Ship Shape

Adamas ~ My Girl ♥ My Inspiration

She gave the directions for our workout on Thursday morning in the fitness center of our hotel before we left to go shopping. Twenty minutes of cardio.  She chose one of the treadmills, Lisa took the bike and I used the elliptical   Surprising what a difference in motivation that warm up made.  Then she led lunges with lateral raises.  Since I came home I learned that my half circle driveway is 45 lunges long one way.  How ever many I did, plus the other stuff made me notice the next day whenever I sat down, a good, happy sore. 

The shopping trip was planned with high anticipation for our last day in Greece until we got the news that it was a full-fledged bank holiday and all the shops were going to be closed.  We could hardly believe such a thing, so we took the bus to downtown Athens anyway, hoping against hope to find stores open, only to peer mournfully in shop after closed shop window.  

Lisa had a couple of losses when something didn't come out of tee-shirt tops in the wash, so there was our excuse to do what girls do best.  I had picked up only two small gifts and a book on Milos, but it was a struggle to fit them in my already full black backpack despite repacking.  We laughed that Lisa had a nice neat backpack and ours literally looked like explosions had occurred when we unzipped them.   This was because with all the repacking, I couldn't remember where things were!  I was frustrated with trying to fit it all back in - short on patience, I admit.

   Mindy and Lisa had been discussing minimalist blogs and living.   They made scaling down sound like a rather merciless process.   An especially soft, frothy coral skirt ended up on the discard pile because the top that went with it was a little too tight in the sleeves.  I was starting to wonder if I needed to stand guard over my suitcase before they started in minimizing me!  Mindy's suitcase, holding almost everything she was taking to Ethiopia for an entire year, was quite a bit of trouble to move around so she was really having doubts about taking so many things.  We left it in Athens, fortunately, along with a few of my things in it while we went to Milos Island. 

I was considering getting rid of some dead weight, too, however.  At "only" 25.5 lbs. it did not take standing very long waiting for the bus or running for the ferry to feel like it was 50 pounds.  I just take things a little slower than other people. As I listened to their discussion I realized that every item in my bag was subject to scrutiny.  I tried rolling items because Lisa said her mom claims rolling is the best use of space.  Squeezing the air out of my garments didn't seem to make them weigh less, although it did work well for saving some space.  Long term value was measured against carrying it for the short distance from the shuttle bus through the line until I would hand my bag over to the ticket agent.  I sure didn't want to part with my yoga pants which I had carried the whole trip and hadn't worn once - too hot for Greek weather.  I sure did like the arch support in that pair of flip flops.  My jacket was the wrong choice because it didn't breathe well except for that one infamous boat ride.  The light denim shirt I left in Athens would have been handy for an island layer, as I had first thought.

It had taken some effort and a firm reality check from my husband to narrow down my shoe choices to four pair for two entire weeks and many possible activities.  Tennis Shoes or Vibrams?  Would we be biking more, hiking more?  My favorite flip flops - older but not obsolete - could be due for replacement and by the end of the trip, well, they were getting kind of hard to keep on my feet and I had noticed it more just lately, trying to walk fast enough to keep up with these gals.  After lingering around some scenic view with my camera, my calves screamed bloody murder as I gripped my toes to keep them on, hurrying to catch up with my companions waiting ahead for me.  Again.   

It must have been a case of when there is a will, there is a way.    While it wasn't the section of town I hoped to shop, the tourist shops were open.   Two pair of new sandals and a new bag for my camera equipment soothed my feelings of loss when I gave up the favored flip flops and heartlessly abandoned our 30 year old camera case.  Lisa, with her command of Greek, negotiated and everyone was happy.  After checking my bag, I had two hours or so to kill at the airport,.  Found the best gifts - all things I would like to keep!  Now to part with them  and share with family as I intended.

Fresh Figs -
New Favorite Fruit  

Action Figure

Did the Stairs.  Part of my Adamas workout.

Men of renown.  In reverse:  Mihales, Kostos, Paris and ? Jeri in background.

Mindy, Sofia in our tent.  Great lady.  Slept peacefully through
my afternoon yoga session at the head of her bed
while I worked through travel stiffness.  

Pollonia ~ Yoga on the Rocks

This was taken not far from our motel and there was only one day out of five, Saturday,
 that the sea here was calm.  This area was transformed into a tropical beach with
people enjoying sun-bathing, paddle ball games and swimming.