13 May 2009

Athens—8 p.m.

We arrived in Athens—described by one friend as “modern urban monstrosity” Jonathan has a kinder appreciation of the city—on Tuesday afternoon, paid too much for a cab ride to our apartment, settled in, and then walked to visit our friends in Kaisariani. As always, they made us feel welcomed.

Most of today (Wednesday) was spent in the city center, where we shopped too much and walked too far in the extreme heat, but we were no worse for the wear. In the late afternoon we joined our friends Aki and Mania and their daughter Lydia for coffee at the Zappeion, in the verdant sanctuary of the National Gardens. In a few minutes the five of us will set off on foot, through the maze of Pangrati streets, back to Kasariani, where will we have a last night together with Thanasi and Koula and Dionysia.

And then tomorrow, with big lumps in our collective throats, we will make our way to the Athens airport. Jonathan and Manny will bid goodbye to Ann, Lucia, and Evyenia. No one expects any of this to be very easy.

Jonathan and Manny will stay on in Athens for another two nights, enough time to meet our friends Tom and Kim who will arrive on Friday. They are bound for Finikounda; the following morning, Jonathan and Manny will take the ferry to the island of Spetses: father and son will spend a week there, swimming, motorbiking, and getting fed copious quantities of food from our relatives. Then next Friday will return to Athens for Lydia’s baptism—we are so pleased that we can represent our family for this special event.

If all goes as planned, Jonathan and Manny will set off for Crete on Sunday, May 24th for an extended hike through the White Mountains: the trip is part research (Jonathan is completing the history of his family’s travails during World War II), part mountain adventure. Just like we have done in Maine so many times before.

There may be a temporary hiatus in our postings—but we will have much to say and much to show…