So our day started out with me waking up at 3 and then again at 5 and then at 5:30, 5:45, and then 6 when our alarm was actually going off. I have that terrible habit whenever I am worried about missing an early event. I wake up 5 or so times thinking we missed it! Anyway, we got up in time and headed to the tram that we took to the train station where we caught a really sloowww train that took us to the airport. 2+ hours later we were finally there and going through the check in and customs process etc. until finally we boarded the plane. They seated Jared and I separately which saddened me a bit. I went to my middle seat and awaited the two strangers who would sit beside me for two hours in a tiny space. I thought I was going to get lucky because the seats were empty for quite some time, but eventually a large group of retired folks loaded the plane and two women took seats beside me. I had decided that I was exhausted and I was just going to rest during the flight and not talk to anyone. Instead the lady beside me turned to me and asked "where are you from?" and I replied with "Illinois" and she replied with "me too! we all are" and then I responded with "AMERICANS!!!" and then she laughed and asked why I was so thrilled to see Americans and that just led to a really long conversation. Turns out the 2 hour flight felt like 15 minutes and I was sad when it ended. The three of us talked about our lives and about Illinois (they are from Springfield) and what they were doing on the trip and what I was doing on my trip. Both women had been married for 40+ years and had multiple children and grandchildren. It was awesome to hear the legacy of their lives and the amount of joy that has come to them from children and from sticking to their marriages. I think God strategically placed them at my side for some encouragement. It was reassuring that our lives aren't ending just because we are having a baby... it's more like a new stage is beginning that will never have a dull moment. Jared has been exceptionally sweet about it lately doing little things and saying little things that let me know that he is really coming around to the reality.
Something I have realized that I am going to miss a whole lot when we get back to the US is the unbelievable amount of time that Jared and I have together. Just the two of us. I know that this time is something I will never get back, especially once the baby is born and we continue our family. We are trying to soak up every moment of sleeping in as long as we want and spending an entire day in bed. Our trip has been a chance for us to see much of the world, but also a great opportunity to spend time together deepening our friendship and our relationship. Believe me, we have never encountered more stressful situations than we have here in Europe, but we have learned some great lessons about filtering stress and anxiety and sadness and whatever else may come our way and not taking it out on the other person rather leaning on the other person. Love him so much :)
So let me tell you a little bit about our experience with Rome. We did all of our sightseeing in one long day. We bought tour bus tickets that allowed us to hop on and off at whatever stops we would like and they lasted all day. It was a great option for us. Rome is probably the dirtiest and ugliest city we have seen yet. I know that seems really like a harsh thing to say, but I would really like to be completely honest about our travels so that when I read this in 20 years it doesn't say "Rome was fantastic!" and then I think we should go back or something. There isn't a wall without graffiti or any form of public transportation without layers of grime caked on. All of that aside, Rome was excellent to see once. It really seems "eternal" and the history is awesome. It was unreal to see the Colosseum and the ancient city and all of the pillars and remains of what once was. Vatican City was pretty neat as well, although the lines were amazingly long. We really liked St. Paul's Cathedral. We also spent a couple of hours in the Vatican City Museum which ends with the Sistine Chapel. I am trying not to be a downer here... but honestly, I was pretty let down. Maybe it is because of the length of time that we have been in Europe and the amount of time we have spent in cathedrals, but The Sistine Chapel was something that was really talked up and then didn't really meet our expectations. Yes, the murals are beautiful. Yes, it is a very famous cathedral... but it just wasn't all that we expected.
So leaving Italy was a huge relief for me. I, surprisingly, was getting really sick of cheese and carbohydrates. I blame the baby. I also found that of all of the cultures we have visited the Italian culture has the most pride. Not necessarily the kind of pride where people are carrying around Italy's flag... more like the kind where dirty looks are given frequently. We found that it was mostly the older generation of women. We had multiple experiences where women would do things like refuse to scoot over on the sidewalk so we would have do dismount our bicycles and let them pass. One time on a train we had a big piece of luggage in the isle, but there was plenty of room for people to pass. A middle-aged lady had a tiny rolling suitcase and it wouldn't go through without her turning it. Rather than turning the tiny suitcase she made Jared lift our huge 60 pound bag onto his lap so that she could roll hers past with a smug look. She would not budge. Anyway, I am having an internal debate here. This blog is kind of my journal and also is my way of keeping everyone updated on our experiences. When I say something negative about a culture I don't know who out there I may be offending, but I also want to be accurate. We also met loads of really really kind people in Italy. I just don't think they are quite as kind as the Irish, that's all. :)
So now we are at our hotel in Athens and we have a complimentary breakfast every day for the next week! I am pretty excited about that. We haven't seen much of the city except for what we saw during our bus ride and on a short walk that we took to get some KFC and ice cream (yum). We are excited for the next couple of weeks here in Greece, although the language thing is not cool. We can't read menus... or anything. Crazy letters, you know? Maybe I will learn some Greek this month!
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