Saturday, January 15, 2005
Weather: about 9 degrees and partly cloudy
Today we finally left. While the whole family thinks we are going on winter vacation, Wim (if you don’t know who certain people are, please read the previous travel reports first) takes us to Schiphol Airport. At 12:40 our plane leaves for Athens. There we then have to wait two hours for our next flight. It leaves at 7:00 pm (local time) for Iraklion. If all went well, Georgos will be waiting for us there. And there, Bernie from Ilios Travel will be waiting to receive all our documents for the wedding. And he was. After we finally had our bags, we saw Georgos already standing next to Bernie. We then got into the car and drove to Malia. Katerina had cooked elaborately. In addition to their daughter Irini, there appeared to be another guest. The Austrian Martin was also there. This time Martin was alone, without his drinking buddies. And he is a lot more agreeable that way. After first having a drink and admiring Irini’s room, we had dinner. Potatoes, pork chops, sausages, sour yogurt sauce, salad, bread, roasted peppers and stuffed bread. Way too much. Then fruit and cake and Turkish fruit for dessert. At 10:30 p.m. we were taken to the apartment by Katerina. There “W” was also waiting for us. He recognized us right away and also listened to us. He is really big now. Georgos and Katerina are building a new house in the mountains, or actually just in front of it. And that’s where the dog will soon go too. He is too big for the apartment. Katerina turned out to have put water, fruit, sandwiches, chips and cookies in the apartment. Now that’s a warm welcome! After unpacking the suitcases, we went to sleep (+/- 0:30 am).
Sunday January 16, 2005
Weather: about 9 degrees and partly cloudy
Today we were supposed to meet Georgos and Katerina for coffee around 10 o’clock. As we were walking in that direction, Georgos called out from a coffee shop for us to come inside. After a large espresso, which tasted like normal coffee, we went to their house. Katerina’s mother was there, but Katerina herself was not. She came a little later, after which Georgos left right away. He went to get meat. After a while Irini got out of bed and a little later Martin came in as well. It turned out that he had already walked towards Krassi at 7:15. Up in the mountains! After a big mug of coffee we left by car. First to the apartment to pick up the camera and then to Georgos’ sister. Martin had driven with Aristo. And when we arrived, the grill was already on.
Georgos’ father and mother were also there. Also his brother-in-law and the two daughters. And Rania, Aristo’s wife, and their two daughters. Soon the alcohol was flowing profusely. Beer, wine and raki. While grilling, people were already busy eating. Cheese, tomato, bread and some kind of sausage with organ meat. I skipped that one. Next came lamb and chicken. Finally everything was cooked and we went inside. There the table was set and there was more. Potatoes, salad, potatoes carbonara, bread, cheese and all the meat. Later also some kind of puff pastry and a very dirty kind of feta. Just the smell alone was repulsive. Still, out of courtesy, I tried a piece. René managed to eat it without gagging. I just couldn’t. So quickly followed by a glass of wine. It still flowed copiously. Your glass was always refilled, because there was another toast. And there was singing and laughing. Then we were given fruit. Apple and orange.
Then we drank again and the bouzouki was picked up by Katerina. Georgos played it for a while, but his neck and shoulder hurt a lot. Sort of RSI probably, from playing the bouzouki. Tomorrow he has to see the specialist again in Iraklion. At 4:30 p.m. we went back. Everyone was ready for a nap. At 6:00 p.m. we were out again and at 6:45 p.m. we were on our way back to their house in the center. But everything was still dark, so we did some walking and some shopping. And back to the apartment again. At 8:15 p.m. we walked that way again. Right in front of their house we met Katerina. She told us to go upstairs. Georgos was still asleep, so we woke him up. Then René got coffee and I took water. A bowl of cookies and bread also appeared right away. And later also apple, pear and orange. We spent the evening watching the Greek version of Idols. It’s called Fame Story here. Katerina also warmed up some kind of pie with cheese. For me with honey and cinnamon and for Rene with sugar and cinnamon. A distinct flavor. Not awful, but not great either. Resembled the cheese from this afternoon. At 0:30 Katerina brought us back. We also brought food for W, but no matter how we called he didn’t come. So now the question is where he is and whether Martin had closed the gate properly. I hope he will just be there again tomorrow.
