October 20 - 29, 2015 October Greece and Albania

Tuesday Wednesday October 20-21
Chicago to Zurich to Athens

I could have ignored the email from Cousin George. "Aunt Ollga would like to meet you before she dies." These words stung my heart and brought tears to my eyes. My father's sister, born of the same womb, my flesh and blood. "You should go," Jeff said, when I could barely speak the words. "You should go."

What can I say to an aunt who doesn't understand English? Can a hug speak volumes and ease the pain she must have felt as a young girl deprived of her father and brother and the lives they had in America. And what can I receive from Aunt Ollga? Will I see a reflection of my father in her eyes, her face?

George flew from Boston to Zurich, then we boarded the same flight to Athens, arriving 16:30 (4:30 pm) local time on October 21. Eighty seven years young, George is quite the traveler and hiker. He is from Sofratika, the same Albanian village as my father. His older brother Socrates and my dad were best friends. George and his mother left in March 1939, two months before the border closed to join Socrates and his father in Massachusetts.

George didn't return to Albania until 2009, one year after his wife passed away from a 16 year battle with leukemia. He has visited family in Greece and Albania several times since so I knew traveling with George would open doors for me. We are related in two ways, he explained, through a grandfather and though marriage. Aunt Ollga married George's cousin Thomas. I have met George twice before, first when he visited Phoenix in winter 2012 and again when he stopped in Chicago on his drive west in 2013. He shared pictures of his most recent trip, when he attended Nikos' wedding to Dina in July 2012 and visited Albania with his sons.

Meeting Nikos

I picked Nikos out of the crowd of people waiting for travelers. A big bear of a man with the patience of a saint and a heart of gold, Nikos hugged me tightly, giving credence to the old saying "long lost cousins". He took us on a slow drive to Corinth, because his wife Dina always tells him he drives much too fast, plus he wanted to show us some sights along the way, like the Corinth Canal, a four-mile long canal that cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It is only 70 feet wide at its base, making it impassable for most modern ships.

I could understand much of what Nikos and George said in Greek, not always every word but enough to to know the meaning. I could answer with the words I know, so did not feel as clueless as expected.

Corinth Canal

Family

Aunt Ollga hugged me close and repeated over and over, "My heart, the daughter of my George" and many other words. Unfortunately, she is more difficult to understand but it's obvious that she was as happy to meet me as I was to meet her. Ollga's father Jani left for America, when she was 40 days old. Her brother George, my father, left when she was seven. She never saw either one again. Unlike many immigrant families, Jani did not bring his wife and his two daughters to America before he died in 1954. This seemed very sad to me growing up; but felt even more tragic once I became a wife and mother.

Nonis house

The Nonis family lives in a three-story, six-unit building not far from downtown Corinth. Nikos owns the building. Ollga's 58 year old son Christos occupies a first floor apartment with his wife Paraskevia and their 20-year old son Grhgorhs. 25-year-old Thomas lives in the apartment across the hall. Christos is an auto mechanic.


Grhgorhs has completed one year of cooking school and is hoping to complete the course in November, if it is offered. He is waiting to hear. Grhgorhs speaks good English, is on Facebook and dreams of coming to America. "Which is better," he asked, "Greece or America?" I didn't want to make him feel discontent, so I said happiness is where your family is. George, who lived through the difference, said, "America!" Thomas works a night job and also speaks English. They learn from American movies and television shows, Grhrorhs likes Breaking Bad; Thomas likes Game of Thrones. They like Greek football (soccer) and American basketball - Kobe Bryant. Nikos gave Grhrorhs a smart phone so he can contact him when he needs help with Ollga. It sounds like Grhgorhs has been tending to his grandmother since his early teens, and still does. Ollga relies on Nikos; Nikos relies on Grhgorhs but would like to have a woman come in a few hours a day to care for his mother, who doesn't move around much anymore or take care of her basic necessities.

