Many hills and 2 million olive trees

Welcome to Greece!  We spent a week on the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea. Brandon had just happened across a picture of Shipwreck Cove when he was on the internet one day and it was listed as one of the top 10 beaches in the world. So he started planning the trip!  We went at the very end of the season, a little too late actually because the season was over, but we wanted to coincide with the fall break and our anniversary. So if you want to go, go before the 3rd week in October to be safe. There is a ton of stuff to do there when everything is open, but we still managed to take a boat tour to the Shipwreck, the Blue Caves, and Xigia Bay by bus. That bay has naturally occurring sulphur and collagen in the water so if you scrub yourself with the sand you end up very smooth!

Ryanair only has flights to Zakynthos on Monday, out of Charleroi in Belgium, so we had to stay a week. (darn) We rented a car from Sixt and stayed in an apartment hotel that has a restaurant attached. Armonia Studios in Ammoudi, with Dionysis as the manager and his mother as the chef!  It was a two bedroom with a fold down futon, so Me, Brandon and Kyle were in one room, Brooke and Brice in the other, and Cody in the living room. There is also a microwave/stove, a fridge, a coffeepot and a hot water pitcher. I ended up buying instant coffee at the super market and just using the hot water. We found a couple bakeries and bought food and drinks for breakfast. Lunch was always out somewhere and most of the time we ate dinner at the hotel. Once or twice we ate dinner somewhere else just for more variety. Food was VERY cheap, you can get a gyro pita for 2€ and be full.

Brandon and I want to go back next summer for a long weekend so he can dive and we can do a kayak and more water stuff without the kids. They did have fun and we took out friend Brooke (her blog is here) to help which was awesome, she held Kyle while he slept at the waterpark, helped entertain them every night, held hands when going up and down stairs, watched them so we could go to dinner, and must have done something right because Brice wants to marry her and doesn't care what her husband has to say about it!

Ok, now for some pictures!  Day 2 there was a thunderstorm and Day 3 was super windy, so there are not as many pictures as normal for a Marsteller vacation, plus Brandon took A LOT on his big fancy camera so we can print some for the wall.  I also took some of my mom's ashes with me and spread them in two different parts of the island; once off the top of a cliff in Keri and once into the water on Ammoudi beach.  Those pictures are on the other camera.

Day 0 - October 14th

Covered Pita. This thing was monstrous. Brooke and Brandon both got one and neither of them could finish it.

 

This boy almost ate an entire plate of tzatziki. My new goal is to make mine own that is just as good!!

 

 

Day 1- October 15th

 

 

Day 2- October 16th

Day 3- October 17th (Cody's Birthday)

 

 

Day 4- October 18th

 



 Apparently I took no pictures this day. This must have been when we went to the waterpark. Everything is on Brandon's phone :( 

 

Day 5- October 19th

Rubbing the sand all over!!
 

It's milky white from the collagen

Rabbit stew!!!  He actually liked it. Tastes like pot roast.

 

 

 

First time on a boat!!

 

 

Day 6- October 20th Happy 5 year anniversary!

 

Turtle Island

 

Day 7- October 21st Time to go back home :(

This was definitely an awesome vacation. It can get to be in the 100's in the summer and it is very packed according to Dionysis. The main tourist towns are Laganes, Tsilivi, and Zakynthos Town (Zante Town). We drove around almost the whole island and could tell that these are the tourist towns. The main road in Laganes is lined with bars and clubs and can't be driven down in the summer because it is so packed with people. After the tourists leave people shut down their businesses and work somewhere else, mainly at olive presses making olive oil. There are 2 million olive trees on the island used to make the oil. It is the island's largest export. We were given a giant can from the hotel to take home, and I brought home two small bottles of garlic and rosemary infused olive oil from a local lady.

 

Sorry for the terrible picture layout, it never does what I want it to! I will try to update more often from now on :)