Monday, January 17, 2005
Weather: 17 degrees and partly cloudy
Today we slept until 09:00. It was very cold last night and we had no heater. You can use the air conditioner as a heater, but it is in the bedroom and neither of us like a warm bedroom. At about two o’clock last night I heard W barking. It sounded very close, so he must be somewhere on the property. After our breakfast (coffee and some snacks and fruit) we went for a walk. Quite a bit along the beach. We even found shells! I had never seen those on the beach here before. It was quite warm in the sun. No idea exactly how hot, but I estimate about 17 to 18 degrees. When we walked back we passed the restaurant.
And there was Rico there too. The dog was tied to the bar, carrying a lump of kibble and a bowl of water. Back at the apartment, we also saw Martin again. He told us that W had slept in his room and that when he woke up this morning, he was shocked to death. Surely W has a shoulder height of at least one meter. Martin didn’t remember exactly how everything had gone yesterday and hadn’t heard W bark last night either. In the afternoon we mostly read, inside but also in front of the sun. And later we did some shopping. On the way we met Katerina and Irini on the scooter. After shopping, we got to make a call and discuss. As we were walking back with the groceries, we ran into Mike. He was very surprised to see us and we had to promise to go out one night with him. We just didn’t tell him why we are here in Crete in January, otherwise we will be drunk for days. At +/- 19:30 we had to be back with the Loukakis family. Martin also went with us. We (Georgos, Katerina, Martin and us) went by car to Old Hersonissos. To a Mezes bar to eat. Mezes is Greek for Spanish Tapas. All small dishes, delicious! You can try all kinds of things. Among other things, we had potatoes from the fire, humus, feta, hard bread, bacon strips, fries, kleftika and hard bread with tomato on top. The others also had squid (kalimare), fish and some kind of gourmet fish. For dessert, candied fruits. And in terms of drinks mainly beer, water and for me two ouzos. At 10:30 p.m. we were back at the apartment. Tomorrow we have to be at the Loukakis family at 9:00 am. We will then go out with Georgos by car, going from town to town.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Weather: about 10 degrees and rainy
Last night it rained incredibly hard and there was also a lot of thunder. And in the morning it was still raining. After some coffee and so on, we went to the Loukakis family. While we were on the road Katerina called, to ask if we needed to be picked up, because it was raining so much. But it wasn’t raining that hard and we were already halfway there. So we just continued walking. A little later, Martin came too. And despite the bad weather, we (Georgos, Martin and the two of us) still left by car. We ended up driving to Anogia. This is south of Iraklion in the mountains.
There we went into a café and had coffee and raki. And some appetizers came on the table. White cabbage and olives and apple with honey. Then we went to the museum across the street. That is dedicated to a famous lira player, Nikos Xylouris.
Georgos took some pictures with our camera. From Anogia we drove quite a bit further to Mourtzana. There they were pressing oil from olives. The people were a bit shy because they did not trust us (the tourists). They thought we were from the taxes. But after Georgos talked for a while we were allowed to look around. And while we went to eat something in the tavern next door, the owner would think about whether we could bring some oil as well. At the tavern, which I think opened especially for us, we got Greek salad, bread, chickpea soup, meat and wine and raki.
And for dessert candied grapes in some kind of apple syrup with walnuts. Here we sat for about 2 hours. After we were given olive oil to take with us, we drove back to Iraklion via the old road. And then on to Malia. We had some more coffee at the corner coffee shop and agreed to reappear at the Loukakis family at about 9:00 pm. There we just had some drinks and talked. And René also took a look at the computer. Northon needed to be set up again and he also installed Spybot for a while. But the registry is also slightly damaged, so René now needs the Windows CD first. Georgos will take care of that tomorrow. At +/- 0:00 Katerina brought us back by car to the apartment.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Weather: about 10 degrees and partly cloudy
Today, fortunately, it was dry again. Semi-overcast. When the sun shines it is lovely, even on the warm side. But if there is a cloud in front of it, it makes a difference of 10 degrees. At 9:00 am we got up. A small breakfast and then walked to the town. We walked through Old Malia. But again we saw nothing nice to photograph. Since the weather was quite good we spent some time reading on the sun beds at the apartment. At least at those moments when W did not put his nose between them. Eventually it got a little too chilly and we went back inside. Mid-afternoon we did some shopping at the Spar. On the way back we ran into Georgos. He asked if we wanted to be at their place again at 9:00 pm. We went out. René looked at the computer again before that time, but Martin started dramming that he wanted to eat. So we just left for Stalis. There we also met Aristo, the sister and her husband. They also came to eat with us. All kinds of small meals were brought again. But one with meat. Some with vegetables and rice. Most with shrimp and fish. But that which we liked was tasty. And it was nice. At about 0:30 we were back at the apartment.
