Part Three- Greek Wine:American Moonshine

So, I've been putting this off for a while as y'all can tell and continue to remind me when I talk to y'all! haha! I've just been lazy in sitting down and making my brain think! haha! :P

So, Friday of the wedding week roles around and everyone that we love and care about is there (minus a few who had to cancel). One of Christo's many titles at the PP is the "quad guy". So the trip wouldn't be complete without a tour around the island on quads. The quad safari is one of my favorite things they offer at the PP. And after seeing how much, Harriette, Elizabeth's mom loved it this summer when they came to visit, I knew this whole gang would too. I also heart this jaunt b/c for me it was a big reminisince of my amazing summer. They guide you through greek villages (yes, lil greek ladies are sitting with their kerchiefs outside their houses, toothless and waving as you pass), along the coast, through the olive trees, to the top of 2 big mountain and outlooks, lunch while viewing both sides of the island and finishing with a little Metaxa (Greek brandy) and Coke at a cafe that looks down the coast! Oh what would 4-wheelers be good for if there wasn't off roading! But this off roading comes with a scary view over the edge into the water and olive trees! haha! Amazing time....until....so you have to fill your quad up with gas at the end of the day. I was last in line and was trying to give Mr. Hogan money as we all pulled up one by one to get filled up. He, of course, was denying my money....but i'd already taken my gas top off (which is right in between your legs on quad) and when he came to stop in front of me, i squeezed my brake too hard and splash...swoosh...splash...GAS CAME ALL OUT OVER ME! The gas splashed onto my face,into my eyes, mouth and all over my clothes. No one saw this b/c they think I'm always screaming so it took about a mnute too long for them to realize I might be going blind. Christo and Mr. Hogan grab some water, jerk my eye open and douze me with water. It was SO scary. I had no clue what could happen if you had gas all over you (besides possibly blowing up if a match was lit). So after about 5 minutes of hosing me down, we headed back to the palace....eye was functioning properly and the washed out gas taste in my mouth wasn't too painful. ahhhh...always some drama in Greece! hahaha!!!

**side story: In 2006 Haley and I went to Greece for a week and were in Corfu for 3 days with a car. We explored all around and found this place called Kaiser's Throne, we carved our names (like rednecks from America would do, ha!) in this iron bridge that's like a look out point. 4 years later our initials and date was still there and it had definitely been painted over a few times. But our rusted out initals stayed strong! :) how awesome is that! (pics on facebook)

So that night we all loaded up the Pink Palace bus (like a big Greyhound one, that's pink! :) ) and went to a "rehearsal" dinner type thing at a local taverna. They rented the whole place out to us and showered us with AMAZING, AMAZING greek food...like one course after another! They also had some wine...now I've had Greek wine plenty of times over there. However, this was more of a "local" type of Greek wine, which I was later told the next day is similar to our verison of a "moonshine" type product. Would've been nice to know that evening! So let's combine my enjoyment of wine in general with wanting liquid courage for my speech= interesting ending to the night. (more later) So at dinner I was SO happy to sit with my co-workers from this summer: Alana (Australian sweetheart), Alex (British who worked at the PP for 3 years, now in London), Greg (Greek, living in Athens but summers in Corfu), Mark (Brit with the strongest accent ever! who is back at the PP working) and Mike (New Zealander, aka Kiwi, also my guy BFF from this summer). And the lady, Diane, who's british but met a Greek man 25 years ago and has lived in Corfu since then. I call her my "Corfu mum" b/c she worked with us at Reception girls and put up with our madness!

(Diane, Alana and me!)

***sorry that was a boring description area but they all deserve the props****

So the food flowed, the conversations in multiple languaged carried among the tables, obviously the wine carafes were emptied and refilled and the speeches began. Everyone said the most amazing, sweet, endearing things. And then I knew it was my turn...as many of you may know I LOVE giving speeches and usually have a little rhyming ditty prepared, however for Haley, there was no way or words or enough time to put together our friendship. So, I did what the "local wine" told me I could do and got up there and just spoke. Not gonna lie, one of my top speeches. I hit every point I wanted to. Minus the immense, immense amount of tears! :( Even when I was telling a joke tears where flowing! haha! Hot mess for sure! But I was determined to let Haley and Christos (most importantly ) and their family/friends know how much they meant to me and their MASSIVE impact on my life!

