Days 13-15 in Greece - 2024

23 February 2024


It's a lazy day today. We bum around in the morning before heading to New Life for our IVF appointment to see if my uterus is on track for an embryo transfer. According to Dr. Anthi, my uterus is "perfect", and the embryo transfer is scheduled for the 28th of February. Fotini writes me a prescription for all of the medications I'll need for after the embryo transfer since medications are cheaper in Greece versus the United States, and Jeremiah and I head to the pharmacy to get those. We return to the apartment and have a low-key evening.

24 February 2024


Another lazy day. We sleep in, go play Pokémon Go for a bit, and then return to the apartment. We just play games and relax all day. Jeremy leaves to go play more Pokémon while Rebecca stays inside the apartment playing Animal Crossing, but that's about all that happens. We do have gyros for dinner from the little local place, and I find a Ukrainian coin on the sidewalk! Here it is compared to a Euro 10 cent piece.

An image of two gold-colored coins, one with the number 10 and the other with the number 10, on a gray background.

25 February 2024


We have croissants and bacon for breakfast, and then head out. Jeremy wants to show me a place that he found the day before whilst playing Pokémon Go. The area has a really cool church, the Church of the Acheiropoietos.


I take a few pictures, and we keep walking down to the Rotunda. The Rotunda is the oldest church in Thessaloniki, originally built by the Romans. It starts to rain, and we find a dry spot under a tree to sit for a while. As we are sitting there, a group of kids with a coach come out and they start to play soccer. It's a lot of fun to watch them play, and there's a group of moms all congregating on the sidelines under their umbrellas.


We continue walking and go see the Arch of Galerius. Galerius was a Roman emperor who was responsible for building the Rotunda, and the arch was sculpted to celebrate the Roman emperor's victory over Narses, the ruler of the Persian Empire in 299 AD.


It's time for lunch, so we head back towards the apartment and try a place called Simon's Café. It's one of the few places open on a Sunday, and it's right down the street from where we are staying. We walk in, and it feels like we are interrupting a group of friend's hanging out. There are a few older gentlemen watching sports together and playing cards. They all stare at us as we walk in, but they are very polite.We order something called a "Mixed Platter for Two". It includes tomato salad, potato salad, seafood salad, chicken, meatballs (sausages, really), souvlaki pork, and fries. It's really good!


Our bellies full, we return to the apartment and relax for the remainder of the evening.

A street scene with parked cars, shops, and a public phone booth.
An ornate, historic Byzantine-style building with a domed roof and intricate architectural details.
A historic stone building with a modern glass structure on top, surrounded by trees.
A group of people playing soccer in the rain on a wet pavement near a building.
An ornate stone column with intricate carvings and sculptures depicting historical figures and scenes.
An ornate stone arch stands against a vibrant sunset sky, with people walking through the archway in the foreground.
A bustling city plaza with people walking and standing on a wet, paved surface surrounded by buildings.