Hraklhs lives on the second floor with his fiancé Georgia. He is about 37 and and the son of Ollga's oldest son Kostas, who passed away in 2005. She still grieves for Kostas, but has nothing to do with his wife because, as the story goes, she wouldn't or couldn't visit him in the hospital in the end. There are two other adult children Giannis and Julia. Hraklhs has a Rottweiler and birds in his apartment. I found it difficult to communicate with him, but he does visit his grandmother a lot and loved holding Nikos' baby. The apartment next to him is empty for now.

There is a rented apartment on the third floor, an older couple. The husband passed away while I was there and Nikos is worried that the wife may move out. Nikos still has a bedroom in the apartment he shares with Ollga because his business is in Corinth but he prefers to be with his wife and baby at her Athens apartment. Therein lies the problem. Nikos, 45, married only three years ago so Ollga is accustomed to his presence. He is loyal to her and feels responsible for her well-being but would like to hire someone to care for her, as no one else has the time or desire. She calls that droupi - shameful. Ollga is 83 but appears much older. She sits in the same spot all day, on a day bed in living room, and may even sleep there as I never saw her get up, even to go to the bathroom. She doesn't eat much. She has a cane and Nikos bought her a walker, but to use that is droupi too. I am sorry to say that she is a complainer and very judgmental about everybody and everything she doesn't like.


Lucky for Ollga, her family is very tolerant. The last time she climbed down three flights of stairs may have been for Nikos' wedding three years ago, and even then she just went to the church and not to the trapezi - reception. George was very patient with Ollga and kept telling her not to say the things she says and also, to let Nikos hire a woman to take care of her. Evidently, he found a lady and her husband from Albania who would trade care for rent, but Ollga sent them packing. She thinks she and my mother should live together and care for each other. That would be appropriate. She was very protective of me, worried that I was cold or hungry or needed new clothes.

Then there's Nikos. According to George, the family all turned to him, the youngest, when Kostas died.

His business is constructing custom aluminum replacement doors and windows. Buildings do not have standard sizes so he has to pre-measure everything. He also does custom railings. He is very proud of his business, but it doesn't sound as lucrative as it would be in America since people are not willing to pay for quality work or are prone to order one window at a time. The magazi (store) is across from the ocean, but by no means in a fancy area. The workroom is impressive. His dream is to create a showroom in the front, where people can see more than a little sample. We met one employee but there may be others.

Everyone came upstairs to say hello and welcome us. I quickly learned, but probably should have remembered from my own Yiayia, that guests in Greek homes are always welcomed with a pretty little glass dish of glyko in a spoon - preserved fruit cooked in sugar syrup and a glass of water, ouzo or other Greek liqueur. Ollga probably hasn't made glyko is years so Nikos brought out a shiny silver tray with a small goblet of what appeared to be a dark liqueur and water. As George and I sipped the thick, sweet drink, we tried to identify it. Nikos told George he brought it as a gift on another visit, but George couldn't remember bringing a liqueur. Nikos then showed George the bottle - a jug of maple syrup from New Hampshire. From that, we discerned that they do not eat pancakes. Next, he brought us a double sized piece of baklava, not for anyone else, just for us, and we ate while everyone watched. I got the feeling that it's rude to decline food, so I ate the baklava, telling myself it's dinner since it was about 20:00 or 8 pm . Ha, was I wrong!

We checked into the Hotel Apollon down the street, but just barely. It is another custom to view a room before taking it for the night. Nikos didn't think the rooms were good enough, and wanted to go elsewhere, but George and I were embarrassed to walk out. The rooms are sparse, but clean and adequate. The only problem was that the locks stick making the doors difficult to open from the hallway and outside.

Dining Experience in Loutraki

Nikos asked me if I would like to eat meat or fish - thélete na fáte kréas í psári. I answered psári, expecting a skinless, boneless grilled fish fillet. Christos joined us and we drove to the next town, a beach resort called Loutraki where we dined at the seafood taverna called Giannas. Nikos installed the underlayment for the floor and other things with more work for him to do.

