Our Greek Odyssey came to an end on Thursday, November 16th. We got up, had a last room service breakfast, and went down to The Living Room on Deck 2 to wait for our group. We were in "White 3." They lumped us in bus load sizes based on our flight times.
We were herded off to the Piraeus port terminal at 8 am to identify our luggage that was taken off the boat the night before.
As you might imagine, there was a massive amount of luggage. After we identified our baggage, it was loaded onto a trolly for us and we walked to the bus.
I'm sure this guy got a good workout today. The disembarkation process went very smoothly for us. I almost left my key card in the room though. This would have been a major mistake as it was needed to get off the boat.
The traffic was backed up by the time we left, and the drive was 1 1/2 hours instead of the usual 45 minutes.
I noticed a lot of graffiti in all the bigger cities. I suppose a lot of people feel the need to be seen and heard and they find creative ways to express themselves on buildings, roads, or any smooth available surface.
We arrived at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in plenty of time for our 12:25 pm flight, despite the crawling traffic. When we found our gate, we had to wait in another line to have passports and boarding passes checked one more time. I was pulled out of line for the "special" treatment. Maybe I looked suspicious. IDK. The waiting area was pretty bare bones compared to others we passed along the way. Many people from our cruise were on the same flight.
Our flight was long. 11 hours. We felt ragged by the time we reached Newark International Airport. I think even if we hadn't been tired we would still have felt pulverized by this place. The walk from the arriving gate to Customs and Homeland Security seemed endless. Then the line for passport checks was ridiculous. I had to ask myself why there were so few people working when there were so many arrivals.
After passport checks, we had to claim our luggage just to turn around and stand in line to have it rechecked.
Then we took an Airtrain to a different terminal for departure. But even when we got off the train, we still had to take a shuttle bus to get to the terminal. Then we stood in another long line to go back through TSA security.
By the time we found our gate we felt really mistreated. I thought the 4 hour layover was excessive, but in the end I'm grateful we had the cushion of extra time.
I'm just saying- that airport was not kind to us.
As I looked at my suitcase, it seemed to be telling me a story of all the adventures we have taken- Scotland and Ireland, Hawaii, and now Viking Cruises, Greece, and Turkey.
We stopped at our traditional homecoming taco place, Taqueria La Tapatia, in Cedar Park for breakfast. Instead of tacos we went inside for a huge Mexican breakfast. Oh my goodness, how I have missed real refried beans. I have been deprived of red beans for almost two weeks, and I was so ready for this happy reunion.
The next happy reunion happened at The Pet"s Hotel. We were all so happy to be a family again. They got bacon treats.
Honey B literally tried to run all the way to the truck.
Home sweet home. We found everything just as we left it.
Our Odyssey was a beautiful trip. Viking did so many things right. We loved the luxury of the ship, the service was outstanding, and we found ourselves feeling attached to several staff. Even inviting them to come visit us. Gede from Bali, James from The Philippines, Igor from Macedonia, and Asinthe from Kathmando all treated us so well. We left feeling like we had made new friends.
We found a new oasis in Explorer's Lounge listening to James sing and play guitar. This place created for us the memories of a haven- away from troubles and cares. Just to rest and enjoy.
The downside- the travel to get there was grueling for us at times. But we did it. Time change and sleep is always a problem. No Crown Royal on the boat. The trip was expensive, but we felt like we got the luxury we paid for. We saw some amazing sights and made some beautiful memories. I'm so grateful.
Every trip is like a metaphor of life for me. A beginning, a middle, and an end. Beginning with excitement of adventure and ending with the gratitude and solace of returning home.
We are so very glad we went and so happy to be home.
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