Athens all day

Some fuzzy parts of my brain connected disparate bits of gathered info and I eventually remembered that there was a reason for the gala atmosphere out on the streets late last night: it was Greek Independence Day. We arrived right smack in the thick of a holiday weekend.

Well, today is Sunday and a Sunday is always a no work day,  holiday trimmings or not, and so I have assumed, not incorrectly, that much of the city will stay closed and crowds will swell at famous Athenian sights. In France, markets do their biggest sales on Sunday morning (for that big Sunday meal that we're all supposed to serve this day), but this is southern Europe and the rules play out differently here.

So what do we do first? Snowdrop sleeps late and that's a good thing. And immediately after she wakes up, we go down to breakfast. Up on the roof.

And then begins our crazy spin through an incredible day full of sights, foods, a necessary police station visit (yes, we had to!), more food, music, laughter, swimming, calling, drawing. Not necessarily in that order. Let's see if I can straighten out the exhilarating chaos here for you!

We aim first for the Syntagma Square. It translates to "Constitution Square" and it is flanked by the 19th century Royal Palace that currently is home to the Greek Parliament. It's the hub of the city and it's only a block away from our hotel. And there are fountains. Do all kids love fountains or is it just her?

Notably, at 11 each Sunday, they have an elaborate changing of the guards. Worth catching, for the sheer pageantry of the event. And it allows for me to talk to Snowdrop about the more recent history of this country: about the change from a monarchy to a parliamentary governance, about a tomb of an unknown soldier. About a country's hymn's and traditions. 

Because it is a Greek National holiday weekend, there are many, many Greeks forming throngs of eager watchers. The sun is hot, the clock moves slowly toward the hour of "change." But we got lucky. Across the street we find front row spots where she can sit on the curb and draw her own rendition of a changing of the guards and I can stare at the parade of costumed men taking their rhythmic steps...

And right after comes the promised time at the hotel pool. The one that's open, inside, in the basement. So small that they limit the people to just a handful at a time. We had to reserve our spot and at 11:30, there aren't many people looking to swim.

(in Wisconsin, there was a snowstorm...)

And predictably, she loves it!

For the early afternoon I found a Greek "food walk" for us. You basically pay a guide to introduce you to some of the Greek culture through a samplings of iconic Greek foods. (The group that offers this is called Athens Food on Foot; I warned them that Snowdrop can be very, very cautious about trying new things. They seemed willing to take us on anyway!)

Anna (who founded the company just a handful of years before Covid hit hard) meets us at the Acropolis Metro station. The day is brilliant -- plenty of sunshine! Short sleeves all the way!

Anna is knowledgable, well organized and in addition to sharing with us favorite food spots, she has us walk through places I myself would find difficult to get to, just because Google maps doesn't readily tell you to take those few steps here, and squeeze down those over there, and pull away from the route leading elsewhere in order to land the best glimpses of Athenian life. After starting us off on Greek yogurt (not frozen!) with honey and nuts...

... she leads us through that most stunning old cluster of white-washed homes, clinging to the edge of the Acropolis hill - the Anafiotika.

We pass murals of Greek Gods and Anna questions Snowdrop and of course, Snowdrop delivers a perfect summary of what god did what to whom and for what reason. Anna is impressed. I'm impressed.

And down again, we plunge into the Plaka, where we sample exquisite feta, other cheeses, pastrami and spiced prosciutto meats (Snowdrop loved these meats best!), olives and breadsticks.

We are on our way to a next stop when we pass a postcard store. I pick out a few to send back home. And this is when I first notice that my wallet is missing. 

But how did it get snitched??? I had it last night after dinner, I didn't buy anything today thus far. I keep it zipped tight in my little purse that I wear across my chest. Someone would have to get real close to me, unzip my bag, take the damn thing out and zip the bag up again. Is that even possible?? Or, someone came to the room while we were swimming. [We had called maintenance because there was a leak in the bathroom. But of course, I have no proof, so I'll just say it's either a whiz of a pickpocket or... maintenance.]

I'll never find out. 

I have alerts set up and so I know when someone is using my cards. 

No one is using my cards. Chances are that the thief took the money and tossed the rest into a garbage can. 

So now it's a bit of a mess. Anna makes a few calls and takes us to the police station where I file a theft report. She is so extremely helpful in speeding this process up for me that I have to say, I could not have met up with her at a better time! (She tells me that in one year, she had her cell phone stolen three different times; me, I'm glad it was not my cell phone!) 

My next step is to call all credit card companies, but I save that for a bit. Again, no one is using my cards and I have a food tour to finish!

