And, Halloween would not be complete, until you'd seen marvelous Finn as a Lobster:
10.31.2006
Happy Halloween!!
On Sunday, Paul and I headed to San Dimas for Muddy Buddy. What an awesome event! The weather was perrrrrfect... sunny & warm... (just right to wade in mud)...
Because it happened on Halloween weekend, they held a costume contest. Of course, Paul and I had to be a part of that... so, we dressed as a cop and convict for the occasion. We had a lot of fun with that... I got to arrest him several times, and "chase him 6 miles" before "capturing" him at the Finish Line... I also made sure to arrest LA Tri Club members who's buddies were NOT LATCers... a felony for sure!
Clubbers were out in force... some of them also dressed to impress... as Knuckleheads and Girl scouts, boys dressed as girls, girls dressed as boys, all kinds of ladybugs, frogs, turtles and pretty much whatever you might imagine.... Below are clubbers Martha & Lou:
There were 1,000 teams of two, so over 2,000 participants and Mini-buddies were in the Park. For the race, it worked like this -- one person on a bike to start, the other on foot to run. At the first obstacle, you switch and the runner takes the bike to the next obstacle, and so on for 6 miles, until you reach the final obstacle, the MUD PIT, which you are required to crawl through.
It was the most fun I've had at a race this year, next to the Danskin Women's Tri & of course WILDFLOWER. Mark your calendar early for next years MUDDY BUDDY... and, for those of you not in LA... not to worry... this series hits San Jose, Boulder, Chicago, Boston, Richmond, Austin and Orlando too! So, GET DIRTY!
I couldn't take my camera into the MUD PIT... but, I assure you, we were covered in grime by the time we were done (see photo, below). If you click on the link below & go to the LA page, you will be able to see more after-photos from the event. Those should be worth a good laugh.
On Sunday, Paul and I headed to San Dimas for Muddy Buddy. What an awesome event! The weather was perrrrrfect... sunny & warm... (just right to wade in mud)...
Because it happened on Halloween weekend, they held a costume contest. Of course, Paul and I had to be a part of that... so, we dressed as a cop and convict for the occasion. We had a lot of fun with that... I got to arrest him several times, and "chase him 6 miles" before "capturing" him at the Finish Line... I also made sure to arrest LA Tri Club members who's buddies were NOT LATCers... a felony for sure!
Clubbers were out in force... some of them also dressed to impress... as Knuckleheads and Girl scouts, boys dressed as girls, girls dressed as boys, all kinds of ladybugs, frogs, turtles and pretty much whatever you might imagine.... Below are clubbers Martha & Lou:
There were 1,000 teams of two, so over 2,000 participants and Mini-buddies were in the Park. For the race, it worked like this -- one person on a bike to start, the other on foot to run. At the first obstacle, you switch and the runner takes the bike to the next obstacle, and so on for 6 miles, until you reach the final obstacle, the MUD PIT, which you are required to crawl through.
It was the most fun I've had at a race this year, next to the Danskin Women's Tri & of course WILDFLOWER. Mark your calendar early for next years MUDDY BUDDY... and, for those of you not in LA... not to worry... this series hits San Jose, Boulder, Chicago, Boston, Richmond, Austin and Orlando too! So, GET DIRTY!
I couldn't take my camera into the MUD PIT... but, I assure you, we were covered in grime by the time we were done (see photo, below). If you click on the link below & go to the LA page, you will be able to see more after-photos from the event. Those should be worth a good laugh. Bob Babbitt (Competitor Magazine) & Michael Epstein with his Team (MESP), sure do know how to put on an outstanding event! Thank you guys!
http://www.muddybuddy.com
http://www.muddybuddy.com
10.23.2006
Santa Monica 5000, Sunday Oct. 22nd
In a thrilling finish down Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, Kenyan Haron Lagat successfully held off Jimmy Grabow to win the Los Angeles Sports and Fitness (LAS&F) Invitational at the Inaugural Saint John's Santa Monica 5000 on Sunday in 14:11. Lagat won $1000 for his first place finish, along with a $500 time bonus for breaking 14:20. (pictured above, Cristina Nardozzi with W's first place finisher, Kenyan Emily Chebet and Gray's Anatomy actor, Isaiah Washington; below, Steven Shock crosses the finish line).