Thursday, January 20, 2005, OUR WEDDINGDAY
Weather: about 12 degrees, partly cloudy with occasional rain and thunder.
I was wide awake at 7:30. I dozed off until a little after eight, but then I took a shower. Rene was still asleep, so I woke him up at 9:00, as he wanted. I put on my normal clothes and changed later. At 11:30 the cab would come, it was even a little early. We desperately needed that extra time because we had to take the old road. They are working on the new road. We had to be there at 12:00 and were about 10 minutes late. But that wasn’t a problem. There were three more weddings before us. Just like assembly line work. Georgos and Aristo kept asking if we were nervous. We weren’t, but I think they were.
At about 12:30 it was our turn. In Greek, they always start with the big question first and then the rest of the text. But before that, he (the deputy mayor) asked if we were who we were. And I am used to my last name being difficult to pronounce for foreigners. But the way it was pronounced now, I had never experienced. Martine Slut. We had to laugh and corrected it right away. The rings are also different here. They are put on by the deputy mayor. At just before 13:00 we were outside again.
The rest went back to Malia. We first had to go to Civil Affairs. We had to sign there one more time. Then back to the cab. On the way we met Mike. He was totally surprised. And he said again that we had to come by and that he was going to get us drunk. We took the cab back to the apartment. There we changed clothes right away. And a little later Georgos came to pick us up again with the car. Katerina had quickly gotten us something to eat. A kind of flat baguette, filled with Gyros and fries. René immediately took another look at the computer (yes, even on his wedding day!). Windows had to be installed again, but it turned out to be the wrong version. So now the computer has to go to Iraklion. But we have secured his data. Then we watched the pictures on the TV. And also the book we had received from the deputy mayor during our wedding. That is by a famous Greek painter. At 5 p.m. we walked back to the apartment. On the way, the first phone call came. René’s mother called from Germany. That’s where they were now. She was very surprised and thought we were good at lying. And at the apartment we got phone calls from Fenna and later from Miranda. And text messages from John and Ger. At 8:30 p.m. we had to be ready outside. We were going to have dinner in Iraklion first, but the weather had gotten very bad. It thundered quite a bit. Several showers at once. So we went to a restaurant in Old Malia. There you could eat deliciously upstairs on the “terrace”. Covered and with a wood stove. After the appetizers, suddenly part of the power went out. Also the part to which the exhaust system of the grill was connected. In no time the whole place was full of smoke. So the main course took a while. Appetizers included salad, tzaziki, bread, feta from the oven, cheese, garlic bread, fried eggplant and some kind of pea soup with sausage. I had Chicken Befteki (chicken burger) as my main course and Rene had pork chops. Aristo and Rania were also there with both daughters Toula and Maria. Our cameras were at Georgos’ house, so Martin took some pictures. At about 11 p.m. we were back and started our wedding night.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Weather: about 15 degrees and sunny
Got up at 9:00 a.m. today. After breakfast I quickly hand washed some clothes. And then we called asking what time we could come for coffee. At 11:00 we could come. After we also showed the pictures to Katerina, she quickly went to make some spaghetti. Then we walked back. Stopped briefly at the supermarket for some breakfast stuff. Quark and stuff. After dropping our stuff off at the apartment, we went for a walk. A bit past Tropical Beach over the rocks.