Then as usual for the Greeks, they don't have a party without dancing!! No matter age or sex if you're happy you dance! And they all did. One by one and some brave Alabamians gave it their go, of course I did, ending in my infamous splits! haha! Then they had a big group, dancing, spiraling circle in this little taverna! It was simply amazing and once again impossible to put into words! I've added a picture though to get an above shot. This is where my "wine" kicks in and things get a little hazy but we danced forever and then went back to the PP and all hung out at the reception bar. I was happy to have made it safely to my room that night. haha!!! Not EVERYTHING needs to go on a blog! ;)

Saturday we woke up (slowly, grasping for Advil) and headed to reception to gleefully see our sweet Lozz's face!!! She's my other favorite Australian I worked with this summer. The sweetest, funniest girl ever! Unfortunately she was 4 days late because of the stupid volcano but just happy to see her face again. So me and my 2 Aussies hit up the beach kitchen for some much needed food! We sat on the beach a bit and caught up on life and talking about the unforgettable summer we all were blessed to have had. And then....I joined in on the reception decorations, which Laura and Sarah and already amazingly done so well. Then time for the wedding.... (hahah sorry it's late in ATL!)

Part Two-Pre-Wedding Cheers & Tears

So sadly, yes there was lots of tears and stress leading up to the wedding. I seriously have known Haley for years and saw her cry more over this week than our lifetime of friendship. Sad, I know but in the end that's life...unpredictable and in God's hands not ours! But I'm not going to focus on those because there was so much good fun in between the stress of everyone arriving safely (did you know there was also an earthquake in Bangkok, another natural disaster which prevented some Australian friends from making it...boo!).

Sooooo.... the day after I arrive consisted of wedding fun. The girls went over the Haley's house and put together 400 bags of rice, which they throw (aka-pelt) at the couple during the wedding. We also had to put together 400 bags of candy coated almonds, which everyone gets after the wedding. All these things have lots of meaning and interesting symbolism however I don't have time to type all that but one day...ha! It was great to spend the day with the girls sitting outside Haley's lil Greek house with lots of girl talk! That night we went to Christo's twin brother's house, who's dating a Canadian girl, Kristal, who also worked at the PP. She's fabulous, one of the sweetest, most amazing girls! There was about 20 or so of us and Christos family all at the table. Makis, his brother, made delicious greek food all day long! One of my favorite meals! It felt so Greek, especially b/c they live up one of those little streets in the village, where there's laundry hung and everyone looks out their window, especially when noisy Alabamaians arrive! haha!

The next day, Laura, Sarah and I got quads (4-wheelers are street legal over there) and took them into the main town, on the island,which is pretty big with some decent shopping. We did some damage on some fake namebrands and souvenirs. Then met up with all the Hogan's friends and H & C for coffee and beers. After that we took a lil tour of a cool part of the island and had a nice slow drive back through the winding hills of Corfu to the PP. Any day on a quad in Corfu with the wind blowing in my hair always puts a smile on my face!

(one of the stops on the tour) That night we of course just hung out at the reception 24-hour bar with the rest of the guest at the PP. Always enteratining to say the least! But one of my favorite past times without a doubt as long as you're with the right folks!

Thursday was the making of the bed ceremony! It was so cool! (I admit I don't understand fully) It's a Greek tradition that the Thursday before the wedding before sunset the bed has to be made and Haley and Christos can't sleep in it again until after the wedding. You have to have clean, new white sheets and pillows. And the unmarried girls (aka ME!) have to make the bed 3 times. There was 5 of us: me, Kristal and 3 young local Greek girls. But every time after we make the bed, Christo comes in and acts like we didn't do good enough. Oh forgot to mention...everyone is this little bitty bedroom with us...Haley, Christo, parents, cousins, friends, anyone who wants to come. So it's kinda funny b/c Christo shakes his head and is like "NO" and then rips the sheets off the bed! So finally on the fourth time he "likes" it and then we put a hankerchief on the bed and throw rice, candy coated almonds and money on the bed. (lots of money sometimes). Then they "bounce" babies on the bed for fertility. Then all the Greek ladies start singing and people grab rice and toss it on the bed and say a well wish for the couple. It was really so cool and so hard to describe how awesome it was to be a part of something like that. We all hung around the house eating finger foods/pastries and drinking a bit for the afternoon. That night Sara, Laura, me, Spiros, Kristal went to watch Makis Greek dance at another Taverna. Then Spiros and I split and went to Potato Mania in the main town, his favorite place, consisting of fries and condiments/meats you can decorate them with. It was great to see him and know that he and I will always be close no matter how many years or miles we are. (wow that sounded cheesy, sorry) He's off to Athens though in May so who knows when I'll see him again. But I always find a way back to Greece, so I'm sure I will.

