Greece, Germany, and Gratitude

Didn't see that one coming, did you? Michelle and I flew to Rhodes and Thessaloniki, Greece, in October. I originally wasn't going to blog about Greece because--well--it's not Italy, and the blog is titled "Harvesting Italy." But I changed my mind. A girl can do that, you know.

Rhodes was cute but really touristy, even though we arrived at the end of the tourist season. Michelle and I went for a sunrise run along the beach one morning, and it was breathtaking! I was already out of breath at that point, but it's ok. I survived and thoroughly enjoyed it! We walked and shopped in the Old Town one day. Each evening, we hung out near our hostel in Faliraki. We really got to know our little area, and one restaurant's host consistently blew kisses to us across the street when we passed.

These photos are from Symi Island. Michelle and I bought a picnic lunch and then hiked upward for some beautiful views. We also had to run about a mile so that we wouldn't miss our ferry.

We spent our final morning in Rhodes at the beach! Our flight was at 5pm, and we got our boarding pass, went through security at the airport, and arrived at our gate in a total of 10 minutes. It's too bad we left so early for the airport, but we did meet an interesting businessmen who shared some of his thoughts about women and fidelity with us. I won't share those with you now because they're pretty depressing.

Thessaloniki, we found, is mainly a college town, especially where we stayed. It had a fun vibe but nothing either of us would have associated with Greece. We actually met and had drinks with my cousin's roommate from their job orientation at Northeastern University. It was SO nice to have an English conversation and meet new people at that point in the trip! Our Homestay host took us to some Turkish baths nearby, and the natural hot springs are certainly therapeutic. It's not as if I had any stress that needed relieved at that point, but I'm hoping for a pay-it-forward effect.

Drinks!

An icon of Jesus the Teacher

White Tower in Thessaloniki

Where will our journey in life lead?

This was the ceiling in an open-air area outside of an Orthodox church.

Michelle and Mag

Arriving in Stuttgart

On December 1, Michelle and I left Italy for the last time this year. We headed straight to Stuttgart, Germany, and we stayed with Michelle's kin there. I could go on for days about Mag's hospitality. First, she let us use her washing machine and drier. FRESH LAUNDRY.  AHHH. Then she showed us where her hats, gloves, sweatshirts, sweaters, turtlenecks, and long underwear were. She cooked us dinner of baked chicken, big tossed salad, steamed broccoli, and cranberry sauce. She left chocolates on our pillow. She went to the train station with us to help us figure out our trains for the next few days. She let us eat her food. She gave us a key to her home. She gave Michelle shoes. She took us out to a brewery on our final night there and made sure we had some schnitzel and potato salad before we left. This is not even all of it, people.

Germany ended up being the perfect transition from Italy to the USA. We couldn't have planned it better. The physical features, attitudes, and efficiency of the Germans reminded me and Michelle more of home than did those of the Italians. Also, there was 0% Christmas hullaballoo/commercialization in Italy. Germany, on the other hand, is renowned for its "Christkindl Markts" and gluhwein to celebrate the Advent Season, and those were determining factors in us deciding upon Stuttgart as our final travel destination.  

Augsburg

The Christkind in Nurmberg

Just a little band playing in Nurnberg

Stuttgart

Ludwigsburg

We hit it big. We shopped in four markets in three days. We tried the local fare, which always seemed to be an undisclosed type of meat deliciously doused in onions and slid into a toasted bun. We got the famous gingerbread from Nurnberg. We even ate locheswurst (salmon bratwurst sans the brat part), and of course, the hot mulled wine. Gluhwein, ladies and gentlemen, is an incredible beverage. It actually warms your entire body instantaneously.  Drinking it outside in the cold aids in staving off the loopiness that could result from consumption, as well.

Michelle and I threw in some museums to keep it classy. We wanted a chance to get to know something about each city that we were visiting. We spaced out our day so that we could take a break from the markets, get warm, and use the bathroom for free at the museum. In Augsburg, we visited the puppeteer museum. In Nurnberg, we toured the Nazi Party Rally Ground Museum. In Stuttgart, we learned about Porche, the car and the men. Quite the variety, if I do say so myself.