Loutraki by night

Giannis located on the oceanfront walk in Loutraki

The owner greeted us and it is obvious that he likes Nikos a lot. Nikos ordered carafes of wine and heaping plates of food, which I picked through cautiously since the seafood was a little different than I am used to. I had a flashback moment to Spain when a friend of the family ordered undistinguishable food like chicken eggs for us at a local restaurant. Katie was more adventurous than me. One plate was stacked high with little sardine like fish on the bottom, caramari rings and tentacles, unpeeled shrimp with beady black eyes and on the top, octopus. Better for me was the baby shrimp saganaki in tomato sauce with feta, thinly-sliced fried potatoes, thickly sliced bread and the traditional Greek salata of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and feta cheese in oil and vinegar. Feta cheese is definitely a staple in Greece.

We had loukoumades (fried donut balls in syrup)
for dessert. Kittens were running thought the restaurant. As we left, they were feasting outside the front door on calamari rings and other fish. Cats and even dogs run loose, but it looks like they survive well on their own. 

Nikos, George, Marianne, Christos

Thursday, October 22 

Corinth to Pamamdi Castle to Nafplion 

Nikos picked us up at the Hotel Apollon early the next morning with our bags and we went back to his house. He found a hotel for us that is a little further away but he liked it better. This wasn't as bad as Nikos thought - the bathroom was fairly new with a nice shower, the rooms were wood paneled with doors to a balcony but I didn't like those sticky door locks. There is a stylish looking coffee shop next door, see the black umbrellas in the photo.

Ollga

Ollga was in the same spot as the day before, but wearing a nightgown instead of the black blouse and skirt of the night before. She wore her nightgown from this point on.

Nikos went to the market for supplies, then made fried eggs, bread, feta, Melba toast, jam and butter. As if that wasn't enough, he brought out rice pudding for dessert. Nikos worked for the company as a delivery person, and now Hraklhs works there in the plant. George drank tea and Nikos made us Greek cafe in a demitasse cup. No big cups of coffee here.

Nikos' Business

After breakfast, Nikos took us to see his magazi - Europa Aluminum Systems. He is very proud and explained the benefits of having a showroom with finished products to show potential customers. But it would be very expensive.

Europa Aluminum Systems

Workroom

Windows

Downtown Corinth

We stopped in downtown Corinth to exchange dollars for Euros and I snapped a few photos across from the bank. Nikos parked in a no-parking area, so one of us stayed with the car at all times.

Harbor

Pegasus Square 

Downtown Corinth

Countryside 

Palamida Castle

We drove an hour south through beautiful countryside to Palamida Castle, built between 1711 and 1715 on the summit of a hill overlooking the sea.

It fell into Ottoman hands before its completion and is composed of complex bastions which had water reservoirs, munitions depots, food storage areas, barracks and a prison.

The view was spectacular, like being on top of the world - the same sweeping ocean view I remember in Santonri, a view like I've seen nowhere else. We're actually looking at the Argolic Gulf, a gulf of the Aegean Sea off the east coast of Peloponnese, Greece. Peloponnese is a peninsula separated by the main part of the country by the Gulf of Corinth.

Argolic Gulf

Nikos and Marianne

George and Marianne

Castle Courtyard 

View from above 

Gulf

A view from the castle of Bourtzi, a venetian fortress in Nafplio

Nafplion

We stopped in Nafplion on the way home. Nikos tried to find an Italian restaurant for a bite before dinner but George and I sidetracked him to a gelato shop for a lighter but yummy snack. The streets are very charming, definitely a resort area.

Grocery

We light candles in all the churches

Love the giant worry beads

Aunt Olga, who had pestered Nikos with phone calls all day, was waiting with open arms. We were gone for so long, she thought we had gone to the chorio, the village in Sofratika. Before going home, we stopped at a new, very large and modern supermarket in a nice strip center with a big Nike store - its logo prominently displayed in lights.

Nikos made a tomato, cucumber and onion and feta salad, cut-up rotisserie chicken, bread, spanikopeta and wine. We had the cut up apples and pears for dessert. Ollga didn't join us and appears to eat next to nothing. She had coffee and a hard boiled egg for breakfast. Maybe someone prepared her lunch. Christos came up to visit. There were some heated words between the three of them but I'm not certain what it was about.