The weather was nice. On the way back at the restaurant we ran into Aristo. Who is trying to get an old pickup truck running. I have little faith in it. But he said he was doing it last year. He was looking for a white screwdriver. Eventually it turned out that Rico had gotten hold of it. After our walk, we dozed some more and I suddenly heard footsteps outside. Later it turned out that that had been Katerina. And when we went back to Georgos at 6:30 p.m., it turned out she had also brought Rico to the apartment complex. He is not allowed off leash because then he will run off. We went to Iraklion with Georgos to take the computer away. I stayed in the car, but René feasted his eyes. They even had ADSL in a Box. On the way back we also looked at a small jeep. They will need it for the new house. When we got back, we went to see Katerina’s parents. Her mother was working on tonight’s meat. Spareribs. All sorts of things were put on the table right away while we waited. Nuts, cheese, tomato, bread, chocolate. And, of course, Raki and Ouzo. At 9 p.m. Katerina was also there and we went upstairs. Katerina made another quick salad with cheese, tomato and mayonnaise. Georgos’ shoulder hurt incredibly again, so he soon went to bed. We didn’t make it late either. We chatted with Katerina for a while and then she brought us back by car. There she had also prepared clean sheets and towels for us. At 11:00 p.m. we were in bed more or less.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Weather: about 13 degrees and sunny
We got up at 9:00 a.m. again today. After breakfast we asked Katerina what the plans were for today. She already called us to discuss. You see, we were supposed to go to the Lasithi plateau first, but Georgos is still in a lot of pain and can’t drive. Besides, it is Saturday and then there is gypsy market in Iraklion. So we decided to go to the market by bus. Because Katerina doesn’t want to drive a car in Iraklion. Georgos stayed at home. Irini did go with us. Katerina bought there sneakers and booties and a coat for Irini. And two coats for Georgos’ sister’s children. I bought a pair of booties there for 15 euros. Wonder how long they’ll last, but we’ll see. We met Katerina’s brother-in-law at the market and we were able to ride back with him. First we bought souvlaki and French fries to eat at home. Back in Malia we reviewed the purchases again and ate the souvlaki. Georgos went flat again and René also wanted to lie down for a while because of his back. At 4:00 pm we were back at the apartment. At 8:00 pm we had to be back with the Loukakis family. At a little after seven we called Erica. She asked how everything had gone and I asked about everyone’s reactions. Most had something like “you see. Two weeks of winter sports is a very long time. There was also one person who was very disappointed. It was my mother. She did not like the fact that this was the second wedding she could not attend. And in itself her reaction is strange, because we always said we would do it this way. And the only one of the parents who didn’t like that was Rene’s father. And even he had come around in the last few years. My mother never let on. I began to doubt whether we had done the right thing by getting married like this. And for a moment I was closer to crying than laughing. But since we were not aware of my mother’s opinion and my father has always said that we should do what we felt most comfortable with, we could not have foreseen this. We went to see her right away on Friday. At 8 p.m. we were at the Loukakis family. Katerina was preparing chicken, which went into tomato sauce and then with rice (which had lemon juice in it). Was very tasty! We watched a DVD together. The whole 10 yards. The movie was very nice. Then we chatted some more and then we walked back. It was about 0:30 when we went to sleep. It was still 13 degrees outside at that time.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Weather: 11 degrees and partly cloudy with occasional splashes of rain
Today we got up at 9:00 a.m. again. The weather changed again. Big thick clouds and occasionally some blue. Moreover, there is a strong wind. At 10:45 we went to see Katerina. Who was busy ironing. Not her favorite activity either. At 12:00 she went downstairs to her mother’s to do some shopping. And she then made potatoes, with string beans in tomato sauce. Was very tasty. Just like Dutch food. Only no meatball. Georgos was also there, he was going to play bouzouki after dinner. We went back to the apartment first. And when we wanted to go for a walk later Rico turned out to be loose. W wanted to chase him, but couldn’t fit under the fence. So first catch Rico. He turned out to be running around right outside the fence. So after some running I had him back inside the fence and then I caught him again. Rene then tied the chain around his neck. The neck strap was broken, so we couldn’t use it anymore. When we walked out of the gate to go for a walk it turned out there was also a chicken from across the street. So I caught that one too and threw it back over the fence. We first went to the supermarket for shoe polish and then into the hills behind via Old Malia.
It started to splash a little, so we went back. Rico was still stuck. At 6 p.m. we had to be back at the Loukakis family. Irini was already waiting for us outside. Katerina was downstairs with her mother. In fact, the meat goes into the oven there while the five of us go to Gournes. In the former American base is a hospitality fair where we went to have a look. For them there was little to look at, most of it was for jewelry, souvenir and clothing stores. But it is fun to see what they will be selling in the stores next summer in terms of jewelry, clothing, bikinis, shoes and souvenirs. Once we got back, Katerina went back to dinner. We had meatloaf that included ouzo and egg, with potatoes and lettuce. After that we watched TV for a while. Again to Fame Story. At 11:15 p.m. we were back at the apartment. We had brought a bag full of bones for the dogs. But I’m afraid Rico didn’t get much of it. W didn’t want to share and once he was eating, we weren’t allowed in either. We had some more drinks in our room and I updated the report and then we went to sleep.
