My Greek friend Maria is getting married! Opa! And I got invited to her wedding in Greece! Double Opa. Follow along as I document the fun, craziness and confusion of being a foreigner at a Greek Wedding.
Recap
My friend is getting married in the village of Poulithra in the Peloponnese. It is my belief that the Greek gods decided to test me by making my trip to Poulithra an Odyssey (to learn more, read Part I). To recap, Zeus threw some bad weather my way. I missed my flight to Athens and had to spend the night in Cincinnati. But Athena stepped in to help me get rebooked for the next day. And Dionysius made sure my overnight stay in Cincinnati was a fun one with plenty of good food, good music… and good drinks! And hence we continue with the second day of my Odyssey…
Now I’ve Been to Kentucky
I awoke early in Cincinnati. I made myself some coffee in the hotel room and admired the Ohio river as the caffeine jolted my senses with each warm sip. I felt well rested. All the anxiety from the day before had left its mark. Although my body felt tense from stress, my mind was tranquil. Thank you Hypnos, Greek god of sleep! I owe you one.
I left the Hyatt Hotel in significantly good spirits. A wave of positivity had surfaced in me and I felt ready for whatever the day would bring. My cab driver was nice. He spoke about how much Cincinnati had changed over the years and all the efforts taking place to revitalize the city.
We drove over the Ohio River and crossed into Kentucky. He dropped me off, and I proceeded to check my bags with American Airlines. The process went smoothly and within fifteen minutes of being dropped off, I was making my way through TSA.
Did you know that the Cincinnati airport is actually located in the state of Kentucky and not Ohio? I sure didn’t until this trip. Which means that now I’ve been to Kentucky! And I gotta, say, I was a little impressed by this little airport.
A Library, An American Mastodon, and British Airways All in One Terminal
The Cincinnati airport has really good restaurants. I had a late breakfast at a small bistro called Vino Volo where I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast sandwich composed of a fried egg, prosciutto, cherry tomatoes, and lettuce. I also spent some time at a cute reading corner where they have comfy chairs and sofas. You can even borrow a book from the free airport library. They even feature actual fossils of American Mastodons and other prehistoric creatures. Turns out there is even a direct flight to London through British Airways that began this June. I was very impressed by this unassuming airport.
All my flights were on time. I arrived at JFK airport around 1:30pm where I waited for a few hours for the Athens flight. My time at JFK was completely uneventful, which is exactly what I was hoping for. I simply sat and waited. Walked a little. Then sat and waited some more.
I was very tired by the time the flight to Athens took off, unfortunately I was unable to sleep.
Truth in a Beer Bottle
We landed in Athens around 10 am. Finally! The city dedicated to Athena. The immigration line was short. The Greek official took one look at my passport and then at me. “You look very tired,” he said with sympathy. “You should go to the beach and relax.” No kidding, I thought.
On my way to baggage claim my gaze fell on a splashy advertisement for Alpha, a Greek beer. It featured a group of people (maybe family?) sitting at a table overlooking the sea. The tagline read “Arrive as a visitor, depart as a local.” I immediately smiled. It reminded me of why I was in Greece. I was here to attend my friend’s wedding. The fatigue was replaced by a shot of newfound energy.
Fondly, I began to recall my previous trips to Greece when I had visited friends and got a glimpse of their lives, a glimpse of the real Greece. Beyond the glossy opulence of Mykonos or Santorini, the most beautiful thing about Greece is its people. What had greatly impressed me during my last two visits to this country was the openness and boundless hospitality of the Greek people. I was happy to be back. I couldn’t wait to see my friends, to plunge into the Aegean Sea, and to dance at my friend’s big fat Greek wedding.
Sit and Wait So I Can Sit And Wait
My luggage arrived safe and sound. There was a long line at the taxi line, however, it was moving quickly and I was able to get a cab in no time. When I arrived at the Athens bus station, I learned that the 11:30 bus to Leonidio had just left, and the next available bus was at 4:30. I had the next five hours to sit and wait for the bus.
The Athens bus station is… well… not as nice as an airport. It’s very hot, and unlike an airport, there are no stores or lines of cafes that can provide some diversion while you wait. I was able to find the only café with air conditioning in the entire bus station. With my little Greek I was able to order a freddo cappuccino and a pastry. I sat and listened to various episodes of Crime Junkie, a true crime podcast. The restrooms were not the ones I’m used to. Meaning, they are the kind of restrooms where you have to squat down to do your business. I therefore limited my coffee and water consumption to the minimum so I wouldn’t have to visit the facilities constantly. However, they were kept extremely clean.
