CHALKIDIKI.....a three hour tour.

OK so last weekend I went on a trip the school sponsored...on a scale from one to fun, I'd say it was pretty neat! We had to wake up KILLER early...very early...however....my early...and your early are probably two completely different things....I'd like to stress that I haven't had an 8 am class since freshman year and even working I didn't wake up much earlier than 7:30....so when I had to wake up at 6....I WAS not the happiest of campers...BUT someone had to wake up on the right side of the bed.....SO...I did the damn thing and OFF we went. Our first stop before we hit the beach was Mount Athos.....the town we pulled into was definetely tourist-central...It was called Ouranoupoli, mostly old people who were VERY excited to meet Americans....I stepped off the bus...and a HUGE gust of wind hit my face....OH no... Ok when they said this trip was the "last swim!" I really thought it was going to be amazing outside. It pitter pattered here and there, we had some sun as soon as we hit Mount Athos on the boat, but it was SO COLD....obviously when you are on a boat it will be windy and cold regardless. I wasn't unprepared, but I was not prepared for such cold conditions....ANYWAY. We get on the boat and I'm pretty pumped.......why?

Because.

It was going to be

A three hour tourrrrr......(I nose-goes Ginger)....

AND off we went...there were a good bunch of people on the boat...all super old enjoying their retirement no doubt.....the water is SO BLUE.....It is so blue that I took the liberty of taking a film...dedicated to madre..explaining that the water is "like blue...like, like really blue" I appologize for my lack of adjectives...and just everything that is said within the film...mosly you should turn your computer on mute...right now....yes....now.

SO thats that haha. ANYWAY back to Mount Athos...so the tour was basically a ferry ride around the island side where a TON of Monasteries are nestled (ooo great discription word)....Mount Athos is considered to be the "holy mountain" and is said to be the highest point of Chalkdiki's most eastern peninsula. (thank you travel book for your vast information on everything Educational woo you.) SO Mt. Athos is autonomous republic ruled by 1,700 monks who line in its 20 monasteries.....ok take a second....breathe it in, breathe it in...it always goes down smooth.......thought about it? HOW MANY MONKS have you seriously seen...YET ALONE 1,700!!!! WOAH...Oh hey Greece.....BUT only guys can actually set foot on the peninsula...so the boat trip was as close as i'm aloud to get....bummmmer.

The monasteries were actually really awesome....brosef I think you have appreciated the arch. here....idk I was impressed....but what do I know? haha....SEAGULLS....ok normally I hate them...but HOW intense/ awesome is this picture???MY POINT exactly...so cool.....and the award for best photo of a seagull taken in the study abroad fall semester of 2008 goes to........

ME!.....if someone beats me i'd like to shake there seagull ridden hand.

SO the next few photos are of the monasteries I saw...AND then I'll show you Mount Athos because according to my camera I liked the Mountain way more than I thought. Right then....If you really want to know MORE about the monasteries...I may or may not be the girl to talk to...mostly not.....The boat was loud from the engine and it was hard to hear the greek and english explanations of everything that we were passing...LUCKILY for my really awesome travel book...I know what is up for the most part...Wooo.

Woooo ok here are two monasteries.....awesome....and I would put more pictures up but INTERNET is SO SLOW...for the love! So the next picture is of MOUNT ATHOS!!!!!

So after the boat ride we grabbed Gyro's in the town...a lot of people went to tavernas but I really like walking around and going to see what I can see.....in which case...we found an AWESOME bakery which was nothing short of sooo goood....AND we walked along the waterside so we could experience the Aegean SEA!!!

SO soon enough we were back on the bus travelling about an hour to the BEACH and our hotel/resort type thing we stayed in....seriously....Imagining this place in the summe is way intense....it really was the last swim...mostly because all the hotes and little resorts were closing down until summer next year....all things considering....the place was SO cute...and i wish it was warmer...it would have been awesome....However...despite it all we STILL went to the water and explored and then we went to the taverna in a small village later that night. All in all a seriously spectacular day.

This is where we stayed once we got here.....this picture right above..is the view from our Balcony...the beach is right there...there was a swim-up bar...I mean seriously...WHY did't I come to Greece SOONER!!!???? OY vey!!!

On sunday we went out to the beach pretty early....I was so ready for sun...and there it was...waiting for us....and I almost stayed out getting some sun for an extended period of time.....MINUS the fact that the wind was blowing WAY too much...so what I'm saying is...is that if the wind hadn't shown up I would be bronzed the Grecian way....BUT no....However, people did go in the water! It was warmer than the air temperature...and it is crystal clear and "like way blue" it really was amazing. I cannot wait till this weekend when Heather (not me the other one....("i'm reading your blog")...Danica and I venture to SANTORINI where the skies are said to be sunny...the beaches said to be black....(black sand beaches...oh hey Volcano....Dear Steven, So going to see a volcano...woo.) and the temperature said to be in the 80's....Bronze I will.....I CANNOT WAIT....yes mom I have sun screen. Sheesh.

NEXT TIME ON HLOCK DOES GREECE:

Santorini....where the roofs are blue, the volcano is calm, and my summer jobs earnings finally being put to good use.

Adio.

Hlo