So, Here We Are...

Sunset, Santorini.  "It looks like a painting.." - Arman

Well, now that I've recovered from jet-lag, sleeplessness, had a breather and have actually stopped pinching myself over and over just to check if the past 6 months were real or not... I think I'm ready to talk. Hmmm where to begin?

First off let me just say, this was the most amazing experience the boys and I will ever share.  As a parent we all have to accept that sooner or later our kids will be all grown up and like it or not will most likely not want to go on too many family trips.  This is a good thing too, we want them to have their own adventures and travel with their friends, experience things on their own and make their own special memories.  I'm just really glad I was lucky enough to have had this great opportunity to do this with the boys and really bond and connect with them on a different level, especially after going through such a tough chapter in our lives...   As they say, nothing brings family closer than a tragic experience.  But let's leave the sad stuff for another blog..

I tried to write as much as I could about our travels and keep you guys posted on the adventure but in my opinion it wasn't nearly as much as I thought I'd write.  Let's just say I was on Greek speed :)  I have a few blogs lined up to cover some of the things we've learned about ourselves, people, other cultures and what we can learn from each other, from our brothers and sisters that happen to live on this planet under different names, cultures, religions etc.  Of course visiting just a handful of countries in Europe isn't nearly enough to see and learn all the wonderful things our world  has to offer but it's a starting point.  Which is kind of what I set out to do in the first place.  To show the boys that there is a lot more to this world than their own back yard, that the things to explore and see span way further than the view from their bedroom window and that they should feel free to reach as far as they can, to try new things and explore deeper than their imagination.  I wanted them to see life in other places, to know that home can be anywhere the heart is happy.  In other words I wanted them to see that there is a whole lot of life to be lived, so much to learn, see and feel.

I felt it absolutely necessary to make them understand this on that very Tuesday afternoon a few months ago, when during one of my conversations with Arman he said to me.."thug life mom, what's the point anyways we're all gonna die one day"...  This is not what you want to hear from an 18 year old with his whole life ahead of him and yet hope is lost from seeing his dad slowly slip away and die way sooner than he had planned and not having had done half the things he set out to do as a young boy.  No my friends, this I would not have, moms don't just sit around and watch the light go out of their kids eyes, hopes and dreams dwindling as the days go by. No! We act! We get up, pull up our sleeves and get to work! That is what being a parent is about.  Glad to report that we achieved what we set out to and so much more...  I couldn't be happier for my boys.

It was a learning experience for all three of us, it was a time of rest, a time of joy, a time of doing nothing and everything.   With a few sobering moments, a few "lessons learned, moving on" moments,  as well as a few eye tearing, belly hurting laughing moments.  Bread was broken, drinks were shared, long conversations took place, cooking sessions and mouth watering food was enjoyed, not to mention the heart warming and soul satisfying moments.  I loved seeing the look on the boys faces when they saw the beauty and wonders around them, with wide eye amazement. They enjoyed seeing me laugh hard and dance, and sing while I drove... They waited patiently at every meal, rolling their eyes at me as I snapped a photo before they could eat :)  I let them lead at times to go where they go and see what they see, watching them from behind.  I learned that boys will always feel protective and respectful towards their moms, this you can not teach, and I love that.  They learned that mom can actually be pretty cool to hang out with sometimes, and I love that too. :)  We learned to let go and just went where the waves took us, with no expectations or direction.  That was liberating to say the least.

As I said a great experience.. a one of a kind, with no repeats or reruns.  We took it all in, especially me.  As I would stop often and remind myself to wake up, open my eyes and have a moment of pure clarity, to realize and cherish each one of those moments.  What can I say friends, I truly wish this on each and every one of you. If not for 5 months in Europe then for 5 hours spent with your kids, listening to the things they have to say and seeing the things they want to see.. The world they let you in and the moments shared are so special, that's what will keep you going through anything life throws at you.

