Going Greek

After taking my finals and saying a tearful goodbye to my fair Florence, I began my ten-day post-semester travels, which began in Greece.  First stop was Athens, where the long-awaited Boston College reunion took place.  Five of us BC friends met up after a semester spent studying in different corners of the world, from Italy to Spain to Ghana, Africa.  But here we were, together at last, visiting sights like the Acropolis and the Agora while catching up on each other’s lives.  In Athens, we had baklava that must be the best in the world because it managed to leave a group of chatty girls totally speechless.  Not an easy task.  We also enjoyed gyros off the street and began to cultivate an unhealthy obsession with tzatziki sauce.  Of all the places I visited this semester, the food in Greece surprised me most in terms of both deliciousness and affordability.  Double victory!   

The best Greek cuisine we came across, however, was on the island of Santorini.  We had lunch one day at a seafood restaurant situated in a bay whose tables were mere feet away from the crystal blue water.  We tried swordfish, mussels, shrimp, and grilled calamari.  Every dish was flavorful  and meaty and absolutely delicious, making it easily one of my best meals of the semester.  Other Greek specialties we enjoyed in Santorini included spanakopita, saganaki, mousaka, fava, Greek salad, tomato fritters, stuffed vegetables, lamb in lemon sauce, and lots of Greek yogurt. 

Renting an ATV on Santorini was probably the best 15 euros I spent all semester.  Our day was filled with exploring the island’s delightful towns and cruising to exotic volcanic beaches featuring black, white, and even red sand.  As I sat on a rugged cliff with some of my best friends watching the sun set that evening, I realized that I had just lived one of the happiest days of my life.  

Greek hospitality is something I will always remember about my time in Greece, particularly in Santorini.  The kind man who ran our little hotel, Stavros, treated us like his daughters throughout the duration of our stay.  When we first arrived, Stavros insisted on making us coffee.  Then he sat down with us so he could get to know us a bit.  Each day when we’d arrive back at the hotel in the afternoon, Stavros would pull up a chair and ask us to tell him all about our day, whether we went to the beach or to town, what we bought, and where we ate.  When we left Santorini after four days with Stavros, he gave us each a big hug and said, “May you have restful days.”  What a unique and wonderful blessing to bestow.  May we all have days as restful as mine were in Santorini.