Greek Family Here We Come: San Francisco to Frankfurt, Germany!

Our Greek journey was launched at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) via Lufthansa’s Condor Air to Frankfurt, Germany. The non-stop 11-hour overnight flight was easy and comfortable. Henry (8 years old) and Andrew (6 years old)’s excitement for hours of screen time, snacks galore, and accommodation to carving out 5-6 hours for overnight sleep were the key to making it an enjoyable flight. Condor Air is a decent, not great airline and got the job done without the extra comfort or glam. It was a more affordable option, which was helpful when budgeting to travel with a family of 4.

The Frankfurt Airport awaited us with open wings, and most importantly, Frankfurters (or hot dogs)! This was our motivation at the Frankfurt Airport, and the Frankfurters did not disappoint – they were the perfect bridge between Frankfurt and Athens, Greece, our final destination. The 2.5-hour Condor Air flight from Frankfurt to Athens was also comfortable and quick.

To sum up our flight journey, we departed SFO at 5:30pm on Tuesday, July 11 and arrived in Athens at 10pm on Wednesday, July 12. Now let the Greek fun begin!

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Athens, Greece: Part I

Our Greek relatives, Thea Emmy and cousins Pelos and George, including our travel agency, Fantasy Travel of Greece met us at the Athens International Airport with open arms and service beyond belief. After quick greetings, hugs, and a trifecta of cheek kisses with our relatives, after over 10 years of not seeing each other, Fantasy Travel of Greece transported us to our hotel, the Mirivili Rooms and Suites in Chalandri. Chalandri is a suburb or town in the northern part of Athens, which is conveniently located right down the street from my relatives and across the street from the modern day Athens Olympic Stadium that hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics. It is a very cute town. Late night dinner at the Beer Academy in Chalandri, which was around the corner from our hotel as well, was the perfect spot to grab delicious food and drinks after a very long journey from San Francisco to Athens. Henry and Andrew were by far, by a decade, the youngest ones there during our 12:30am dinner.

The next morning, our first morning in Greece, started with a delicious breakfast at our hotel – very nice spread with a Greek touch, especially the Feta cheese, cucumber, tomato, and olive oil combo. This fueled us up for our first official activity in Greece, introducing Henry and Andrew to their Greek relatives’ house in Chalandri, which is a beautiful 4-story home that they have owned and built on for two generations. It was very special to catch up with our relatives, at their house, and notably on their veranda on a warm, sunny summer day with my mom (Helen), wife (Emily), mama (Kaz – my mother-in-law), and Henry and Andrew. This was the kids’ first time traveling to Greece, meeting their relatives, and experiencing their beautiful home and Greek culture, in Greece itself.

Following our family acquaintance time, we took a 15-minute walk from their house to downtown Chalandri. Beautiful trees lined the streets, shops on corners to grab food and drinks on the go, and nearly 100 degree Fahrenheit heat to help us sweat out our jet lag. We enjoyed walking through the town’s central square, through the coniferous (piney) and olive trees, window shopping, and enjoying cold beverages at Oubi. An early and feast-like dinner at 3:30pm at a local Tabepna (or tavern) in Chalandri was our first of many pre-siesta feasts to come in Greece. This Tabepna was only a 10-minute walk from our hotel and our relatives’ house, and we nearly ordered the entire menu, had the restaurant to ourselves, and enjoyed Greek salad, saganaki (fried cheese), fried potatoes and zucchini, chicken souvlaki, and more – simply amazing!

Since the Tabepna feast and jet lag knocked us out with a 1-2 punch, the next thing we knew, it was the morning of the following day. The morning started with our all-star hotel breakfast and a Chalandri local market walk with mom, Henry, and Andrew. Since it was a scorching heat wave in Athens, still over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is too much for these normally foggy in July San Franciscans, a day at and in the Mediterranean Sea in Marathon, Greece, which is only 1-hour from Athens, was the absolute best decision by Pelos and George. Thank you to our kind, generous, and amazing cousins, Pelos and George for spending time with us and guiding and transporting us to Marathon. The water and company were perfection, and I am daydreaming right now thinking about that perfectly temperate water for swimming and splashing and the refreshing light lunch at the seaside restaurant that followed. And yes, this is where the word and first ever “Marathon” originated – quite a special and unique place to swim to escape the heat. Thea Emmy’s homemade feast at our relatives’ Chalandri home awaited us (thank you so much Thea Emmy – you are amazing!!), and post-siesta return to their veranda awaited us that night for cooler, more relaxing outdoor Greek summer weather.

