Three Blondes and the Aegean Sea

I am currently having a cup of coffee at the Hotel Attalos in Athens. My mom and sister Tara departed from here at 3 o'clock this morning to catch their flights back to the United States. They spent a week in Greece with me during my spring break, and it was fantastic!

They arrived last Sunday afternoon, exhausted from flying but ready for an adventure. After settling in at my apartment and freshening up, we strolled past the old Olympic Stadium, Temple of Zeus and Hadrian's arch to the neighborhood of Plaka. Here Mom and Tara were welcomed to Athens with their first taste of Greek food: mousaka, mussels saganaki, and zuchini balls. The restaurant was seated at the bottom of the Acropolis!

Mom's first glass of Greek wine

Day Two began with a walking tour past the major monuments of Athens. We followed a path suggested by a guide book. Perhaps the best part was a narrow road less traveled through small whitewashed houses adorned with flowers. Food of the day: Greek Salad and Souvlaki for lunch.
lunch

Hadrian's Arch

At the end of the day, we rested and then grabbed a taxi to an intimately set Jazz Club in my neighborhood. The feature at "Half Note" was a Flamenco performance by dancer Maria Serrano and her group. Flamenco is a traditional dance of Spain, not Greece, but I figured it was still Mediterannean. The entertainment was great from our second floor view, where we sipped mojitos.

There are 3,000 islands in the seas surrounding Greece. They are frequent vacation spots for visitors to the country, and I couldn't let my mom and sister leave without getting a glimpse of them. We spent Tuesday on a boat cruise of the 3 islands closest to Athens: Egina, Hydra, and Paros. Our time on each individual island was limited, but it was a great day.
Cheese Pie!

Our boat, after stopping on Paros; Donkeys on Hydra (there is no motorized transportation)

On Wednesday morning, we took a 3 hour bus ride from Athens to Delphi, a destination on top of Mom's Greece "must see" list. Rain had started to fall by the time we arrived, but it was no problem; we had planned to visit the museum first. The museum helped give us a visual of what the site at Delphi looked like centuries (and millenia) ago. Mom and Tara then did some souvenir shopping to stay dry, and we ate more mousaka at a taverna.

Early the next morning, we were able to visit the outdoor sites while the sun shone. The view, even the second time for me, was breathtaking. While waiting for the bus that would take us back to Athens, we had lunch at little place "for crepes sake," as Tara put it. Indeed, our stomachs were content for the ride home after we filled up on pizza and a chocolate/strawberry crepe.

Delphi: Taverna and great views

On Thursday evening we were back in Athens, and went to the movie theater close to my apartment. We saw "300," a historical movie about the Spartan army and battle of the 300. It is playing in the U.S., but I thought it more fitting for us to see while in Greece. Tara isn't a big fan of war movies, but Mom enjoyed it and so did I (for the second time).

On Day 5, Friday, we were back in Athens for the morning. We took a long metro ride to the 2004 Olympic Stadium, only to find that it was closed for Good Friday. The architecture was still fun to see, though, even from the outside. The trip was still worth it, because we were able to have coffee at the huge shopping mall nearby. We returned via metro to my neighborhood of Pangrati where the weekly Friday market filled the streets. Purchases included fresh olives and strawberries to snack on, along with Easter lilies getting ready to bloom.

Olympic Stadium, as seen from the shopping mall

OLIVES at my neighborhood market

A bus picked us up that afternoon for a tour of Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon. Even the 1.5 hour bus ride was enjoyable, as we viewed the beaches on the eastern coast of Attica. Tara and Mom had seen many a temple by now, but Poseidon's became a favorite because of the background in front of which it sits.

Temple of Poseidon

Views from the cape

Tara, from our hotel balcony in Vouliagmeni

There is nothing like a morning swim to start the day, and that is what we did on Saturday. Lake Vouliagmeni sits parallel to the seashore, at the bottom of a mountain range. It is known for its warm temperatures year-round and mineral content that reportedly heals several skin ailments. We checked out of our hotel and returned to Athens and the Monastiraki area, where Mom and Tara were finally able to eat a great gyro.

Easter is the biggest, most important holiday in Greece. At 11 PM on Saturday, we attended a service at "my church" in Pangrati. Chanting and the liturgy went on for an hour leading up to the climatic "Cristos Anesti" (Christ has risen!) at midnight. The lights went out and the church and streets were lit with candles held by all.

On Sundays, and especially Easter Sunday, most places in Greece are closed. We were lucky enough to be invited to the home of one of my professors. Father Stefanos Alexolpoulos, an orthodox priest, generously had us over for a great Easter meal. Mom and Tara were able to get a taste of local hospitality along with delicious roast lamb. Tara was stuffed after yiayia (Grandmother) insisted on filling her plate with meat of all kinds.

Their last night in Greece was surely relaxing. Our hotel in Monastiraki, where I still sit, has a rooftop garden bar with a view of the Acropolis. They waved goodbye to it last evening, beautifully lit up over the city of Athens. I was sad to see them go, but am so thankful that they were able to visit me and the beautiful country I currently call home.