I think life is full of tragedy, pain, sadness and disappointment but we have to have a steady stream of small happy moments on an IV drip at all times, slow, trickling of tiny joyous experiences that will keep us strong in between those sad moments.  Those memories we create, as we close our eyes are all we take with us and all we leave behind as well.
Thanks for listening, stay tuned, more to come.  :)

Europe on a Budget

Hi there friends, it sure has been a while. When we started this journey of ours four months ago I had planned to blog all about it.. well I haven't posted that much I know, but when you have a home base in Europe and so many amazing places are so close by you can't help but want to see as much of it as you can.  I really want to show my boys whatever I can while we are here, even though all the places we have gone are just a tiny bite, just a taste and I'm hoping a teaser for them.. I know from my own experience that once you start traveling, the bug gets into you and makes you want to see more, at least that's my goal for the boys.  I believe traveling to foreign lands, meeting people from different cultures, seeing and experiencing all that comes with travel is an amazing way of feeding your soul.  I'm hoping the little taste of bits and peaces of Europe I have shared with the boys will get them out and about and wanting to see more of this beautiful world of ours.
I got on the internet one day just to see what sort of travel deals were out there and if we could maybe fly out to see an old friend and her family in Valencia Spain.  Three days later we had this amazing trip planned that even I couldn't believe how easy and quite affordable it was.  Mind you it took a few days for me to find good prices on flights, hotels, trains etc. but it was a well drawn map with some beautiful stops along the way and we couldn't wait get started...

So, Europe on a budget huh? Could it be done? Well we did it and it's definitely doable folks.  First off, let's talk about flights, If you plan ahead I'm sure you can find loads of cheap fares between cities and countries in Europe, but in our case we had no idea we would be doing so much traveling when we came to Greece.  What I found out is that finding good fares here isn't all that difficult, there are a couple of companies in Europe that fly you around really, I mean really cheap.  For example we flew to Rome from Thessaloniki for only 35 euros, and from Venice to Valencia for 40 euros, so you see planning a country hop here is really quite simple.  Then of course you have the trains, most countries here share a border and it's basically land, which can be covered, quite comfortable might I add with trains.  If you want to see quite a bit of cities, the Europass is the way to go.  The sites are easy to navigate and if you spend just a little time online you can really do a custom travel tour of your own and book most everything on your computer.
Here's the map and I sort of drew our journey to show how and where we went.  It was an amazing adventure, the boys loved it and it will be a wonderful time they can look back on and remember with a smile on their faces, that's all I wanted.  These kind of opportunities don't happen that often, so I will treasure this time I'm having with the boys and all the memories we've made together.

We flew to Rome, then took a train to Florence, then to Venice by train again. Flew from Venice to Valencia Spain, then took the train to Barcelona, flew from there to Lyon France, then a train to Paris and a short flight back to Thessaloniki for me and Rob, while Arman took the train to London then flew back to Thessaloniki.. fun trip!

