In the morning we had arranged for the previous day’s taxi driver and his nephew to taxi us to the car rental place. I am almost positive they ran the meter up by a very significant amount, but then again Clarissa got chocolate all over one of their 90,000 Euro taxis, so maybe it was okay.
It took a long time to rent a car even though we had reserved one in advance. As we were waiting we met the nicest men from Turkey who were there to compete in the triathlon the next day. We exchanged info with one of them in the hopes that they will come to Utah to bike or compete someday. After all the paperwork and everything was signed, we finally loaded the car and took off.
I had been very, very worried about driving in Greece. So worried, in fact, that I refused to do it, in spite of having an international driver’s license. I was just as worried about Abe driving in Greece, but it turns out he was a total natural. And the roads were much, much better than expected. It was a huge relief!
As we drove to our Airbnb in Sarakinas, we took the slightest detour to see Thermopylae, the site of the last stand of the 300 fighters from Sparta. I had read that there was not much there, but it turns out the visitor center had a short, 3D video that was excellent for children. It explained the differences in armor, weaponry, and training between the Greeks and the Persions, and it broke the three day battle down into graphics that were very easy to follow. By the end of the movie we all understood how brave, fierce, and ultimately self-sacrificing these Greek warriors were. We were excited to cross the road and stand on the hill where the warriors last stood.
This is the memorial to the 300 and their leader.We ate junk food for lunch because there was literally nothing else around. We had not eaten breakfast and everyone was strongly vocalizing a need to eat. So chips, nougat, and apples it was.A Spartan warrior’s armor display in the visitor center.The hill of the Spartan camp. We were standing on the hill where the last 300 died (by 3000 Persion arrows, later excavated).The monument to the Spartans on the hill.
After Thermopylae we drove to our Airbnb, which was in a small country village.
The kids and Abe got their wiggles out playing freeze tag. To unfreeze the kids needed an unfrozen child to crawl under them. In the final iteration Abe was the chaser and his goal was to freeze all four kids without them unfreezing each other. The playground at the taverna where we ate dinner.We ate dinner at the only taverna in town. There were a few older men smoking outside and some stray dogs roaming close by. This was the first place Abe felt a soul connection with Greece.Part of Abe’s feeling related to seeing these on the table. His grandmother has the same ones.The taverna as we were leaving. Abe took a picture because he loved it so much.
Here is what Mary captured about today in her travel journal:
With our luggage loaded there was no longer room for everyone to have their own seatbelt, so these two shared for the ride back to the port.As we were loading onto the ferry so were these trucks loaded with marble from the quarries of Naxos–which has the oldest operating quarry in the world.On the ferry the kids did some play dough.Mary did such a good job on the bread! I don’t remember who did the cookies.cute snail.rose.
Athens
After arriving in Athens we took two taxis to our Airbnb in the Plaka. It was a modest apartment but the location was incredible. It was literally around the corner from the Acropolis metro station–and the best pita place I’d tried yet on the trip.
After we dropped our bags off we headed out to see the Parthenon.
Abe and I enjoyed cuddling and watching the Parthenon glow in the evening light before we were kicked out at closing. The kids had a lot of fun playing in front of the Parthenon.
On our way to dinner we tried to go to the Acropolis museum but I did not have my vaccine card on me. That was a shame but a good reason to return.
After strolling down the Plaka for a bit we settled down for some yummy gyros and the only real gelato I’ve had in over a decade. It was so incredible. I can taste it just remembering it. Mmmmmmmm….
This was the view from right below our villa when we woke up in the morning. Naxos was beautiful.
We started by exploring the Chora’s Kastro, or old town by the castle. It was very similar to Apiranthos in its layout, except that it was not solid marble and there was no shoe cobbler in a tiny house nook in sight. There were, however, lovely twists and turns and fun nooks and crannies to explore.
Then we tried to find lunch, but since no one was open for that yet we explored the old market. I liked this better than the Kastro even.
Then we had lunch by the port and then headed in our car to the Alyeko Cedar forest with its secluded beaches. This was, by far, my favorite part of a heavenly Greece trip. I love the beach, I love Greek island beaches, and best of all I love secluded beaches. It means my kids can be wild and I don’t have to worry about them bothering anyone or kicking sand in anyone’s eyes. I don’t have to monitor them every single second because it’s a small beach and they don’t want to even wander. I can just lie by the water, relax, drink in the sun, and listen to the sound of my family enjoying themselves. As bonuses on top of bonuses, the water was not only crystal clear but warm too! Words can not express my appreciation for this beach and this treasure of an afternoon. I loved every single second and cherish this memory so much.