In the women's 5k race, Kenyan Emily Chebet easily won in 16:16, in her first race in the United States. "I felt good and loved the course. I'll be back next year." (pictured below, Lucas Hekimian after his FIRST Race!, I think Daddy must have run very fast, by the look on his face...)
The festivities began early Sunday morning under overcast skies and 60 degrees as L.A. Roadrunners Coach Pat Connelly led a group stretch and his famous "Fire It Up" chant. The inaugural race, which attracted 1502 runners, got underway at 8:00 a.m. as Grey's Anatomy Actor Isaiah Washington fired the starting gun. Other celebrities involved with the race were JAG Actor David James Elliott, C.S.I. Actress Yeniffer Behrens, Actress Lisa Arturo from "American Pie 2" and "Jackass 2," Alex Bell and Kim Powers from "Survivor," and 2005 Miss Massachusetts Cristina Nardozzi.
The post-race Party on the Pier featured several live bands including Los Angeles-based "Kelly's Lot," "New Maximum Donkey," "Seeking Zenith," and "For Pete's Sake." Participants also enjoyed a pancake breakfast served by "Survivor's" Kim Powers, gait analysis performed by Coach Pat Connelly and activities for children including balloon animals, face painting, and a magician who works with live animals. (pictured below: Detra Jones, Marielle Monte, Jason Puerto & Ian Gonzales).
Race proceeds will help build the new Saint John's Emergency Department. With 30,000 patient visits each year, the Saint John's 24-hour Emergency Department provides life-saving services to the community each and every day. It also features a Fast Track program to provide care for life's minor bumps and bruises. "Saint John's has served the people of Santa Monica and neighboring communities for over 60 years. We are pleased to be the beneficiary of such a wonderful health and fitness event right here in our own community," said Robert O. Klein, Saint John's Vice President of Foundation and Health Center Relations. (below, John & Joe Jetsen with David James Elliott).
In addition to Saint John's, race sponsors included New Balance, Arrowhead Waters, Clif Bar, Galaxy Granola, Don Francisco and Trader Joe's. Media sponsors are the Santa Monica Daily Press, Los Angeles Sports and Fitness magazine, and Jack FM. 
Above: Cherice Calhoun, Seth Bart, Jeanette Dvorak & I - Below, Evan, Cristina, Mike, Danelle and Chris answered my call for help on event-day. THANKS GUYS!! I really appreciate you!!
Below, me w/race winner: Kenyan Haron Lagat (helloooooo, 14:11....5k.... anyone!!???)....
Newlyweds, Kim & Alex. Kim made pancakes for the 1,500+ after-party goers. Alex was our Emcee. Thank you both!!
10.19.2006
LA Tri Club at Pumpkinman USAT Club Nationals, Las Vegas (Lake Mead)
I couldn’t say it better >> So, here is a re-cap on Las Vegas, Pumpkinman, USAT Club Nationals from Brian Morel and Ian Murray with some fotos!
From BRIAN (to Club):
Congrats to everyone who raced the USAT Club Nationals this weekend!!! Many of us braved extreme travel conditions and delayed flights to make it to Las Vegas, but the skies cleared for an awesome day of racing! (below, Brian, me & Paul the night before the race, at the Hard Rock).
In the end the LA Tri Club came up short to two-time USAT National Champions - Columbia Multisport Club (CMC) out of Columbia Missouri. CMC treats nationals much like Lance Armstrong treated the Tour de France — with a singular focus on assembling the team and resources to win. And they did. Hats off to CMC for nabbing their third USAT Club Nationals! (below, Travis, Gary & I before the start of the race - Ck out the SKY!!)
More impressive than their race results was the sportsmanship CMC displayed on the race course. There were multiple reports of CMC racers stopping to help others on course -- in at least a couple of cases, the racers they helped were LA Tri Clubbers. That type of sportsmanship reminds us that, regardless of the jersey we wear, we are all triathletes doing what we do because it's fun and because we love it. It is sometimes worth a few extra minutes added to your race time if it ensures that a fellow triathlete is able to continue having their fun. That's not to say that we LA Tri Clubbers don't display the same kind of sportsmanship - I've seen it - it's just nice to see that sportsmanship displayed on a race with such high stakes for all. (below, the swim start at Lake Mead).