Monday, 24 January 2005
Weather: 12 degrees, partly cloudy and later rain
This morning we got up at 9:00 a.m. again. After breakfast, I called Katerina. I would help her remember to call her cousin at the travel agency. After all, we need to confirm our tickets for the return flight. She was just at the doctor’s office, so she would call back in a moment. She did, and after taking down the details, she called Olympic Airline. She then called us again to say that everything had worked out. Then we went for a walk. We went to the small beach between the rocks via all kinds of road breaks.
From there via the main beach to Beach Road. Halfway there we had to backtrack a little because the road was out again. Finally we got to the Spar. There we bought some yogurt and juice and cigarettes. At the apartment we laughed again and then went to the bathroom. Then we went to the coffee house on the corner. It’s a nice place. Looks a bit like Oasis, but more modern. René had two double espressos and I had two mugs of tea. Cost 11 euros. Quite expensive. But the place is pretty much full all day. Then we went back to the apartment. At 5:45 p.m. we got a text message from Katerina asking if we were still awake. When I replied that we were, she called to ask if we were in the mood for schnitzels with potatoes. Then we had to join them between 7:00 and 8:00 pm. So we did. For dessert we even had chocolate cake, even the one they have at the restaurant in the summer. So delicious, but very mighty. At 10 p.m. we went back. Tomorrow we want to take the bus to Iraklion. So not too late to bed. It was nice weather all day, but now it is raining softly again.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Weather: 17 degrees and partly cloudy
Today we got up at 8:00 am. Then quickly showered and dressed and had breakfast. After all, we wanted to catch the 9:00 a.m. bus to Iraklion. And we just made it. For € 5.80 the two of us are in Iraklion. Not so bad. The ride takes about an hour. Katerina was already in Iraklion, she was supposed to go shopping with us first. But she doesn’t have time. We wanted to look for something to give as a thank you after Saturday’s party. Katerina had told us to go along the market, to the square with the statue of a horse with a woman on it. Along that square there were stores with that kind of thank-you gift. And there were. Of course we chose a store where they didn’t speak English. So using hands, feet and a piece of paper we got them to understand that we wanted 25 boxes. They are white boxes with a starfish or a seahorse on them. We want to put coffee beans in those at home, then a ribbon around them with a picture of us attached. And it would say “Thanks, René and Martine” on the back. Then we went back into the center. We had to wait an hour and a half for the boxes. Once we had them we looked around and bought some souvenirs. René wanted one of those beaded necklaces that all those men walk around with. I saw a crystal ball and we bought a CD by Nikos Xylouris. Then back to the bus station. It took us a while to find the right side. And we were lucky, the bus was just about to leave, but stopped for us for a while. At 1:45 p.m. we were back in Malia. At the bakery we bought two sandwiches. And then back to the apartment. A little later Bernie called. The papers were ready and she wants to meet us in Malia on Thursday. She will then call how and where. At 6 p.m. we got a text message asking if 9 p.m. was okay. Sure. At 7:30 pm we went first to the coffee shop on the corner. When we got outside the apartment we noticed that the weather was different. It was blowing hard and the wind was lukewarm. The clouds had been weird all day. They had a very sharp dividing line across the entire length of the island. After dinner (pita bread, chicken and cabbage salad) with the Loukakis family and watching TV, we went “home.” The wind now appeared to have gotten even warmer. It is the Chirocco wind. A horror in summer, but nice now. According to the reports, it was wind force eight. Maybe nine tomorrow. But in terms of heat, I’d like it to stay. It was still about 17 degrees at 0:00!
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Weather: 20 degrees and partly cloudy
Got up at 9:00 this morning. The weather turned out to be great. The wind was also not so strong anymore. After breakfast we went for a walk along the beach.
Because they are working on the road in more and more places at the same time, it becomes difficult to get there. You never know if yesterday’s route is still open. It was even so warm (I estimate even about 20 degrees) that I had put on a shirt. René took off his blouse halfway through the hike and left only the T-shirt on. After walking we went into town. We had seen very cute little elephants so we bought them. They sit on sticks in a frame. Price: €45. Bought some more beer and got sandwiches for lunch. Then we laughed again. Katerina called to ask if 9 p.m. was okay again. We were supposed to pick up the computer first, but that store is not open on Wednesdays. So that will be tomorrow. We went to town at a little before 8:00 pm. At the coffee bar on the corner (I now know the name: Revolution) we had espresso and tea first. Then at 9:00 pm we went to the Loukakis family. Katerina came in a little later and still had to figure out what we were going to eat. It became spaghetti with cream sauce and pieces of schnitzel. Delicious. But she herself was not satisfied. Fruit for dessert and then we watched a movie, “A touch of spice” I think it was called. After the movie we walked back. The clouds were so weird again. And it was still nice outside. Going to sleep soon.
