Greece - The (Mostly) Unillustrated Version

Written by Megan: I suppose we'll have to cross our fingers that we find these photos, but I want to get this post out before I forget what we did in Greece. I'll post the photos separately if we ever find them. Until then, this lovely pic of the tomb of the unknown soldier will have to suffice as the sole proof that we visited this ancient land (I'm the tiny person at the bottom).
The very day that my parents left Ireland (way back at the end of June) was the same evening that Nate and I boarded a plane to begin our trip to Greece and Cyprus. What an insane turnaround! Regardless, it was an amazing trip - one of the longest vacations we've ever taken, other than our wedding - or the fact that we've spent the last year in an alternate reality, interspersed with vacations!
We started our trip in Athens, exploring the Acropolis and Parthenon. It was so surreal to explore ruins that were around 5000 years old. We were disappointed that we couldn't actually go inside the Parthenon, but it's understandable considering how many tourists go there each year - it must be hard preserving a 5000-year-old temple that is still exposed to the elements!
Everywhere the Greeks do any digging, they uncover ancient artifacts. When Athens built its subway system, they kept uncovering more ruins - so every metro station is its own mini-museum with the artifacts from that site on display. (Imagine a pic of the Parthenon here)
Shortly after we arrived, we took a four-day cruise around several Greek Islands. I think we picked the right place for Nate's first cruise, especially since we didn't know much about the islands.

Our two favorite Islands:
Patmos - smaller, more laid back and less crowded than the other islands. We visited the cave where St. John apparently wrote the apocalypse!
Santorini - the middle of this island sunk into the sea over 1000 years ago during a volcanic eription. This is supposedly the lost island of Atlantis, and I believe it. It was indescribably gorgeous. We sat on a cliffside cafe in the midst of pristine white-washed buildings and sipped cocktails - I don't think it's possible to have a bad view on this island. (Imagine a pic of Santorini here)

After our cruise, we finished up the Greek part of our trip by taking day trips out of Athens. We visited the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, where the ceremony of the Oracle was once held. Sounds like the women who were mediums for the Oracle were taking some strong stuff in order to make their prophesies! (Imagine a pic of the temple)
We spent a total of six nights in Athens when all was said and done. We actually started recognizing a few locals after a while. One shopkeeper was out walking her dog one night and chatting with friends - we had purchased a few small paintings from her just a few days earlier. It was fun feeling like "long-term" tourists! One of our favorite moments was watching the world cup final match in an outdoor cafe - cheering on the Italians with a bunch of people who didn't speak our language. I admit, I'm a football/soccer novice, but it was hard to avoid getting caught up in the world cup fervor.
Stay tuned for our post on Cyprus - we really felt both countries deserved separate write-ups.