The Kalitsounia – little Cretan cheese pastries often eaten for breakfast – are not as good at the airport business lounge as they are from the bakery that makes them in Patmos. This is not only a unanimous conclusion, but an objective truth. You chill the pastries in a fridge case the soften and lose some of their flavor. A Greek jury would come back in two minutes on this case.
The airport transfer service I pre-booked didn’t show. The owner made a mistake and thought we were leaving tomorrow, though he found the records showing it was today when we called him from the front of our hotel, wondering about our ride. It’s the second time they’ve messed up this trip – it’s over. So we took an Uber – which thanks to a quick response and good traffic got us to the airport earlier than expected despite the 15 minute delay getting going. The driver may have been a little frumpy, but he was still the hero of the day.
The business lounge bathrooms had three malfunctions for Ailyn: toilet stall doors that didn’t close right and couldn’t lock, a sink faucet with a tricky sensor and paper towel dispenser that wouldn’t grip.
She lost her comfy chenille sweater meant for the cold plane – none of us can figure out how. We forgot two iPad charging cords at the hotel. The pharmacy didn’t have the Greek motion sickness pills that have been so successful for Ailyn, so we’re taking a gamble on an alternative. Ailyn had a small cup of gelato last night from a very nice gelateria, but her Kinder Bueno flavor – which seems like you can’t mess up because it comes from the actual candy – had a bitter taste and she threw it out.
Athens has been disappointing.
“I hate Athens! It sucks! I have almost been run over eleven times! Look, that ambulance almost ran me over (it was passing through a pedestrian-only street we were on)! They almost had to pick me up too! Athens is horrible!”
Aside from there being ancient ruins interspersed among modern buildings and neighborhoods in a surprisingly low-key, disarming way, Athens is a not an amazing city. It’s what I consider the necessary big city almost every country needs to function. Even Bali – technically an island state of Indonesia, not an independent country – has drab and dirty Denpasar to make the machinery of life work.
On the better side, we had a wonderful, heartfelt visit with Maria and Yiannis whom the kids immediately liked and vice versa. Of course between Yiannis being a retired cruise ship captain and them being the former owners of our house who logged in a lot of time on Patmos – there was lots to discuss – especially for Sennen and Yiannis.
We learned the reason some cruise ships dock at the harbor and others anchor offshore is usually how comfortable the captain is with pulling a ship into the shallow harbor. It takes a lot of skill to dock either a cruise ship or the large Blue Star ferries. Yiannis, naturally, always docked his ship in harbor – but most captains are afraid. We also learned the top of the Greek sea captaining food chain are the ferry captains. Pulling in and out of the harbors of all the islands, backing in perfectly requires great skill. It’s easy for a top-level captain, but not everyone makes the cut. But the people who take us from Athens to Patmos and back are the top in their field.
We also shared experiences, exchanged Patmos gossip, chatted about life and all connected beautifully. It was a very nice way to spend a couple of hours in Athens.
Also on the positive side, we breezed through baggage drop-off, passport control and security quickly – leaving us ample time to stock up on Ailyn’s beloved Olive Era shampoo, conditioner and hair oil spray. Sennen and I both also got some great smelling body wash. That alleviated the stress of poor Ailyn whose unfortunate experience with a closed and locked Olive Era Store caused her so much distress yesterday. We have the essential goods – the magic elixirs really – that keep her tangle-free and happy. Getting those MIGHT have made time in Athens worthwhile to her. Maybe.
Travel days are exercises in patience and sometimes creativity. I managed to get ALL the Olive Era duty-free into my carry-on backpack. It now feels like I’m carrying a three-year-old around, but it works. Ailyn will make do with two airplane blankets – hers and mine – instead of the chenille sweater I got her at Costco (don’t tell – it can be replaced affordably….). And Sennen has accepted his fate to return to Westlake Village – albeit reticently and not without a mild verbal denouncement upon waking up this morning. It may not have helped that Maria fully enjoyed and supported his feelings of wanting to live in Patmos and thought he was seeing life in the right way. She even wants to help him to open up a restaurant there.
All of the things – good bad and indifferent – have come to pass and all that’s left is to board the flights and make our way home. It will be immediately busy with errands, school registration/orientation sessions for both kids, appointments, calls, grocery shopping…. suburban life returning at full-pace. So much more running around and logistics than Patmos. So much time spent digging through the mundane but necessary – at least for that environment.
What has mattered has been the time together. The uninterrupted, connected time we were able to be present with one another and enjoy. Despite the odd issues and moments, it was a lot of good time – a lot of love shared – and I think a lot of stability established in this period when the kids get to be in one house for an extended period. Kids are adaptable, but it doesn’t always mean those adaptations are good for them. Stability is good for them and summer gives them the opportunity to have some.
These past 4.5 weeks being a dad full-time have been good for me too. Luckily I get almost a week more – until Friday – to continue. I get to see them through starting and their first couple of days of school. It won’t be relaxed like on Patmos, but it will be meaningful and important. Sometimes the 50 percent of the time I don’t have my kids is a source of sadness and frustration. Sometimes I look at the glass as half full. Sometimes the calendar breaks in my favor and I get some important and worthwhile moments. Best to be grateful for those.
And now we fly.
