Back in Greece, Move to Portaria

After a very, very long and tiring flight from the West Coast back to Greece, I was sick for several days, but I recovered just in time for us to move all our stuff from Thessaloniki to Portaria. While we were away, they had finished several projects in the new house, including some new ceilings and floors.

With the help of some friends in Thessaloniki, we were able to pack up all our stuff and get it on a moving truck relatively easily. Getting it into the new house was more of an adventure, since a moving truck can't get anywhere near our house, which is back on narrow cobblestone paths. So the truck parked at a central point in Portaria, and they off-loaded it into a small pick-up truck, which then took it within about 100 yards of the house. Then a crew of guys carried it into the house.

One of the first orders of business was to set up the kids' new bunk beds. Their room has a little crawl space for storage, but we decided to make it a reading loft. Above, you can see them climbing up into their loft from one of the bunk beds.

Here's Benny coming down the stairs from where we park the car to the church and the house.

We arrived just two days before the parish's feast day on November 1 (Holy Unmercenaries), so it was busy time, but we had a good turnout for the feast day, despite the fact that it was a weekday, and we kept plugging away at unpacking boxes and getting the house set up. The following Monday, the kids started pre-school, which we had arranged before we left for the US. On the Saturday before school started, the kids and I took a walk down the winding labyrinth of cobblestone paths to try to find their school, which is located in the village right below us. We found our way and it turns out to be only about a 15-minute walk downhill. On the way back, the kids and I decided to explore a little and we veered a bit off track. But we found this shade-covered spring that reminded me exactly of what one would see on Mt. Athos. In fact, then, posted on the spring was an icon of the Panagia protecting Mt. Athos, as well as a hand-written sign that read: "Drink of this all of you. This is running water," in the archaic Greek of the New Testament. The climb back uphill was much tougher, so we all stopped for a much-needed drink.



Eventually, a kind old lady saw us coming and came out with a chocolate bar for the kids. She pointed us in the right direction. A little later, I asked an elderly gentleman for directions, and he said, "Fr. Gregory, is that you?" It turned out he was the father of another priest in a nearby village. We stopped and had a snack with him and chatted for awhile. He explained where we were, which was still in the lower village of Katohori, but close to the "border" with Portaria and our parish.

One day, we were cleaning out one of the side chapels on the main church, the chapel dedicated to St. Athanasius the Great and St. Tryphon. Above, you can Benjamin standing in the door as Paul comes flying out.

There are a couple small park nearby. Unfortunately, the budget cuts in Greece have reduced the municipalities' ability to maintain the parks, but the kids still like going there. This one is near where we have to go to take the trash, so it's a nice excuse to stop and play.

Yakima

Part 1 of our trip to the US was visiting my family on the East Coast. Part 2 was on the West Coast with Pelagia's family.

One day we stopped by an old family friend, who gave the kids their first professional hair cuts.

Yiayia made the kids their own personalized chef hats so that they could help her in the kitchen.

One day, we drove down to the monastery in Goldendale to visit the sisters. Above are Paul and his cousin Simeon hanging out with the nuns' goats.

And here they are playing on a tractor. In the background, you can see the monastery's present church, really a chapel located in one of their buildings. We got a tour of the great progress they are making on their permanent temple.

One day, our friends Gabe and Erin visited us in Yakima from Seattle. Above, Gabe is reading a book to his son and Benjamin.

Pelagia's family's parish, Holy Cross, held a fall festival while we were there. The kids loved it.



Here, Paul was dressed up as a bandit. You can see the temple in the background.

During our stay in Yakima, I was able to go to San Francisco and take care of all our paperwork for Greece. So we returned to Greece on schedule toward the end of October.

For more photos from Yakima, click here.

Trip to West Virginia

It took a few days for the kids (and us!) to recover from the long trip, as well as the time change. One night, Benjamin decided he wanted to sleep in one of the suitcases in the closet. This could certainly save us a lot of money on airfare!

One day, we went for a walk on the boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach. The kids loved this statue.

Finally, we took a long road trip to go visit my grandmother in West Virginia. On the way, we stopped at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, which the kids loved. Above, we're looking in the dolphin tank just as a dolphin dives down.

Jellyfish!

The kids loved the dolphin show, especially when they came around and splashed us.

Here we are with my grandmother at a great local restaurant, owned by a distant cousin of mine.

And here are the kids playing on my grandmother's bed. Of course, it was the first time they met her.

Aunts and Uncles

One day, my parents gave the kids outfits -- a princess outfit for Phoebe and pirate outfits for the boys.

Here they are checking out their new outfits in the mirror.

We visited lots of my family on the East Coast. Above, we visited my uncle and aunt, who had a granddaughter about Phoebe's age. They hit it off right away.

We visited another aunt and uncle in Maryland. My uncle let the boys hold an officer's sword from the American Revolutionary War, part of his collection.

They have a playground across the street from their house. Above, my cousin Kim pushed Phoebe and Paul on the swing.

This is a great toy -- the first time we had ever seen one.

Next to the playground was a firehouse. They saw the kids and let us come in. They even let the kids play in the truck and turn on the lights.



For more photos from the East Coast, click here.

Trip to the Zoo in Cape May, NJ

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One day while visiting my parents, we took a day trip to Cape May, NJ, to visit their zoo, which is quite good and free.

First, we got on the ferry in Lewes, Delaware, and made the 17-mile trip over to Cape May.

Here's the ferry just before we got on in Lewes.

The kids had fun running around the boat. One of the boat's employees gave the kids coloring books and crayons.

Paul was wearing his superhero cape.

Here they are running on the benches.

At the zoo, we saw a lion, who even roared for us.



Here are Paul and Benjamin on a break in a gazebo.

Here we are with the giraffes.



Afterwards, we went to a Japanese restaurant for lunch and sat at the hibachi table. The kids, especially Paul, loved the chef's performance.

For more photos from the East Coast, click here.

Edwards on the East Coast

Because I finished my studies, we needed a new kind of visa to continue to live in Greece, which involved -- as strange as it may seem -- coming back to the US to visit the Greek Embassy, and then returning to Greece. 

So the kids got their first plane ride, their first trip out of Greece, and their first visit to the US. The trip was long -- 11 hours from Athens to Philadelphia -- but the kids were pretty good. Above, you can see them watching a movie on the iPad.

My parents were waiting at the airport to pick us up.

The kids enjoyed the huge playland inside the McDonalds near my parents' house.

My parents got out many of my old toys, including this little red wagon. They drove around my parents' neighborhood.

They also got a spin in Granddad's pick-up truck.

Of course, no visit to the grandparents could be complete without lots of ice cream, including visits to this nearby dairy farm that makes its own ice cream.

Here in the US, even the strollers have parking! I wish there was this much organized parking in Greece for cars!

Here we are visiting a replica of an old ship in Wilmington, Delaware. You can see the city in the background to the left.

Here the kids are playing in the grass near the ship. It is amazing how many well-kept, green public places there are!

For many more photos, click here.