Though we didn't take the top spot, we still showed a solid performance with *many* LA Tri Clubbers landing on the podium. Rather than naming names for fear of excluding anyone, I'll defer to the Club's race results. However, one member whose performance was unparalleled was Kathryn (Katie) Donovan who was the first-place overall female for the Olympic distance race -- it was just awesome, especially considering the competition. Her victory was so solid that she had finished a smoothie by the time her nearest rival - LA Tri Clubber Loren Uscilowski, who had a very solid race in her own right - crossed the line! Well done Katie - and Loren - way to represent! (below, The Presidents > Paul, w/the president of winning club, CMC)
Whether you landed on the podium or not, whether you did the Olympic or Sprint distance race, every member who crossed the finish line helped the LA Tri Club put on a very solid performance. Most would agree that this is one of the more difficult race courses they've done, so crossing the finish line was an accomplishment in and of itself. (below, Evan in his Elvis get-up. YES, he RAN in it!)
Thanks to everyone who rallied to support us in our first-ever bid for nationals! Special thanks to Mike Gwaltney for orchestrating the Club's free bike transport -- we didn't quite realize what we were taking on when we extended that offer, and Mike made sure that it went off flawlessly! Thanks also to Nike whose support helped us provide free bike transport, goodie bags, t-shirts, etc. Thanks to Coach Ian and the gang at Triathletix for preparing free training plans to help members train for nationals. Thanks to Liz for arranging the great after-party at the Pink Taco. Thanks to everyone who helped rally members to join the cause -- many training leaders and individual members helped to motivate others to come join the fun! Thanks to all of you! (below, my race fotos: swim/bike & run... slowly... ; )
To those members who weren't able to race this weekend (we get it - life, and injury, sometimes get in the way...), we thank you for your support! There are plenty of photos from the race, and the after-party. Check them out via the link at http://www.LATriClub.com/photos
We may not have won nationals, but we are still the best triathlon Club on the planet! Thanks to you all for making that possible! (below, The Board of the LA Tri Club: Ian Murray, Konrad Ribeiro, Mike Gwaltney, Brian Morel, Gary Schechner, me, Larry Turkheimer & Paul Hekimian)
From IAN (to CLUB):
Howdy All, I am incredibly proud of this club and never more so than after finishing second at the Club National Championships to Columbia Multisport out of Missouri this past weekend - LET ME EXPLAIN....You see Columbia's singular focus is this event, they put all their eggs in this one basket. That's nice, but let's take a look at a-day-in-the-life of the LA Tri Club, a complete club, a family of dedicated, committed, lovers of all aspects of multisport....
On Sunday we had roughly 150 athletes kickin' it at PumpkinMan in Boulder City, Nevada. Outstanding performances included Katie Donavan with an overall win, and Loren Uscilowski getting second overall. As well as age group wins from Alan Morelli, Nicole Lott, Debbie Richardson, Claudia Campos, Bill McDermott, Ray Eastwood, Emse Levy, and Nina Greenberg. And dozens of other great efforts on the day. (below, Ian, Konrad, Mike and Jamie Silber in the Hard Rock hotel's pool... a little post-race entertainment for the 200 clubbers at the after-party)
On that same day we had... Roughly another 150 members giving it their all at HERMOSA with age group wins from Andrew Lockton, Rachel Dunbabin, Helen Geoffrion (and probably a few others whom I missed).
On that same day we had....11 members in their final preparation for the IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONS. Headed to Kona are: Holger Beckmann, Nellie Buckner, Julie Guthrie, Kristi Johnson, Jason Kurian, Nick Martin, Peggy McDowell-Cramer, Jeff McFarland, Susan Murphy, Michael Peters, and Cherryl Rose. (below: a really hot foto of Konrad, hellllooooooo!)
On that same day we had...14 members ready to taper for the XTERRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. Headed to Maui are: Kalyn English, Brad Bailey, Gina DeTolve, Todd Gottfried, C. Jane Harmon, Heather Hill, Dan Lehnberg, Al Martinez, Paul McLaughlin, Vina Prince, Christopher Rosien, Joe Traba, Shelly Williams, and Tom Wood.
