Wrapping up Patras
The past few days have been easygoing. Rain was forecasted for a couple of days, so we didn't plan to go anywhere. As we have found out, that can change quickly. One of the days, it only rained after dinner, and it was sunny for most of that day. We've seen that happen several times. In the future, we should make plans even for rainy days since there's a good possibility for it to be nice. Down days like these and more active days help the trip feel more fulfilling. We give ourselves time to get comfortable in the apartment we are staying in, and we hear and see more of what goes on in the neighborhood. It gives us a more connected feeling to where we are. There is a little store across the street, and we've occasionally gone there to get random things. Whenever we've left to go somewhere, it's always been the same way out of the neighborhood, so we decided to take a stroll in the opposite direction. It was a lovely walk, and we came across a park we didn't know existed. Little experiences like that add variety to our many significant experiences on this adventure.
Since we had such a good time at the last beach we visited, we wanted to return and spend the day there. The forecast was sunny all day and the warmest day since we arrived. People were swimming the last time we were there, and some of us wanted to do the same. We packed our lunch, towels, swimsuits, and some games for the afternoon. It was a 40-minute walk, and we passed areas we had not been through yet. Instead of the day being sunny, it was overcast. We could barely see the mountains behind the city and across the bay because of a haze masking the peaks. It almost looked like rain at a glance, but thankfully, it wasn't. As we got closer to the beach, we walked through an area with small olive groves and overgrown fields with gated-off homes. The fields were a tangle of bamboo and tall reeds. The youngest two found long, dry bamboo poles to carry with them, so they were happy. The overgrowth came up to the roadside so you couldn't see anything beyond. It felt like we were in a different place without the sights and sounds of the city and neighborhood.
The end of this road came to an intersection across from a parking lot for an abandoned sailing club. We quickly followed the edge of the parking lot and saw the beach. The water was choppy, and the wind strengthened as we got closer. When we arrived at the open beach, the wind hit us. It was blowing so hard that I needed to hold my hat to keep it on. The wind was steady and not just strong gusts either. Well, crap, there goes our relaxing beach day. The youngest two still wanted to play near the water and make the most of whatever time we had there. My oldest and I walked further down the beach to see if there was anything worth seeing. We found a nature path by what looked like marshlands and cut through a bunch of bamboo again. There was a small building overlooking the tall reeds, so we went there to escape the wind. It wasn't as bad here, but it was still constant. I walked back to let the others know where we were. My wife had had enough of the wind, so I stayed with the other kids, who were having fun despite the conditions, while she walked over to the building. They ran back and forth, and as the waves came in and out, I sifted through the pebbles, looking for anything interesting. I was happy to find several small seashells. These will be a friendly reminder of Greece.
After a while, the kids and I walked over to the others. There were few people out because it was the middle of the day on a Wednesday and blustery at the beach. We had the little building to ourselves, so we sat down, had lunch, and did our family scripture study. When it was time to leave, we followed the nature path on our way out. The youngest two still had their bamboo poles, so I kept my distance while they had fun. I hoped nobody would get whacked. The path came out at a familiar junction, so we walked back the way we knew. Tanya and the youngest two made a detour to the grocery store while my oldest and I walked back. We are approaching the end of our stay in Patras and are just starting to get familiar with several parts of the city. That's OK, though. I would rather stay long enough to gain that little bit of familiarity instead of not.
The next day, we got a taste of the medical system in Greece. Tanya was having persistent pain for about two weeks, so we decided to see a doctor. Searching for a clinic that would take walk-ins was difficult because of the translation from Greek to English. We contacted the ex-pat group, who recommended a guy who helps them at a particular pharmacy. After we talked to him, he recommended a doctor down the street so we could find out more. While there, he realized Tanya's issue wasn't his specialty and recommended us to a clinic across the square. He did do an ultrasound, and it cost us 40 euros. At the next clinic, they needed a urine sample. They would run two tests; one would come back in a couple of hours, and the other would be the next day. He would email us the first results, and we would go from there. By the way, the sample was only 15 euros. After these appointments, we walked over to the same place we had Greek doughnuts before. We love these so much and wanted to get them again. We tried two new flavors, and they didn't disappoint.
