Greece

So we were on the 32-hour ferry from Patras to Venice. That seems like a long time, but the timing is perfect - leave Greece at midnight, arrive in Italy at 8am, and lose 1 day on the ferry but save 2 nights' hotel.

The ferry itself is pretty good, basically a cruise ship. We didn't have a cabin, and so were allowed on the "dock". We only found out the second day that that included the indoor part (which is basically the inside of a cruise ship as I imagine it - fancy carpet and chairs, a bar, TVs, etc), so the first night we slept outside on the dock - until around 5am, when heavy rain started to flood our part of the ship. At that point we moved inside, to avoid our things getting wet, and noticed that people are sleeping there - and so we found a spot and also slept there.

Here is where we slept the first night (between tables)

Me sleeping the second half of the first night and the second night

Our stuff, locked to a table. The people on the chair to the right of the table complained that our luggage isn't close to us (and was close to them), but all the space is common so I just said that's where the luggage is and that's where it will stay, and I won that discussion.

Facilities include a pool, which they drain at night and refill in the morning.

当还在加拿大，准备计划旅游的时候，就听很多朋友推荐-去希腊必须去圣托里尼。从网上找来的图片里看见，这个城市里充斥着白色的房子，蓝色的屋顶和蔚蓝色的海面，我想不出来还有什么颜色能够更和谐地和在一起了。满怀期待地坐上了过夜的渡轮，希望见到梦想中的仙境。

因为我们在岛上的时间并不充裕，所以为了节省等公车的时间，我们租了四轮摩托。

放下行李，我们就向海边奔去。

路过一个黑沙海滩，索性玩个过瘾

为了看日落，我们赶到了小岛的北端叫Oia的小镇。

天还亮着，chris 先玩把旧车。

终于把太阳等下山了。

圣托里尼的确很美，但如果让我用一个成语来形容，我会选择“浓妆艳抹”的这个词。如果把它比拟成女人的话，她是画了浓妆，在强光灯下的名模。她需要摄影师去扑捉那经典的瞬间。大概我还是比较习惯和喜欢小家碧玉般的淡而含蓄，自然而发的气质美。

We took a 9:30 bus from Athens to Olympia, which should be 3 hours away. That should have given us a few hours to explore the ancient Olympic site. Unfortunately the bus was very indirect, and we arrived just in time to take the 4pm train to the ferry docks in Patras. The bus was also very expensive, 30 Euros per person. We should have taken the train (which is said to be really bad in Greece, but at least got us from Olympia to Patras very quickly and cheaply).

Here's me in the train station in Olympia.

Aug 22-24 - Santorini

Santorini, in the Greek islands, is incredibly picturesque. Villages of white and blue houses and churches are perched atop cliffs that rise out of the ocean.

We explored the islands on ATV (it's street legal over there - top speed 52 km/h, reached after flooring it for awhile and while going downhill after). Watch out though, no driving an ATV under 6 years old (it was actually pretty exciting, like a go-kart, until I saw that label that says a 6 year old should be able to drive it).

The islands are renowned for their sunsets, and did not disappoint

只两个小时，我们已经从中东飞到了欧洲。最大的感觉 – 我又回归了文明社会。走了一天路的脚再也不会黑的像讨饭的；洗澡水再也不是黑色的；厕所没有了臭味，而且还有厕纸和肥皂；连湿纸巾擦完脸都还看得出本来的颜色。

有名的景点除了废墟还是废墟，这个才是欧洲的开始！

狭窄安静的街道是我的最爱。

市中心的墙面上有很多有趣的壁画。真希望能够把它们搬回我家。