7/7 Greek Hospitality

Hotel Artemis is run by Adonis and his family. His dad built it and his widow is still working there everyday. Adonis's sister, Francesca lives in Athens most of the year with her family and lives on Mykonos for the summer. She is my age and her two girls, Elianna and Artemis are close to my kids' ages. Her husband owns a household goods shop and stays in Athens to work. They rarely have children come to the hotel and were eager to spend time with us. Our good fortune. One evening they invited us out to walk around the town and then go to Agias Kiriakis (St. Sunday) to pay homage on her feast day. Feast day celebrations start the night before, (like Jewish feast days/Sabbath). Of course I was all over that and readily agreed. Elianna speaks great English and is so sweet. I kept wanting to compliment them but it attracts the evil eye so I tried to keep quiet. Their baby niece, Georgia, and mom (Adonis's wife) came to the beach with us once--I couldn't keep from complimenting the baby saying she was so pretty. The mom left about 5 min. later. I hope it wasn't to avoid contact with us.

The evenings here. I would never eat inside if I lived here either.

Artemis is in 4th grade and knows a tiny bit of English. They connected over Barbie.com. Although they didn't understand eachother, Ellery and Artemis often walked around holding hands. Instead of complimenting Ellery, the two girls would just stroke her hair and smile quietly. Soren was decidedly quiet though he wasn't about to stroke anyone's hair--he clammed up around Elianna. Was it the bikini top she wore which is ubiquitous, and at other times deemed unecessary by some women as well as all pre-adolescent female children. Bikinis are worn by the old, the new, the large, the small, the flabby, the post-partum etc. I felt like I was wearing a tent in my boyshort tankini. It was freeing to know that in this part of the world where women's lives are quite proscribed, they can be free enough with their bodies to not feel like they have to be perfect to wear a bikini. I must try this new paradigm--in my own backyard.

In town there are 3 community pelicans that roam the streets. The tavernas feed them and consider it good business when one visits, bringing prospective customers along. They have names, I forgot the 2 boys but the girl is Irina.

Soren got 'kissed' by one. We stopped at a taverna--the kids had fruit drinks and crepes. I had told Francesca that I wanted to try Sardines which are now in season. We ordered some with the typical greens (horta) and she showed me how to eat them first with utensils then we degraded to the real way--with our hands. They are salty, smokey and so fresh. I wonder if I can find them in the US. The two of us talk and compare our lives--daily routine, kids' school/hobby schedule and interests, and cooking--she describes how she prepares stewed rabbit and I explain Fried Green Tomatoes. She said, "Here, we eat our tomatoes red."

While the nightlife began with food and drink and merriment, we were walking inside a small stone church in the shape of a greek cross. The ceiling was light blue with gold stars all over. Wood carving, chairs labeled with names of patrons, iconography framed and within kissing range for adherants. Ellery followed Artemis around, walking in front of an icon, crossing herself and kissing the artwork which was beautiful in that Byzantine style where a beautiful face should be a theatre of pain. She enjoyed being part of a ritual-how nice to be included. One of the Orthodox priests came in (many of them are married, they don't cut their hair and wear hats that are flat on top, similar to 'other' traditions of sacred dress) and said something. We bustled after the girls across the street where an adherant was handing out big chunks of bread. Great crusty, fluffy creations, some with raisins in them. Everyone got some in the name of Kiriakis--note to self to look up her hagiography. After, we roamed the narrow streets, we had Greek yogurt gelato flavored with Mastic and Herbs. Kids threw rocks in the water--Ellery accidentally threw one at a boat which drew the attentions of an old weathered fisherman.

They invited us to come back next year and stay at the apartment attached to their summer house. Time to save up some more Euros. European kisses and email exchanges too. I want to put together a little package of goodies for the girls to send back as a thank you for showing us a Mykonos different than what we would have been able to see on our own.

7/6 Mykonos

I am living in the twilight zone right now. It's 7/9 and I am jetlagged--posting about 7/6 and planning for our family reunion road trip that start 7/11. Anyone want to help me do laundry? That said I must rave to you about Mykonos. The blue water, sandy beach, boat and ferry vistas, whitewashed buildings with blue accents. The city center is quite crowded at times but our hotel was up past the new port--Hotel Artemis on St. Stephanos beach. I recommend it!

