CANADA: Christmas Lights in Victoria's Butchart Gardens

Victoria is considered Canada's garden city. 

The mild weather is conducive for blooms and beautiful landscaping all year. 

Butchart Gardens, just outside Victoria, is a gardeners dream year round.

At Christmas the Gardens take on a whole different atmosphere lit up with lights and the festive Christmas spirit.

CANADA: What Happened!??!?! Snow in Victoria!?!?!

Victoria, on Vancouver Island, has Canada's mildest winters.

It rarely snows and the rest of Canada jokes that it is Canada's Banana Belt.

Because it has such mild (Canadian) winters it is the home for many Canadian retirees.

That puts it on the list of possible  locations for John and me when we decide we want to "Adult It" again.

So we figured since we were in Canada in November/December, why not check out Victoria in the winter. 

We woke up one morning and had to ask ourselves "What happened!?!?!?!"

CANADA: Victoria's Harbour By Night

With family commitments we found ourselves back in Canada at the end of November.

Victoria is on Canada's west coast on Vancouver Island.

It is on our radar as a place to possibly settle down if/when we decide to be stable adults again. 

GREECE: Changing of the Guards in Athens

Changing of the guard ceremonies in Athens take place at both the Presidential Mansion and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The guards are on duty around the clock and change every hour.

On Sundays they raise the Greek flag at the Acropolis at sunrise and lower it at sundown.

The Presidential Guards are ceremonial and were originally founded in 1868 as a part of the Greek army. 

GREECE: Athen's Meat and Fish Market

This post is for the foodies....

Have you ever wondered where the restaurants go to get the freshest meat and fish? 

Well, in Athens they go to the Agora Dimotiki.

And if you are interested in cooking meat and fish yourself, you can buy there too.

And even if you are not into cooking, this is still a great place to see something different and have your eyes opened.

GREECE: Athens' Acropolis and Parthenon

The names Acropolis and Parthenon are often linked together and sometimes used interchangeably. 

As a Closet History Geek, I have newly discovered that in ancient Greek cities, the Acropolis literally means "upper city", the name for a fortress, containing the chief municipal and religious buildings.

The Parthenon is the most famous building in the Acropolis in Athens. It is a religious temple that the Athenians built for the Greek Goddess Athena. 

The Acropolis is a UNESCO world heritage site. 

GREECE: Delphi, the centre of the Ancient World, home of the Oracle and the Priestess Pythia

Developed in the 8th century BC, Delphi was considered the centre of the known world. It was where heaven and earth met and was an ancient religious sanctuary dedicated to the Greek god Apollo. 

It was also home to the famous Oracle of Delphi. Pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean would visit it to receive the prophecies of Apollo through the Priestess Pythia. 

Delphi is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.