Here's some helpful info:
For flights look into Ryanair, or easyJet.  Both have great fares, they may not fly everywhere but cover most of the big cities and some smaller but popular destinations. They do have restrictions so be sure to follow directions carefully, for example you need to check in online and print out your boarding pass before you get to the airport. I don't have a printer here but I was able to access my email and print them out at a local copy shop.  Also, very important is the baggage restriction both these airlines have, you can only carry on one small bag no more that 10k, or if you want to turn your baggage in it's about 15 euros for a 20k bag, HOWEVER make sure you book the baggage and pay for it at the time of online check it, this cheap price is only available online if you check it in and pay for it at the airport it will cost you more that your ticket did, so you're getting a cheap fare for a reason, but if you plan carefully, as we did you wont run into any problems.  One other note about these two airlines, although we only used Ryanair, but refreshments and food is sold on board, so either eat before you go on board or be prepared to spend some money, but most flights are very short around Europe so let's just say you wont starve to death :)
Trains. There are a couple of ways to get info on travel with trains, you can either purchase tickets at the station as you get around, which does give you a bit more of freedom on your journey, or you can jot out each destination and get your travel pass online.  Either way works, we had a few of our train tickets from ahead of time and some we bought at the station.  Train tickets vary in price, we found that in Italy they were on the low side, train ride to Florence and the to Venice was only 20 euros each stretch.  But in France we paid close to 100 euros from Lyon to Paris, and in Spain it was somewhere in the middle.  Again we hadn't planned that much ahead, so I'm sure if done a few months in advance we would've been able to get better fares.  But even last minute we still got around, and it looks like the trains in the middle of the day are the cheapest, morning and evening are a bit higher, so you might want to keep that in mind too.
Hotels.. in some cities we were fortunate enough to have friends and family, so it wasn't only great seeing them and spending time with them but it was also nice of them to accommodate us and we didn't need spend money on a hotel room.  However in cities we didn't know anyone, we had no trouble finding really affordable places.  There are of course a lot of hostels in almost every city in Europe and if you are a young traveler by all means you can bunk with a few other people, share a bathroom and stay for really cheap, as Arman did when he took a detour on his own to London.  He loved it actually, because he got to meet and make new friends.  Me, I like my private room and bathroom thank you very much! We mostly stayed in 3 star hotels, prices ranged between 35 euros a night to 60 euros a night.  When searching online I booked all the hotels using Hotels.com they have loads of info on each hotel, a map and testimonials which can be helpful in narrowing your search down.  I made sure they were first and foremost clean and well kept, that we had free wifi and breakfast included, which is another money saver, one meal out of the way.  It was easy to find all we needed in a hotel for good prices, and for the most part they all were pretty accurate when we arrived.
I think the most funds we spent were on food, though this can be done on a budget as well.  There are plenty of small on the go places one can purchase a sandwich or something, but since we had saved so much on flights and hotels, and since we all love good food we ate at some great restaurants, nothing fancy but with good food and fun atmosphere.  On that note, when traveling with teenage boys be prepared to spend a lot on food... these two got hungry every two to three hours, gees if I ate as much as they did I'd be much rounder right now :)
Take converters with you, take loads of pictures, which by the way was a challenge for me as the boys don't like to be in pictures and always gave me a hard time with that... ahhh the good old days when they did what you asked them, posing with cute little smiles. But I still managed to steal a shot or two.  Don't forget to turn off your internal timer, you are in Europe, most of the countries here are on a slower pace, so slow down, relax, don't be too critical, judgmental or expect everything to go as planned... If traveling with kids, teens etc, know that they are not always going to be interested in the things you want to see and do, and that you need to explore the places they are interested in as well.. after all you brought them with you to open their eyes and show them different places, they need to enjoy their time in their own way too...In other words go with the flow and know that you are in a different country with a different culture, be open to new experiences and you are sure to enjoy the journey.  Every now and then stop, have a moment of clarity and pinch yourself.. take it all in one breath at a time, once the moment is over it will never come back...
I hope everyone gets the chance to travel, however short or long the journey, it is certain to be filled with memories and experiences that will stay forever.

Useful sites:
Ryanair flights 
easyJet flights
Hotels.com
eDreams a site for Euopean travel plans, you can find flights, hotels etc.
Train tickets

Have fun :)

Kavala and Thassos Island

Hello friends, happy to report that we've settled in and are feeling much better now, enjoying every bit of this little adventure of ours, living the dream I guess you could say.  I've actually had a maternity shoot already for a friend and have found a great little lab around the corner for my prints, so it's good to be doing a little bit of work as well. And we've decided that since we are here for some time, it would be a great idea to take advantage of this opportunity to travel around Greece a bit too.  With the summer season winding down there are some great deals around the country, and everything is just a hop, skip and a jump away.. or a bus ride, a plane ride or a car ride away... Our first little trip we took was to the town of Kavala and the nearby island of Thassos.  I've always made a point to stop at or drive through Kavala every time I've been to Greece.  It's where yiayia (grandma) grew up and maybe that's why it's always called out to me, and perhaps because I really love this little city by the sea.  It is actually my favorite place in Greece.  Now when you mention Greece to people back home the first image they have is of either Santorini and some of the more popular islands or Athens and all the historical sights there, most tourists especially from the west hardly know much about the northern part of Greece.  The people who visit these parts are mostly Europeans, from most conversations I've had with locals they may see an American tourist or two on a rare occasion.