We went to city center for all of an hour. We weren't really here to buy kitsch. We were here to be on the beach which we did constantly for the next 2 days. I have the prickly heat rash to show for it. It is getting hot here but the wind was calm which I understand is not always the case. I am learning how to pronounce greek letters and read words although I don't know what they mean. Fun language with its cool letters like Theta, Psi, Omega and Fi. Our hotel is across the street from the beach. Since Greeks find it cruel to fix stray animals, we had an orange cat (fully intact mind you, no mistaking) visit us frequently. In the morning we ate bread cheese and juice then about 3pm we had a substantial meal of meat, pasta, salad.

Dinner with Persephone

Smart and beautiful. Helps me understand why Greeks walk around with a scowl, why Athens is not a pretty city, why Greece seems at once like a wise old man irked by the young (America), and also a 40ish high school football star who dreams of recapturing lost status as the center of civilization. This is the kind of book I wish to write. Part travelogue, part ethnology, part history, and part work of art. If you don't read this I think we can still be friends.

Blue Eyes

I was expecting that men would ogle over my blonde hair and/or blue eyed children. Not really the case. In fact there is a ubiquitous charm here. The blue glass all seeing eye is used to mirror the 'evil-eye,' bringer of misfortune. Although one can attract the evil eye from various people, it's actually homeopathic magic since one is likely to attract the evil of blue-eyed people. The irony is that they sell this charm as a touristy souvenir wherever No. Europeans seem to coagulate. I did research on this and it looks like that blue-eyed (Northern Europeans) have really been the slaves and the social inferiors in Greek eyes for going on 3 millenia now. This exhibits a type of racism, ethnocentrism, myopism which stands in direct contradiction to Greeks who are famous for Xenomania--love of anything foreign. Still, I found myself seeing genetic traits that are largely seen as positive, as something undesirable. A great experience for me and a reminder that racism/ethnocentrism is everywhere and what is desirable is socially constructed.

Athens Above Ground

Much of Athens is concrete jungle. The residents bemoan the fact that there is little in the way of greenspace here. But we found it along with a gem museum--the Benaki museum by Syntagma (Constitution Square). They had the best exhibition of folk textiles I have ever seen. The embroidry, lacework and weaving was the kind that makes someone like me want to break glass to have a touch.

Above is part of an altarpiece (Greek Orthodox). I love the gradually opening fruit eventually feeding the baby bird. Archetype for new life.

The cafe at the museum had the most beautiful paper placemats. I couldn't bring one home without folding it so I want to order some when I get home. Remind me.

At the National Gardens one can walk right next to the Presidential Palace (Greece's version of the White House). It is a glorified Mediterranean Villa in the palest of yellows and I wanted to jump the fence to look inside. Instead we visited the animal sanctuary where chickens, bunnies and cats lived together in peace and harmony-all of which bit our hands to keep us petting them. The garden is the site of an ancient grove and I just happened on this ring of old trees. Holy ground perhaps? I felt like doing a dance and singing a prayer with incense and oil.

This one is to add to my evolving collection of white and yellow green fauna that attracts me.

Sorry I have been a 'bad-blogger' of late. We have been on the move constantly and when we have computer time, the kids hog it all. I find I don't have the energy to fight for my blog-rights. After Athens we took a ferry to Mykonos island in the Kyklades. We sat outside with legs propped on chairs and enjoyed the sunset on our 5hr float.

Night Out

Out hotel is near a pet store. The bunnies are out for the petting, the dogs lean out over the half cages and these pretty orange canaries are all over the store.

Above, a Caporeira (Brazilian martial arts) group gathered at Thisio square. They formed two half circles and kept a beat with singing and drums. The two at the top of the arcs come to the middle and do a choreographed spar.

Dinner al fresco. The evenings here are perfect.

Crepe filled with Chocolate Nutella and bananas. M.

After walking around a bit, I went into a taverna to use the restroom and realized I was standing on an exacavation site when I was washing my hands. Wherever these are, the floor is made of transparent reinforced glass. Athens built on Athens, built on Athens.

We hopped on a little tourist train that toodled around the city. We were in the back where street kids playing accordions would hop on and bounce the caboose up and down. When it stopped, they would hop off really quick and look to see if they got caught. The train would start again, they would hop on again, laughing.

7/3 Acropolis

We can see the Acropolis from our 9th floor pool at our Fresh Hotel which is decorated straight out of the IKEA catalog. The hotel, not the Acropolis. We took the metro today and hiked up to it. The Acropolis, not the hotel. What a gorgeous neighborhood. What would it be like to live by something that has been continuously inhabited for 5oooyrs?

I overheard tour guides repeating the phrase, "the most perfect building," because the architects morphed the ratios a bit so that the building curves a bit toward the top. These tweakings and imperfections make the building "look" perfectly square and symmetrical from further away.

