At the very end of February, everyone in Greece had a three-day weekend during the time of Clean Monday (the final day/celebration before Lent begins). My friends and I had arranged to take a trip together to the north of Greece for this long weekend.
After making the roughly 4-hour drive, we arrived at our Airbnb. Shortly after, we ventured out to get a late dinner. That trip was a memorable experience riding in the car as the five of us drove down some twists and turns along a (now) unused side road. But eventually, we arrived at one of the only tavernas still running for the night and it seemed to be led by a Giagia (respectful term for grandmother) who happily fed us and we enjoyed a meal together as friends.
We had a bit of a unique and challenging experience on the first evening in the Airbnb which led to a rocky start to the trip. The next day, however, we were greeted with a freshly made treat and we instantly felt welcomed to this family’s house (they stayed on the ground level floor and we stayed on the higher level part of the house.)
Throughout the entire time on this trip, I truly enjoyed the beautiful views of this new part of Greece. It was breathtaking in every way you looked.
It was always fun to watch the neighbors feed the chickens in the morning too.
For our first full day there, we took a short drive to the nearest city of Arta and decided to explore something new. We found a castle which was cool.
Then, we took a walk around the square. It was fun to see the decorations from Carnival (Mardi Gras). The area looked so festive on the dark and dreary day.
Next, we walked around on a very famous bridge (although I cannot recall exactly why it is famous… I’m not much of a history buff). Still, it was a fun time and we got some fresh air. It just felt lighter for some reason compared to Athens.
The following day some members of the group decided to go skiing. Although I did not participate in the skiing (it would not be pretty!) I did enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. The villages we passed were quaint and peaceful.
My inner Wisconsinite was feeling great seeing all the snow throughout the drive.
Next, we made the trip to the city of Ioannina. We saw the lake and enjoyed a beautiful meal together.
A tradition in this part of Greece during Clean Monday weekend is to have large fires near the streets. Many neighborhoods participate in this so there are various campfires sprinkled throughout the city of Ioannina. It was so special to be there to experience this aspect of Greek culture – holiday traditions, families dancing in the traditional style around the fire, and people singing in Greek and laughing happily while they enjoyed their wines.
We drove back to our Airbnb which was in the tiny village of Rodavgi (less than 400 inhabitants) that night. The next morning was the day we had to head back to Athens. On our way out of the village, we took one final walk around the square. It was so great to enjoy these views throughout the trip with four of my wonderful friends.
Before we knew it we had made it back to Athens and returned to school again the next day. I was so thankful to have enjoyed this new place with four great friends.
Thanks for reading.
❤️
~Anna
Anna Abroad 