This part of Greece is quite beautiful actually.  The city of Thessaloniki where I'm staying and where both my parents were born is a lovely city.  Still a large city but not as crazy as Athens, the nightlife is fantastic and lively, people are more relaxed here than in Athens and there are plenty of historical sights to see as well.  In fact they are still finding old ruins, there is a dig happening right now in the middle of town as we speak.  I will do an entire blog post about Thessaloniki at one point.  There is so much to see here in the north, Mount Olympus is here, the amazing town of Meteora with its cliff high monasteries is nearby not to mention Halkithiki, which has some of the best beaches in Greece and where most Greeks come for holiday.  And of course my favorite town/city of Kavala, and I must say I fell in love with it more this time as I spent a couple of days walking through the streets.  It is not a small beach town, nor is it a large metropolitan city, but it is just small enough and just large enough for you to enjoy a bustling city in the day and a fun place at night.  There are a few beautiful beaches nearby as well to enjoy swimming or hanging out at a taverna or beach bar.  Aside from enjoying the city and all it has to offer, the old town and the Kavala Fortress is a must see, mostly built in the early part of the 15th century.  The cobblestone narrow streets are what we all long to see when walking through most European old towns, as well as old architecture mixed with new life coexisting in harmony.  And that is why I love this town.  I will be posting some pictures on my photo blog, so be sure to check those out.

The island of Thassos is very near and there are ferries throughout the day for it, so it's a great trip to include when visiting Kavala.  You can go just for a day or to stay and relax for a couple of days to take in the sun and swim at the countless lovely beaches there as well.  I'd recommend renting a car either from Kavala and get on the ferry with it, or from Thassos and drive around the island exploring on your own.  We unfortunately didn't think that far ahead and since my skills at driving a manual car have diminishes since I had my last manual car twenty some years ago and there were no automatic cars available, so we ended up just relaxing at the hotel and the nearby beaches, which was actually just what the doctor had ordered.  Life on Thassos is very slow, as is on most small islands around the world, people seem very relaxed especially as the season is ending.  This of course puts you in a very relaxed state as well and you just gotta let go and enjoy.  When you go to eat, you have to take it slow, a bite at a time, spend a couple of hours, little by little and just not worry about anything.  This of course is a challenge for us rushing folks and we must learn to slow down a bit, actually this applies for most of Greece :)

As for traveling through Greece, so far it's been a great experience, there is free WiFi almost everywhere, cafes, restaurants, hotels and this is great if you're like me and a bit of an Instagram addict and for wanting to stay connected with folks back home.  There are plenty of ways to get around, bus trips are available for most destinations, a ferry ride to get to a nearby island is always there for about $5.00 a ride.  The food is amazing of course, but somewhat limited to mostly Greek food, and maybe a hot dog or a pizza here and there, which is fine, we are after all in Greece.  Most people speak English, so with my broken Greek and their bit of English we've had no trouble communicating.  The only word of caution I have is when asking for information make sure you ask a few people and whichever is the most repeated answer, go with that one and even then you may want to check with someone else... hahaha and when they say "oh it's just right here, not more than a 100 meters".. plan on walking a bit further... Other than that, as long as you understand that most locals are in no hurry and may not be on the same page as your sense of urgency but that they are still trying to help, you'll be fine.

We've returned to home base since and caught up with some family and friend visits, my pregnant friend Stella had her little bundle of joy, so can't wait to do a newborn shoot with her, and we'll be heading out next week again.  This time we're off to see some friends and family in Athens, then off to Santorini and Crete.  I'm looking so forward to it, as it's the first time I'll be visiting both islands.

Happy trails to us and stay well my friends, till next time.
Peace..

little things..

Hi there friends, I was planning on writing about our little trip to Kavala and the island of Thassos however plans changed... You see it's raining today in Thessaloniki and I have loads of laundry to do from the trip and normally rainy days are perfect for laundry back home, but not here.  I have a washing machine but not a dryer, most people here hang their laundry out to dry and it's worked out just fine for us too but, hmmm I thought what about rainy days?  Do we hang a line inside and hang laundry all over the living-room? I mean the clothes line out in the balcony is covered so no rain can get to the clothes but I guess it will take longer to dry and therefore much longer for me to finish the laundry, this may need a couple of days to finish.  So as I was sitting there working all this out in my head over coffee, I started thinking about all the little comforts we have that we rarely ever think about on a daily basis.  This being one of them, I mean it's not a catastrophe but more of an inconvenience, and yes no big deal but it does get you to think..