Most of the damage done to the Parthenon (parthenos-purity--Athena was a virgin) has been man-made: 4thC Christian iconoclasm (changed to crusader church), Turkish occupation (changed to mosque), Venetian mortars, The Scottish barsted, Elgin, who took the pediment statues back to Britain (how Napoleonic of him), smog (chemicals combine with iron in the marble to turn it to chalk and the structure basically blows away bit by bit).

The real egg and dart. Greeks at some early points believed in resurrection. This design sybolizes birth, death, birth, death etc.

Our family favorite were the caryatids on the Erectheon. Gorgeous, individually draped, the detailed hair, the casual/sensual stance with one knee coming toward the front. I loved them. Ellery calls them the "you-know-whats."

I have been reading greek mythology to them--they like it. Ellery has adopted Athena as a mentor (fine with me) and wants to know about Calliope more. They know about Pandora, Narcissus/Echo so far.

It's 6:30pm and the kids are sleeping. I am trying to force myself to stay awake so that I can go to sleep tonight. I am hoping to get a webcam visit with Cyler in a few minutes as a catalyst to wake the kids and keep them up!

7/2 Monastiraki Square in Athens

Now I remember what I'm doing. Letting my kids see so many different people, lifestyles, languages being spoken, alphabets, ways of living. Some of the Greek men and women here are beautiful. The loads of long dark hair, long straight noses, huge dark eyes and olive skin. And immigrants too.

Monastiraki streets paved with marble. We are jet laggin hard!! We crash in the afternoons and stay up till 2am. I want to change it but I don't know how to force someone to stay awake while I myself am falling asleep. It sounds like I'm complaining0-I'm not, it's just the truth.

But this stuff is making up for the fact that I can't focus my eyes. Ellery with a dulcimer street performer. We got her this dress at a vendor who had a wall covered with business cards of Greeks who had gone to America and had made it. "The Land of Opportunity" he kept repeating. He loved Americans and kept kissing my kids on the cheek--Soren was like "what is wrong with this guy?" He was very kind though and copped a feel as he was bringing a skirt around my waist to view in the mirror. My quota is filled: check off the goose from the list:) We also walked through a fresh fish and meat market. Ellery held her nose the whole time as the yelling crossed the wet cement aisles. Bins of shiny, wide eyed seafood looked at us as we passed as well as the octopus, crab and mussels.

Here's dinner. Cheese pie. I have temporarily gotten back together with cheese. We'll break up when I get back to Texas.

Lamb in butter sauce. I couldn't tell the difference between the lamb and the butter. Cucumber and tomato salad. We ate outside--the evenings are heaven here. No wonder everyone is out for a stroll.

Maiden's Maiden Voyage

And what a doozy it has been. A 3hr flight to Boston with an overnight layover in Boston--5 hrs sleep. Didn't see any of the city. Rushed to airport to stand in a hopelessly long line. OK because flight was delayed. But bad because we missed our next flight to Greece from London. So we had another unexpected overnight layover. Lugging luggage, unsleeping on airport furniture, moving from desk to desk to rebook flights/hotel arrangements, airline food, too little sleep and now jetlag. But Ellery is game.

She chooses to wear her cute outfit for London, but since it takes an hour to and from the Eye, we only have a hour to ride it and it's a 40min ride. No time for walking. We run through the hotel passageway to Terminal4, Express to Terminal 2, Underground to Waterloo station and hoof it to the Eye--then all of it backwards--and watermelon flip flops give grand blisters.

The view was incredible. She wants to be a pilot and live here. At this point she is getting sniffles from cold airplanes and hot outsides. Soren's fever blisters from scout camp are arriving.

So tired, but I wasn't going to miss this. Without this view, we would have gone 3days without seeing the sun. No wonder Jonah said he'd go back to Ninevah. Three days in transportation's belly is enough to make someone do anything to get out.

Another 3 1/2 hours to Greece. Three full days of traveling with 5hr sleeps inbetween. Jetlag is our companion now, both kids have colds. I can't see straight from exhaustion. What am I doing?

Heather of the Last Traipse

June 29-July 9--too quick. When Ellery writes it (she gets to come), she spells it "Grease" and wanted to know if we were going to see Dr. Zeus while we were there. At IrishDance, I was told they "yell alot" there. Malta plans didn't materialize so we flexed again and made rather loose plans for Athens, Sparta, and Mykonos. We will see how it all pans out. It's interesting how nonchalant I've become about travel plans. Now, it's kind of "I'll do it when I get there." I am so nonchalant, I forgot to let my parents know in a timely manner. Mom and Dad, did I tell you we were going to Greece-- and be in Utah around July 15th? We'll talk.

