A Mediterranean Fall

While everyone is posting pics of halloween decor, carmel apples, and fall scenery, I am sitting in 70 degree weather Google-ing "Does Greece have canned pumpkin?" so I can bake pumpkin chocolate chip cookies...chances aren't looking good. I didn't actually realized how much I loved Fall until being out here and not being able to participate in my typical Fall traditions; however, I am sure I will feel that way about every season and holiday, even the small ones, while I am here just because it is different from what I am used to. Soon enough I will probably be writing about how much I am missing Earth Day haha. But I can't complain, I am in Greece and I am loving our experience here! Plus, Rusty and I have watched Mean Girls and Hocus Pocus, which have gotten me in the Fall spirit.

So far, Rusty and I have spent most our days walking around town. We have been to an electronics store called Public, so often we have become friends with an employee there named Alex. Alex is around our age and she can speak English pretty well. While we were in Public, I asked Alex if Greece celebrates Halloween and they do! But, in February, and they don't trick or treat or carve pumpkins, so I am interested to see what their so called Halloween is like. They do have a holiday to celebrate winning a war on October 28th. According to Alex, everything will be closed that day and they will have a big parade and roast whole lambs. I am excited to experience my first Greek holiday!

Since we had to go to Public, Rusty and I decided to take pictures around the center today. Rusty purchased a tripod for our camera called a TrekPod right before we left for Greece. He saw an Asian family using it while we were hiking and had to have it. If you don't already know this, Rusty is a big shopper, which I love because we can shop together. However, Rusty can find something he wants pretty much anywhere we go, so, when he told me he was going to purchase the TrekPod, I thought it was just another random thing that he wanted to buy...but I have to admit, now that we are out here using it, I think it was a great purchase!

Rusty and his TrekPod

One of our regular eating spots- It's cheap and they play American music!

A make-up store kind of like Sephora- I was so excited when I found this! 

As for some exciting news...I got a new phone that I can use here in Greece! So far it has two contacts. Here it is in all its silver glory!...Doesn't it really take you back? haha

We also got a new washing machine delivered to us. Of course, the words on the front of it are all in Greek, so I used Google translator for every word. I am glad Rusty was home when the washing machine got delivered because the delivery guys called from outside our apartments and when I answered the phone, they were speaking quickly and loudly in Greek. They could not speak any English. We were expecting a washing machine to be delivered, so I assumed that's what it was about and buzzed to let them in. If Rusty wasn't home, I would have been scared to let them in because I had no idea what they were even saying! 

After a fun day of photo ops, Rusty and I made dinner! Rusty and I have started cooking some meals- or should I say Rusty has started cooking meals haha! It's a little difficult to find things to make because the grocery stores here are a lot different than the ones in the US, so we have been sticking to pasta. When we first moved into our apartment, they had given us a few items, including a couple pots and pans. One of the pots was tiny, as you can see in the pic below. I wondered what it was for, but then we lifted the cover to our stove and saw the tiniest, little burner. We have actually been using the tiny pot to cook our pasta sauce. I was getting a little tired of eating out because there is not much variety in food here. They basically have pizza, pasta, club sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, meat with potatoes or rice, and gyros. Everything comes with fries. They put fries inside gyros and chicken sandwiches and on the side of everything else. They don't have many healthy options. Although, I am sure as time goes on, we will discover more and better food.