Complaining in the Rain (8)

Are We There Yet? - Athens

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet  

Roger Miller

Part of our cruise package included dinner at a 5 star Michelin restaurant, the Kuzina. The reservation was for the evening before we left on our cruise to the islands. 

We excitedly got on our best clothes. I am wearing my new leather sandals and Monty had on his fabric Sketchers. I wore a long skirt and top, he's in dress slacks. There had been a hint of a rain shower approaching but the sun is shining. Miraculously I put my very small umbrella in my new leather purse.

Not sure of the distance we stop at the front desk and ask where Kuzina is on the map. The clerk says it's about a 20 minute walk. Still sunny we decide to skip a cab ride. As we get about two blocks from our hotel; crash, boom, here comes the deluge. I pull out my umbrella but too small for us to share. We stop at a corner shop and Monty buys an umbrella for himself. 

Monty thinks we can find the restaurant and we keep walking. It's raining heavier and heavier not lighter. The streets are not draining and puddles are getting deeper. My shoes are covered in water and I am afraid I have ruined them. We are walking on stone streets that are mostly pedestrian. I think we are behind the Archeological Museum and a park. We approach some businesses but we can't see any street signs. Asking at one of the shops where Kuzina might be located, the man looks confused; we say thank you and on we go. The buildings are starting to look alike. 

I keep asking Monty if we're close, he keeps telling me it's around the next corner. I am holding up my skirt to my knees to avoid soaking it. My shoes are wet and squeaky; I feel I have ruined them for sure. Monty's slacks are wet to his knees. We are so wet it wouldn't matter to get a cab. (I keep hearing a line from the original Out Of Towners movie where Sandy Dennis says when soaked from rain "I am so wet now it will only make me dryer".)

I am just getting more and more discouraged that we can't find the place. I finally say I will stop, get a cab and return to hotel if we don't find it around the next corner. I am not hungry any longer, I just want to be dry. It's getting darker. 

Low and behold we finally see it at the end of the next street. We walk in feeling like drowned rats but there are others in the same condition.  

Kusina Restaurant

The staff is super friendly and seat us at a table where we can see the open kitchen. Everything is created fresh.

Front of restaurant

Since it was part of the cruise package we had a voucher. We were able to select our entre, drink and dessert from a limited menu. Since we aren't wine drinkers we had a terrific strawberry lemonade (fizzy) with fresh mint. We each had the same meal; barbecued shredded pork on sweet potato.

We had a large Greek salad and something that reminded me of hushpuppies filled with feta cheese and covered in a raspberry sauce. Our dessert was a sample of various sweets. We had a great dinner experience even though we were cold from being wet and our feet mushy. The rain had stopped by the time we completed our meal and taking a cab back to the hotel felt better. I could remove my wet shoes and walk into the hotel barefooted. It took 3 days for our shoes to dry.

The next day would be clear and sunny and continue throughout our cruise.