Greece - Part 1

This post and the next one are a departure from what I've posted so far, but they give more of an insight into Gavin and Allie's relationship. Come back on Saturday for Part 2!

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Before I knew it, my internship was over, I was turning in my keys at the firm, and the part of my summer I'd been looking forward to had finally arrived!

Gavin and I landed in Athens late at night and were met by a driver from the company we were renting an apartment from for a few days.

We got to our apartment, carried our bags up three flights of stairs rather than using the American Horror Story elevator (no way that this was up to code, just sayin'), and promptly crashed for the night.

The next few days in Athens passed in a whirlwind of sightseeing, shopping, and chowing down on the best damn 2€ gyros the world has ever seen. Whether it was the gorgeous weather, the stunning Acropolis, or just the intimacy of navigating a foreign place together, Gavin and I felt like infatuated teenagers. We were touching each other constantly; I'd reach for his hand as we walked down the steps to the metro, his hand would drift to the small of my back to guide me through a crowded marketplace. We'd often just look at each other, share a secret smile, and steal a kiss, no matter where we were.

We were still tightly wrapped in our love-drunk cocoon when we took 6 hour overnight bus and ferry trip to the legendary Pink Palace in Corfu. Gavin's friend Ryan from work had suggested it. It was supposed to be tons of fun on a gorgeous beach, which also happened to be super cheap. Who could say no to that?

The bus pulled up at 6:00 AM to a bunch of bubble gum pink buildings right on a stunningly beautiful beach. The island was a mix of vivid green plants and rugged cliffs that seemed to have just been dropped into the strikingly blue Ionian Sea. After four days of running around Athens, I couldn't wait to stretch out on the sand.

We got in to the lobby, and were immediately force-fed shots of Ouzo to commemorate our arrival while we were given the rundown of the different activities available to us. As I choked back the vomit threatening to rise in my throat, I looked at the pictures and signs covering the walls. Even in my nearly comatose-like state of exhaustion, I couldn't help but notice that there were a LOT of naked people in these pictures. The signs with the "rules" of the Pink Palace all seemed to start with, "There is no such thing as a boyfriend/girlfriend at the Pink Palace." This should have been a sign of what was to come, but in the moment I was too sleep-deprived to pick up on the ominous foreshadowing. Gavin and I signed up for a quad safari and a booze cruise, before carrying  our bags to our rooms and promptly passing out.

A few hours later, we woke up refreshed and ready to take on Corfu! We climbed into the shower and experienced something we'd only dreamed about since landing in Greece - water pressure. "I love it here," I said dreamily to Gavin.

We met up with the group in the lobby and headed out to where the quads were parked. There were three gorgeous guides hanging out in a hut where all of the helmets were stored. As we went to grab a helmet, Gavin elbowed me and nodded towards the back wall. It was literally covered with pairs of panties in all different colours. One of the older guides caught us looking and smirked. "I see you're admiring our trophy wall," he said.

"Dear God," I muttered under my breath as Gavin and I exchanged a look.

Our guide was an Australian guy named Mike who looked like a sculpture of Adonis come to life. His bare tanned torso was perfectly chiselled, with abs upon abs upon abs. I saw a group of girls giggling and blushing as he began explaining how to use the quads. One of the girls lost her head so completely that during her test run around the parking lot, she screamed and almost hit four different cars. "You are a danger to us all," Mike drawled wryly. "You're riding with me."

Gavin leaned over to me and whispered. "I don't think she's too heartbroken." Sure enough, the giggler hopped on behind Mike and eagerly wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling like she'd just won the lottery.

We spent the next few hours touring the island on the quads. So many of the roads were so narrow that the quad was the perfect way to navigate them. We drove to the highest point on Corfu and pulled up next to a tiny white church. From this spot we could see the whole island sprawled out in all directions. It was unbelievable!

