Atlanta ~ Brussels ~ Athens ~ Heraklion [Oh My]

The journey from Atlanta to Heraklion was uneventful.  My time in Brussels was limited, but I spent enough time there to know I’d like to return for an extended visit.  During the landing decent I saw a couple of trains traveling thru immaculate greenery and was reminded of my desire to travel thru Europe via train one day.

The lady sitting next to me on my flight from ATL ~ BRU was meeting her sister in Brussels and they were driving to Paris to visit her mom for a week.  She was born in Switzerland and currently resides in Greenville, SC where she raised her son and daughter.  She has a few well traveled grandchildren and now calls the US home.  When I asked why she wasn’t traveling via train she frowned, said there wasn’t a direct train to Paris from Brussels, and wasn’t a fan of the trains in general.  Her opinion of the trains wasn’t a deterrent for me…a Euro train ride is still on my bucket list.

The irresponsible kid that stills thrives within me wanted to be adventurous and get a small taste of Brussels during my 3 HR layover via taxi, airport shuttle, etc.  My travel buddies convinced me that wasn’t a good idea so I had to soak up what I could in the airport.  Everyone I encountered was extremely welcoming.  Even the customs agent were friendly, told jokes and made what can be a cumbersome process pleasant.  A part of me wishes I tried the Belgium Waffles in the airport but that’s probably because my stomach is still on EST, and I’m writing this blog at 2 AM local time. :/

I have a few takeaways I’d like to share about my flight from BRU ~ ATH.  My 3 hr Aegean airlines flight from BRU ~ ATH cost me 117 [EUR] and included:

1. Baggage

2. Full Meal

3. Alcohol

4. Standard Beverage

4. Coffee | Tea

Booking a separate flight from BRU ~ ATH outside of Delta saves thousands of skymiles and/or hundreds of dollars.  Thanks to Celine for this awesome tip!!  I was aware most international flights include the perks above, but that price was amazing!  WTF Delta?!

Side Note: Since most international flights are boarded from back of plane 1st [which makes sense] if you have carry on luggage you don’t want to check, you probably want to strategically pick seat close to rear of plane.

When I arrived at the resort it was dark so I don’t have many photos to share.  I did however meet one of the resort bartenders Popi  who greeted us with champagne when we arrived. Amy [who I just met today in Greece] and I have befriended Popi and Hristos [Chris], had a few FREE drinks | shots, closed down the bar and will continue to do so the duration of our stay.

Popi [pictured above] is also teaching us a bit of Greek! Today I learned how to say Cheers and Drink Up [not going to attempt to spell]!  My body isn't sure if it's still today or technically tomorrow right now, but I do know I need to spend time with Popi each night I’m here before ending my day.

Amy has lived in a couple of countries in Europe and is helping me to understand things like why I’m not supposed to flush toilet paper due to “old plumbing or inadequate spetic” but instead put it in trash [I’ve noticed my inside voice shouting I’m an American the way Nana does when talking to support reps from other countries during these conversations]. I'm really looking forward to the next few days!