Abe wanted to watch the sun set, and it turned out to be an absolutely magical experience for all of us.
After this incredible afternoon, we went home, ate some leftovers, washed off, and went to bed. A beautiful day.
In the morning we set out to explore Naxos, and we started with Demeter’s Temple. We absolutely loved the surrounding area of the temple, and Ammon still says it is his favorite thing in Greece (this is being blogged after our trip has ended). The countryside looks kind of drab in the pictures, but in real life the countryside seemed to undulate out from the center of the temple. We loved looking at the ancient farms and groves all around. History seemed to really come alive as we examined the temple and the offering holes in the ground.
Lydia, Abe and I all tried eating an olive here. We discovered that, delectable as a ripe olive on the tree looks, it is completely inedible in its raw state. It is such a tragedy! But after this experience I noticed we all gobbled down olives whenever they were offered to us (all the time). I suppose we understood the cured olives’ value better somehow after having suffered the taste and aftertaste of their raw counterparts.Mary examining the olive tree.
Chalki
In Chalki we observed high school students learning what looked like a traditional Greek dance in the outdoor gym section of the school, which was right next to our parking lot. Then we wandered through the charming streets of Chalki before realizing that most of it was shut down due to it being October. Since we had skipped breakfast, we got some smoothies from one shop that was open–and some lemon and chocolate cake, since we did not know when we would eat again. I also entered the store of a woman who was weaving beautiful greek cloth in the window, but after feeling slightly pressured left. I felt guilty about leaving all day and to now still wonder if I should have bought something.
Mt. Zas and Zeus’s cave
After leaving Chalki we drove to Mt. Zas. We did not know if we would attempt to hike to the top or just to the cave. As it turned out, the path was extremely slippery and the boulders/boulder climbing got more intense as we progressed, so after the cave we turned around.
(It helped that I asked a passing hiker how it was at the top and she strongly discouraged me from bringing kids up since it was wet, cold, windy, and–her words–very dangerous.) We did see a family with a six year old who had hiked to the top, but with Ammon being unpredictable and hard to manage, and Clarissa prone to fits and needing to be carried, we felt like the cave was a sufficient reward for a very fun hike. The kids all said it was their favorite part of the day and wanted to keep going.
At the base of the hike to the cave where Zeus was raised there is a koi pond.some views on the ascent.In Zeus’s cave!Peeking out from the cave.Clarissa at the mouth of the cave.Abe patiently encouraged/carried Clarissa down the mountain.
Apiranthos, the marble city
I had read that Apiranthos was called the marble city, but as we approached the kids expressed disappointment. Mary, our little artist, was particularly peeved that the city would not be solid marble as promised.
But as soon as we stepped off the cement outer road onto the pavement of the actual city, we realized the city was made out of marble. The pavement, stairs, and building blocks for the houses were all marble. I am pretty sure the white paint on the houses was covering marble slabs underneath.
We all thought it was almost miraculous to walk in a solid marble city, and as we wandered and got lost in the city we felt we had stepped back in time. I mean waaaaaay back. At one point I turned a corner and literally saw a cobbler making shoes in an almost impossibly small room. I don’t think I will ever forget the image. I felt like I had entered a fairy tale.
All of the kids were appropriately awed and interested, but maybe the most enthused of us all was Abe. Even after we accidentally upset a resident by being too loud (lookin’ at you, cute Ammon!) and got barked at through a fence by ferocious sounding dogs, he wanted to keep wandering indefinitely. The kids started complaining they were hungry, which was fair since we had barely eaten anything all day. So we ended up having a little appetizer at the only open taverna we could find. The taverna seemed to be entirely owned and operated by one man and while I found some of the food slightly difficult to eat, he was the kindest person.
We drove home and cooked the kids some noodles and served them the rest of the fruit and olives in the fridge. They appeared happy with that arrangement, and it was nice to be in our little house for one evening.
In the morning we packed lightly and drove down to the port to catch our ferry to Santorini.
As we waited the kids found this octopus by the port taverna.Waiting for the ferry.The ferry arrives.
Spotting Santorini.SantoriniWe got a taxi almost all the way to our Airbnb, where Abe lay a sleeping Clarissa on her bed.In our Airbnb there was this art piece which reminded Abe of his grandfather’s art.We ate at Skala and it had terrific views of the caldera.The food was so good.Competing with the hoards of people to see the sunset. At one point I took the three oldest and just wandered down alleys while Abe took pictures of the sun at various stages of setting.The girls and I bought earrings for Suzanne.Then we got dessert.
