#112 A brief glimpse into the life of a Greek family

April 16-17, 2022: Vouliagmenis, Mavro Beach, Cape Sounion, Marousi

We drove along the coast from Piraeus towards the south. This area is known for its beautiful beaches. However, as Attica, the region around Athens, is the most populous in Greece, the beaches here are also quite crowded. Unlike the beaches in the Peloponnese, which were empty and secluded, almost every beach here has restaurants, hotels, or beach bars. Some beaches even have sunbeds and umbrellas set up. We have never seen a beach like this before. Additionally, not all beaches are free, and there is an entrance fee for the more beautiful ones and the ones where celebrities like to sunbathe. Nevertheless, we found a nice beach where we relaxed, listened to music at the beach bar, and took a quick swim.

Located at the southern tip of this peninsula is Cape Sounion, home to the famous Temple of Poseidon and a popular sunset spot. There are still quite a few columns standing from the ancient Greek temple, and with the sea and the colorful sky as the backdrop, it makes for a great photo opportunity. The clouds that were forecasted for the whole day took a while to arrive, so we almost got sunburned at the beach. However, just before sunset, they gathered on the horizon, making it not a very picturesque sunset. Nevertheless, the temple was nice to see.

We celebrated our birthday evening with a delicious homemade dinner, wine, and a beautiful view of the hills and the sea. Of course, we also had cake.

The fact that it rained all day the next day didn't bother us because we had been invited by Athina. I lived with Athina in the dormitory during the first semester. Although we had no contact since then, visiting her now, 10 years later, felt like visiting old friends. The fact that Athina lives in a suburb of Athens (in Greek: Athina) meant that the way to her place was signposted, and we followed the road signs that said "Athina." We had planned to meet for coffee in the city, but due to the continuous rain, she spontaneously invited us for lunch at her parents' house. Her parents were just as excited about the invitation as we were. We were showered with food and received many apologies for the food. If her mother had known that we were coming, there would have been much more and better food, not just the traditional fish for Palm Sunday (yes, it's Palm Sunday, the Orthodox Easter is next week, exactly one week after the Protestant and Catholic Easter).

Athina and her parents live in an apartment on the first floor of a larger building. Athina's father built this house together with his brothers, and so the whole extended family lives close together. Athina's uncle and his family live on the second and third floors, and her brother now lives in the small apartment on the first floor, which used to be occupied by their grandmother. Additionally, some cousins occasionally stay in the other two small apartments. (By the way, the entire ground floor is a garage, quite common in Greece, and a very space-saving place to park your car, I think.) The whole setup reminded us a lot of the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," and Athina confirmed that the film is actually quite authentic. She also regularly gets asked by one of her aunties why she doesn't have a boyfriend. Living so closely with such a large family has its advantages and disadvantages, Athina told us.

We felt very welcome in the family. We ate a lot, drank plenty of homemade wine, and had conversations with Athina and her parents with Athina translating for us. They gave us many tips for our further travels, recommended beautiful places in Greece, and provided us with a list of Greek dishes that we absolutely must try. After a long day, we left with many gifts. We not only gained a priceless insight into a Greek family but also received three bags of food (1 liter of homemade wine, 1 liter of olive oil made from their own olives, a jar of olives, a jar of sweet oranges, chocolate, and a whole bag of their own lemons (If anyone knows any good lemon recipes, please let us know!))

The hospitality we experienced here is truly impressive. Despite our last-minute announcement for dinner, Athina and her parents thanked us more frequently for coming than we could thank them for the invitation.

Day 184 - Total tour 13,922 km

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