Time with the Rents

So I apologize for the lack of entries.  Internet access has been sparse and we have been busy being hte  ultimate tourists.  The past week was spent in Santorini, Crete, and now Athens.  Everything has gone splendidly well and all the reservations and accomodations have been flawless (well almost).  Our only hiccup was arriving in Santorini at midnight and getting to our hotel with no one there.  Luckily mom and dad thought it wise to keep my Greek cell phone and we were able to reach hotel staff and get let into our room.  We spent one day in Santorini walking from Thira to Oia (6 miles) along the rim of the volcano and had breath-taking views followed by a gorgeous sunset.  The nest day we explored another part of the island (well mainly the black sand beach).  Santorini had a lot more to offer than I thought after my previous visit.  That afternoon we took a hight speed ferry to Crete.  Why haven't I been traveling high speed this whole time! It was amazingly fast, almost like a train.  It was a perfect way for me to end my time ferries (I've been on approximately 17 ferries since March).  Crete was my favorite island with my parents.  We sent a day exploring (and driving to) Chania.  This was a very cute little city on the water that reminded me of Venice without the canals. Dad had one of the best meals of his time here there at breakfast (a 2 pound omelet) and was full for the rest of the day.  We spent the rest of our time in Crete split between the beach and ruins like the Palace of Knossos.  We also got a chance to see Alounda, a town that we all agreed we would like to stay in next time if we stayed in Crete for longer.  Our accommodations in Crete were the most interesting. We are now really appreciating the Marriot here in Athens.  In particular I am enjoying it and Starbucks as a little taste of home before I begin my hostel tour of central Europe.  Athens has been fun but hot and we definitely have gotten our fill of ruins.  Mom is in love with the Parthenon and we enjoy going to the roof at night to see it lit up.