There are a few other creature comforts that we are missing on this trip that is for sure, and the first couple of weeks were a bit bumpy because of all that.. New place, jet-lag, sleeplessness and being homesick mixed with all three of us grumpy in a small space, needless to say it was an interesting couple of weeks.  Voices were elevated on more than one occasion between us, but that just means we fit right into the neighborhood.  Our neighbors in adjacent buildings are very close by, we can practically hear them fart, though that hasn't happened yet, just some yelling between husbands and wives about who forgot to get the bread etc.  Not much privacy around here.. hahaha 

Let me give you a few little examples of the things that have been a bit difficult to adjust to.  The laundry is one, although on hot days the clothes dry fast and smell great but need ironing, a step that is usually eliminated with the use of the dryer, no problem so far so good with this one.  I mentioned before about the electronics in the house, this one is more about the boys and them finding things to keep busy with during down time at home, and as most young people of today, it's the world they are attached to the most, so no electronics means being bothered and bored, but they find things to do so not that big of a deal so far.  Here's another one that needs getting used to, we got home from our trip yesterday evening and remembered that the following day, today is Sunday, which means most stores will be closed, gotta make sure we have the essentials, milk, bread, something to eat etc.  Restaurants and cafes are open so you wont starve or anything but something you need to keep in mind.  Last Sunday as I was cooking lunch I sent Arman out for some fresh bread and a few herbs, forgetting completely that the stores are closed, he came back with a dumb founded look on his face... "all the stores are closed!" he says, continuing with, " how do these people intend on fixing their economy on these work habits!?"  I made no comment... But you see it just takes a little more planning to get through the day around here, just another thing to adjust to.

Not having a car has been interesting as well, we get by walking and taking the bus most of the time and when we need to we just take the taxi, so this isn't that big of a deal breaker just yet.  The thing I'm missing most is my Netflix nights, I'm not a big TV person, but I love movies and that was my down time pleasure, but no Netflix available online in Greece just yet.  If any of you know of a European equivalent website where I can stream movies PLEASE let me know ;)

So you see, all these may seem like such minute things in our day-to-day lives, but when we lose them we realize just how important these little things are for us.  It's all about adjusting and yes it will take some time and energy, but it makes it interesting.  Thinking about all these little things that make us comfortable in our daily lives, makes you think even deeper and about the more important and big things that we take for granted as well... a warm home, roof over our heads, clean water, food, electricity... just to name a few, that some people in some countries don't have.. So in the big picture, all these little "problems" if you will, seem so little indeed.  For basic survival they are actually obsolete... makes you think no?

In closing I'm going to say this... In all honesty, I would be lying if I said that it's been a fun filled few weeks with no bumps in the road and how we are in love with Greece and will never come back, and It wouldn't be the truth to say that it's all been a mistake and that the boys and I haven't been enjoying the time we have spent together, hanging out, bonding, sharing a beer or two.   It would be more accurate to say that it has been interesting, nerve wrecking, wonderful, exciting, joyous and learning experience and it has made us think about the decision we all made to come down here for a few months.  Again in all honesty, it has been a great experience so far, a big eye opener for the boys, if anything it's brought us closer and whatever the outcome will be in the end, I'm confident that it will be an amazing addition to our life experiences for all of us.
Now on to more laundry...

Next post will be about Kavala, Thassos and traveling within Greece.  Stay tuned...

Peace and Light

week one

It's 6:00am on Wednesday morning, up early yet another day.  The time change is taking a little longer to adjust to this time around, actually come to think of it lot's of things are different this time.  It hasn't even been a week since we left home yet and I'm feeling a little homesick already, I've been away for longer periods of time before but for some reason I'm missing everyone a little more this time around.  I think the fact that we wont be back home soon is setting in and we were so busy sorting things out before we left that we didn't realize that we are actually leaving our home and all our loved ones for a long time.  But not to worry we are slowly adjusting, we humans seem to be good at that.

