Days Are Numbers

"Remember;
Days are numbers.
Count the stars.
We can only go so far.
One day, you'll know where you are."
- The Alan Parson Project



1 - week we planned to be away on vacation.
2 - weeks we were gone total.
3 - countries we have visited this week (Greece, UK, Finland).
4 - different hotel rooms we have slept in the past 2 weeks.
5 - times we had to reschedule our flight from London Heathrow to Helsinki.
6 - and a 1/2 hours at the airport Saturday before going to another hotel.
7 - minutes to run down 27 gates in Heathrow airport to board our plane before it takes off!
8 - minutes past 0200 Monday, we were finally at our door step.
9 - minutes is all it took for the boys to fall asleep.
10 - years until I ever want to think about returning to London.

But we are home and I never thought I would be so glad to return. Unfortunately, none of our luggage, car seat, or stroller made it. That includes both our cameras with over 500 pictures of nothing but 'fun in the sun.' Hopefully it will get delivered to us soon so we can get them posted.

London Homesick Blues

"Well, when you're down on your luck,
and you ain't got a buck,
in London you're a goner...
And I'll substantiate the rumor
that the English sense of humor
is drier than than the Texas sand.
You can put up your dukes,
and you can bet your boots
that I'm leavin' just as fast as I can."
- Jerry Jeff Walker

Another vacation , tied to our first is over! London was a city on our list to visit while living abroad...now been there, done that.

Despite being the most expensive city in Europe, we had a good time. We visited the famous Hamleys and could only exit the store with both boys kicking and screaming, took the Original Tour of London on top of a double decker red bus, and got our daily Starbucks fix. We experienced the London Underground, Heathrow express, and even got our cell phone stolen at McDonald's unitl Daddy realized what the theif was doing and chased after him (the guy dropped it on the last table and ran outside into the busy street...almost getting hit by a 'double decker red bus'...talk about karma!) We shopped and watched the entertainers in Covent Garden and ate ice cream in Leicester Square. On all our excursion we were only hit by a few rain drops.

Delay after delay and cancellation after cancellation, we were lucky to board the Sunday night flight taking us to Helsinki...a city (small town after being in London) I finally feel comfortable calling "home."

England

"Somebody told me the last word they heard her say was England.
Somebody said that she mentioned the airline and the fare.
Now I wonder if's she's there."
- Jimmy Buffett

Yes...until Saturday!

We departed our resort at 1030 Wednesday thinking our flight would be leaving Greece at 1255 as scheduled. Once we arrived to the airport, the flight had been delayed until 1830. We kept our attitudes positive and the boys remained in a good mood the entire time.

We finally landed at London Gatwick at 2305 (2 hour time change) and proceeded to the hotel. Since there was such a long delay, we missed our connecting flight to Helsinki. This morning we turned on CNN to discover that the UK and USA named the terror alert "critical." This is causing major delays if not cancellations at all airports. Not willing to take the risk or put the boys through another long day at any airport, we changed our flight out of London once again, until Saturday.

So now we have 3 days of vacation and are able to tour another European city! Looking forward to see all the sights that London has to offer.

In The Summer Sun of Greece

"In the summer sun of Greece,
Dreaming under orange trees.
In the summer sun of Greece,
Dancing in the cooling breeze.
There's no time for sorrow and for tears."
- A La Carte

Kos is an amazing island caught in between Greek and Turkish cultures. It is not your postcard perfect isle like Mykonos or Santorini covered with hillsides of white painted casas with ocean blue doors. The builing style is more Mediterranean like with butter colored homes topped with a clay tile roof.

Tourism is definitely their top source of income, reminding me a lot of Mexico. Locals will bend over backwards to make sure your stay is perfect and hope for your return next holiday. The streets are busy with rented scooters, bikes, and 4-wheelers who compete with taxis and pedestrians claiming the right-of-way.

The weather is unbeatable reaching the high 80's daily and not a cloud in the sky. Evenings and nights cool off the island with the breeze from the Aegean Sea.

Kos is filled with history, dating back to ages we can only dream about. Hippocrates birth place, the first hospital, Ancient Odeon, Central Therme, and the Asklepion are a few of the main historical attractions. The island also has a few castles, Thermes (a natural sauna), miles of sandy or pebble beaches...your choice, and tons of restaurants and discos to pass the night away.

Vacation

"Vacation,
All I ever wanted.
Vacation,
Had to get away.
Vacation,
Meant to be spent alone."
- The Go-go's


We just completed a 7 night vacation in Kos, Greece...one of my dream destinations. Our family spent the mornings at the pool or beach followed by lunch and a 2-3 hour nap. While the boys napped, Daddy and I would take turns touring the island on our rented scooter or soaking up the Aegean rays without distraction.

We then would all return to the pool for a few more hours then head of to the resorts indoor/outdoor playground, the highlight of Big and Little's day. Finally it would be time for dinner, our nightly milk shake, and bed only to hurry up and fall asleep so we can start the routine over again.

4 bottles of sunscreen and 3 novels later, our vacation "seemed" to be coming to an end. If we only knew at that time we were starting another ...this time in London, England.