It's difficult to select any one moment as 'the best' from this last trip. If I was forced to choose one, however, our journey out to Cape Sojourn to visit the ancient Temple of Poseidon would probably be it.

We were picked up early on the second day in a van and driven through the streets of Athens towards to southern coast of Greece. Up until now, I had spent the trip in two large cities. It was great to make our way out into the countryside, and to see more of rural life in this majestic country.

All around us, Greece's mountains stood vigil over her coastline.

Once we reached the seaside, the van made several stops so that we could stretch our legs and view the Aegean.

We wound our way along this rocky coastline until a stop brought us to a turnout where we could hop out and walk down to the sea. My daughter and I risked the slick, wet rocks to reach the edge and plunge our hands down into the mild waters.

At another stop, a public beach, we had our first encounter with the beautiful beaches that are swollen with Greeks and tourists, alike, in the summer. Warm, brown sand; a bit coarse, but still comfortable. The sparkling, azure sea rolled in with regularity. It was here that I plucked a small, smooth, white stone to return with me and serve as my souvenir of this journey.

The golden sun of Greece shone down on us all this day. It was he best weather we encountered during our entire trip, and a sight for sore eyes which had only seen winter for the pst six months.

At last, as we rounded a sharp corner, we finally saw the Temple of Poseidon set atop a rocky outcropping away in the distance.

After a steep climb up there hillside, the Aegean seemingly wrapped around us, we pulled into the Visitor's Center and disembarked for the long, walk up to the Temple above. Given that it was March, we had the entire area to ourselves.

Finally, we stood directly in front of this ancient Temple. 2500 years old. Nothing can make you feel so insignificant than a structure created twenty-five centuries before your own birth, and that is like to stand for another twenty-five centuries after your demise.

From almost every view, the Aegean rolled restlessly around us. Cobalt blue set against the azure skies.

After our tour of the ruins, we took a short rest at the outdoor restaurant, sipping on Greek coffee and nibbling on cinnamon cookies as we basked in the Cape Sojourn sun. It was quiet; contemplative. We sat, mostly silent, drawing in the warm, salty sea air, and ruminated on the lives of those that had practiced their faith here over the eons.

As we set to depart, I took one last look at this incredible treasure.

If you make your way to Athens, do not miss a side trip out to Cape Sojourn. The Aegean, the Greek sun, and the Temple of Poseidon are not to be missed.

Cheers!

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