Donderdag 27 januari 2005
Het weer: 15 graden en half bewolkt
Today we got up again at 9:00 am. After breakfast we packed the first suitcase. It is too heavy. It probably weighs 25 kilos or so. Then we went to the Spar. To get Metaxa. It was even on sale. We also bought a bottle of Raki. No idea if it is drinkable. René wanted to try it. And another carton of Lucky Strike. He now has two of those too. Then we went to the bakery. Got four filled baguettes. Two for today and two for tomorrow. A little further on there is a store with art, jewelry and crockery. They had a 40% discount. They had a lot of nice things. We bought a glass ball, a glass ashtray, a lighter + pen and a nice brooch. Together 55 euros. The brooch is silver and gold and normally costs 45 euros. So that made a huge difference. Then at the apartment we packed the second suitcase. And René cleaned up and swept the place. At 14:00 Katerina was at the apartment. She had to send a fax to Athens. She asked if Bernie had called yet. But she still hadn’t. She then called the phone numbers for us. René had already tried 1 number, but got someone on the line who did not speak English. She called the same number and that also turned out not to be the right number. The second number was correct, but they didn’t know anything about it. They said Bernie would be back next week. Katerina now arranged for them to ask further. And then they would call her. And she would then call us. Then we went to Revolution. The weather was lovely, so we sat outside on the chairs. Nice people and car watching. At 3:45 p.m. we went back to the apartment. We found out that we had neighbors. Greek people. Strange though. We knew nothing about it. A little after four o’clock Katerina called. Bernie is leaving Iraklion at 6pm and will be in Malia at about 6:30pm. We asked if she would send her to the apartment then. Georgos also wanted to come then, he said yesterday. But I don’t know if he does. So he didn’t. Wouldn’t have been any use either. Because Bernie only came to quickly drop off the papers and that was it. She didn’t have time to look at the apartment. When she was gone we went to the coffee shop. Georgos had already picked up the computer. He also came to the coffee bar for a while. He was first at the neighbors, the sports bar. He told us that they too are going to Athens tomorrow by plane. Turned out it was even the same flight. So the four of us and the luggage went to the airport in their car. Katerina had made pork chops with potatoes in the oven. With coleslaw. Fruit for dessert. At 22:15 we went back. The alarm clock went off at 04:30, so little sleep.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Weather: 12 degrees and partly cloudy
Today we had to turn off our alarm clock at 4:30 am. What a time! I had slept very badly and so had Rene. Quickly showered and dressed. Then stuffed the last things into the suitcases. We thought the second suitcase would be lighter than the first. But this one was even heavier. After packing our suitcases we cleaned the apartment. At exactly 05:30 the car pulled up. After much fumbling we got all the luggage into the car. At 06:03 we were at the airport. First our suitcases had to go through the scan. And then the woman said that there was a bottle in one of the suitcases. So René had to take that suitcase to a table. It turned out to be that bottle of olive oil. It was allowed in the hand luggage but not in the suitcase. So he had to repack the bottle. Then check in. We had a weight of 49.8 kilos in the suitcases. But they said nothing, so neither did we. Georgos and Katerina are on 23A and B and we are on 22A and B. So we are together. Georgos was very nervous. He didn’t sit still for a second and was sighing. He even had his bead necklace with him. He never uses it. The flight to Athens went well. A little turbulence, but it was only a very small amount. At the Athens airport we had to say goodbye to Georgos and Katerina. I wished them good luck and strength for the next two weeks. And we will see each other again in September. After an hour of waiting, we were able to board our next flight to Amsterdam. When we were about to land, the pilot suddenly pulled up again and we had to fly an extra lap and approach again. After that, we were able to land. We landed on the polder runway again, so another 15 minutes of taxiing before you get to the gate. We landed at 12:09 pm. Then waiting for the suitcases and René was able to smoke quickly. We came out of Arrival Hall 1 and there was no one there. So I stayed with the suitcases. René went looking for Wim and Erica. Turned out they were at Arrival Hall 2. That was also indicated on the signs. But everything worked out fine. Our vacation / honeymoon is over.
For the rest of the vacation photos see HERE