I spent most of my timing reading, listening to podcasts, and watching as the café workers chased gypsies out of the café only to have them sneak back in and try to sell random items to the café patrons such as fans or packs of Kleenex. After a few hours, I grew tired of waiting. I felt that all I had done for the past three days was sitting and waiting. Sitting and waiting for the next transport where I would sit and wait to get somewhere where I would sit and wait all over again. I was growing increasingly frustrated. Athena! Help me out! Grant me some patience.
Irish Luck
As 4:30 rolled around, I left the pleasantness of the air-conditioned café and stepped into the sweltering Athens’ heat. As I waited at platform 7 for the Leonidio bus to pull up, an Irish girl asked me if I could watch her bags while she used the toilettes. In female solidarity, I agreed. When she returned, she thanked me and told me she was also headed to Leonidio.
We boarded the bus. The Irish girl sat nearby. I sat next to an older Greek man with a super fluffy white beard. Zeus? Is this you? In many Greek myths, Zeus always takes human form as a bearded elder man. Better not be testing me again!
The bus weaved through the thick Athens traffic and eventually merged onto the highway. From my window I could see the blue sea. It was beautiful! My heart jumped! I’m in Greece! I glanced over at the Irish girl. She was on a Teams meeting on her laptop. When she shut her computer, we talked for a bit.
The bus exited the highway and weaved its way through narrow, dusty farm roads, stopping at village after village. After about an hour, we drove down a road which hugged the coast. It was truly spectacular. The bus swerved over the curvature of the mountains while we enjoyed a spectacular view of the sea. But quickly, the romanticism of the journey began to wane. The curves became interminable and very quickly I felt my stomach began to turn. I glanced over at the Irish girl. She also did not look good. I saw her press a water bottle to her forehead. To my left, the older Greek man, possibly Zeus, placed his forehead on the seat in front of him and began to mutter. A wave of nausea washed over me. I quickly popped two Tic Tacs into my mouth. The icy mint provided some relief. I looked at the driver and what I saw shocked me. He was on the phone! AND smoking!!! Sometimes doing both at the same time. Oh Hermes, god of travelers. Help us!!!
Hermes answered my prayers. Soon most of the bus was empty, getting emptier and emptier with each stop. Even the older Greek man next to me had left, which meant I had more room to rest. The Tic Tacs were working. We arrived in Leonidio just after 8:30pm. As I hopped off the bus, Georgia, my friend’s sister, waved me over. She had come to pick me up and drive me to my hotel in Poulithra. As I went to meet her, she waved to another person. “Aideen, here I am.” I looked behind me and the Irish girl walked towards Georgia and I. Turns out that the Irish girl was also coming to the wedding! Yay! Now I knew someone at the wedding.
Zeus and Athena Teach Me A Lesson
Georgia drove me to the Byzantinon Hotel in Poulithra while I described my travel odyssey. When I arrived, Christos, the hotel manger was waiting for me with his mother. Byzantinon is a small family-run hotel. Christos and his parents are the owners and the employees as well. True to the Greek myths that exalt the virtues of hospitality (of which Zeus has very clear hospitality rules), Christos and his family could not have been more hospitable. They had stayed up late waiting for me. After hearing my travel story, they decided to upgrade me to a suite! They were extremely friendly. Turns out, I was the first Mexican to stay in their hotel. For dinner, Christos recommended a restaurant by the sea, which was walking distance to the hotel.
The hotel suite was marvelous with an amazing view of the sea and village. I showered to rid myself of two days’ worth of journey fatigue.
I was starving, so I walked to the restaurant Christos had recommended. It was so cute! Flowers everywhere. The sound of the sea made me smile. And then I see… Aideen, the Irish girl! She was also looking for a table. We decided to have dinner together. She was extremely pleasant. I had a very enjoyable dinner.
I also felt that I had made an important friendship that day. I have a feeling that Aideen and I will be friends for a long time. Well played, Zeus. Well played, Athena. Nothing good is achieved for free. Now, I believe that the price of this new friendship was a slight travel disruption. My Odyssey had a good ending.
Stay tuned for Part III to learn how my stay in Poulithra was reminiscent of a movie!