On that same day we had... 17 members prepping for the SOMA half including Mike Beauregard, Erin Beresini, Patty Collins, Greg Darbonne, Arvin Fajardo, Javier Fernandes, Bridget Haga, C. Jane Harmon, Keith Ho, Michael Ireland, Cindy Kramer, Larrissa Lewis, Scott Moore, Kevin Pearce, Johanne Vied, Mark Watson, and Fred Winter - as well as Brandon Barousse and Kevin Powells who are headed to the Soma Quarterman. (below, Ian and I fooling around in the Hard Rock hotel--good times!)
On that same day we had... 10 members prepping for the La Jolla Canyon Legend run including Patricia Anglano, Gerardo Barrios, Amy Berkin, Frank Boyle, Guillaume Reynet, Edwin Rodriguez, Thomas Rohr, Holly Scheideler, Craig Schoenbaum, and Chris Taylor.
And 4 headed to the Marine Corps Marathon: Kevin Elgan, Joanna Ip Durie, Justin Warfield, Monica Zaragoza. And another 27 headed to Muddy Buddy, and another 40+ running the Santa Monica 5,000 & 10,000, and the Camp Pendleton Mud Run, and on, and on, and on.
We should all be very proud of what are members are doing. It's an honor to be a part of this group and I wish you all the best in your training and racing.
I couldn’t say it better >> So, here is a re-cap on Las Vegas, Pumpkinman, USAT Club Nationals from Brian Morel and Ian Murray with some fotos!From BRIAN (to Club):
Congrats to everyone who raced the USAT Club Nationals this weekend!!! Many of us braved extreme travel conditions and delayed flights to make it to Las Vegas, but the skies cleared for an awesome day of racing! (below, Brian, me & Paul the night before the race, at the Hard Rock).
In the end the LA Tri Club came up short to two-time USAT National Champions - Columbia Multisport Club (CMC) out of Columbia Missouri. CMC treats nationals much like Lance Armstrong treated the Tour de France — with a singular focus on assembling the team and resources to win. And they did. Hats off to CMC for nabbing their third USAT Club Nationals! (below, Travis, Gary & I before the start of the race - Ck out the SKY!!)
More impressive than their race results was the sportsmanship CMC displayed on the race course. There were multiple reports of CMC racers stopping to help others on course -- in at least a couple of cases, the racers they helped were LA Tri Clubbers. That type of sportsmanship reminds us that, regardless of the jersey we wear, we are all triathletes doing what we do because it's fun and because we love it. It is sometimes worth a few extra minutes added to your race time if it ensures that a fellow triathlete is able to continue having their fun. That's not to say that we LA Tri Clubbers don't display the same kind of sportsmanship - I've seen it - it's just nice to see that sportsmanship displayed on a race with such high stakes for all. (below, the swim start at Lake Mead).
Though we didn't take the top spot, we still showed a solid performance with *many* LA Tri Clubbers landing on the podium. Rather than naming names for fear of excluding anyone, I'll defer to the Club's race results. However, one member whose performance was unparalleled was Kathryn (Katie) Donovan who was the first-place overall female for the Olympic distance race -- it was just awesome, especially considering the competition. Her victory was so solid that she had finished a smoothie by the time her nearest rival - LA Tri Clubber Loren Uscilowski, who had a very solid race in her own right - crossed the line! Well done Katie - and Loren - way to represent! (below, The Presidents > Paul, w/the president of winning club, CMC)
Whether you landed on the podium or not, whether you did the Olympic or Sprint distance race, every member who crossed the finish line helped the LA Tri Club put on a very solid performance. Most would agree that this is one of the more difficult race courses they've done, so crossing the finish line was an accomplishment in and of itself. (below, Evan in his Elvis get-up. YES, he RAN in it!)