We checked into our new hotel in Corinth, Hotel Ephira. It was a little further from the house, but much nicer than the first hotel. I had internet for the first time and was able to text my iPhone friends. It felt nice to be connected with Jeff, Katie, Lizzy, Jimmy, Janie and Deena.

Friday, October 23
Kiki's One Year Birthday

Grhgorhs and Ollga

I had left my balcony door open a bit and woke up to the sound of rain and wind. We learned there was flooding in Athens the day before and now the storm hit Corinth. NIkos took us home for breakfast again, then left for Athens to pick up his wife Dina and the baby for his one-year-old birthday party. If it were a nice day, George and I would have taken a long walk, but with the weather as it was, we sat inside with Aunt Ollga all day long. Grhrorhs came up to visit for awhile. It is evident that he loves his Yiayia, and has spent a lot of time with her, but at 20, you know he would rather be elsewhere. Ollga kept saying that it was cheimonas (winter) and worried that I was kryo (cold). There is a wood stove in the apartment, but Ollga has a portable heater that sits in front of her when she is cold. George tried to appease Ollga, but got tired of telling her not to say the things she says and to let Nikos hire a lady to help her a few hours a day. When we wearied of her complaints, we had our conversation and I learned more about George's remembrances.

We were so happy to see Nikos and Dina, who is very nice and speaks some English. She is from another village in Albania and was introduced to Nikos by a friend. One by one, the rest of the family came up for the birthday party. Everyone made a fuss over the baby, who will not be officially named until his christening next summer. Nikos calls him to padiaki (little child), Dina calls him Kiki. His name will be Raphael because they took him to an island and prayed to St. Raphael for good health. At one year, he is like a three month old. He doesn't sit up alone or move, and just makes little noises. I never heard a good cry. He has therapy four times a week, two times at home and two times in a swimming pool, receives cortisone injections and takes liquid medications in his bottle. He holds his head up pretty stable, but not perfect; he grasped and held tight to my fingers and pushed down strongly on his little legs when I held upright in in my lap. These are all improvements. George said he has epilepsy, but I'm not sure if that's the correct translation or diagnosis. Nikos showed me a video of the baby's head sporadically and repeatedly moving to the right. He is a happy baby with a winning smile and is loved beyond measure by parents who are doing the best they can with the knowledge and resources they have in Athens. I pray the diagnosis and treatment are correct and he will thrive with time.

Hraklhs

George

Dina and Nikos

After the party, Grhgorhs joined us and we braved the rain and wind to go to same seafood restaurant we went to our first night in Corinth. The owner loves Nikos. He did the underlayment for the floor and there is more work for him there. Nikos was proud to introduce his wife and baby, even though it was not the best of places to be on a stormy night. The walls of the dining area are clear heavy plastic since it is across from the bay. The wind howled right through the walls, so it felt like we were in a mini hurricane. Fortunately, the owner told Nikos to pull his car up to the walkway in front so we didn't have to take the baby back the same way.

Friday, October 24
Albania

We spent an amazing 24 hours in Albania. I felt a bit apprehensive driving there because Nikos seemed agitated. He does not have good memories. He was sent out of the village and forced to learn Albanian as a young boy under the communist regime. He taught himself how to read and write Greek. We crossed the Gulf of Corinth on the Rio-Antirro Bridge. It is one of the world's longest multi-span cable-stayed bridges and the longest of the fully suspended type. The bridge links the northern end of the Peloponnese Peninsula, where we were, to mainland Greece. We traveled up the western coast of Greece to Albania with a good snack along the way.

We passed through two check points with our passports, first Greek, then Albanian. The desolate looking area gave way to beautiful green mountains and valleys still visible in the evening light. Seeing the "Welcome to Albania" made me think of my father leaving his birth country and family as a young man never to return. Albania has always had a negative connotation in my mind, mainly because it was under Communist control for decades, causing the Greeks who lived there to to exist in less that desirable conditions. The lucky ones moved to Greece or America, but many like Ollga and her family stayed behind.