Since we would leave in a few days, we walked to the bus station to get our tickets. This way, we would already have our tickets if we ran late or anything unexpected happened while trying to leave. After we got home, we got an email from the doctor about the sample results. He recommended a follow-up with another doctor because of the result. We responded, and he made an appointment for later that afternoon. Luckily, the doctor was only a 20-minute walk away. When the time came, Tanya and I went there together. It was a small office with a receptionist and one doctor. We didn't wait long for another person to finish their appointment before we could go in. This room was the doctor's office and exam room, with her desk on one end and the examination table and supplies on the other. The visit was one of the best I've ever experienced.
The office environment was so quaint and it resulted in a more personal visit. The doctor asked the usual questions about Tanya's symptoms and medical history. However, she wasn't just going through a questionnaire. She wasn't marking answers on anything. I didn't doubt her ability as a doctor due to her multiple degrees on the wall and a shelf full of medical books across from her desk. Seeing how genuine she was in finding out what she needed was wonderful. Tanya showed her the ultrasound results from the first doctor and explained our adventure of going from one place to another. The doctor said she disliked the lack of organization with the medical system in Greece and wished it hadn't been so hectic for us. However, having the ultrasound results helped her know what the problem was not, so it was good we had it done. After her initial questions, she had Tanya go to the exam table. She went through her examination with good results. After this, they returned to her desk and discussed her thoughts and the best prescription. Our appointment was at 4:30, and it was approaching 6:00. The receptionist came in after a minute and said she was getting worried. It must have been because the appointment was so long.
In our discussion, the doctor asked about our being in Greece. We told her about our trip, and she was very interested. She said she was jealous in a good way, which meant she truly appreciated what we were doing. Her receptionist came in again and asked a similar question, so we told her the same thing. This resulted in a small conversation, and we left at 6:40. I felt bad since they were supposed to close at 5:00, but the doctor never acted rushed or annoyed. She truly wanted Tanya to get better, and it showed the entire time. This visit cost us 50 euros. We said goodbye and walked around the corner, literally, to the pharmacy. By the way, pharmacies are all over the place. The prescription cost 21.58 euros. So this entire medical experience cost us 126.58€. We purchased travel insurance before we left, but this was without proof of insurance. You can get medical care here without insurance if you can pay. It really worked out to our benefit.
The following few days, we stayed at the apartment. Tanya needed to get all the rest she could and stay on a schedule of taking medication and drinking lots of water. We didn't want to tax her system with more activities. Not going out gave us time to do laundry, pack our things, clean the apartment, and thoroughly check to ensure we didn't leave anything behind. Our last Sunday was Easter. We had hoped to go to a church but with Tanya recovering we did our own service again. One interesting thing about Easter in Greece is they don't celebrate it until May. Despite this, it was our day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It would be time to leave the next day. We missed a museum we had planned to visit, but health is more important. Since we could see everything else we planned on, overall, it felt like a fulfilling visit.
The bus we needed to catch out of Patras left at 2:45 PM, so we weren't rushed on our last day. This helped us be better prepared to go, and we were able to meet the owner for a "check-out process." We could catch a bus to the central station, but they are usually not on time, so we got taxis again. It was better to get there earlier than planned for peace of mind. Since these buses go long distances to and from cities, not just local routes, they are on time. We caught our bus, and it was about 3 hours to our next destination, Ioannina. We stopped here because the central station was in this town. Once we arrived, we got a couple of taxis to take us to the car rental office. Again, we were a little pressed for time and didn't want to be late because of the bus system.
We got a car to drive to our destination for the next several days, Kalambaka, Greece. At first, we thought it would be a 2 hour 45 minutes drive on mountain roads. Then Tanya checked the drive with tolls and found an option that was 1 hour 45 minutes and less than 3€ in tolls. So we took that route. It was good we did, not only because of the time saved but also because we went through so many long tunnels. We didn't know about all the tunnels, and since we had to take the car back to Ioannina, we would count them on the return drive. We could also see parts of the other road snaking through the mountain as we drove. Our exit for Kalambaka connected us to the mountain road, but it was only about 45 minutes. Our reason for going to this town is Meteora, which has monasteries on clifftops!
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