On Our Way Spiti, Glyko Spiti

Hi Everyone,

Our last day in Greece...very hard to believe we've been here for 5 months and that our vacation of a lifetime is about to end. We could never put into words how wonderful it has all been, nor how important our family and friends here in Greece have become to us, nor how much we miss you all back home. Our choice to come here, and the way we spent our time here, were decisions that we would never, ever change.

We could never even begin to thank some people enough for helping us along the way. But we're gonna try, anyway...

First of all, Bill's Mom for making it possible to live in the house in Thessaloniki while we were here. What an enormous and generous gift, and packing it all up and saying goodbye to the house was more difficult than we imagined it would be. It was a comfortable, perfect home for us for almost half a year and we'll miss it. Thank you, Mom!

Second, John and Iro...wow, thank you for everything. The car--we'll miss you, Golfaki!--the mobile phone, your hospitality (towards us and our guests), for providing a place in Athens that truly felt like home. But most of all, for the opportunity to spend so much time with you. You and Dimitri are such a wonderful family...we love you all so much and are thankful that you are our koumbari, our cousins, and our friends.

Next, to all of our family in Thessaloniki: Thia Eugenia, Thio Manolis, Aki, Maria, Runia and the kids...we will miss you all so much. You made everything we did in Thessaloniki better because we could experience it with family. We love you and we look forward to seeing you again so we can make more fantastic memories together.

We also want to thank all of our family and friends from the States that came to spend time with us here: Bill's Mom, Polly, the whole Place family, Bruce & Tina, Rex...your visits all meant so much to us. You brought to us the comforts of home and allowed us to share our new home in Greece with you. We can't wait to see you all soon!

And we want to thank the countless new (and old) friends over here that helped us along the way: John's and Iro's families in Athens, Mary and her family in Filothei, Sophia in Paros, all the Blatza's in Thessaloniki, Gaby and Arnaud in Paris, Jeff and Ginger in Tuscany, the Massoli's in Rome. We hope we are not forgetting anyone, because you all made our experiences here so much more full and unforgettable because of your generosity and friendship.

We'll miss Greece so much, but we're not too sad about leaving because we KNOW we will be back very soon. This country has truly become a second home for us, and we cannot go long without spending time here. But right now our thoughts are on coming home to the States...getting to know and love Greece so well has also served to make us more and more proud that our home is America. We're ready for cheeseburgers, apple pie, the NFL playoffs and bowl games (Go Buckeyes!), and, most importantly, spending the holidays with our loved ones back home. See you all soon...mas ellipsate kai sas agapoume para poli!

Happy Holidays Everybody!

Bill & Amanda

Greek (or is Grecian?) Vacation

Friday, Dec 1 – Sunday, Dec 3: Athens

In the morning my family arrived at the Athens airport dehydrated and sleep-deprived after a really long night flight from Montreal. They all had huge grins on their faces despite their uncomfortable 11-hour journey across the pond. This European vacation was a first for most of them so their exhaustion didn’t get them down. Everyone was able to make it except for my future brother-in-law, Alex. Unfortunately, a business trip...so he says :)...kept him from joining us. Alex, we missed you!

Bill’s mom was still in town, so shortly after my family arrived we all had a great lunch together in Glyfada. The rest of the afternoon was spent getting settled in (which was easy for my sister Alisha since her luggage was still somewhere between Montreal and Athens). That evening John took us to a wonderful traditional taverna for more food and live music. This was where everyone realized why I had been talking so much about the food here, especially the cheese. We had huge plates of feta, great saganaki, and many cheese pies. It was natural that they would love all the cheeses but to my surprise they even ate all of the paithakia (grilled lamb ribs) and loved it.

As of Saturday morning, still no luggage for Alisha. Mom, Missy and I offered her our clothes but since Alisha is over 6 feet tall, she didn’t take us up on the offer. As a result, she was stuck in the outfit she wore for the flight over… you’ll notice in the pictures why she got the nickname “Pinky.”

Later that day the sightseeing began. Bill and I spent the day showing off Athens. We visited the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the Plaka. It was a beautiful day and although Bill and I had been to these spots a few times before, it was nice to experience them with my family in the fall. It was hard to believe that just a few months earlier, Bill and I were visiting the Parthenon in shorts and flip flops.

