the island and the water and cliffs are, and say over and over "wow, it’s amazing" but I could only look for literally 2 seconds before I would say  . "oh my gosh . I can’t look".
Denis can verify this. I would look and say, "wow, amazing!" Then, "oh my gosh, I can't look." Then, I would steal another glance, "Gorgeous!", "Oh, I can't look!" That would be repeated over and over !" I think Denis was just laughing.

We ride for a bit and then stop for lunch at this amazingly, beautiful spot. At this point, everyone starts to realize that I was really scared, and they all laugh at me. Cindy keeps saying, "were you really scared?" And, I say, "Of course!!! Why aren't all of you scared? You are way more adventurous than me!" Denis said (their English in Zakynthos is like British English), "I thought you were just messing about!" (translation: kidding) No one could believe that I was scared, and I couldn’t believe these people weren’t scared!!!

Below is a picture of the view from our table at lunch. Wow, right?

Beautiful!!

A few other customers at the restaurant . . gorgeous location, right?

Below is a picture of the 4 of us at lunch. From the left, Denis, me, Cindy, and Tassis. Cindy, do you remember the guy who took this picture? Not sure where he was from (Netherlands?). Anyways, he was so nice and was so careful about taking the picture. He took forever because he wanted to make sure he took a good pic. Good job Mr. Conscientious Photographer!

We ordered a few different things at lunch, but when the food came out, I swear there were about 5 more plates of food that we didn't order. Apparently, everyone on the island knows Denis and Tassis so they kept sending out more free food to us. It was great to benefit from that. In the picture below, you can see that I got an action shot of Tassis squeezing a lemon over our calamari. I'm eating calamari on an island in Greece. Someone pinch me! Awesome!

At  lunch I was still trying to calm down from our brief but scary bike ride. Cindy said, "why are you talking so fast?" I was speaking so quickly, and it's funny because the Bonine usually makes me sleepy, but I guess the adrenaline was keeping me super alert.  Cindy and I laughed about how I would be a horrible contestant on the Bachelor (for those of you who don't know this show, it's a dating show where the dates are often in exotic locations on yachts or taking helicopter rides over mountains, or bungee jumping together, etc.) She and I were laughing because I would be the worst date. I would be saying on every potential date, "Wait! Are you sure this is safe?" and then I would say, "Wait! I've got to go get my motion sickness medicine for that yacht, helicopter, plane, amusement park ride, car, etc.!" I wouldn't make it past the first rose ceremony!

At lunch, I started reflecting on the good news:
1) Denis and Tassis had been riding bikes like this all over the island since they were little,
2) Denis reminded me that he was also on the bike and thus didn’t want any problems either,
3) They were right . .this was the way to see the island. It was breaktakingly beautiful!

So, after lunch I took a few more pics as I headed back to the bike. I love this picture below.

And, walking back to the bikes . .

Below are some pictures from the bike . . .

How gorgeous!

As we rode higher and higher through tiny villages that looked like something out of storybooks (would have taken pics, but had to hang on for dear life!), Denis pointed out all the olive trees, grapevines, and little white containers in fields where bees were making honey. We finally made it to our destination, and Denis said he had a dare for me. I think he thought my fear was about heights, but it was much more about riding a motorcycle, with no helmet, inches away from the edge of a cliff!

So, the dare involved me walking out on this concrete ledge that was solid and had bars around it to see an amazing view. That, I can do! Piece of cake. The pictures you will see next are the view from this ledge. This ledge overlooks a very famous beach in Greece. In fact, Tassis said it was rated the 3rd best beach in the world! So, to my beach-loving family, this is the place for you! Some of these pictures look exactly like the postcards I saw of Zakynthos, but although the pictures are beautfiul, they still don't do it justice. The name of the beach is called Shipwreck Beach.

First are pics of the cliffs and water. Then, you will see the beach. Here are the pics below! Enjoy!

Beautiful!! Can you tell how high up we are?

Isn't the water gorgeous? Olivia, let's pack up our kayaks and do some kayaking at this location, yes?

And, now below are 2 pictures of Shipwreck Beach! To my family, can't you imagine all our usual beach chairs lined up in a row for us on this beach?

In the next picture below, you can see part of the bars surrounding the ledge on which we are standing.

And, then because I wanted to make sure that you could see that we are on the ledge, Tassis took a picture for us.

After I felt that I had taken up more than my fair share of time on the ledge taking pictures (other people were waiting), I walked around a little to take a few more pictures.

The picture below may be my favorite picture of my entire time in Europe. When I raved to Denis about it, he simply and unenthusiastically remarked, "It's a tree and some water." That shows that he has become desensitized to the beauty of the island or that he just can't appreciate my fine photography! :) Whatever! I still love it! Ready? Here it is!

As we headed down from the view of Shipwreck Beach, I took a picture of us on the bikes. Below you will see Tassis and Cindy. My favorite thing about this picture (besides the cute couple) is the fact that we are riding motorcycles without helmets through tiny villages in Greece, and there is Cindy's Coach purse sitting in front of Tassis . . protect that Coach purse Tassis!

And, then Denis and me! Look, I'm barely fitting on that bike! No room behind me!

The next picture might be my 2nd favorite picture of my entire trip in Europe. I love how this picture is soo different from what you would see on the side of the road in the US. But, in Zakynthos, it is fairly typical!

How cute is that donkey? And, see the little church behind the stone wall? In my time in Zakynthos, I saw one other donkey just chilling between two restaurants, and once, when we were driving down the road, we had to stop and let a woman with a bunch of goats cross the road.

So, we continue to ride down the hills, and Denis says, "You know. I've never driven a bike so slowly in my entire life!" I laughed and told him he was doing a great job! When Tassis and Cindy would zoom past us laughing, I would tell Denis, "Don't worry about it. We are doing great!" :)

More pictures below of the views of the island!

We stopped to take a couple of pictures, (Tassis took the one below) and to decide whether there was enough time to go up to another high point of the island before the guys had to go to the restaurant. Cindy said, "Of course, there is more time!" And, the guys complied! Oh look, it's the black flip-flops showing up in Zakynthos! Why was it that I packed any other shoes for the month?

So, we headed to the next high point, up through skinny little streets to another small village. At the very top is a beautiful church (the doors were locked that day so we couldn't go in) with amazing views of the island. Below are some pictures of the view from this spot on the island.

Below is a picture of the outside of the church.

Just beside the church is a restaurant, and I decided that this place has to be the most romantic restaurant in the world. There was just something about it. It is this tiny little place, and you have a great view of the island from any seat, but it also has these delicate little tablecloths and a little flower on each table. It felt like something from a novel.

Table for 1 anyone? :)

We headed back then because it was time for the guys to go back to work. I went back to the hotel, took a shower, and then met Cindy at the family restaurant to eat dinner. Below is a picture of Cindy and me at the restaurant. Cindy loaned me her hair dryer (but I still didn't have a curling iron), but my hair has definitely made some progress!

What did I have for dinner? Well, while I was in Zakynthos, Tassis kept teasing me, saying "Jodi, why do you keep eating the same thing over and over?" And, I said, "Because it is so good!!" In the picture below, you will see the meal that I kept eating . . pita bread and tzatziki, tomatoes, and onions, and the meat is chicken and pork souvlaki, (Remember my Athens welcoming angel, George, who told me I must have souvlaki? Well, George you were right! I loved it!) And, of course, I had to have my coffee . . .this is a cold coffee that they call frappe. Awesome! Thanks for the dinner guys!

Wow, another huge post! I hope you enjoyed the gorgeous pictures of Zakynthos. More pics of Zakynthos and cute Andreas coming up soon!