What Europeans do mean by "All Inclusive" are things like

What they do mean by "All Inclusive" at least at the Appolonia Beach Hotel in Amadara Crete is

Incredible landscape

Views ensured, even if you're already outside

A white horse - I mean yes yes, probably most all inclusive have a white horse, but this one slept outside under the trees with the hotel dog,

All the alcohol a girl can drink in a week, and let me tell you, between me and Corrie we got some value for dollar, yes we did. Proud to say it too.


This is just a dining room, what's funny about it, is that it is not the dining room where we were supposed to be eating. There was another all inclusive right next to ours. On our first day there, we were wondering around, turns out around the wrong campus, and just stopped for breakfast in what was obviously the place to eat. I'm so glad it was a mistake (all though no one stopped us or inquired after our blue bracelets - everyone there was wearing yellow - huh, would have been easy to pilfer) because the food was gross. The next morning, we were much relieved to have a beautiful breakfast at our joint.
Of course roses were plentiful and the views were inspiring.

Four pools, but this was the prettiest.

And the best of all, this resort had an Irish guy that, I thought, looked a fair bit like my uncle Dave. At the time of the sighting, I thought he looked exactly like my uncle Dave, but after the wine wore off, I see that it's just a likeness. Still, it was really funny asking this very nice Irish man who lives North of Belfast if he would take a picture with me because he reminded me of my Uncle Dave. He was humoring me for sure. Quite a lovely hug isn't it? :) Very Uncley.

When Europeans say "All Inclusive" they don't mean...

They don't mean this incredible ocean side drive in Rethimno, Crete.







Nor are they referring to the wonderful sight seeing opportunities all over the largest of the Greek Isles.



They don't mean ancient still functioning centuries after they were first inhabited and on the public bus route as a matter of course.



They don't mean villages tucked in to the mountain side, and the sea side, and the hill side, and all the other sides.

They don't mean doorways full of bright colors, flowers and plants, stacks of wood or just stacks of stuff, chairs in places that seem wrong but end up being exactly right. No. This was not at the All Inclusive.


They don't mean a gorgeous bakery that sells the most divine baklava and baklava-like pastry that a girl like me has ever experienced.

They don't mean beautifully constructed Greek Orthodox churches, more ornate and colorful inside than any Italian Duomo I have visited, despite it's simple but beautiful exterior.


And certainly that all inclusive does not provide that modern day Sheep Herder for it's guests to ponder. No not at all.

The Isle of Wight

Ah yes, the British Isles. First, let me just say that I feel a bit like I've been on a work/travel binge, as in, when I am not doing one, I am most surely doing the other. I quit my job, which means I worked lots and lots of hours to make sure I could comfortably leave my job. Then I looked for a new job, which also felt like work and took up my time. Then Corrie quit her job and decided she needed to see everything she hadn't before she leaves England so - here is a record of a weekend away to Isle of White. The picture to the left is seascape interestingly named "The Needles". Apparently the rock formation that actually looked like a needle feel into the sea some time ago, and I, of course, thought that was very funny. Well, not the rock formation falling into the sea, but the fact that the remaining rocks are stuck with the name of the rock no longer there.

Here we have a fabulous pier in a super-cute harbor town. The pier is nice, but the seafood I had at a pub called Salty's was better. Way better. Mussels with onion - I know, but it was sooooo good. A whole lobster, but cold - again, it's odd but it was just divine. The whole thing was served with a huge order of french fries. I didn't except to enjoy coupling french fries with Lobster and Mussels, but I did. I really, really did.






Ah, now the picture below is funny. I am way too old to indulge in events like this, but I can't stop myself. Corrie and I booked a weekend tour to the Isle of White, so we were on a coach style bus with a bunch of strangers. On Saturday night Corrie and I went into the sea-side arcade and played Dance Nation, which I love regardless of how age inappropriate it is for me to be stomping around with my hip-hop dance stylin moves on a video game alongside the 8 - 12 year old crowd. You only live once. I didn't know any of those 8 - 12 year olds. I threw caution to the wind. Anyway, to make a long story short, the dancing made me feel kinda wild, and I started to video-game gamble on the 2 pence machines. In the end I spent about 2 pounds, spread the gamble fever to the two girls, also on our tour, that you see pictured with Corrie and I, and I gave each member of my cheer squad a piece of my winnings for their support and encouragement. The spoils were killer. 3 key-chains and a button. We all wore them with pride. After that, the rest of the night was a hard come-down.












On the ferry back to England, we got a glimpse of the Queen Mary II. Lots of people on deck. I wonder how much it costs to sail across the Atlantic on a ship that old and that posh? Perhaps I'll travel home that way.

Below is Corrie sitting in a tea house where we had a tasty and decedent cream tea lunch. I took this pic because the tea house appeared normal in that it was tiny, flowery and employed 2 seemingly over fifty women to serve tea and scones. It was funny because the decor was all about bats. Little plastic bats hung everywhere. No year round Halloween theme or anything like that, just bats. It made me laugh and reminded me of my dear old former house on Emerson Ave N. I had so many bats in that house my doctor gave me the rabies vaccination and my health insurance paid for it. Seriously.

Lots of funny stuff around this island. This is a go-kart track. No big deal, I know, until you notice that it is surrounded by cardboard city-scape and the track is complete with roundabouts. My dad would love taking a spin on this one.


I don't get the whole thatched roof thing, but I love the look of them. There were areas of the island that reminded me a little bit of the Cotswolds. Cute cute cute.


And finally, the raw beauty of the Island coast line. A good weekend overall.

I'm so lucky to be able to do all of this! I love it. I miss home more and more, but I do love living here.