The Kids Are Alright

Koroni town from the nunnery

Voidokoilia, near Homer's "sandy Pylos"

Our big kids, Manny and Lucia, along with their partners--Hailey and Rusty--arrived on Sunday afternoon, after a long flight with a quick stop in Paris. Manny rolled up his sleeves and drove the four hours from Athens to southern Messenia, a bit sleep-deprived but no worse for the wear.

We "broke them in" with a swim at Loutsa beach, which is the nearest beach to our house, and an enormous plate of souvlakia and other goodies on the water's edge.

On Monday, we caravaned to Koroni, which has one of the three great Crusader castles in southern Messenia, all built in the early Middle Ages (circa 1200). In Koroni, we hiked up to the Old Calendarist ("heretic") nunnery. The small group of elderly nuns remember me from year to year. It is an incredibly beautiful and serene place. The sisters are so very kind to us.

On the way back to Akritohori--our village, where the big kids are splitting a fantastic Airbnb villa with a million-euro view of the Mediterranean (for $90 a night!)--we drove down the switchbacks, aka the James Bond road, to the small settlement at Tsapi, with its lovely little beach and a delightful taverna run by Maria. The other taverna is run by the other Maria. Maria 1 caters to the Germans; Maria 2 caters to the English.

The big kids were on their own on Tuesday, while Ann, Nia, and I drove the 50 km to Kalamata for our "rendezvous" at the central police station, in order to renew (me and Nia) our European passports for another five years--an epic bureaucratic hurdle that we have apparently vaulted successfully. Nia can study or work in Europe some day.

Delivery of stone, cement, and sand

At the local Ikea, Ann treated us to a new double bed, scheduled for delivery next week. In the meantime, our Albanian friend Leonida is laying beautiful stone work around the base of our little house. It will look tremendous--if it's ever finished!

Start of the stonework

Today (Wednesday) the seven of us caravaned to the Crusader castle in Pylos (aka the "new castle" circa 1500) then we drove toward Gialova, just 20 km to the east, where we hiked--in the full heat of midday up to the "old castle" (circa 1200, with a Neolithic settlement that is 35,000 years old), just above the emblematic Voikokoilia cove--which Homer describes in the Odyssey.

Here are photos of the last three days--all of them precious.

Jonathan's "secret beach" accessible only by foot or boat

Three pretty good kids

A swim at Voidokoilia

Avoiding snakes on the way to the old castle

My bride at the cave entrance

Her groom at the cave entrance

Cathedral in the "new" castle, c. 1500

Ann and Lucia

Guarding the castle walls

Main entrance to the "new" castle in Pylos

Lots of great village fare