We go to a typical taverna with people, so many people, spilling out on all portions of the street at rickety tables, eating lunch (at 4!!). And we join this beautiful tumult of humanity and we eat meatballs and some double baked bread with tomatoes and feta and it is all so good, even if we are feeling stuffed already. (Anna says she has never seen people eat so little, but the fact is, Snowdrop is trying everything and I am too, there is just so much to try!)

(In the traditional taverna, there are no reservations. You wait a while, a table opens up...)

And still there is more -- an ice cream place where they make your ice cream on the spot, to order. Snowdrop is mesmerized!

(with Anna)

And now we cannot look at food, even though dinner is very very soon! Uff!

At the hotel, I take care the details surrounding the lost wallet, grateful that I always keep an extra card hidden in the depths of my belongings for just such emergencies. And then I put this whole matter out of my mind.

We eat dinner at Geros Tou Moria. That's a real plunge into a Greek Taverna setting with Greek menus and Greek music and a general Greek joie de vivre that is so very much a part of the culture here. Anna had affirmed this earlier: people never eat just to eat. They eat to share something with others.

(table outside)

(music inside)

In the end though, Snowdrop sees her fave on the manu -- spaghetti! -- and I allow her to go for it, so long as she tries both my dishes (shrimp in tomato/feta sauce and eggplant).

There are many street cats in Athens and I'm sure some people treat them well and others do not like them, but for us they are a tiny link to "back home" and so we sneak them some shellfish bits.

Someone is very very pleased tonight! 

(while the Greek women talk on...)

Dessert? Ice cream again! Across the street from the hotel. Chocolate for the girl, baklava for me.

(we take it up the elevator, back to our room)

Would you agree that it was the fullest of full days?

With love...

Athens!

You have to find pleasure in the journey, no matter how cramped, demanding, and unspectacular it seems. Otherwise, you'll have handed over a day at each end to tedium. Or worse.

(delightful dinner in Detroit)

(journaling on flight to Paris)

(the final stretch to Athens)

And a few minutes later, we are in Athens.

Okay, it took more than a few minutes. But still, it was a a trip without major snafus and that, of course, is splendid. Paris may be in chaos right now, but our French flight from there to Athens was on time and we landed in the early afternoon to beautiful sunshine in Greece. Tired, yes, of course, but deeply grateful that the very long trip is behind us.

Now let's get a ride into the city and to our hotel.

I should note that choosing a hotel in Athens for Snowdrop and me was hard! In my mind, the ideal place would be right smack in the center of things: close to Syntagma Square, close to the Plaka neighborhood, close to the Acropolis. It would have a view! And people would not write nasty comments concerning its maintenance, noise, or datedness. 

There was a time where I cared only about "clean." Everything else was manageable. But the older I get, the harder I work at finding places that will make me happy. Snowdrop wont care, but I will. So -- clean, well positioned, relatively quiet. And, well, pleasant to return to at the end of a long day.

And affordable.

Only one place checked nearly all the boxes for me -- the Electra Metropolis. (It has a rooftop pool which would have made it an astonishingly good choice, had it been open.)  Let's start with the view. If you're coming to Athens for the Acropolis then you may as well have your fill of the Acropolis. (Though I'm putting off an official visit up that hill until Monday.)

True, someone would be happy just to crash now with a screen running one show after the next, but hey, we did not travel this far for that! (Nonetheless, a brief rest is certainly in order.)

But pretty soon I get us freshened up and I push us out the door. (Our balcony view toward the city...)

In truth, there isn't a lot that you can do on the day of arrival. It's late in the afternoon for us and we are tired. When you dont sleep well on a plane (and who does!), your head has a bit of a buzz, your eyes are glazed, your pace drags. 

As luck would have it though, we have the city's best gelato shop just across the street. A perfect place to revive a little.

(the gelato ladies...)

Snowdrop always orders chocolate. The richer and darker the better. I settle for Sicilian pistachio. Hey, it's an island in the Mediterranean so it's fitting, no? 

Somewhat fortified, I spin us around toward Plaka, the neighborhood with the largest concentration of older homes, tavernas, shops. This place:

I pick up one gift for one child back home and honestly, this is all we're good for. 

Another quick rest and it's supper time. (Greece is typically 8 hours ahead of Wisconsin, but they're just doing the European Spring Forward tonight so at the moment they're 7 hours ahead, and tomorrow they'll add an hour, though by the end of the week we'll be in Western Europe so we'll again subtract an hour. Are you confused yet??

I booked a dinner at Ovio, which possibly is too big of a pander to my traveling companion's palate (it's a pizza and past place), but hey, she's been through a lot and she is such a good sport about it all (shed a tear only once, when the Security people took away her toothpaste at CDG airport; I thought it might pass unnoticed and it did in Madison, but in Pairs they ditched it. I told her they gave it to those in need which only slightly cheered her up) that I haven't the heart to push a new cuisine on her the first night. Besides, Ovio is just two minutes from our hotel. 