Thanks to everyone who rallied to support us in our first-ever bid for nationals! Special thanks to Mike Gwaltney for orchestrating the Club's free bike transport -- we didn't quite realize what we were taking on when we extended that offer, and Mike made sure that it went off flawlessly! Thanks also to Nike whose support helped us provide free bike transport, goodie bags, t-shirts, etc. Thanks to Coach Ian and the gang at Triathletix for preparing free training plans to help members train for nationals. Thanks to Liz for arranging the great after-party at the Pink Taco. Thanks to everyone who helped rally members to join the cause -- many training leaders and individual members helped to motivate others to come join the fun! Thanks to all of you! (below, my race fotos: swim/bike & run... slowly... ; )
To those members who weren't able to race this weekend (we get it - life, and injury, sometimes get in the way...), we thank you for your support! There are plenty of photos from the race, and the after-party. Check them out via the link at http://www.LATriClub.com/photosWe may not have won nationals, but we are still the best triathlon Club on the planet! Thanks to you all for making that possible! (below, The Board of the LA Tri Club: Ian Murray, Konrad Ribeiro, Mike Gwaltney, Brian Morel, Gary Schechner, me, Larry Turkheimer & Paul Hekimian)
From IAN (to CLUB):Howdy All, I am incredibly proud of this club and never more so than after finishing second at the Club National Championships to Columbia Multisport out of Missouri this past weekend - LET ME EXPLAIN....You see Columbia's singular focus is this event, they put all their eggs in this one basket. That's nice, but let's take a look at a-day-in-the-life of the LA Tri Club, a complete club, a family of dedicated, committed, lovers of all aspects of multisport....
On Sunday we had roughly 150 athletes kickin' it at PumpkinMan in Boulder City, Nevada. Outstanding performances included Katie Donavan with an overall win, and Loren Uscilowski getting second overall. As well as age group wins from Alan Morelli, Nicole Lott, Debbie Richardson, Claudia Campos, Bill McDermott, Ray Eastwood, Emse Levy, and Nina Greenberg. And dozens of other great efforts on the day. (below, Ian, Konrad, Mike and Jamie Silber in the Hard Rock hotel's pool... a little post-race entertainment for the 200 clubbers at the after-party)
On that same day we had... Roughly another 150 members giving it their all at HERMOSA with age group wins from Andrew Lockton, Rachel Dunbabin, Helen Geoffrion (and probably a few others whom I missed).
On that same day we had....11 members in their final preparation for the IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONS. Headed to Kona are: Holger Beckmann, Nellie Buckner, Julie Guthrie, Kristi Johnson, Jason Kurian, Nick Martin, Peggy McDowell-Cramer, Jeff McFarland, Susan Murphy, Michael Peters, and Cherryl Rose. (below: a really hot foto of Konrad, hellllooooooo!)
On that same day we had...14 members ready to taper for the XTERRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. Headed to Maui are: Kalyn English, Brad Bailey, Gina DeTolve, Todd Gottfried, C. Jane Harmon, Heather Hill, Dan Lehnberg, Al Martinez, Paul McLaughlin, Vina Prince, Christopher Rosien, Joe Traba, Shelly Williams, and Tom Wood.On that same day we had... 17 members prepping for the SOMA half including Mike Beauregard, Erin Beresini, Patty Collins, Greg Darbonne, Arvin Fajardo, Javier Fernandes, Bridget Haga, C. Jane Harmon, Keith Ho, Michael Ireland, Cindy Kramer, Larrissa Lewis, Scott Moore, Kevin Pearce, Johanne Vied, Mark Watson, and Fred Winter - as well as Brandon Barousse and Kevin Powells who are headed to the Soma Quarterman. (below, Ian and I fooling around in the Hard Rock hotel--good times!)
On that same day we had... 10 members prepping for the La Jolla Canyon Legend run including Patricia Anglano, Gerardo Barrios, Amy Berkin, Frank Boyle, Guillaume Reynet, Edwin Rodriguez, Thomas Rohr, Holly Scheideler, Craig Schoenbaum, and Chris Taylor.And 4 headed to the Marine Corps Marathon: Kevin Elgan, Joanna Ip Durie, Justin Warfield, Monica Zaragoza. And another 27 headed to Muddy Buddy, and another 40+ running the Santa Monica 5,000 & 10,000, and the Camp Pendleton Mud Run, and on, and on, and on.
We should all be very proud of what are members are doing. It's an honor to be a part of this group and I wish you all the best in your training and racing.
-------------------
Final thoughts? Amazing weekend!! We raced hard and partied harder. Nothing like travling to a place like Vegas with 200 buddies!
10.12.2006
Apple Picking + The TINY HOUSE & Curious George
I'm just showing off the family here... Matt, Stina, Merete & Finn went apple picking on Carter Mountain in VA w/buddies recently. I loved the photos and had to share this family shot:
Merete also had a chance to meet CURIOUS GEORGE recently (her favorite fella!)... how excited she was!!