Ok that was a lot but I haven't even gotten to the big day!!! Sorry!!! For now...that's all you get! :)

Part One...Island Arrival

So as many of you know one of my best friends Haley Hogan got married last weekend in Greece. Such a simple sentence with so many years of tears, heartache, joy, uncertainty, excitment, anticipation and many trips across the ocean entangled in it. And to continue the extremes of emotions the week of the wedding had to uphold it's madness. So I was set to leave 2 weeks ago Thursday for London for four days then to Greece for six days. Well, on my way to work my sister calls me and says Brandi all flights in Europe have closed. I thought she was just jealous of my highly anticipated trip and was playing a cruel joke....if only it had been that simple. Nope, low and behold...STUPID volcanic ash!!!! So I stayed glued to the internet, soon realizing London wasn't going to happen. From then I knew I just HAD to get to my best friends wedding, even if I had to blow up a raft and start paddling! I, sadly, nixed the hope of an amazing London trip, and rerouted my trip straight to Athens. I was the only smart one as many thought it would pass.

The day I flew pretty much all European airports besides Athens and Madrid were closed. The Lord knew I had to get there. I had to fly stupid Delta ( internationally there are so many other better airlines!) with no TV in the headrest. But I was just happy to be on my way. I gleefully arrive 10 1/2 hours later in Greece(of course couldn't sleep on the plane)!!! Next, the flight to Corfu. At the gate, get on the bus that takes you to the plane when they stop the bus and say something in Greeek. I hear all the Greeks grunt and seem unhappy. I say can someone tell me in English what they said. One Greek turns around and tells me b/c of the Volcano we can't get to Corfu. WHAT!!! Devastated. The rebooked me on the 9pm flight hoping it will pass. But then I worry that it might not and maybe I should try and get on a bus, which is a painful 9 hr busride across the country of Greece...nothing pretty about it at all. But I was determined to get there! So for the next four hours I proceeded to cry a lot, debated what i should do and if this volcanic ash would go away or if maybe the airlines were stupid and it was just fog. No one would tell the me anything at the airport. Not gonna lie I looked pathetic to any outsider. Lugging around my 2 big bags, crying and stopping and sitting in the middle of the walkway to call my momma!

And poor Haley, she cried so much b/c a handful of folks had already cancelled and now I might not make it. I started to get on the first bus but for some reason just had a bad feeling about doing it and stopped. Went back into the airport and waited 10 more long hours...yes you got that right NO sleep for 24 hrs plus!!! Last time I talked to Haley we both broke down b/c I was simply exhausted. After I got off the phone this nice looking, older Spanish gentleman said "are you ok? what can i do to help? I know people. I will help you, don't cry" I was like awww, you're amazing. Told him my life story (suprising, I know!) and he was so sweet. His name was Fernando. (i wish you could hear me say it how he said it, i nearly melted! haha!) So I sat there and he went to check and told me they can't guarantee it but he says it will most likely go, so no more tears. LOL! It was a lil ray of sunshine in my airport haze of delusion! So I literally sat and people watched for hours on end. Looking back I can laugh but wow, it was rough!

Finally...the airplane is on time and boarding. Ironically there were 5 monks and a nun on my flight to Corfu. I know for sure all the prayers worked!!! I was sooo extatic! Christos picked me up and we immediately went to eat w/Haley, her parents, Laura and Sarah in the local village. The faces, the food and the wine calmed me like no other! Ahhhh...it was good to be home again.