The sweet girl must have been starving: she asked for both pizza and pasta and she ate them up with gusto.

At the hotel, it is sooooo past everyone's bedtime. Well, depending on what clock you follow. I read her a book on Greek history (a younger person's version of it) and she is, of course, chatting and throwing in her observations and correcting my pronunciation, while my heavy eye lids threaten to slam down into a permanent shut position.

And now comes the moment when you hope so much that you and your sleeping companion will rest well. It's not a given the first night. Jet lag can kick in at 3 and keep you up for hours. But we can try! With the twinkle of lights shining onto the Acropolis to make it that much more beautiful for her, for me.

With love...

to Athens

And so begins our spring break adventure. I hear much of America is packing up to go places this year. We are no different! But where to? 

Last year, when she was 7, I took the plunge of taking Snowdrop for the first time alone with me to Europe. She has been begging to go on a trip far away again this year. Such travel is not easy: it requires patience and stamina. And of course, she has just me for company. Despite this, she wants to do it!

I thought hard about where I could take her. Covid is still a lurking issue of course. But honestly, there are plenty of other things to think about. The passage of time: that's probably my key consideration. It's funny how it works for you and against you. It cures you of some worries even as it raises new ones, so that with every year, travel with Snowdrop is easier for me -- if things go berserk, she is more capable of managing a pivot. But in some ways, it becomes harder: she ages, but so do I. Rushing with loaded suitcases, moving around with a faulty knee, keeping my energy level up there to match hers, at the same time that I need my hours to keep Ocean updated (yes, I know, that is my choice, but it is one I make) -- all this makes for interesting twists and turns ahead!

So where do we go? Well, I want to take her to a place she is not likely to visit soon (because it's far, and her brothers are too young for it, and her parents may have other priorities). One which will not be just resort type fun, but instead -- educational! Since she is an avid reader of Greek mythology and knows the gods and myths better than I ever did, the answer is almost too simple: I'll take her to Greece.

I have nothing but fond thoughts about that country: I traveled there for the first time with my sister -- two young women, well, barely that, more like girls, getting off the boat in Mykonos at a time when it was little more than an island of fishing families, following a village boy from the pier to his mother's house where we found a room. I traveled again with my parents, and then again, many times with Ed as we hopped between the less touristy islands off the shores of Turkey. Indeed, my very last trip with Ed included a stop in Kos, in Greece. It's where he told me he was not going to travel anymore. Very dramatic. And still, I have such terrific memories of all my ramblings there. So Greece it is. Not any of the islands -- we dont have loads of time and most of the now tourist-focused islands are closed down until at least April. But Athens and a bit of the sea shore should be just great (Greece does not make sense without a look out at the Aegean Sea).

Athens. A sprawling city of over 3 million. But it doesn't feel crazy big, probably because there are no skyscrapers. Athens has laws restricting the height of buildings and the tallest structure, standing at 28 floors, is that tall only because in the period of its construction (early 70s), these laws were not strictly enforced. Only three other buildings are even close to that height. In Athens, your eyes can only turn to the towering Parthenon temple that stands at the highest point of the Acropolis.

More on that later. Let's get back to basics!

I have a rushed morning at the farmette.

(Unie, digging up my flower bed: a springtime ritual!)

And a somewhat more relaxed breakfast with Ed.

(Santorini candle: not going there, but still, I'm smelling the flower of a Greek fig)

(someone whom I'll miss very much; always hard to leave beloveds behind)

And then it's just a question of getting those pre-travel routines tidied up. Finish the packing, try to remember stuff I may have forgotten. It's complicated when traveling with a young one. For instance, I dont typically travel with a thermometer, liquid Motrin, real books (rather than just my kindle), face masks in two sizes, and snack bars. And, too, we're going to be in two weather categories: warm and then not so warm. Can I keep it light enough so that I wont need to send my bag through?  I must! It is especially important since we are traveling through Paris airport and that country is currently in a chaos of strikes and work disruptions. If a suitcase is to be lost, this month is the month for it.

Okay, packed.  Ready to go.

We meet up at the airport just after the noon hour. To Detroit first, then to Paris, and from there, we'll cross the continent to its southeastern tip -- in Athens.

So far so good. No bad weather, no delays. Yet. Wish us luck!

With love...

Thursday

Spring break for local schools starts tomorrow. Isn't that a fine time to scoop up the oldest one of the grandkids  (I'll leave the scooping of the younger ones to the parents who are more sprightly and capable of scooping up small fry) and take her on an adventure? Yes it is. 

Knowing this much, you'll have figured out my whole day, because when you charge yourself with creating a week of solid excitement for an 8-year old, you have to prepare for it. At least I do! None of this spur of the moment deliberation. Preparing in advance (I have learned) is key to a smoother journey. Less time wasted, more options realized.