We hopped back on our quads and sped off to our final destination. As we came to a stop and pulled off our helmets, it looked like we'd arrived at an old decrepit stone house. "This," Mike said with a flourish, "is what I like to call Instagram Point, because it is the best place to take a beautiful Instagram photo that makes everybody jealous of your trip."

We followed him into the roofless house, and there was a collective gasp. Through the square holes that were once windows, we had a breathtaking view of the coast of Corfu. A wall of green gently sloped down to a golden beach, which curled around to meet a craggy cliff rising out of the jewel-bright waters. The sun was just beginning to set, bathing the whole scene in a rosy light. We all just stood in awe and took it in for a moment. (Then, of course, we all took a million pictures for Instagram.)

I felt sleepy and content as we wound back through the streets to the Pink Palace. While we took our helmets off, I turned to Gavin and said, "I think I could use a quiet night tonight."

"Same here," he replied.

Mike overheard us and snorted with laughter, "If you're looking for a quiet night, you are definitely in the wrong place."

We laughed, ignoring him, and went back to the room to shower and change before dinner. Dinner was included with our stay, and was served en masse in a round pink building called "The Disco." As we entered, I saw signs that stated, "HAPPY HOUR FROM 6-11! SHOTS 1€!"

We claimed seats at an empty table, and joined everyone flocking to the bar to take advantage of the happy hour prices. Groups of guys were literally buying trays of shots and passing them around to nearby girls. Many people seemed on their way to being completely wasted, and it wasn't even 7:00!

I bumped Gavin's shoulder with mine and smiled, "Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"

We ordered shots and then headed back to our table, where another couple was now sitting. They introduced themselves as Leia and Marc. She was a tiny, gorgeous Filipina girl, wearing no makeup on her flawless caramel skin, her silky dark hair falling to her waist. His dark good looks contrasted strikingly with his brilliant blue eyes, making them pop from his face. As we chatted, I caught a slight lilt in Marc's voice. "Where are you guys from?" I asked.

"Québec," Marc replied, his accent slightly more noticeable.

"I love it there!" I exclaimed. "I took a trip to Montreal and Québec City in high school! Both are such beautiful cities."

It turned out that Marc and Leila lived in Laval, a suburb just outside of Montreal. They asked me about where I'd been and what I'd seen while in Quebec, and soon we were comparing travel stories from everywhere we'd visited. They were finishing up a summer-long Eurotrip, and enthralled us with all of their stories from Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Croatia.

Before we knew it, dinner was over and The Disco was living up to its name. Our newly formed foursome made many trips to the bar for shots and were soon wending through the many bodies on the dance floor.

We danced drunkenly for what seemed like forever. The four of us moved like one unit. Sometimes I was dancing with Gavin, sometimes with Marc, and sometimes with Leila. Finally, I grabbed Leila's hand and dragged her outside, gasping for fresh air. The boys followed, and we made our way down a long flight of stairs before collapsing on the moonlit beach.

I laid between Leila and Gavin, staring at the stars. The silence was interrupted only by an occasional drunken giggle. Leila reached down and grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers. "You guys are the best," she slurred, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek.

I laughed and slurred back, "No, no, no. YOU guys are the best."

Gavin sighed contentedly beside me. "I think I'm just gonna sleep here tonight, k?"

I pushed myself up and dragged him into a sitting position. "Time for bed." I turned to Leila and Marc, who showed no signs of moving. "What are you guys up to tomorrow?"

"Booze cruise," Marc murmured sleepily.

"Us too!" I replied. "We'll see you guys at breakfast!"

Gavin and I wandered hand-in-hand up the stairs. At the top, I looked back and saw Marc and Leila, curled together on the beach.

"They're really cool. I'm glad we met them," I said to Gavin.

"Mmmhmmmm," he replied, his eyes half-closed.

"Okay sleepyhead, let's get you to bed." I laughed and guided him to our room, where he was asleep before his head hit the pillow. I snuggled up beside him, and soon drifted off into sleep.