Go!

Technology has drastically changed my travel experience.  I remember the days when Jon and I would just take off with a vague idea of a destination in mind, nothing booked, and no knowledge of timetables.  We encountered a fair amount of stress, but had lots of stories to tell in the end. Now I research a site, book a hotel, plan a route, and pay, all on-line. It certainly makes for a more efficient trip, and gives me peace of mind.

This morning we checked out a possible hotel on-line, punched its address into the GPS, and pressed "GO!". I missed the first turn toward the Greek border, and had to do an about-turn. That brought us to the panoramic scene above,  the town of Vinograd, aptly named "wine town". The sprawling vineyards against the back drop of mountains was breathtaking, and we didn't mind the change of route at all.

We were pleasantly surprised at the roads on the Greek side of the border. It is nice to see that the Greeks are spending their money wisely. The GPS did its job of guiding us so well, we didn't notice the fact that we had forgotten to stop and get some Euros. The first toll station caused me panic as I frantically rummaged through my luggage for some Euro coins while a whole line of cars waited behind me. After the second toll, I decided we better find an ATM. Turning off the main road we stopped at a gas station and gestured that we needed a cash machine. The owner wrote "15" in the dust on my car which we interpreted as the distance to the nearest ATM. 

Feeling better after managing to get some money, we continued south to Meteora. The rain started and the road curved round a series of hair-pin bends. I was looking forward to arriving and booking into the hotel we had picked out on-line. However, since we hadn't bothered to book the room, they were full, and disappointingly we drove on in search of another hotel. We discovered an elegant hotel with a dramatic view of the monastery rocks.

Technology has made me into a tourist rather than a traveler. But when technology lets me down, and I go off on my own,  I become an explorer.