The first leg of our trip in Athens went out with a bang, a heatwave bang! The Acropolis and Parthenon were conquered in the scorching hot hot heat. This historic adventure and hike up the Acropolis to the Parthenon with the family and Pelos was very memorable. We were fortunate that the many Red Cross staff, who were escorting those with heat stroke out of the heat to safety, did not have to tend to our party. An air conditioned Uber ride to an air conditioned art exhibit in downtown Athens by Spanish artist Miro was the perfect transition following the Acropolis and Parthenon. Downtown Athens shopping and a quick and easy bite at Jimmy’s nourished us before continuing our day in Athens to Greek Parliament and Syntagma Square to close the first part of our scorching hot 105 degree Fahrenheit day. Chalandri park basketball court for basketball with the family and a local, Chalandri Greek restaurant with the family for another amazing, feast of a dinner concluded our fun and eventful day and first leg of our trip in Athens and Chalandri.

Greek Island Time: Paros

Piraeus Port of Athens and the Blue Star Ferry awaited us in the very early morning. We were on our way to a Greek island we have yet to visit, Paros, which was a 3.5 hour boat or ferry ride away. The boat was very nice with comfortable seating, nice food and drink options, shops, and beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea. We arrived in Paros in the late morning, and Fantasy Travel transported us from the Paros port to our hotel, the Paros Agnanti Hotel. In a flash, we found ourselves swimming in the luxurious hotel pool with poolside table service, walked across the street (5-minute easy walk) to explore and swim in the sea, followed by even more pool swim to start our island extravaganza. After our mandatory siesta, we drove our Jeep Renegade rental car through the picturesque and narrow streets of Paros to the nearby downtown for a delicious, oceanfront Greek seafood dinner at Aroma. A starlit night cap at our hotel on our sea view patio was the perfect ending to our day.

The Paros Agnanti Hotel seaside view hotel breaky started our day in style. An island drive to the northern town of Nauossa was our first activity of the day. Nauossa was a very cute, quaint town on the harbor with fishing boats, fresh caught squid for show and purchase, boutique shops that lined the picturesque narrow cobble stone alley way streets with iconic Greek architecture. A quick, scenic beach stop near Nauossa was very refreshing after our walk through the town. It was so refreshing to drive, park, and jump and swim in the sea – the absolute best! Marcelo Beach, across the street from our hotel, was the perfect transition for our afternoon. Swimming, straw umbrella sun bathing and baking, and dozens of pieces of sushi made the day even more refreshing. Hotel pool, lounging, and poolside ping pong enhanced our relaxing water log vibe.

A very special night awaited us. My mom (Yaiya) and I called my dad to wish his mom, my grandma (Mema), her 103rd birthday in Sacramento – yes, 103, and her older sister, is currently 108 – simply amazing! After our birthday wishes, my longtime friend, Luca and his wife Erika, joined us for seaside view drinks and dinner with live music at our hotel. Luca is Italian, Erika is Brazilian, and they currently live in Italy, and I was in the same International Relations Master’s program at the University of Sussex in England in 2007 and 2008 with Luca. Luca and I are fortunate that we have had three meet ups in between this 16 year span, including both of our weddings in Carmel, California and his hometown of Matera, Italy and a bonus San Francisco visit. Considering our geographical locations across the Atlantic from one another, this meet up in Paros, Greece was awesome and just another example of how special friendships can be. Starlit night cap on our sea view patio became a new trend to end another awesome day.

Seaside view hotel breaky started our day again. Punda Beach, on the southeast side of the island, with the family and Luca and Erika was the only activity we needed for the day. We rented two front row poolside lounge areas and two front row beach lounge areas, and swam in the pool and sea, ate a variety of tasty foods, and enjoyed daytime drinks to go out with a bang with Luca and Erika on our final day in Paros. The evening brought us on a windy, narrow, and fun island driving tour to the south side of the island, which was one of the most beautiful, scenic, and family friendly parts of the island. It is a very quaint and extremely cute fishing town, with a seaside cobble stone pedestrian only street, a parking lot nearby (parking is not easy in Paros, no different than San Francisco), and many nice shops and seafood restaurants right on the water – we highly recommend this side of the island. Starlit night cap on our sea view patio of course ended another amazing day on the island.

A final seaside view hotel breaky fueled our departure, which was coupled with a morning walk to the sea with my mom before saying goodbye to Paros. The hotel shuttled us to the Paros port (we left our rental car at the hotel for the rental car company to pick up for us – very nice service), where we met with Luca and Erika for a final goodbye and enjoyed a relaxing boat ride to Athens’ Piraeus Port for the final leg of our Greek adventure – back to the Mirivili Hotel and more, much needed quality time with our Greek family, Thea Emmy and cousins Pelos and George.