The boys are very happy, been cooking with me almost every day.  Market day was their favorite day so far, I've never seen them so excited about buying fresh, organic produce before... I think it's the whole atmosphere of the market, the lively hustle and bustle of the merchants calling out to you to check out their fresh tomatoes because theirs are way better than the ones at the next table, though they look quite the same to us.  The olive picking seemed to interest the boys the most, they couldn't get enough of the tasting, I think they must have had a half a pound of olives just in that process.  Arman wanted to make steak for us, so we went to the local butcher shop, yet another interesting experience for him, and yes even though we have butcher shops back home too but we rarely make a separate trip to pick up our meat, instead everything is available at the supermarket.  Makes for an easier shopping errand but according to Arman it's more fun this way...

The only challenge the boys are having so far is sorting out their electronics, the apartment we are staying in is an older building and has just one outlet per room, imagine that!!? " How can people survive this way!!?".. was pretty much Robert's reaction :) But we'll be going to Ikea to pick up a few things soon to sort some things out at home, which by the way is a cozy modest little two bedroom apartment, perfect in European standards but far too small for us "spoiled Americans".  Though we brought very little with us so we thought, but it was still a challenge fitting everything into two closets.  Speaking of challenges, the one tiny bathroom for all three of us to share hasn't been all that fun either, but it's all about adjusting to new things.  We manage just fine.  I think the reason homes are so much smaller here in Greece and pretty much most of Europe is because people spend a lot of time outside their home than in it. ;)

Now a little about Greece and the people, just like most countries and it's people there is the good and the bad.  When you spend a little more time in any country like I have in the past, after the initial tourist faze wears off and you partake in the daily life of the people and blend in a bit more you tend to see the minuses too.  This was not news to me, been there done that kinda thing.  The first good laugh we had was at the airport, actually now that I think back it was more of an "I'm far too tired and cranky to rip your head off so I'll just laugh it off in a nervous sarcastic way."  Needless to say we had a few more suitcases with us than your average tourist, so naturally I asked for two taxis to get us home, and boy did we hear about it... one driver stopped looked at the bags and didn't even seem remotely interested.  He gave us the old raise the hand in surprise move followed by a few colorful words... but we found a couple of drivers willing to lift a few extra bags and got home in one piece (without killing anyone!).

Like I said there's the bad everywhere, you just gotta accept it, especially when in a different country and it'll be a lot easier to adjust.  Then of course there are the good experiences that you cherish as well, like the one night we decided to walk around the neighborhood hoping to find a place to grab a quick bite.  Mind you it was almost midnight but we couldn't sleep and thought, it's Greece, there are plenty of places open at this time for food! Well in the center of town maybe, the residential area, not so much, but much to our surprise as we were heading back tired and disappointed at the amount of cafes and the lack of restaurants, we came across a little taverna, nestled between apartment buildings.  Still open and with tables outside still full of people eating and drinking, and being quite loud if you will, half past midnight on a school night! The neighbors didn't min, they were probably out doing the same thing too, and we certainly didn't mind either and although the menu was limited at that hour we still got to sink our teeth into a couple of nice perzollas (pork chops) and a nice Greek salad.  The owner was a really nice and accommodating man and didn't even "stiff" us with the bill at the end even though we looked very much like the wide-eyed lost "touristas"... that was a good night!

My Greek is improving, and the fact that we have family and friends around is making this transition a bit smoother as the days go by.  We did have a great day by the sea as well on Gagik's birthday, when we had a meal to honor him and said farewell to the last of his ashes, into the blue Aegean he went.  I'm sure a few more memorable things happened the past week, but jet lag and sleeplessness has taken it's toll on my memory at the moment...

I think I need another cup of coffee and some more Nutella to start my day... :)
Farewell folks, till my next update.  Stay well.
Love and light

By the way I wont be posting any pictures here, please visit my photo blog for those. :) so far only iPhone images, haven't gotten the big camera out just yet.