We stopped at a fancy restaurant/shop to buy cake in pretty box that said Kalimera (good day), then went to the house of relatives in the village or chorio, as they call it. The villages were built along the hillsides because the flat land was valuable for farming. The houses are built of stone with large patios and areas for gardens, chickens, goats, cows.

The Gulo family are related to Nikos and George. Vasiliki's brother Thomas Nonis was George's first cousin and Ollga's husband. Vasiliki lives with her son and daughter-in-law George and Rita, who were very gracious and welcoming.

Front entry to the Gulo House

Rita greeted us with her glyko, homemade tsipouro, a clear liquor made from grapes and served in a little shot size glass and karithopita, a syrupy walnut cake, one of my favorites. Again, I thought that was dinner since it was after 20:00 or 8 pm, but dinner was still to come.

George Gulo drove in Nikos' car with us to Gjirokastra where we met his son Kostandin and daughter-in-law Ela, who speaks English. Again, we looked at hotel rooms before deciding to check in, but these were very nice. Hotel Kalemi 2 was a traditional restored stone house with six bedrooms, carved wood ceilings and doors and a view of the castle. It was much nicer than our hotel in Corinth so we checked in, then walked to dinner.

Pretty square we passed along the way

Odaja Restaurant

Dinner in Gjirokastra

Ela's father joined us. Lots of food to pass around, more tsipouro and good red wine with friendly toasts. George Gulo graciously paid for the table.

Nikos, Ela, Kostandin

Ela's dad and George

Cousins

My hotel room with a view of the castle and rooftops.

 

Saturday, October 25

Gjirokastra Castle

Breakfast sides

Hotel Kalemi 2

Kostandin and Ela took us on a tour of Gjirokastra Castle which sits on a rocky bluff overlooking spectacular views of the Drino Valley and surrounding mountains. The first major fortifications were built in the 12th and 13th centuries with extensive improvements made in the 14th Century by the Ottomans. Because of the rare Ottoman architecture, Gjirokastra is an UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Heritage Site and Museum City. In the 1930's, the castle was redesigned as a prison by the Italians at the request of King Zog, the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939. The prison was closed in the 1960's.

The Artillery Gallery is lined with guns that were either abandoned by or captured from the Italian and German occupation forces during World War II

The remains of a United States Air Force T33 Shooting Star are exhibited on the ramparts overlooking the city. The airplane was forced to land at Rinas Airport near Tirana in December 1957 due to technical problems.

Nikos, Kostandin, George, Ela

In 1811, the Ottoman governor Ali Pasha added the clock tower on the eastern side.

The festival stage was erected in the 1980's and was the site of an UNESCO National Folk Festival in March, 2015. Ela said it happens every four year so something to keep tabs on.

Originally opened in 1971, the National Museum of Armaments is located in what was once part of the prison. The current displays cover Albanian arms from independence in 1912 to the end of World War II, and most of the museum is dedicated to the Partisan struggle against the Italian and German occupation forces from 1939 to 1944.

Meeting the Pilo's

Tatjana, Marianne and Nikos

Nikos took us to to visit our first cousin Tatjana Bakiri on the Pilo side. My father had two sisters. Ollga was the younger one, and Vasillo Pilo was the middle child. Vasillo had three children, Vasil, Andon and Tatjana. Tatjana seemed a little nervous, but happy to meet me. It was hard to communicate with the language barrier. She kept disappearing and bringing out more food - whole cherry glyko with juice, tsipouro, cake, nuts and loukoumi candy.

Glyko

Entrance to Tatjana's house

Loukoumi

Irena and Andon as actors

Tatjana came with us to meet her brother Andon and his wife Irena Pilo, who were actors in their younger days. While Tatjana lives in a house, Andon lives on an upper floor of a condominium building. Irena served cake, tsipouro, juice and and loukoumi, a chewy candy dusted in powdered sugar, similar to "Turkish Delight".

Katie was pen pals with Andon's son Nikolla when they were in elementary school. He is living at home, but was at work when I visited. He is very proficient at building computers and a graphic designer who was educated at the University of Geneva. I don't know if I imagined it but Andon seemed truly touched by my visit and even wiped away a tear.

