Spring Break: Greece

The kids had an unusually long spring break this year, so we decided to take advantage of the time and get away as a family.  Keeping to our family goal of an annual vacation is really important, because even though we will be stateside this summer it rarely is relaxing nor is there much isolated family time together.  So the break after our intense winter schedule and in anticipation of our busy summer, this trip was just what we all needed to connect, grow and refresh as a family.

Greece was on our bucket list of places to visit one day, and we found some really good airline and lodging deals as our vacation time coincided with Greece’s final week of off-season. We had the added bonus of visiting sites with low tourist traffic, not to mention the parking and kids were free at all sites.  We secured a house rental in a small coastal town just outside of Corinth.  It was perfect as we had direct access to the beach where the kids could play in the blue green waters of the Gulf of Corinth.  We prepared simple meals and enjoyed the Greek hospitality given by the rental owners.

We flew into Athens on April 19, the day before Easter.  The owners immediately made us feel welcomed, inviting our family to join theirs for the midnight fireworks display and Easter lunch where a traditional Greek meal of lamb on a spit would be served.  Even though we were away from our own family we were so thankful for the warmth of this big (I’ll resist saying ‘fat’) Greek family.  From young to old, everyone spoke English at a conversational level and they were very gracious in answering our questions of Greek history, language and culture.  The kids loved the Greek tradition of choosing died red hard boiled eggs and then tapping them against someone else’s egg choice to see whose would resist breaking. 

All day long you would hear gunshots going off and we learned that everyone has roasted lamb on Easter and when the lamb is fully cooked and ready to eat they fire a gunshot.  Like the ringing of the triangle dinner bell, it was a (much louder) call for neighbors and family to come eat.  Our hosts served us some delicious lamb roasted in the oven a couple hours after our arrival so the kids didn’t have to wait so long to eat.  We wanted to stay for round #2 with the lamb on a spit but decided that waiting until late afternoon was too long as the kids were itching to go swimming.  We did taste roasted lamb liver and intestines, which was not our favorite.  Samuel said he liked it and that it would be even better with ketchup.  I much preferred the roasted lamb, potatoes, tomatoes and feta, salad and Tzatziki instead.

On Monday, we started our travels always staying within a two-hour radius of home base.  There is much to see in Greece and we really had to keep in balance our desire to tour and also relax so as not to come home exhausted (which was all for not considering we had to leave at 3am for our return flight).  Apart from one full day in Athens, all the other side trips were half-day excursions.

Ancient Corinth:

Walking the city and seeing places Paul made reference to in his letter to the Corinthians was truly amazing.  Jonathan was enthusiastic in explaining the history and significance of the ruins to our children, making their experience come alive.  Jonathan spent much of the previous months studying the letters to the church in Corinth for his master’s essay, so to actually see all these places and artifacts was more than thrilling for him.  The weather turned cold and drizzly on us, but thankfully the kids didn’t complain too much.  We have found that sightseeing is much more enjoyable for everyone when each child has a camera in hand.  Sure I have to endure sifting through photos from every display in every museum along with selfies, but all in all it keeps them engaged in what they are seeing.

Athens:

Tuesday we left the house at 6:30am to drive to Athens.  We parked our rental car outside of the city center and took the metro to the Acropolis where we hoped to beat the crowds and mid-day heat.  We were successful on both accounts as we entered the Acropolis just after 8:30.  The city view and enormity of the monuments were incredible.  I am always amazed at how things were built prior to modern technologies and how they have withheld for 2,500 years.

As we descended the city built for the gods upon a limestone rock, we came to a smaller hilltop called “Mars Hill”.  Here is where Paul preached and Jonathan read to us from Acts 17:22-31.  To read the passage and then see the Acropolis and city surrounding you, the words and significance came to life.  We were able to spend a bit of time on the slippery limestone hilltop just soaking everything in.

To end the morning we walked through the Ancient Agora, using our ever so valuable Rick Steves’ tour guide book.  Lunch was followed by souvenir shopping and eating gelato in modern Athens.  To top off our day, we headed to Starbucks where we enjoyed some real coffee!  We failed to learn in advance that Greeks are accustomed to drinking instant coffee over brewed. Yeek!

Epidavros and Napflio:

The finest and best-preserved theater of all of Greece’s ancient theaters is found in Epidavros (c. 300 B.C).  This theater seats up to 15,000 people and it was absolutely amazing.  One could whisper on the stage and be heard in the uppermost row, the acoustics were that good.  Luca enjoyed running up and down the stairs counting the rows and sections.

From Epidavros we drove to Napflio where we immediately noticed a distinct difference in what we had seen throughout the rest of Greece.  The economic depression is more than noticeable once you get away from tourist locations.  Napflio is a popular port town that caters to cruise ships, so all the shops and restaurants were much more up-scale.  Picturesque café’s and shopping would be a good reason to stop here.  We came strictly for the Italian gelato and seeing the mountaintop fort, which we did not visit because we were not up for the 1,000 stair climb to the top.

Mycenae:

Lions Gate - Mycenae

A fortress city atop a hill, the hub of a mighty civilization that dominated the Greek world between 1600 and 1200 B.C.  This is where the ancient Greeks vacationed to see an ancient city.  The highlight for the kids at this location was walking 99 steps leading 50 feet down into an ancient cistern in the dark with only the flash of the camera to light their way.  (We unfortunately left their head lights at the house)

Acrocorinth and Corinth Canal:

On our final day, we were debating whether to head back to Athens to see museums and sights we missed or whether we should just stay close to home.  We chose the later and were so glad we did.  We drove to the Acrocorinth (Acropolis of Corinth) which towers above the city.  The views were spectacular, with endless trails to explore the ruins.  It was lots of hiking and so enjoyable for several hours--that was until a snake crossed the trail in front of me, paralyzing me in my steps.  Another rustle from the brush a few minutes later down the path confirmed that we were done.

The Corinth Canal cuts through the Isthmus of Corinth making the Peloponnese an island instead of a peninsula.  It was completed in 1893.  It is 4 miles long and only 70 feet wide at the sea level base.  It had grand intensions for aiding in economic trade, but because of its narrowness modern ships cannot pass through and basically the canal is used more as a tourist attraction.  Samuel didn’t last long on the bridge for fear of heights and did not like that we joked about bungee jumping off the bridge.

We returned home on April 26, and although tired from early rise at 3am it was well worth the trip.  Hopefully our kids are beginning to understand and appreciate their unique lives, where they live, and how seeing as much of the world as they have at their young ages is a very special gift.  We continue to cherish these precious times away as a family and are thankful for how they draw us closer together and imprint lasting memories upon our hearts and minds. 

This post is long overdue but I was honestly just too overwhelmed to weed through the 1,000+ pictures, however, with summer vacation arriving in 2 weeks, I had to get something up for you! ( I am having technical difficulties in getting a slideshow to upload, so click on the photo album below to view more pictures.

Spring Break 2014: Greece