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Right now I'm in Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, waiting for our flight to Athens. How we got here is something of a tale.

I managed to get out of the house fairly quickly, so I actually made it to Memorial Union early. That was lucky, because it was standing room only for many, all the way to Janesville.

The rest of the trip went smoothly, though, and Becky and Margaret were waiting right at the bus stop. Becky is certainly the planner of the group, and it does help avoid most hassles.

We had tons of time, so we stopped to exchange Euros. I got $500 worth (half for Margaret -- I'm being her bank, remember?) but I was happy to get it on my VISA. I do feel a bit odd carrying so much cash, though.

Then Margaret told us the great news: Mike proposed after graduation! We're all really happy for her. They won't have the wedding for over a year, maybe two, though.

I called Mom from the gate, and she was very enthusiastic.

To kill all those extra hours at the gate, Margaret did Pilates with me, and I did my push-ups and physical therapy on my own. Becky didn't join us, but she's certainly cheerful enough.

The airplane ride itself felt unbelievably short. Those extra hours from the west coast to the midwest really make the difference from my last trip to Europe, I guess. Plus, Air France has these great personal T.V.'s, so you can play games and choose movies on demand for free. I watched "The Incredibles" which was actually quite cute.

I was also really impressed with the food (for an airline). I had salmon (I know, I hear gagging already) with pasta, fresh bread and cheese, and I nice salad with melon, ham, and a cherry tomato.

After the film I tried to catch some snoozies to make up for the time difference (Paris is six hours ahead, apparently) and managed to do pretty well on and off for about four hours. Now it's almost noon, and I think if I can just stay up until eight or so, I'll be over any jetlag. I'm a bit headachy, but I think I'll manage -- I have two books in my carry-on.

Anyhow, at least the served coffee with breakfast. Becky kept getting more and more anxious as it became clear we would be late, and that with only a 40 minute layover. I remained optimistic. However, it took us forever to get off the plane, and then there was a long bus ride to the terminal.

As soon as we got off, we started jogging, but the signs were fairly confusing, especially in the midst of a panic. Running around like chickens with our heads cut off, we encountered a guy also headed for Athens, who I dubbed "Running Man" and we all started booking it in a mad, wild dash.

We left Becky in the dust almost immediately, and then running man took what looked like the wrong way. At least Margaret and I made our way panting to the terminal (yet it was somehow exhilirating in a way) only to find the plane had already left.

Becky didn't catch up to us until a good 15 minutes later, when Margaret and I were already through the line to the transfer desk. Luckily there is another flight, scheduled for one-something, so they put us on that (no charge, thank goodness) and gave us free meal vouchers.

So we took an early lunch, and now here we are, waiting. I do wonder if running man made it, though, as we've seen no sign of him.

Well, I guess that's all for now. (I'm so dirty and sweaty I'm a little glad you can't see/smell me.)

Our flight from Paris to Athens was uneventful. I ended up sitting next to a man from Bordeaux. He and I chatted almost the entire trip, which I really enjoyed. He also taught me a few phrases.

At the airport in Athens we had our first mishap. Katy wasn't at our meeting place. After leaving her messages we decided to head to the hotel.

We took the metro to Larissa Station. I was actually quite impressed with how clean it was. It didn't take long either, and between the three of us we made the transfer successfully.

Once we arrived, though, we had a lot of trouble, as we couldn't find the starting street of Katy's directions. Becky sought directions. After accosting a few passers-by to confirm, we did finally find one of the streets the hotel is on, and then finally, we found it: Hotel Filoxenia. It looked pretty nice from outside, and the inside was nicely decorated, with a pretty marble spiral staircase.

Much to our relief, Katy was waiting for us there: she is a pleasant, slim, tan firl. At first we were a bit cool. We were all pretty exhausted, so we started taking turns in the shower.

It was a strange setup, with a bathtub and a moveable sprayer, but I couldn't get any hot water out of it at all. With now shower curtain, the floor got doused with icy cold as well as me. But the air was so warm that it hardly mattered, once I was out.

We rose before dawn, at five. Luckily all the sleep deprivation pretty much eliminated any jet lag. We walked to a different metro terminal, and it was so beautiful. Athens seems a bit exotic, with tall apartments faced entirely with balconies covered with awnings and filled with flowers. It was cool in the pre-dawn light, but warm enough for shorts.

We arrived (typically) way too early, so I bought a small loaf of bread for breakfast. It's really a long ferry ride (we're still on it!).

Katy and I got to chat a bit by ourselves and I've really warmed up to her.

We also played cards for a bit, after I got a towel and sweatshirt to keep me warm. With no sun and plenty of wind, it gets cold out here. You'll be proud to know I won hearts by a huge margin.

The scenery is also gorgeous as we pass many small islands. So far we've made stops at Naxos and Ios, and while the architecture is especially appealing, it's drier and more desolate than I expected. I'm also still waiting for the sun to break through the haze.

Hopefully once we arrive we can go nap on the beach and then walk around the island.