Tatjana and husband Gramoz Bakiri

Tatjana, Irena, Marianne, Andon, George, Gramoz

After leaving the Pilo's, we visited the family of Nikos' wife Dina. The younger lady was her sister and I believe the husband and wife were Dina's uncle and aunt. George and I exchanged smiles as we were presented with more glyko, loukoumi and tsipouro, of course. All the sweets and spirits in a short succession of time were taking its toll, but we felt it would be an insult to decline their hospitality.

George, Nikos, Dina's uncle, aunt and sister

Glyko

Walkway to their house through garden

Back to the Gulo house with their pretty courtyard and view.

George by his grandfather's house next door

Before we knew it, they replaced the coffee table with a dinner table and brought out heaping plates of lamb, potatoes and boned chicken pieces in yogurt. Additional platters appeared with grilled eggplant and peppers, tomato, cucumber and onion, salad greens, meat balls, yogurt tzatziki.

I had a big fat Greek wedding moment. When I politely said I don't eat kréas (meat), Rita replied, Den trone kréas? Eínai arní. "You don't eat meat. It's lamb.

Ela with her baby

George's Gulo's sister

The Gulo family live close to the neighborhood church that my father's family attended. We walked down steps into a courtyard and Rita unlocked the front door so we could enter and light candles.

Donated by Olga

St. George slaying the dragon

My Father' House

We trekked downhill on uneven stones, over cow poop to the Cuni house where my father lived until he went to America. When the Communists took over, they changed all the Greek names to sound Albania, hence "Cuni". The house is still in the family but owned by a relative we don't know. The lady who Rita called to unlock the front door said she was a cousin. I believe, she is related to my grandfather Jani's brother. 

Marianne and George in front of the Cuni House

It didn't look like anyone was living there yet but a lot of work is being done on the house.

We walked to the cemetery from there and saw my grandmother Eftali's grave, a pauper's grave compared to the Nonis family. A tiny grave marked only by a stone was next to her. Nikos said it was for Kostas' baby who died at birth. It is custom to light church candles and place them by side of the grave. Since it was too windy, Rita promised to come back and light our candles. Nikos and I stood at the end of our grandmother's grave, encircling our arms around each other. We didn't speak but felt the connection that brought us to that place. Our meeting was a long time in coming but the time was right and I can't have regrets about the lost years.

My Grandmother's Grave

Nonis family

I was introduced to the people we met along the way as George Cuni's daughter, like he left yesterday. They shook their head in acknowledgement and one older lady even said I look like a Cuni!

Rita and George Gulo were the best of hosts, treating us to wonderful meals and making a lot of our tour possible by securing keys to the church, house and cemetery. Rita gave a large soda bottle with their homemade tsipouro. Nikos said we can pour it into smaller water bottles so George and I can take some home.

George and cousin Vasiliki

George and Rita Gulo

Ollga gave us Albania Lek - money to light candles at a church on our way out of the area.

I wish I had the words to express my appreciation to Nikos but I think he knows how much the trip to my father's homeland meant. Albania does not have happy memories for him, but he put his feelings aside to accommodate George and me. We didn't leave Albania until 19:00 or 7 pm and had a six hour drive ahead of us. Nikos was tired but didn't want to spend another night. He stopped a few times along the drive home and poured water over his head to stay awake. Consequently, George and I were wide awake, talking together and with Nikos, even teaching him a little English. We stopped along the way for cafe and a snack, that's what Nikos likes to do! What made it worst was road construction in Greece but we made it home safely and fully satisfied by the day.

Monday, October 26
The Monastery of Saint Patapios

After a lovely breakfast at our hotel with cafe Americano, Nikos picked us up for day of local sightseeing. We drove by the Corinth Canal to The Monastery of Saint Patapios, located near Loutraki in the Geraneia Mountain above the Gulf of Corinth. Once you park, it's quite a trek up 144 steps to Osios Patapios, as it's called. George was fine but needed a whiff of his inhaler after reaching the top. Nikos was equally winded but recovered as well. The sweeping view was well worth the hike.