And so, on this spring day, I get very busy, sifting and winnowing, deciding what to pack. (This is a much different process than just packing/preparing for a solo journey. Much different!)

Outside, there is snow. Not unusual: our last freeze date is around May 15th. That means that any night before that date can bring down a snow cover. It will melt. We are unbothered.

(Speak for yourself, say the hens!)

Breakfast, with two cats staring out, wondering if they got their calendar dates mixed up.

And then I get to work, keeping very busy until it's time to pick up Snowdrop.

(on my way, I pass these guys; note how quickly the snow has melted)

She is here after school...

(soooo excited!)

.... but not for terribly long because one job for us is to pack up her little suitcase at her house. We'll be leaving tomorrow right around lunchtime (she'll spend the morning in school) and I want everything to be neatly in place by then.

(Hey Sparrow, you're Assistant Parent for next week!)

(Hey Sandpiper, go easy on your parents! No more screwdrivers up your nose!)

And now I am back at the farmhouse. Last night I cooked up a pot of chili for Ed. Tonight though, I take greater care, baking up some fish, fussing with the veggies and salads.  And enjoying, albeit wistfully, my evening with him on the couch. We exchange our usuals: why do you have to go? why dont you want to go? Neither of us wants an answer. These are statements of a simple truth: I travel, he does not. He sails, I do not. And still, our moments together, here at the faremtte, are without question exquisite. So be it.

Must get some rest! Tomorrow is a very busy day!

With love...

Wednesday

Things are speeding up. The next six weeks, maybe eight weeks promise to be wild, even as Ed and I have just talked about how much we've come to love a slower pace. The trick is to alternate: a few weeks of chaos followed by maybe a month or so of calm. Of course, you can't always schedule your crazies. You just have to learn to enjoy them. And I do enjoy them. (Then I crash!)

This morning there is a threat of rain. Nonetheless, the chickens are out, including rusty, ancient Peach, who ventures out of hiding for the first time in weeks! (Then she gets stuck and I have to carry her back to the barn.)

Ed and I eat breakfast...

And then he asks me for help with his tree branch cutting project. And I do help him. We saw away at the high limb (with a loooong rope that has a saw in the middle) and we finally bring the sucker down. How long did it take? A week of work? More? Shush!

(plump flower buds, already!)

I am up to my neck with projects that absolutely positively have to be completed in the next two days and the rest of the morning is spent on those. All the way until it is time to swing by one more appointment that I have before picking up Snowdrop.

During this medical visit where we chat about all sorts of things past present and future, the topic of travel with grandchildren comes up. There is a nurse practitioner-in-training who sits in, taking notes. She's the one who asks me (as I chat about travel as a senior, especially travel with a child as a senior) -- at what age do you think it's good to take a child to, say, Europe? (She obviously is a mother of a potential candidate for such a trip.)

What a loaded question! I can tell you all sides of this dilemma, because I have surely experienced all sides -- from traveling with the young family when Snowdrop, then Sparrow were just babes, to the joy of having your young one come to an age where she can be distracted, nay, dazzled by videos, making for an overseas flight where you can relax.) 

Since this medic in training was clearly hungry for details, I told her that of course, the personality of the child helps you imagine what trip is least stressful for you and most educational for her or him. Snowdrop with each passing month has proven herself to be more adaptable to the stress of "when things go wrong." But she can be a picky eater and I reflect on that a bit. "She doesn't like it when different foods run into each other..." I tell the spellbound medical person.

Oh, no problem in our house! I'm used to that! My husband is the same way!

Wait, what?? He never grew out of it?? Damn! That's discouraging!

And then I do pick up the girl under consideration and bring her to the farmhouse.

We have a bit more car time today for various irrelevant and confusing reasons. I talk to her about the article I read in the NYTimes about what kids (ages 11-14) want adults to know about their thoughts, feelings, and such. I ask her the questions that the author had asked a focus group of twelve kids. 

The upside -- she definitely likes being a kid and does not wish for a fast track to adulthood (this is true for most of the kids interviewed for the piece as well). The sad moment came when I asked how she felt about security lockdowns in school.

She had had such a lockdown just yesterday. Indeed, when I came to pick her up, the whole school was eerily closed off. No kids, no staff in or around. My daughter texted me that they were on lockdown because of some "incident" nearby. 

I questioned Snowdrop about it immediately after she was let out and she seemed then to be just fine, brushing it of as one of those things. But then she went to Girl Scouts and the kids started in on the topic and she admitted today that after that meeting, she felt scared. 

Why? I asked.

Because they talked about killing people and guns.

Yeah. Tell me about it...

In the evening I cook up a huge pot of chili. For Ed, for next week, when I will be away.

With love...