These are just raw notes I may -- or may not -- flesh out more fully…just wanted to get my thoughts and memories down for now. When I lived on Santorini in 2006 I did emails to a group of friends that were really journal entries. They are all in one of my first posts on this blog. Of course, this blog is now serving as my journal for Poros! Enjoy!
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Me almost on Poros on arrival day Sept. 16, 2014
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Travel prep, the day(s) of travel, and the first 5 days on Poros:
Worrying about the dog details as always and making sure all their veterinarian requirements and country-entry requirements were in order...and of course nothing was checked at all upon arrival in Greece, nor was my
luggage checked; in the Athens airport, there was no one anywhere to check anything in Athens at the airport when I was departing the terminal and baggage-claim area. But you never know so you have to be prepared to the nth degree.
There was a very nice not-porter-but-he-stepped-in-and-acted-as-a-porter-for-me who helped me gather four very large and heavy luggages,
Karma in her crate, a very heavy carry-on bag which I checked at the door of my Aegean Airlines flight from Munich to Athens when boarding because it was farrrrrrrrr too heavy for loading into an overhead bin
(well over 8 kilos; probably closer to 30 or 40 pounds), plus my large purse…and he would not hear of taking a tip.
My friend Scott Bloom and I struggled with getting my four large pieces of luggage from 60 pounds each down to 50 pounds each to avoid the extreme overage charges from Lufthansa and then I don't think they even weighed my baggage at check-in. Again, you never know so stay on the safe side! I already had to pay extra to check in bags Nos. 2, 3, and 4 and of course Karma, my dog who flew in her crate in the hold area of the plane. NOT cheap! My other dog, Koal, who is 13.5 years old and hates flying with a passion went with me on the plane without a carrier because my doctor wrote an ESA letter for me to have a dog traveling right with me. (Google ESA if you are unfamiliar with this.)
Koal, who was on the plane uncrated with me, loves paper…any paper. On the 8-hour flight from Charlotte to Munich I had to take him in the bathroom with me twice because if I left him at the seat he would bark for me the entire time. So, coming out of the bathroom in the morning I turn around to find he has the end of the toilet-tissue roll in his mouth and is streaming it merrily up the plane aisle, happy as can be! ;-)
I was also extremely shocked and extremely pleased that neither Karma in her crate nor Koal with me on the plane and on the ground in the airport in Munich for two hours went to pee or poo not even once. Typically, Koal at age 13.5 years, goes about 16 times an hour. ;-) I was very blessed with this on our trip!
The Lufthansa superb agent at the check-in counter in Charlotte took care of many pet-related, last-minute details and then gave me two bulkhead seats for Koal and I with
him flying as my ESA. I had reserved a bulkhead seat, of course, in advance but I thought it was very nice they accommodated the situation even further by giving me an extra seat for more space. Very impressed!
Landed in Munich 30 minutes early so instead of 1.5 hours on the ground to make the connection on Aegean Airlines, Koal and I had 2 hours. Problem was with my awkward, huge and heavy carry-on, my purse, and Koal I could not maneuver up the stairs or escalators to get to the area I needed to be for our next flight. A very nice lady named Carolina from France who drives one of the carts in the airports to transport passengers from one gate to another when they need help was talked into (I begged) using her elevator key to let us go up a floor after I told her my dilemma about having had so many surgeries and not being able to handle heavy items etc. There was an older Indian woman who did NOT want to be in the elevator with a dog – heaven forbid. Oh well! Caroline then put me in touch with another cart lady who told me to stay put at the security doors and she would come back and transport me to my gate for the Aegean flight; said she would be back for Koal and I in 20 or 30 minutes. I gave it 35 minutes then started walking as we are nearing check-in time and I still need a boarding pass for Aegean and a seat assignment as this one could not be done earlier online.
As luck would have it after I stood in a rather short line and had my passport stamped in Germany and was ready to haul a-- at this point to my gate I met up with Caroline again who was shocked her colleague never came back for me and so she took me via cart to Aegean to check in.
Aegean did not have my ESA approval in their system even though I was told on the phone
on my confirmation call the day before travel that they did. They asked to see the ESA letter from my doctor and
apologized profusely for having to ask. Aegean then gave Koal and I a row of three seats on a
full flight in the first row behind “first class,” which is merely a curtain, it
seems. It was awesome to be at the front of this packed plane. A nice man from Libya came up and asked if all the seats were taken after we were in the air and I said "no" so he sat in the 3rd seat still leaving me and Koal with two seats. This gentleman was a kind soul who wanted to sit Koal in the middle seat between us. I told him the doggy was suppose to stay on the floor at my feet and he insisted if the flight attendants said anything we would just put Koal back on the floor. So, up Koal goes…and right away down Koal goes because he doesn't care to sit on the soft leather airline seat. So, then this gentleman wants to feed Koal his dinner
roll and some plain crackers; at that point I said OK because it was only 2.5 hours to Athens, much to Koal’s delight. When you fly dogs you typically don't feed them the day before the flight or the day of the flight; they are supposed to have water beforehand though due to getting hydrated on flights just like humans. Koal had
been living on water and ice for over a day at this point.
When we arrive in Athens my dear friend Katerina Papadopoulos met us after I got out of the baggage and Karma claim area; she was a godsend with a mobile phone to coordinate with Nikos of
the Pet Taxi. Nikos then met us at the curb to load up his vehicle with me, Koal, Karma, one dog crate, four large pieces of luggage, a hefty carry-on bag, and my purse. Oh, and some delicious ginger pear cookies Katerina had brought for me! ;-) We had a three-hour drive to Galatas, which is the mainland area very near Poros. this is where you get on the car ferry for a five-minute ride across the sea onto Poros. Hallelujah! We
arrived at my apartment around 7 p.m. Greek time Tuesday, Sept. 16 (we are 7 hours ahead of the East Coast of the US).
* Travel time total from Charlotte, North Carolina, airport to
my Poros apartment = a mere 19 hours. *
Did I mention…?
Forget the travel days of the mundane chicken or beef choices aboard planes. I was very impressed with Lufthansa's array of choices; I chose Asian Vegetarian and it was delicious! Did I also mention both Lufthansa and Aegean Airlines offered free drinks, cocktails, wine, beer on my flights to Greece? I only had a red wine and a Bailey's on Lufthansa and a Greek beer on Aegean. Nice touch I had forgotten most airlines offer when flying internationally…and somewhat surprised they still do these days.
Snippets about Poros so far this week:
1. Superb apartment and landlords -- Yiorgos, Dionysias, and Anastasios (Tasos) Rodis! Very nice and helpful family! I lucked out! Tasos also speaks and writes excellent English, which is invaluable. Today he sat with me and helped me order some IKEA furniture/etc., dog food, and a washing machine online for delivery to the apartment because the Web sites are all in Greek. What a blessing!
2. Sore throat and earache on
Friday, day 3, which has decided to become a stuffy head cold today, Sunday, day 5.
3. Run-in with two Greek snorkelers in the sea on a small beach near house because my
two dogs were leashed and on the beach on Sunday, day 5. The minute we stepped on the sand they stopped snorkeling and started screaming. Oy vey! Dogs are allowed on beaches here if leashed, and mine were. The Greek/dog standoff in many cases is extreme.
MOST IMPORTANT POINT SO FAR: It was very
surreal walking home from the market tonight down a lane in the village to the
sea and thinking I live here and I don't have to rush like on vacation to do
this or that before it's time to leave. No pollution, no crime, no chance of
terrorists attacking here --
it's like living in a little safe paradise bubble. I just love this! Can you tell?!
Stay tuned for more adventures…