The female monastery was established in 1952 near the cave where the relics of Osios Patapios was founded in 1904. He's the patron saint of dropsy and his name day is December 8. I had to look up dropsy and am a little baffled to say it's edema or an old term for swelling of tissues due to an accumulation of excess water. He's also credited with miracles.

Cave with Osios Patapios Relic

Ancient Corinth

George and I toured Ancient Corinth. The Corinthians were one of the three major powers in Greece during the 5th Century BC and took part in all the battles against the Persians.

The Museum contains finds from the excavation of ancient Corinth including wall art, pottery and statues.

The Archaeological Site

Corinthian Order Columns

Peirene Fountain dating back to 6th Century BC (center)

Temple of Apollo

Finally, a herd of goats!

Aunt Ollga is glad to see me after our yesterday way. She is sitting in the same spot where we left her. She is not very mobile despite a walker parked nearby.

Dinner with Christos and Parashevia

George and I were invited downstairs to dinner at Christos and Parashevia's house on the first floor so we went out to buy wine. It was a pleasant and interesting walk, something I wish we had more time to do.

The men were seated around the table while Parashevia cooked in the kitchen and kept bringing out more food than we could possibly eat. There were whole little pan-fried fish with skin and bones intact. I thought I could eat one, but discretely put it back on the serving plate when she brought out a heaping platter of bone-in chicken. There was sausage, salad, vegetables and bread. I don't know if she enjoyed the evening so intent she was on feeding everyone. I talked to the boys about American TV, movies and sports, but was not able to converse with Christos and Parashevia.

Grhgorhs and Thomas

Grhgorhs, Thomas, Parashevia and Christos

Marianne and Christos

Tuesday, October 27
Leaving Corinth

There were so many cats roaming around the courtyard behind our hotel but I was only able to capture a few sleeping felines on a table. I wasn't surprised by all the stray cats but didn't expect to see so many homeless dogs wandering the streets looking hungry and unloved. So different from our pampered pets in America.

We said our goodbyes to Aunt Ollga before leaving for Athens. She wanted me to stay longer but Nikos kept telling her it was time to go. I took some shots of her house to remember.

Icons by the front door

Ollga's spot

Cabinet between dining area and kitchen

Living room

Rooftop View

The Plaka - Athens

We ended the day in Athens. Nikos dropped George and I at the Hermes Hotel, which is very nice and centrally located to the Plaka, Acropolis and other attractions. Dina arranged a discounted cost so instead of paying the hotel directly, we met a travel agent the next morning and followed him through winding streets to his office. We were not in the tourist area so all the shops were closed because it was Oxi Day, a national holiday in Greece. This was when the Greek prime minister said NO to Mussolino in 1940. The choice was either allow Italian forces to occupy strategic locations in Greece or face war. The prime minister chose the latter. Greece held its own for six months, then surrendered after contributing to the decimation of German troops and Hitler's overall war efforts.

After we settled into the hotel, George and I walked to the Plaka for a delicious meal on the patio of a busy corner restaurant. The oldest section of Athens, the Plaka has been closed to traffic so people mill around looking in shops and dining at outdoor cafes. We chatted with an Australian couple at the next table and had a pleasant conversation ourselves, talked about our families and lives. I thoroughly enjoyed George's friendship and guidance throughout our trip. The waiter overheard us talking about Albania and the next thing we knew, the owner brought us, what else - two glasses of tsipouro. I drank the one flavored with honey and a hint of cinnamon.

George and I got turned around walking back to the Hermes Hotel and wandered around the streets of Athens until we found the right direction back. In retrospect, it should have been simple, but we exited the Plaka on a different street than we entered. I never felt unsafe, but was glad not to be lost alone. As soon as we entered the lobby, we were told Nikos had called, most likely a little worried since we were still out. George called and reassured Nikos all was well and hoped he never found out the truth.

View of the Acropolis at night

Wednesday, October 28
Athens - My last day in Greece

Nikos planned to pick us up in the afternoon so George and I set out after breakfast to make the most of the morning. Athens is a contrast of ancient sites and ordinary living. As we walked along towards the Acropolis, we passed a tidy modern street scene across from ruins.