After this we caught our return taxi back to our Airbnb, where everyone changed into swimsuits and played in the hottub overlooking the sea and a blue and white church right behind us. Well, the kids and Abe played and I tried very hard not to be too cold (the hot tub was more like lukewarm).
In the morning Abe and I woke up and were stunned to learn that it was past 1pm. That jeg lag!
By the time we got out of the house we just had time for the kids to play on the beach a little bit before dinner at the same restaurant we ate at the night before (only this time we sat on the beach).
The view from our window. Unfortunately, this was not our dock. But even still, had we not gotten lost and done a twenty minute detour, we would still have been very close to our pier.Abe took Clarissa out on the ferry for some air.I don’t think Abe meant to take a picture of these people, but they were all LDS and had ties to Utah and mutual friends with Abe. Their seats were next to ours on the ferry, and I figured out they were LDS in about five minutes. We enjoyed them.Abe took pictures of all the sleepyheads.For dinner we drove to a taverna. The food was very yummy.We picked a fresh fish and they grilled it for us.
After dinner we explored Apollo’s temple at the port.
It had been raining hard when we arrived in Naxos, but I think the splotches on Clarissa might be from jumping in puddles or getting splashed by wave sprays.Apollo’s temple in Naxos.Abe had the kids pose. I am guessing he asked them to throw up?Here maybe he asked them to look strong?Mary, our contemplative.sisters.We let the kids play in this little beach cove for a bit.A rainbow!Back in our villa, the kids and Abe determined to try the unheated pool. It was freezing cold (so I heard).
Clarissa is shivering but still wants to swim some more.
Also here is a tour of the house and area that Abe made:
Ammon’s sixth birthday was spent partly on a plane and partly in Athens. We took a taxi to our Airbnb in Piraeus, dropped our luggage, sorted out how to access cash since our ATM cards turned out to be out of date, and walked across the street to the metro to get to Athens. In Athens we walked a bit in Monastiraki and made our way to the Parthenon, eating a meal (was it lunch? Dinner? Who knows??) on the way. The Parthenon was supposed to be open late. But because of the rain it was closed. So we just turned around and made our way slowly back to Monastiraki to catch the metro back, enjoying the sights and sounds on the way.
As it was Ammon’s birthday, I need to recount the funniest conversation we had with him at some point on this trip. We were talking about Hades and Ammon piped up saying, in all sincerity, “But it’s good to be dead, right? Because then you don’t have to listen to your parents and can do anything you want because you’re already dead! Like you can wham bam into walls!!”
We laughed so hard. We think it is funny that Ammon’s idea of heaven is a place where you don’t have to have to listen to your parents, you can do anything crazy because you’re already dead, and specifically that heaven includes whamming and bamming into walls.
Also, on our last day in Greece we were on the metro headed into Athens and Ammon, as he always does, struck up a conversation with a kind woman. She and her husband were retired and were so delightful. (In fact, thanks to Ammon, we count them as new friends and plan to visit their restaurant in Andros in two years!) While she was telling us how they have flats around Europe but they travel all the time and every night her husband asks her which country they should plan on being in that night, she said, “I know I am crazy! All my girlfriends tell me I am crazy!”
Ammon, in his little mask, lit up like a light. “Hey,” he cried. “I am crazy too! Maybe that’s why we are friends!”
Again, he had us laughing pretty hard.
Also, in our pictures, I couldn’t help but note how I am almost always holding Ammon firmly by the hand or attempting to discreetly restrain him with my arms. Ammon, I love you so much and so I think I am a little overprotective sometimes. You are the sweetest, kindest, friendliest little boy and I never want you to get hurt or lost! But maybe, since your birthday was quite understated this year, I can try to give you more space this year. That might be a birthday gift that turns out to be your favorite yet.
Today the kids and I went to the Museum of Art. I loved how accessible–and free!–it was. Honestly, I was dreading the experience a little bit because I know that Ammon and Clarissa are hard to keep calm in museums. But I was surprised and delighted to have one of the best experiences I’ve ever had with all of the kids in public. We wandered around the museum together and everyone was actively engaged in the art. I had the best time asking the kids questions about the paintings and listening to their answers. Normally I do not take the time to ask them lots of questions, but art is such a wonderful medium for doing that.
I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of the artist’s plaque for this piece. It was my absolute favorite to analyze with the kids. Here they are doing bodily interpretations of the art.