At the Nazi Rally Ground Museum

Porche before the recognizable logo

Although there was quite a bit of planning involved in all our trips over the past three months, Michelle and I could not have planned this experience. "God is so good to us," Michelle said frequently, and she's right. Many parts of our adventure were so perfectly ordered that it was unnatural--supernatural, to be more exact. I'm so grateful to Michelle for calling me up one day last spring and inviting me to join her in Italy, and I know that she's glad I agreed. We have seen and done so much, but more importantly, I think, is that we have learned a lot about ourselves and grown as individuals. The people we have been fortunate enough to meet along this journey have blessed our lives in many ways, and we appreciate all the love and support of those of you back home.

We're now home in time for Christmas and the surrounding holiday season. I'm really glad so many of you enjoyed reading this blog and could share in this experience with us! May each one of you be courageous enough to have your own adventures that challenge you to look at life with better vision and that stretch you to be more of who you are called to be.

Read this! Michelle Is Funny

I began documenting funny things that Michelle said during our farming experience, but at some point I stopped. I'm not sure why. As I was finishing up the blog, I found these two lighthearted stories, and I thought I would share them. Enjoy!

Man in the Emerald Cave in Conca del Marini to Michelle: Do you have a boyfriend?
Michelle: Yes I do.
Man: In America?
Michelle: Yes, he's in America.
Man: That's so far!
Michelle: But close to my heart. Puts hand over heart and smiles
Man: I don't believe you.
This was the same man who invited us out to drinks and then to take a dip in the cave. "Diamonds! Diamonds!" Ring a bell?

One evening at a festival in Canneli, we were waiting in line for dinner. We had already consumed two glasses of wine (1 euro/2 glasses!), and Michelle had a lot to say. Please use a Long Island accent while reading her words:

Michelle: Would you check out the eyebrows of the guy in front of us? They're better groomed than almost any woman's I know.
Guy in front of us turns around and looks at us with a half-smile.
Me: Michelle, he looked straight at us. I think he understands English.
Michelle: Even if he does, that's why I'm using the accent.
Effusive laughter from both me and Michelle, which goes on for about 30 seconds. Guy in front of us starts laughing as well.
Michelle: Oh my gosh! His friend is wearing a sweater with hamburgers on it. We should get a picture. Let's get Kayla and Stefan in there so that it's not awkward. Oh wait, I don't want his girlfriend to be jealous.
Not enough guts to ask for the photo. Guys in front of us end up ordering our dinner for us because, yes, they could understand English.

Firenze

Florence deserves a little recognition in the blog. This was our last stop in Italy and our most easy-going and enjoyable city experience. In the birthplace of the Renaissance, there is extraordinary art to see. We didn't go out of our way to see it, however, as the only museum on our list at that point in the adventure was the Museo Galileo, the science museum. It was filled with scientific instruments collected from the Medici and Loraine families, the powerhouses of Florence. 

On our first night stroll, we popped inside a church to find Adoration going on. A woman invited us to write our prayer intentions and thanksgivings on a slip of paper that she provided. She said a group of Sisters would read through them and pray for us if we wanted to place our sheets at the foot of the altar. It was really sweet, and it reminded me of Night Fever in NYC. They even had the baskets organized by language!

We headed right across the river to Piazza de Michelangelo where we saw this view:

Wouldn't you know that when we walked out of our door on Sunday morning to go to Mass, we learned that the Florence Marathon was that day. 11,000 runners. Pretty neat!

On our final night in Florence, we spent an evening at the opera. Well, almost. Neither of us had heard opera before, so we listened to a set of arias, which lasted for about an hour. We heard from Mozart, Rossini, Puccini, Verdi, and Di Capua. What a delight! It was the perfect send off from a country rich in culture, food, hospitality, art, and of course, our memories!