Sunday, Dec 3 – Tuesday, Dec 5: Hydra

After lots of unsuccessful phone calls to the airline in search of Alisha’s luggage, we decided to leave Athens for the island of Hydra (and after four days of the same outfit, the nickname “Pinky” morphed into “Stinky”—just kidding, Alisha!). Instead of the direct ferry from Piraeus, we decided to take the scenic and more exciting route over the Corinth Canal and down the east coast of the Peloponnesus to the village of Galatas. From Galatas we hopped on a small water taxi that took us to the island of Poros in all of about 3 minutes. Poros is separated from the Peloponnesus by a very small passage of water (actually, the Greek word poros means passage…am I sounding like a Greek yet?). Poros seemed like another charming island worth visiting, but we only had time to sit in the harbor and sip Nescafe’s and hot chocolates while we waited for our boat to Hydra.

That evening we arrived on Hydra and to our surprise, we were all blown away by the island. Because of its close proximity to Athens, we were afraid the island would have been spoiled over the years by tourism. Fortunately, the island still seemed to be untouched. Hydra once was once a thriving port, even trading directly with North America. In its hey-day it was inhabited by 40,000 people and now only holds a mere 3,000. No cars are allowed on the island of Hydra so we were greeted by donkeys, as they are the main mode of transportation on the island. This was a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Athens. So for my family, it was an awesome first exposure to village life. Over the next two days we saw gorgeous sunsets and another huge full moon (our fifth, and sadly, final one here in Greece). We ate at fabulous tavernas and strolled through many of the harbor town’s cobblestone streets.

Monday morning we were all shocked to see Alisha’s luggage come off the ferry from Piraeus. The pink outfit was officially retired… possibly forever?

Tuesday, December 4 – Wednesday, December 5: Delphi

We reluctantly said our goodbyes to Hydra and headed back to the mainland. After many hours in the car we arrived in Delphi that evening. We had a very lively dinner at a local taverna that included many carafes of the house wine, most of which was consumed by my brother-in-law Nathan who seemed to particularly enjoy ordering wine by the kilo.

The next morning we set out to see what else, other than wine, Delphi had to offer. Bill and I had been through Delphi once before, but because we had never visited the ancient sites, this was another first for us. Delphi is amazing in so many ways. It lies on the southern slopes of the Parnassos Mountains, overlooking thousands of olive trees that fill the valley below. You can even see the Gulf of Corinth in the distance. And if the view alone isn’t enough, the ancient ruins are incredible. Delphi is over 3,000 years old and was once considered the center of the world by the Ancient Greeks, mainly because it was the site of the most sacred oracle of the time. We visited the remains of the Temple of Apollo, a large amphitheater, and a very well-preserved stadium. My family loved Delphi, and Bill and I would have been very disappointed if we hadn’t squeezed it in before leaving Greece.

Wednesday, Dec 6 – Thursday, Dec 7: Meteora

So, if you’ve been keeping up, you’ve already heard me talk about Meteora; I won’t bore you with the details. But I will say that it was equally impressive the third time around. We visited the monasteries of Agios Stephanos, Roussaneau, and Greater Meteora. Most of my family said this was now their favorite part of the trip, but then again I had heard that the day before. Actually, I think this was my Mom’s favorite part of the trip. She really enjoyed the monasteries and their spectacular views. I think she felt the same kind of rejuvenation that I experience every time I visit Meteora. It’s truly unlike any other place on earth.

Thursday, Dec 7 – Sunday, Dec 10: Thessaloniki and Vergina

Heading up to Thessaloniki we stopped for lunch in the restored traditional village of Pallio Panteleimonas, now one of our favorites. Thursday evening in Thessaloniki we had a little down time from all the traveling we had been doing. Friday was spent touring the sites of the city, which took all day with all the stops we were making along the way. You see, there are tons of stray cats and dogs in Greece and walking with two veterinarians meant stopping every few minutes to pet a stray.

On Saturday, Thia Eugenia had us all over for lunch. To our surprise most of Bill’s family was also there. Thia had made a humongous spread of food like she always does. It was a really special afternoon because it was the first time my family met many of Bill’s cousins here in Greece.

Sunday afternoon we snuck in one more side trip before my family piled into the rental car to head back to Athens. We visited Vergina, the tomb of King Phillip II of Macedonia. We had been here two times before, but it was so remarkable that it warranted another trip. My family was amazed with what has remained inside the burial site for so many years. In particular, my Dad looked shocked when he first saw the grand entrance of the King Phillip’s tomb, totally intact after 2,300 years.

