Sunday, October 19, 2025

Memorial Day Weekend



Memorial Day Weekend had some of the usual activities (Commissioning, brush day, presentations of our summer goals) and some new ones (investigating cidadas, navigating a home mid-renovation). Everyone's goals this year were excellent, and my favorite were Mardo and Ouiser's as presented by Casey (swim! sleep! snacks!). I can confirm our summer ended up with plenty of all three.

Greece Part 4: Athens


Our ten-day trip to Greece concluded in Athens for the wedding. We only had 2 full days there, one of which was the day of the wedding, so we basically had one day of sightseeing, but I think it was enough for me. We stayed at the Athenian Riviera Hotel in an area a little ways outside the city center as it was close to the wedding venue and where most of the wedding attendees, including the bride and groom, were staying. It was on the hop on hop off tour route so we were able to get into the city easily, so it ended up working out well. Overall the islands were my favorite part of the trip and I'd love to visit others some day!

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Greece Part 3: Paros


Of the three Greek islands we visited, Paros was our favorite. Santorini was beautiful but caters more towards couples and romance and Mykonos is very much a party scene, while Paros seemed more laid-back and less overtly catering to tourists. It was also a lot less expensive than Santorini or Mykonos, with a glass of wine being about half the price in Paros. We rented a suite at a place called Kosmitis Suites and Villas a short walk from the center of town with a spacious kitchen and dining area, sitting area, 3 bedrooms, and a huge private pool area. I'd definitely recommend staying there– the service was excellent, the location was great, and I still dream about the breakfast that was included with the rooms. 

Greece Part 2: Mykonos


I was in Mykonos for only about 36 hours due to my day-long stint at the US embassy in Athens while the rest of the group spent that day in Mykonos, but was able to pack a lot in and have a great time. Boat ride, check. Swimming in the Aegean sea, check. Seaside walk, check. Glamour shots in the pool with an incredible view, check!