           

The Roman Agora was built in the First Century BC as the new commercial center of Athens.

The Agoranomeion

Acropolis and Parthenon

The Odeon is located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis and is still a working theatre, hosting music, dance and drama performances in the summer. The stone structure was built by Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife in First Century AD and restored for festival use in the 1950's.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Temple of Athena Nike

Restoration work continues at The Parthenon, dedicated the the Goddess Athena, the patron of Athens.

Because of Oxi Day, the people of Athens had the day off from work and flocked to the monuments, all of which offered free admission for the day.

Athens

We found this little church after coming down from the Acropolis. The Church of the Holy Apostles is among the oldest in Athens, dating to about 1000 AD. The Byzantine-styled church is located in the Athenian Agora which was the center of the ancient city.

We stumbled on another church on our way back to the hotel to meet Nikos. We were able to light candles at the Church of the Holy Apostle Phillip.

Lots of people were out in the square due to the holiday. I imagine they take the ancient ruins, which are visible from so many locations, for granted.

Instead of driving in the Athens traffic, Nikos took the Metro from his house to our hotel, then we walked around the city some more. Athens is such a mix of old and new.

One of the highlights was seeing the changing of the guards, which happens once an hour in front of the Parliament Building. The evzones or soldiers are very precise in the movements and are actually guarding The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

This building across the street from The Parliament was all decked out with flags for Oxi Day. We also saw adults and kids carrying flags of all sizes, as they walked through the streets.

Nikos took us to another archaeological site before heading to the Metro for a ride back to his house.

Dinner with Dina and Nikos

Dina's condo is in a modern high-rise building not too far from the ocean. Her mother lives with them to help with the baby, especially with Dina working and Nikos away in Corinth much of the time. Another lady in the building also helps care for the baby. We enjoyed a delicious dinner with spanikopita made by Dina's mother, among other good food.

I was happy to see Nikos "at home" with Dina and wish he could be there all the time, instead of spending so much time with Ollga. She is a little jealous of Dina's mother helping out, but she is not able to do so herself. Little Kiki is wearing the mati or "evil eye" pinned to his sweater just as I did when I was a baby. It is really the "eye of God" designated to ward off evil spirits and has become a popular tourist item sold around Greece in bracelets, necklaces, rings etc. I'm glad to see it is still a real custom for babies.

Thursday, October 29
Leaving Greece

I wasn't thinking international time when I booked my flight home on Swiss Air. I thought my flight was leaving Athens at 6:30 pm, when in reality it was 6:30 am. Nikos was kind enough to pick me up at 5 am and take me to the airport (and George back to Corinth since he wasn't leaving until Friday). Nikos and George both came inside the terminal to make I sure I got into the proper line. Nikos hugged me and said, "Don't forget about us." I could never never forget Nikos and the rest of the family and believe this trip was a true gift from God.

After a quick two hour flight to Zurich, I had a four-hour layover with time for a real cup of American coffee and breakfast, walking the terminal and looking in shops at all the Swiss made products.

When I arrived back in Chicago, I had missed calls from George (and Nikos) worried about me and wanting to know if I was home safe.

The good news is my tsipouro, clear liquid in a open plastic water bottle, made it through customs. I had it at the top of my suitcase in case they wanted to confiscate it, and was surprised that it wasn't.

Afterthoughts

I'm glad I met my father's family and wonder why I didn't do so sooner. I thought there wouldn't be time to connect when Jeff and I took our Mediterranean Cruise and spent a day in Athens, but now I know Nikos would have made it happen.

Aunt Ollga didn't want me to leave. Even though we can't really communicate, she called me koupela tou adelfou mou, girl of my brother. Just as I wanted to see my father in her, she wanted to see her brother in me. That last time she saw her brother was in 1939. She was seven; he was 19 and on his way to America. My father, who I never thought of as particularly brave, took off in the dark of night to reunite with his father in an unknown land. That they never saw their family again is a personal tragedy. That my father started a new family is a joy and testament to the past.