Greece

Lisa, Drew and I just returned from vacation in Greece. It was a wonderful and relaxing time. Athens, Greece is only a 1 hour and 20 min flight from Sofia, so given it’s proximity it was one of our desires to visit while we are over here. This was our first vacation with just our own little family – we had to make some concessions due to Drew’s sleep schedule – however the payoff of experiencing new things through his eyes was very rewarding. There is so much to write about, so I’ll just try to give you the highlights:

Athens: The Parthenon atop the Acropolis, Mars Hill and all the ancient ruins along with all the history that goes with it - was all amazing yet too much to absorb in only three days time. Drew loved the Acropolis because there were many rocks for him to throw. At the Parliment, he witnessed the “Changing of the Guard”, however I think his highlight was feeding the pigeons and visiting the nearby “petting” zoo.

Antiparos Island: This was the highlight of our trip and highly recommended for anyone wanting to visit Greece especially if you have children. This is a very small island right off the island of Paros. We were impressed by the people, the architecture and the family atmosphere of the island. We stayed at an “economical” family run studio/hotel on the edge of the small port village. The accommodations were nice and the family who owned it was fantastic. It was more like a bed and breakfast as they treated us like family. Magda and Markos with their two children Ponous (19) and Margarita (16) run the Kastro Hotel. Drew loved playing with the dog, named “Lara Croft” and Ponous gave Drew his childhood toy – a 19 year old plastic buffalo to keep as a souvenir. One memorable moment for me was staying up late one evening in the hotel lobby watching the world cup (US vs Italy) with Ponous and Erik – another guest from Norway. Chatting about this and that throughout the game – the conversation somehow turned “spiritual.” Both Ponous and Erik are trying to figure out who God is and what He is all about. I was able to share who He is to me and the reasons I follow Christ vs. all the other options we have out there. It was a good conversation and a reminder to me that God is always at work – even on “vacation.” The port town of Antiparos has a narrow main (walking) street lined with cafes, restaurants and local shops. Kids ran in the street and parents played bumper buggies with all the strollers. It was safe, quite and peaceful – knowing what we know now – we wish we would have spent the whole week at Antiparos.

Paros Island: We then moved over to the main Island of Paros. We stayed at a nice hotel with a great pool and beach. Although the hotel was nice – it was in the middle of nowhere. If you wanted to visit the villages you needed to take bus or taxi. Taxies were very expensive and it took 15 min to walk to the nearest bus stop. We did take an evening trip to Naussa – a small fishing village. They had great seafood and beautiful scenery – the highlight of the Paros visit.

Things we enjoyed most:

• Antiparos
• The Acropolis
• Playing with Drew
• A step back into western culture (Starbucks!)

Things to avoid in Greece:

• Taxies – they are a rip off! (the metro is great!)
• The Plaka in Athens – very touristy (go to Psiri)

Disclaimer: This may not need to be said, however I feel that it is important to let you know that we used our tax return money to fund our vacation. I state this because I know many of you sacrificially give of your resources for us to be here. I do not want to give the impression that we are touring Europe on your funds. Lisa and I strive to be good stewards of that which you have in trusted us with.

See our (many) pictures at: http://sheppardbulgaria.shutterfly.com

“Football” Mania - World Cup

I sure hope I do not loose a lot of credibility by writing this… If I told most of you that I spent my Friday night watching football… that wouldn’t surprise most of you – but if I told you it was World Cup “soccer” a few of you would think I had lost it.

Well I find myself getting caught up in World Cup “Football” mania like the rest of Europe. Maybe it is because of the sports withdraw I’m going through, but a few of the games (2 so far) have been quite interesting – or at least they hold my attention. I think my friend Tino from KC would be proud of me (I just hope my family of “FOOTBALL” coaches don’t disown me!)

World Cup Mania is crazy here. Every café, bar, restaurant, house, apartment, TV has a World Cup game on. I guess it would be comparable to the Super Bowl or World Series coverage. It is all the Bulgarians are talking about, and according to the news, most of Europe and the other football nations in central and southern America as well.

When we first got to Bulgaria, their club team “Levski” had just advanced to the quarter-finials of the European Champions League (It’s a big deal over here). Bulgarians were going crazy – something a Bulgarian club team has never achieved before. I am actually trying to find a Levski jersey as a souvenir. In the pictures they are the team in blue. The picture with the red lights in the crowd… those are not lights… they are home made torches! Kind of makes holding up your lighter look real whimpy!

Drew also has a little soccer ball he likes kicking around. Don’t worry… I still have plenty of time to get him back on the right track when we get back home. I’m still able to keep up with my NFL teams (Chiefs, Bears and Cowboys) via the internet – however I am still exploring my options on how to watch the games over here.

Soccer may be interesting – but could never fill the void of smash mouth, trash talking, show boating, put the women and children to bed it’s time to find dinner, sport made for kings – FOOTBALL!