And, Mr. Finn is quite the little gentleman here:
My wonderful brother, Matt, has been building a "tiny house" in the their backyard in D.C. This will serve as a guest-house and office of sorts... the idea was born when Matt learned about the Tumbleweed Tiny Houses here: http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
Leaving you w/a Famous Finn Smile:
I'm just showing off the family here... Matt, Stina, Merete & Finn went apple picking on Carter Mountain in VA w/buddies recently. I loved the photos and had to share this family shot:
Merete also had a chance to meet CURIOUS GEORGE recently (her favorite fella!)... how excited she was!!
And, Mr. Finn is quite the little gentleman here:
My wonderful brother, Matt, has been building a "tiny house" in the their backyard in D.C. This will serve as a guest-house and office of sorts... the idea was born when Matt learned about the Tumbleweed Tiny Houses here: http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
Leaving you w/a Famous Finn Smile:
10.09.2006
ATHENS
We landed and hopped into a cab for the city. Our cabbie was friendly and drove like a nut.... It was great to be moving though, and taking the cab was a luxury. We arrived at the Adams hotel, only a 10 minute walk to the Acropolis. We we super excited to shower, and after getting clean we went looking for ferry tickets to Mýkonos, because our plan was to leave the next morning.
I'm not sure what it is, if its just that we're American, or if just culturally people just aren't as friendly, but even the girls at the Acropolis said, as we were going in 45 minutes before the gates closed, "Hurry up... Are you sure you want to go in? We close soon".... It’s not like they're overly rude, but so far we have not found people very accommodating or friendly. It's actually kinda funny... I mean, 45-minutes was plenty of time to look around the Acropolis, not that I wouldn't have liked a little longer, but it certainly was enough to hike to the top and take a look around...
The Acropolis was amazing!! We walked through at about sunset, which added to the magic.. Friendly dogs were running around at the top. The marble is slick — and the views!!! My pics don’t do the place any justice.
Another funny thing we've noticed is that everywhere the music of choice seems to be American easy mix... Like some 80s and then easy rock, like U2 and even Michael Jackson and Jewel, and just what we’re even listening to right now, more current stuff, Fergie, etc. I didn't expect to be listening to American music...
After the Acropolis, we strolled around town, eventually finding a cute cafe lit with candles, where we ordered glasses of wine and tried to soak in the fact that we're here... We were super tired... But, really wanting to adjust to the time here as quickly as possible, so trying to stay awake as long as we could. We made it to 9pm before turning in.
___
I'm typing this now, at 5:30 am. We're wide awake, and mostly have been since 2am... But, we're off to the ferry for Mykonos in a short time... More adventures to be had. I just hope I don't have problems with seasickness on the boat!!
Photos from Athens:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=omz9rml.4lv5v7sd&x=0&y=rywnr3
We landed and hopped into a cab for the city. Our cabbie was friendly and drove like a nut.... It was great to be moving though, and taking the cab was a luxury. We arrived at the Adams hotel, only a 10 minute walk to the Acropolis. We we super excited to shower, and after getting clean we went looking for ferry tickets to Mýkonos, because our plan was to leave the next morning.I'm not sure what it is, if its just that we're American, or if just culturally people just aren't as friendly, but even the girls at the Acropolis said, as we were going in 45 minutes before the gates closed, "Hurry up... Are you sure you want to go in? We close soon".... It’s not like they're overly rude, but so far we have not found people very accommodating or friendly. It's actually kinda funny... I mean, 45-minutes was plenty of time to look around the Acropolis, not that I wouldn't have liked a little longer, but it certainly was enough to hike to the top and take a look around...
The Acropolis was amazing!! We walked through at about sunset, which added to the magic.. Friendly dogs were running around at the top. The marble is slick — and the views!!! My pics don’t do the place any justice. Another funny thing we've noticed is that everywhere the music of choice seems to be American easy mix... Like some 80s and then easy rock, like U2 and even Michael Jackson and Jewel, and just what we’re even listening to right now, more current stuff, Fergie, etc. I didn't expect to be listening to American music...
