L & K's adventures in Greece

Bonjour!
Give you one guess where we are headed today....Paris!! I dont think they celebrate thanksgiving so I hope you all enjoy the wonderful meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry, stuffing, grandma nenas macaroni and cheese....while karina and I eat some crepes with chocolate! (but to be honest I cant really complain about that :) So in the last week and a half we have been through greece and berlin. I am going to say that while traveling through europe during the winter is less crowded I do NOT suggest it to people who do not enjoy cold weather!
We spent a week in Athens which was a lot of fun and we did most all of the touristy things such as going to the acropolis, the national archeological museum, a day trip through three of the islands as well as a traditional buzuki. We met up with my friend Alex that I went to college with and she was able to show us around and we went out with her a couple of nights which were quite the experience! First off, she knows just about EVERYONE in greece, or at least it seemed like she did! Then on Friday night after we met up with her and George (her boyfriend) for lunch they said that they might go to a buzuki which is a tradtional greek music place. A buzuki is the name of a place (there are many of them in greece) where singers perform, kinda like a mini concert, in front on stage and people throw flowers at them because you are no longer able to throw dishes, and they sing all greek songs with their band behind them. We thought that it was a small place that peole go to keep in mind...So when Karina and I show up at this huge building that night and Alex walks up to the very front table we are completly stunned because this place is 3 stories high with a balcony and full of about 500 people all decked out ages 20-60 all singing along and throwing flowers! It was crazy! Then when we do sit down Alex decides to then inform us that the people we were sitting with were celebrities of greece (her boyfriend is the president/owner of a greek soccer team), so no picture taking, and the people we were seeing perform that night were the most famous greek singers of greek! It was so much fun.....plus I learned how to make a carnation explode! haha more about that later:)
Greece was absolutly amazing and I am definetly coming back next summer and visiting all the islands...anyone want to join me? On our last day we had lunch with Alex and after she drove us to the Olympic stadium where I got to see the warm-up track and the other facilities which was great o actually see and be right there. She dropped us off at the train station but little did we know that we had just missed the train and had to wait another 20 minutes for the next one but we had to be at the airport in 30 minutes or we couldnt check in! So we are both panicking at this point but get on the train as soon as it gets there and then take off RUNNING towards our check in with only 10 minutes to go. But of course its never that easy is it? Heres the play by play.....we rush off the train with all our luggage (which i might add is not too light!) and proceed to (try) and run up the escalator towards the terminal. Once inside the terminal we are running trying to find easyjet, only to find out that its in the opposite direction than where we are headed, then turn around and run the other way. By the time we get to the check-in we are both out of breath and almost sweating while the girl at the counter says, "dont worry you had 5 minutes!". Not funny......but as you can tell we did make it and almost froze when we stepped outside in Berlin.
Berlin was fun, very different from greece and a LOT colder but we got to see a lot of really interesting and historical things. We went to check-point charlie where they had a museum all about the soviets and the division of east and west berlin. I had no idea how desperate people were to get over the wall...it was one of the most interesting museums I have ever been into. We also visited the Berlin wall and went to the site of hitlers bunker and read all about the second world war, hitler and the third reicht and the holocast. It was definetly an eye-opener about what those people went through and how they were treated. It gives one a new appreciation for living in a free country like the US.
Well now we have to go and catch our next flight to Paris....one whole week there! Hope you all have a wonderful turkey day and safe travels....only 4 weeks til we are home! Lots of love!

Lindsay