Some encounters make you think...

Just a few hours ago, I came back from the airport. No, I didn't fly anywhere. We rented a car for 4 days and I had to drop it off at 6pm. I underestimated the time a little and felt a rush of adrenalin pumping through my veins, because I still had to get gas and 30km to go. Anyway, everything good. After I returned the car and complained to the guy from Hertz inside the airport how shitty his GPS was (we also rented for 30 extra bucks), I met a girl in the train. She was sitting behind me and overheard how I advised two German tourist what metro line to take. She asks me if I want to sit next to her to talk for a bit. She was Greek, but spoke German pretty well.

Just ME :)

And there we go talking in the train for almost and hour and a half about so many things, like we have known each other all our lives. She explained to me that she has a job interview upcoming Monday to be a child care worker in Germany and how she was afraid that they would not understand her at the job interview an therefore not take her. We talked about how different kindergardens are in Germany and in Greece and I told her about my internship I once had in a German kindergarden. I felt so anxcious exchanging all this information in order to help her. If she gets the job, she will probably be moving to Munich, so I told her everything I knew about this beautiful city.

I find it a shame that the economic situation is so bad here and that people are so much in need to emigrate in order to make a living. I mean this girl went to university, she has an excellent education, but at the moment there are zero jobs available for her. She took part in a Muslim project in the city where she studied (North of Thessaloniki) and I told her that this would be a great reference for her if she moves to Germany due to the high percentage of Turks there. I hope for her that she gets the job and can look forward to a great future, where she can do her Master and do what she likes: teach and care for children. An incredible personality. A fascinating train ride and hopefully the beginning of another friendship. People walk in your life for a reason!! :)

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Back to the car rental thingy. So Tuesday afternoon I was so fed up that we had nothing to do, that I asked Benji if he wants to rent a car with me. Spontaneously, we booked it and went to the airport to pick it up. A nice little bright red Citroen C1. Very cute, unfortunately we forgot to take a picture, but I could have really get used to it and it was hard to give it away again today :(.

In Astros

Think big...

What did we do? Tuesday nite we just spent in Κορινθος, which is already unusual, because normally we have to the last train at 9ish to get back to Αγ. Θεώδοροι. It was nice to spent some hours at the shisha bar where Litsa works and just hang around. Wednesday we did a trip to Τρίπολη (Tripoli), a city about 100 km South-West from here. Tripoli is located in the heart of South-Greece/mainland, so no sea and no mountains around. I perceived it as very crowded and surrounded by nothingness, almost like Vegas, a city in the middle of a dessert. So we didn't stay there very long and continued East to Αστρος (Astros), a small fishermen village along the coast. After taking some nice pictures we went to a good fish restaurant and got shelter to escape from a heavy summer rain. The food was again excellent - I will really especially miss the fresh, high quality fish dishes from Greece... Let me briefly tell you the story of the waiter. A Romanian guy, who studied civil engineering and was recommended by a professor to work for a Greek company. 

Tripoli

Also Tripoli

They exploided him to such an extended that he quit and through another connection, he was able to stay in Greece and work in Astros in the fish restaurant as a waiter. This is his second year there and also the last one, as he said. The crises is forcing him to leave; tourists don't visit Astros as much, because people are lacking money so no turnover for the restaurant. His next destination Switzerland. He doesn't know much German, but wants to learn it. His Greek (as far as I can tell) was good and he said he also learned just by listening people talk. His English fluent and very good. I believe he can make it, but what a life story again to move from country to country to hope for a better future...

After Αστρος our trip continued to Ναφλιο, where we also stayed only for a short while. This city has put a spell on me and embodies a dream. A dream I only want to live with one person :) So being there without this person makes this city only have half as pleasurable...

Ireon lake, sooo nice!!

Thursday we took a little break and I only took the car to Κορινθος where I hung out at Nargiles (the shisha bar) again the whole day. Yesterday we took the chance, because the weather is finally becoming warm here and went to a very pretty lake. The month of May was particularly very untypical for Greece, according to the locals. It should have been warmer already a lot earlier than June. Ιρεον (Ireon) was the name of the lake we went to, which is located about 30km north of Λουτράκι; along the way: many hills, curves and a beautiful view onto the Gulf that connects Λουτράκι and Κορινθος. We enjoyed the idyllic atmosphere, sun and a nice game of ping pong - not table tennis (a game every Greek place at the beach) for several hours. Nice day, which finished off again at the shisha bar and a cherry hukka (after eating suhsi at the casino in Λουτράκι). It was Latin night at Nargiles; the owner had hired several dancers to engage the guests in samba, rumba and chachacha. Great feeling, it made me anxcious to dance again myself! :) Maybe already back in Breda in the beginning of September... who knows^^.

So that's what's new. Three more weeks left in this beautiful country with its even greater people. Looking forward to every minute!

#Fun facts of today#

1. Greek people tend to ask you for your star sign within the first couple of sentences they get to know you. I find this interesting, because it shows how much they believe in astrology.

2. I don't know how it is possible that the tap water tastes so different at three different places in one city (Κορινθος). SO STRANGE!