Now, off to Athens

Just in case you’re wondering if we fell into the Pacific, we didn’t and we have arrived in New Zealand! We also have Internet service again. I am trying to continue the blog chronologically, but Europe and Asia feel like distant memories. So these entries will probably be brief to catch up and get to what’s going on in NZ!

Friday, 19 October 2007

We flew from Sitia to Athens with mixed emotions. Crete, especially Kato Zakros, was so relaxing and peaceful, but heading to Athens means we are one step closer to New Zealand. We had an evening flight so we explored a bit on the way to the airport. We visited Toplou Monastery which was originally built in the 15th century. It captivated the boys’ imagination because it has a turbulent and exciting history including pirate raids and attacks by Turks. We continued on to Sitia, ate gyros on the waterfront and wandered the streets and harbor of Sitia to pass the time until our flight.

This flight to Athens on Friday evening was full. Everyone seemed to be flying with food: cakes, cream, cheese and bottles of stuff.

Saturday and Sunday, 20 and 21 October 2007

Even in October Athens was full of tourists. We even saw some Americans, rare since our time in Istanbul. We stayed on the edge of the Plaka and even had a view of the Acropolis from our room. Saturday morning we headed for the Acropolis to see the Parthenon. Looming from its perch above the city, the Acropolis lured us towards it. I felt like the typical parent/teacher saying, “Do you kids know how lucky you are to see these sites?” I was more moved by other sites we visited on this trip, but the Parthenon is an icon of western civilization referenced in many a history and literature class. We spent almost the whole morning exploring the Acropolis. Liam was a journaling fiend. He wanted to document absolutely everything. Colin participated in journaling for a while then became distracted with other interesting stuff like stray cats and Acropolis dirt. At the Erechtheion, Liam played tour guide to other English-speaking tourists as he recounted myths that explain the presence of a well and an olive tree.

Sunday, we had our last day of sightseeing. We visited the ancient Agora. Liam was an avid journaler again. Colin too was busy journaling. Colin drew a detailed sketch of the Temple of Hephaestus. Liam and Colin traced and copied ancient Greek writing to try to decipher.

I think I speak for all of us that we are getting more and more excited about arriving in New Zealand with each passing day. Staying in the moment and focusing on the present is getting challenging. We have so many expectations and questions about the future.

Also, we are getting a bit travel weary. Hotel living is tiring after awhile, always eating out and washing your underwear in the bathroom sink. We seem to have reached the standard that if your underwear, and maybe your socks are clean, you’re respectable and doing all right. Liam and Colin, however, were thrilled to note that in their Athens hotel room they had their own beds. They used to complain about sharing a room. Now after sharing a bed for several weeks, sharing a room seems quite luxurious and spacious. Doug and the boys reminded me that in Athens we had real mattresses and didn’t need mosquito nets! I did enjoy coming in to check on Liam and Colin before bed to peek at them sound asleep, snug in their sleep sacks on the double bed tucked securely under the mosquito net. They looked absolutely angelic. The griping and roughhousing of the day was gone. I wish I had taken a picture of them sleep peacefully together.

Here are our photos from our Athenian exploration.