Mary took my phone and took pictures of her favorite pieces of art. She liked this one because of the textures.Mary loved the paintings with texture and kept asking to go back to the abstract art section.This was a very fun interactive installation with mirrors and lights. The kids loved it and Mary took this picture.Lydia realized this family of children matched our family of kids perfectly. She arranged everyone in the matching poses. The kids loved playing in the ancient art section.Mary spelled her name in hieroglyphics.Clarissa was looking for her name in the hieroglyphics.
After the museum we headed home where I fed the kids leftovers for lunch. Then I cleaned up and took a looooong nap. The kids played, watched screens, did homework, and then started an elaborate game of pretend until it was time to pick up Abe and head to dinner. We ate at Tupelo Honey. The southern food there was rich, delicious, and much too filling. Ammon did a startlingly good job eating his gigantic portion of meat loaf and green beans. The rest of us put in valiant efforts on whatever was in front of us, and we all left satisfied–but with stomachaches.
Then we put down the kids and Abe worked for a couple more hours while I packed everything up so we can drive to Asheville tomorrow. We are headed to the Biltmore estate, which I am looking forward to. I have to say I am excited to leave our Airbnb. It is perfectly located and cute, but it has a cockroach and bug problem. I feel pretty grossed out by all of the cockroaches we see and am quite ready to leave.
Most of my pictures of this day will not load, but these two did. In the first Clarissa is feeding the seagulls, and in the second you can see Lydia and Mary in the background calling to Poseidon as they sit in the waves. They swore after that Poseidon actually responded every time they asked him for a really big wave.
On Wednesday I did five sets of the 400 workout again in the morning and helped Ammon with his massive pile of homework. I also did a lot of laundry, cleaning, meal making, and hair braiding, so we did not leave the house until 10:30. We arrived in Wrightsville a little after 1:30pm, and after picking up beach supplies we spent the next four hours just playing on the beach.
Well, the kids played. I drank a lot of coffee and that makes me extra anxious, so having my kids by the Atlantic was not play for me. I basically stood in front of Ammon and Clarissa and ordered them to scoot back every time they entered the ocean. Ammon’s inclination is always to self-destruct, so of course he wanted to full on immerse and swim in the raging ocean. Clarissa must have been a water nymph in the last life and has always been the most water-obsessed person we’ve ever known, so she has the exact same instinct as Ammon. I was beside myself trying to keep the two of them alive, but I did briefly sense a secondary sensation of satisfaction to see all of my kids enjoying themselves on the beach. The feeling was minor and disappeared almost immediately as soon as Ammon made another beeline for the waves, but at a fundamental level I am aware that going to the one of the most beautiful beaches in North Carolina is a privilege that I am grateful we had.
On the way there and back we listened to Mythos by Stephen Fry to refresh ourselves on Greek mythology. The girls were addicted, Clarissa hated it and Ammon was ambivalent. By the end we had to switch periodically to The Greatest Showman soundtrack to placate the little ones.
At the end of Abe’s work day, he took his team out to a fancy steak dinner at Oak House to celebrate an outstanding Q3.
Brian Gorman, Abe, Matt Frongello, Derek TuimaugaAbe said he ordered steak because he started to just order a salad or something less expensive, but he thought it made the others feel awkward, like they couldn’t buy the more expensive steaks since Abe was paying for most of the meal (team budget only covered $100). When Abe changed to steak, it seemed to put people at ease. Abe said this was the best steak he’d eaten in his life.Abe’s mom has been texting us photos and videos of Basil throughout our trip. We were trying to figure out how to take care of Basil while were were gone and we were down to boarding him with perhaps the occasional stint with a friend. We were so touched when Abe’s mom offered to take him the whole time! She loves animals and has a great backyard and Basil has been so happy with her. Also, it is so nice of her to keep sending pictures and videos to light up our days. We are so touched!
We picked Abe up from the office around 7pm, came home, showered everyone, fed everyone a quick dinner of leftover pasta and salad, and then Abe gave me a long massage while he told me all about work. The massage put me to sleep, but I woke up to go to the bathroom right after and wasn’t able to fall asleep again until midnight. Then I woke up again at 2:55am and haven’t been asleep since, so I have just caught up on blogging and will now go try to sleep again. I think it’s because I drank a LOT of coffee driving. I get sleepy on long drives and the coffee really helped, but on top of the phentramine I now can not sleep at all. It’s 6am now so I will try to sleep a little, but if that doesn’t work maybe I will just accept the fact that today had a very early start. Oh! There’s Abe’s wake-up alarm now!