After the Acropolis, we strolled around town, eventually finding a cute cafe lit with candles, where we ordered glasses of wine and tried to soak in the fact that we're here... We were super tired... But, really wanting to adjust to the time here as quickly as possible, so trying to stay awake as long as we could. We made it to 9pm before turning in. ___
I'm typing this now, at 5:30 am. We're wide awake, and mostly have been since 2am... But, we're off to the ferry for Mykonos in a short time... More adventures to be had. I just hope I don't have problems with seasickness on the boat!!
Photos from Athens:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=omz9rml.4lv5v7sd&x=0&y=rywnr3
MÝKONOS
It’s raining here in Athens as we board the enormous “slow” ferry to the islands. This ship feels more like a cruise ship than a ferry. It is a container ship with cars parked on the bottom floor, and the upper cabin has a lounge feel. I don't think ill get sea sick on this.... Unless this rain also means rough seas... Then, we'll have to see...
___
Ferry ride went great. No seasickness.
We just ate lunch at a tasty local spot. I had shrimps with ouzo sauce and stuffed mushroom with feta cheese... Yummmmm. A meal with a view to remember. We haven't had a bad glass of wine here yet either.
In Athens we had purchased our ferry tickets and a hotel stay in Mýkonos as well as our last night in Athens. The travel agency charged us almost a 30% markup on these things, which we figured out when we got to Mýkonos. But, also, there was a mix up with our hotel in Mýkonos, so we ended up at an amazing "A class" hotel there that we would never have found on our own. It was located just above the main section on the hillside, looking over everything. It had the most magical views. Our room opened onto a large patio area that was not private, but we never saw a soul out there. Just down a few flights of stairs was the perfect sized deep blue swimming pool, lined with comfy lounge chairs. http://www.alkyonmýkonos.gr
One of the best parts about this little piece of heaven-on-earth was the stray cat that hung around our room. We called her Rosie because she looked like my childhood cat by the same name. Tara fed her leftovers from her take-away box.... And over the course of our two days there, she became our pet, even sharing our room with us. Each morning Tara brought her cream. Tara is currently planning to adopt her and bring her back to the US.
It’s raining here in Athens as we board the enormous “slow” ferry to the islands. This ship feels more like a cruise ship than a ferry. It is a container ship with cars parked on the bottom floor, and the upper cabin has a lounge feel. I don't think ill get sea sick on this.... Unless this rain also means rough seas... Then, we'll have to see...___
Ferry ride went great. No seasickness.
We just ate lunch at a tasty local spot. I had shrimps with ouzo sauce and stuffed mushroom with feta cheese... Yummmmm. A meal with a view to remember. We haven't had a bad glass of wine here yet either.
In Athens we had purchased our ferry tickets and a hotel stay in Mýkonos as well as our last night in Athens. The travel agency charged us almost a 30% markup on these things, which we figured out when we got to Mýkonos. But, also, there was a mix up with our hotel in Mýkonos, so we ended up at an amazing "A class" hotel there that we would never have found on our own. It was located just above the main section on the hillside, looking over everything. It had the most magical views. Our room opened onto a large patio area that was not private, but we never saw a soul out there. Just down a few flights of stairs was the perfect sized deep blue swimming pool, lined with comfy lounge chairs. http://www.alkyonmýkonos.gr
One of the best parts about this little piece of heaven-on-earth was the stray cat that hung around our room. We called her Rosie because she looked like my childhood cat by the same name. Tara fed her leftovers from her take-away box.... And over the course of our two days there, she became our pet, even sharing our room with us. Each morning Tara brought her cream. Tara is currently planning to adopt her and bring her back to the US.It rained our first full-day on this island. Tara went for a run in the drizzle and I explored the island on foot. The weather here changes quickly, so it's never a worry if it's not ideal. It's a beautiful island! This is where many of the photos you see of Greece appear to be taken. It's easy to chill-out here -- it's a very peaceful place.
After a few days in Mýkonos, we bought tickets for our next destination, Santoríni. Before we visited Mýkonos, I was told by many people that it was "the gay island" - and, while maybe its the "gayest" of the islands, it’s still not something we found to be the most distinguishable of the islands characteristics (although there were more male couples here than any other place I visited). Before we visited Santoríni, I heard many times over from many greeks, "Why are you going there? That's the couples island!". Well, I've been here two nights now, and I can tell you there are couples everywhere, which frankly, I expected to see all along, but there are also many touring groups, families with munchkins, and single travelers. I am starting to think when you are in one place, the Greeks just kinda want you to stay there and remain their-tourist.