I feel I need to acknowledge some of the tools that have been indispensable this past GlobeSchool year. Cyler is not a "tool" per se but is the foundational reason I can do what I have done for Soren's education this year. A forever of thank yous--for taking my passions seriously, and taking my weaknesses in stride. Above is a universal converter. Each slider button thingy represents a group of countries. I have used this religiously and get short of breath when I can't find it easily. It is my bridge to Cyler and my bank account (hence my sanity) while traipsing. The two websites I have to mention specifically that have helped me is LonelyPlanet and TripAdvisor. And then there is Cynthia Nichols the travel agent guru who helped me with flight/hotel arrangements. She would say "Oh, I just got back from there. You'll love it." "Don't worry, you and Soren will be just fine." "Uh, it's too rainy there right now." "You can too drive on the left side of the road." "I don't suggest Tangiers." I want to gift her with something special--any suggestions? Another quazi-mentor was a little book called "Gutsy Mamas Who Travel." It is sacred text to meperiod

I have learned:

No need to buy a travel book at Barnes and Noble--in my opinion, those are for people who are not going to the location on the cover. The map given at the hotel and a chat at the front desk is a good enough start.

Although I might be called foolish or selfish for traipsing, I can still sleep well at night.

Being helpful to travelers is a nearly universal impulse.

World peace will not come when everyone is of one heart and one mind (enter Nazi, Stepford Wives, Taliban nonsense). But when one considers the other's heart and mind as of equal value to his/her own.

You will not get sick if you wear the same pyjamas A LOT of times between washings.

Everyone (not just 12yr old boys) needs a pair of what they consider "adventure pants."

The thought of getting goosed in Greece is not an appalling one, suprisingly.

Last Day of School

On many levels I will miss seeing this mess.

Are you Smarter than a 6th Grader Finale

This is it kids. No more after this one.

Please Match the following Country with its capital:

1. South Africa Cairo
2. Liberia Addis Ababa
3. Nigeria Tripoli
4. Madagascar Antanarivo
5. Ethiopia Monrovia
6. Libya Abuja
7. Egypt Pretoria


Fill in the blank:

_____________ was a country which was the butt of many famine jokes in the 1980’s.

______________ was created by the wealthy diamond merchant, Cecil Rhodes, who thought the British was the best culture on earth.

_____________ was created by American ex-slaves after the American Civil War.

_____________ used to be called the Gold Coast when it was a British Colony before 1957.

____________ is the home of Africa’s highest mountain peak, Kilimanjaro.


Short Answer: (Please use your composition notebook)

1. Africa is sometimes called the ‘lost continent.’ Explain why this is so.
2. What religion greatly influenced Africa? Who was its founder and what are some basic elements/beliefs of that religion.
3. Explain how gold was traded in the ancient kingdom of Ghana.
4. Explain the 3 types of experts that make up groups of Somali pirates.


Three Paragraph Essay: (Please take a position of pro or con and prove your points. Use your composition notebook)

Ending racial apartheid was beneficial for South Africa.

S P A C E

Today, Soren's science project was due. He decided to make a scale model of the solar system (a sixth grader and he hadn't had the chance to do that yet). He chose his own layout design, materials and scale: 4 inches= 100,000,000 kilometers. It turned out totally different than what I would have done or expected. That's what made it cool to me. The ball of white paper with orange facets and black dots are the sun. The tiny white point at the end of the red ruler (he ran out of dowels, and floor space) is Pluto, which, depending on who you are, may or may not be classified as a planet. The paradigm shift is moving as we speak.

Soren's body to give scale to his scaled model. He kept peppering me with interesting facts, "Did you know Uranus has invisible rings?" (my answer was no). "Did you know that the Galileo probe to Jupiter was a suicide mission?" (no again). "Did you know Pluto shares Neptune's orbit every once in a while?" (of course, no again) This conversation made me realize more learning went on during this project than I could have hoped for.

I was told that my idea of a cooperative art project for an Enrichment night probably wouldn't fly because "what do you do with it afterward?" Sometimes, especially for art and creative projects, it's the process that is supreme. Where do we put this stuff? Who cares?

This is the crew on the Hubble space telescope servicing mission that just took place. I love the female's zero gravity hair!!! Check the link for incredible photos of their work. Looking at this picture and thinking about Stephen Hawking (who has an IQ of 160!!) I found an article about the youngest member of Mensa. She said that after watching "Beauty and the Beast," she didn't like Gaston because he was "mean and arrogant." She was dressing herself and putting the right shoes on the right feet at 14months. You go girl!