Upon my family’s arrival in Athens, Iro prepared another fabulous meal for them, and on Monday, John shuffled them all off to the airport for their flight home. We just can’t thank John and Iro enough for all of their generosity over the past 5 months, not only to us, but to all of our family and friends that have visited us over here.

I was so glad that my family came to Greece. We all had so much fun together…it was definitely a trip of a lifetime!

Just a few days left in Greece for Bill and me…we’ll try to squeeze in one more goodbye post before we head home. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season back home…we miss you all and look forward to seeing you soon!

Kala Christouyenna!

Amanda

"Almost Turkey"

While Mom was here in Thessaloniki, she spent a lot of time visiting cousins whom she hadn’t seen in a while, plus, of course, we celebrated Rooster Day. But the following week we did manage to sneak in a little sightseeing with our trip to “Almost Turkey.”

“Almost Turkey” is what Amanda and I have been calling Thraki, the easternmost region of Greece that borders on Turkey to the east and Bulgaria to the north. It is very different from the rest of Greece in that the influences remaining from centuries of Turkish rule are far more prevalent: nearly half of its residents are of Turkish descent and practice Islam. I had never been there, and Mom had not been that far east since she went there on a field trip in high school.

Monday, November 27: Kavala and Xanthi

We started out by driving east to Kavala, a seaside town about 150 kilometers from Thessaloniki. Kavala isn’t a large town, but it has prospered over the years due to its large shipping port. The east side of the harbor, known as the Panagia, still looks much like it did during its centuries under Turkish rule: old shops, homes and restaurants in a maze of winding cobblestone streets, all surrounded by huge citadel walls. We parked along the water and admired the fishing boats (if you look closely at the pictures above, you can see where Santa spends his off-season), then walked along a huge 16th century aqueduct and into the Panagia, where we viewed a monument commemorating the birthplace of Mehmet Ali (who later became Pasha of Egypt). We next found the Imaret, built by Ali to house theological students and still the largest Muslim building in all of Europe. It has since been converted into a beautiful hotel. Mom, Amanda and I sat down in one of its charming tea rooms, ordered some great Turkish coffee and hot chocolate, and enjoyed the view overlooking the harbor.

We next drove to Xanthi, the highway heading east surrounded on either side by miles and miles of tobacco fields. Xanthi became rich on the proceeds of these large tobacco plantations, and is still a bustling, thriving town, thanks mainly to the thousands of students that attend the university there. We stayed in a hotel on the mail platea, which is surrounded by modern restaurants, bars, and galleries. But we bypassed all that and walked into the pallio polis (the “old city”) and sat down at a charming little taverna nestled in a back alleyway. I guess we were all hungry from our road trip, because what ensued may have the worst case of over-ordering that I have ever done here, and believe me, that's saying something. We enjoyed a fantastic, overindulgent meal and called it a night.

Tuesday, November 28: Komotini and Philippi

The next day we headed further east to Komotini, a very modest town in the northeast corner of Greece. Komotini does not really have much to offer in the way of sightseeing; we went there with one goal in mind: to find the bazaar, rumored to be the largest in Greece. As soon as we parked and walked into the bazaar, it was like stepping into a different country, perhaps a Third World one (even the weather got worse).

From here, Turkey is only 60 miles further east, and Bulgaria is even closer—only 14 miles north—and the Muslim and Slavic influences are accordingly strong. Greeks, Turks, Pomaks (Muslims with Slav rather than Greek or Turkish origins), and gypsies were selling their produce, clothing and crafts in the largest outdoor market I have ever seen. It must have been a mile long, not kidding. We bundled up and shopped around for a couple of hours, then walked back to the car and headed back west toward the archeological site at Philippi.

King Philip II of Macedonia named Philippi after himself when he conquererd the area in 356 B.C., but most of its ruins date from the slightly more recent Roman period. In addition to the remains of three gigantic Roman basilicas, there is a sizable amphitheater and the prison where St. Paul was reputedly held when he arrived in 49 A.D. to first spread Christianity to the west. After the Acropolis in Athens and perhaps Delphi, it is considered one of the best archeological sights in Greece. We spent some time walking and taking pictures among the ruins, and then had a late lunch before heading home to Thessaloniki.

Unfortunately, Mom had to head home to the States just a few days later. It was absolutely terrific to have her here in Greece with us for as long as she was, although, of course, it felt too short. We look forward to seeing her for Christmas when we can relive some of these great memories together.

