Yes, it's been almost a week since I got back from Greece with no blogging but there was just so much to get through. I mean, first the ticker tape parade, and the welcome back from the mayor was one thing but wading through all those well-wishers on my way to the apartment took forever! Or, you know, I came home to an empty apartment and a cat that wouldn't let me sleep. Whatever.

So, Greece was fabulous! As was my company in Anne-Marie, Josie and yes, even Eph. And for the record Eph, it's not my life's ambition to master backgammon so there. I'm not sure how long this blog will be. There are plenty of good stories and pictures but I'm not trying to recreate The Aeneid or anything so I may break it up into two entries. Let's just see how it goes, shall we? (For another account of the week's events, visit www.partyinpangrati.blogspot.com)

DAY 1
No pictures (and thank god considering how I looked after those flights) but I got my tour of casa de Lytle and then we immediately went to dinner. Who would have guessed Greek food in Greece is a gazillion times better than Greek food in the U.S.? It came as a shock to me too, people. I think my palate was designed for Greece because they seem to love cheese as much as I do. And the feta!! My god, the feta! Nothing like that salty monstrosity you get in the grocery store. It's smooth and creamy and delicious.

DAY 2
Luckily, the Greek gods were smiling on us and the most gorgeous day that I was there was the day we picked to go to the Acropolis (something about that syntax doesn't sit right but I'm tired and you get my drift). Plus, it's free on Sundays so we were all 25 Euros richer.


Here's my first glimpse of the Acropolis from far away. From that distance, it seriously seemed fake in a very Disney kind of way.




We made our way up and I don't mean to state the obvious but it was pretty amazing. It was one of those weird times in life where what you're seeing is just as impressive as you had expected it to be.







Ah, there's the money shot.







And just to prove I was actually there:
We asked some guy to take this picture and after he did I was a total bitch and checked out the picture right in front of him to make sure it wasn't crappy. But come on, he was in a matching red jacket with his wife! I had reason to be suspicious.


Be forewarned-this story has already been told on AM's blog (that's what I get for being late) so sorry for the repetition but deal with it. As we were sitting in this exact spot, we noticed two guys taking pictures. But no, not your typical "say cheese" pictures. They were taking turns getting into these weird sex-kitten-George-Costanza-in-that-episode-where-he-gives-his-girlfriend-a-semi-dirty-picture poses. AND, they were taking off their jackets and scarves. It was freaking cold! Look at us-we're all sensibly bundled and these moron twins start taking layers off. AM surreptitiously took a picture of them and we sort of followed them as we were leaving. We come upon them again taking ridiculous pictures at the exit of the Acropolis and, naturally, AM reaches for her camera to continue our documentation of just how odd people can be. And BAM-her purse and all its contents fall into this crevice (complete with ancient cigarette butts). Luckily Josie is not only freakishly strong but also apparently Gumby, as she was able to fish everything out. However, the karmic lesson was not lost on us and in order to avoid having a several thousand-year-old piece of marble fall on our heads as punishment for continued ridicule, we left our eccentric friends in peace. But they'll always be in our hearts.

Ok, this entry is already really long and I want to go home. Not that I'm doing this from work or anything. I'll finish up later.