Sabbatical Day 14

July 3, 2004--Day 14
Today is my 30th birthday. I opened a card my brother gave me before I left. It contained 30 Euros. It took me about a half hour to figure out the significance. We’re on our way to Delphi. The bus and all the passengers went across the Gulf of Corinth on a ferry, crossing from the Peloponnese to Central Greece. They are constructing the world’s longest (?) suspension bridge, which would presumably take the place of the ferry service. Before we crossed over, we stopped for morning refreshments in Patras. Steve bought me a chocolate donut to serve as my birthday cake. Across the street was the church of St. Andrew (hAgios Andreas), the largest Orthodox cathedral in Greece. We are driving along the Gulf of Corinth, with its beautiful blue water and fish farms. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant wide a wide selection of seafood, including “octapus.” I had pork chops… what I would really like is a turkey sandwich. I am also disappointed that none of the restaurants I’ve been to serve hummus. I thought it was a Greek dish because they serve it at the Greek restaurant back home.

I attempted to do laundry last night. I should have waited until the cruise, as my clothes did not dry overnight. I had a bit of a scare this morning when I couldn’t find my money belt and passport—they were buried in my suitcase. Repacking every morning is getting old… it should be nice to be on the cruise ship several nights.

The couple in the seats in front of me are Stephen and Judy from Los Angeles. The Joneses are from Idaho. They sit up front behind the driver. The Italian family also sits up front, behind Marilena, the tour guide. Both of the girls have some difficulty walking, but their spirit has brightened the tour bus. They serve as translators for their parents, who speak little English. Jacinta and Morick (?) sit to the right of me. They are teachers from Australia. In the back are two young women from Sydney. There is another family toward the back. The dad is from Greece, and the mom is apparently from Argentina. I believe they live in Philly. That leaves Bill and Loretta, a couple from NYC. Our tour guide is Marilena and the bus driver is Demetrius.

Walking in the Footsteps of St. Paul: 25490 steps