Pics from Mýkonos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=omz9rml.4sz0wfsd&x=0&y=-y7ou4s
SANTORÍNI
On Santoríni, the locals have been nothing but helpful and friendly. Maybe its just the farther you get from Athens, the nicer everyone is. One local told me that they prefer to be nice to tourists, because we’re their bread-and-butter.... so, I guess in the places that rely on tourism the most, the locals are nicest.Firá, Santoríni, is built on the steep cliffside of the island. It looks like an anthill from above, with narrow walkways and stairs going in every direction. From the city, you look out over the ocean and toward a volcano.
Tara and I spent our first night in a hotel on the cliff >> the views are outstanding! Then, we moved into a cheaper hotel a few blocks down from the cliff-side. We rented a four wheeler and took it to Kamári, on the other side of the island. That side features a black sand beach with dramatic cliffs on one side. Its another of the cities on this island that is popular for tourists.
Here in Firá, there are cable cars that take you down the cliff-side to the small port at the base....or, you can walk down the stairs. Of course, I walked... And I have to admit, it was reminiscient of my recent trip to Half Dome. Lots of stairs.... And, lots of donkeys taking tourists up and down them. If you visit this city, make sure you climb the stairs! 
When Tara got here, to Santoríni, she decided all she wanted from this trip was to sit by the pool in our Mýkonos home and soak up the sun and rest. This morning, after we had wayyyyy too much fun last night, dancing and drinking at a local bar, she took the ferry back to Mýkonos. So, from here-on-out, till Tara and I meet again in Athens before the flight home, I’ll be traveling solo. 
Last night I hung out again at the same bar, Tropical Bar... My new friends there greeted me warmly and I told them of my days events. Jeannie, the bartender here, is a CA native herself, on the island now for 17 years. 
I had a date.... Michalis (Michael), a guy I'd met the night before, came out again to meet me, and after spending some time at the Tropical-we headed over to Casablanca—which is a live music nightclub. It was pretty awesome. 
My last day on the island I took a short, but very choppy, boat ride to the volcano island across from Santoríni. It last erupted 3500 years ago, forming today's islands. From the active volcano crater, our boat swung around to another side of these volcano islands so that we were facing the mouth of a natural hot spring. The captain of the boat instructed us to jump off into the COLD water, and swim to the hot spring. I didn't anticipate getting there thru the colder waters! By the way, that's been pretty typical of my experiences with the greeks planning this or that--they often leave out some of the finer details. So, I took the plunge and swam for it. It felt pretty great. I'd heard bad things about the way the sulfur smells—but it was a sunny and windy day, and I didn't experience the foul side of things. The water was 10 or more degrees warmer than the open water. It is also tainted brown from the sediment and minerals. Some people believe in the heeling properties of the sulfur waters—i don't know about that, but it irritated the skin on my face a bit. Also, as I was approaching the boat, some buddies alerted me to the jellyfish in the water around me. I got out as quickly as I could. When I got back to Firá, I ran to grab my baggage and changed before meeting Michalis. We hopped into his car and sped all around the side of the island I didn't quite get to, Ía. We first stopped by his place, a house he's pouring himself into—painting the inside, the backyard overlooks a vineyard and beyond that the ocean. He and his buddy have constructed outdoor seating from concrete frames and he's building a veranda. Its all really cozy. He thinks it will be complete in time to enjoy by June (he lives here during the season and in Athens in the off-season).
On the way to Ía we drove thru Oia and stoped at his friends church. Apparently, the reason there are so many churches, but never really anyone in them, is that people build them just to build them. Maybe thinking it will keep them on solid ground with the big-man. So, there are churches all over the country side, just either sitting there picturesquely, locked-up or open, with few, if any, visitors. We had lunch in Ía. Michalis ordered his favorites for us, including spinach, eggplant, octopus and calamari. All very Greek in preparation and very tasty. The little port he took me to was so far the most serene and simply beautiful spot I’ve visited so far.
After lunch, he dropped me off here at the ferry, and I type as I'm waiting to board for Crete. Photos from Santoríni:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=omz9rml.6q37jict&x=0&y=-qmr15o
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