Amanda’s family arrived for a visit last week…I’ll let her tell you all about it our next post. Until then, yiasas!

Bill

In Loving Memory

On Sunday, November 19, my mother offered a mnimosino in her home village of Kolindros. Let me start by saying that of all the wonderful experiences Amanda and I have had over the past 4 months, this day was by far for me the most incredible, and certainly the most heartwarming. To have Polly, Mom, Amanda and I all together in my mother’s home village, surrounded by all our family, was truly an amazing experience I will always cherish.

Mnimosino comes from the Greek word “to remember” (as do a few related English words, like “mnemonic”), and is a church ceremony offered in honor of deceased family or friends. The short ceremony is conducted after the regular Sunday church service, and is followed by coffee and pastries at the church social room, and then later, dinner at the local catering hall. Mom hosted one that Sunday for my father, my grandparents, and my mother’s two older brothers who have passed away.

I was here the last time my mother hosted a mnimosino, just four years ago, yet I had forgotten how many relatives Mom has in Kolindros. Both of her parents came from big families (Papou was one of 10 children, Yiayia one of 11), so Mom has countless first cousins, many of whom also went on to have big families. It’s probably a conservative estimate that at least a tenth of Kolindros’ 3,000 citizens are related to us.

Well, I think just about every one of those relatives showed up at church that Sunday. It is such a homecoming every time my mother visits Kolindros that it seems the entire village lines up to see her, kiss her, welcome her back. Amanda and I were introduced to so many people, some of whom I remembered, many whom I was meeting for the first time. It was a great day for Polly and me to spend time together with all of our first cousins over here--Costas, Stephania, Aki and Runia--walking through the same village where we all played together many years ago. But best of all, at least for me, was to see Mom surrounded by so many relatives with whom she grew up, or played with as a young girl, or with whom she went to high school. And just like four years ago, I was so impressed with my mother’s memory…she remembered every cousin, many details about their childhood, and could point out the names of homes she remembered as we walked through the village.

And the highlight was walking with my mother into her childhood home. My Thia Keti still lives in the renovated house above it, but below is the tiny modest house where my grandparents lived, rather unchanged from the time when Mom grew up there with her four brothers and sisters. It had been 25 years since we had all been in the house together, and the memories just came rushing back for Polly, Mom and me the minute we walked through the door.

One of my favorite pictures from my childhood is a photo of all of us sitting together around my grandparents’ dining room table: Papou, Yiayia, Mom, Polly, me, Thia Eugenia and Thio Manoli with Rania and Aki, Thio Elia and Thia Keti with Costas and Stephania. I was only 4 years old at the time. We walked up the creaky old stairs and, sure enough, there was the old table, like it was yesterday. Polly and I even walked across the street to the little shack where Papou kept his donkey, and as we approached it I swear I felt a little of the same trepidation I felt as a small child when I was scared to death of it. Every corner we turned, every creaking floor board reminded me of a time we all spent together at my grandparents’ home when I was little. And to see the happy (and sad) expression on Mom’s face was something I will never, ever forget. All in all, it was a really special day, all centered on an event fittingly called a mnimosino because it brought back such wonderful memories for all of us.

The dinner Mom hosted was fantastic—delicious fish and roasted potatoes, sautéed chorta, taramosalata, and eggplant puree—and we spent much of the afternoon making our way around to all of the 70 or so friends and family that attended. It was a long, wonderful, emotional day and Polly had many hours of travel ahead of her on Monday, so we called it a night and went home.

[Side Note: I must admit I was looking forward to Polly’s arrival for many reasons…but one of them is because I had hoped that after 4 months here, my Greek would finally, for once, be better than my sister’s. But Polly and Stephania rode together in the same car between the church service and dinner, and when they arrived Stephania announced: “OK, Polly only remembers 30 Greek words…but she speaks them all better than Bill!” I guess the best I can make out of that is a draw…]

I can't describe how nice it was to be together with Polly in Greece. It was a short visit for her because she could only get away from work back home for a few days. But many times during those few days I felt like we were kids in Greece again. It is a wonderful feeling I could only get by her being here...Polly, we have to come back again together, and soon!

Hope all is well back in the States…hard to believe we have 18 weeks behind us and only 2 to go. Time has just flown.

Yiasas for now!

Bill