Going Back to Back, to Athens, Athens – Athens, Greece: Part II

The Mirivili Hotel in Chalandri, Athens awaited us for siesta time before we continued our special Greek family time at our relatives home down the street from the Mirivili. Before returning to their house, my mom and I took a 45-minute walk around the pine and olive tree-lined streets of Chalandri and to the entrance of the modern day Olympic Stadium, which is right across the street from our relatives house. Our relatives’ 4-story house awaited us for a nice evening of drinks and delicious Greek pizza on the 2nd floor veranda and rooftop of the house. I remember the same Greek pizza and the motorbike it was delivered on when I visited our relatives in Greece for my first time, at the same house, 30 years prior when I was 10 years old. Yes, my name is Tony, and I love pizza, but this pizza was something special!

Greek islands are too tempting and so close and accessible to Athens. Thus, although we returned from the Greek island Paros the day before, we needed more Mediterranean Sea swimming time to escape the 100 degree Fahrenheit plus scorching heat in Athens. The Greek island of Aegina was the answer. Aegina was a beautiful island with many boats lining the edge of the water by the land, narrow picturesque shopping streets, and only a 1-hour boat ride from Athens. We enjoyed a wonderful day trip on the island, with tons of swimming far out into the shallow sea, which was once again great for kids. The beach we went to was a 20-minute taxi ride from the main port. Taxis were easy to flag and purchasing umbrellas and lounge chairs on the beach was very easy. Food and drinks were easily and swiftly delivered to us as well. We also of course taste tested and bought pistachios in the port shopping area of Aegina, as the island is very well known for pistachios. I am currently eating one of those pistachios right now, as I write this article – yes, we bought a year worth of pistachios – delicious! After returning to Chalandri, we enjoyed a fun early dinner at the Beer Academy, which had a large, fun beer selection and great food. So nice to cap a day in that fashion.

An early 6:30am wake up time was in store for us – basketball time with our kids at the same local park in Chalandri we played basketball at earlier in the trip. The reason for our early wake up was to beat the heat and to get fun exercise in before our fun day ahead in Athens and Chalandri. Athens’ Plaka was our first destination of the day. Plaka is as picturesque as an outdoor urban shopping district can be. Beautiful architecture, narrow streets, shops, trees, and flowers invited us into the many shops we walked in and out of, and the variety of many items we bought along the way. Hercules was of course the kids favorite shop, which is where they bought a Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece’s basketball hero in the NBA) jersey and Trojan helmet. Our Plaka walking tour (not through a tour guide, just us – well, cousin Pelos of course graciously took the lead – nicest person I know – love you Pelos!) led us to the Acropolis Museum. This museum hosts the many preserved ruins of the world famous Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens. The cafe restaurant with a view of the Acropolis and Parthenon had delicious food, especially the Spanikopita, and was perfect for escaping the Athens hot summer heeeeeat. Following lunch, we continued our Athens walking tour through Syntagma Square, where large water fountains and live traditional Greek music welcomed us and led us to our easy taxi pick up spot directly in front of Greek Parliament. After returning to Chalandri and enjoying our daily siesta at the Mirivili, our family returned to the lively Plaka, for, wait for it, yes, a family photo shoot! That night, we returned to our Greek family for another gigantic feast at the local restaurant around the corner from us, which makes my mouth water every time I think about it! Feast after feast!!

The final day of our Greek journey arrived, as it always sadly does, and we are so fortunate for the wonderful time our family has had up until this point in our trip. With the temperature still scorching to 105 degrees Fahrenheit in Athens, the St. George Lycabettus Lifestyle Hotel rooftop pool was our answer. The pool is open to the public for a 40 Euro day pass per person. The pool is nice with poolside service, and the panoramic views of all of Athens, the Acropolis and Parthenon, the Saint George rocky mountain top right next to us, and the Mediterranean Sea in the distance made it a perfect way to spend our last day in the heat. After refreshing pool time and the stimulating sites of Athens, we took a scenic 15-minute walk to the Syntagma Square two-story MacDonald’s, the same one I ate at during my first family trip to Greece 30 years before when I was 10 – nothing has changed! Soft served ice cream awaited us at the next door Everest and iced coffee drinks and a new Greece coffee mug at the Starbucks next door to it – the ultimate trifecta! An amazing trip with family, especially visiting family from far away overseas who you do not get to spend time with often, always ends with strong sentiment and a showcase of love, happiness, and tears. Our relatives, once again, hosted us at their house, and served, yet again, another amazingly huge and delicious Greek feast! And of course included multiple rounds of my favorite dish – Saganaki (fried cheese – yum)! I have never been hosted or fed better in my life – they are the best, and I love them so much! Their generosity throughout our stay sets a new, unprecedented bar for hosting and showing how much they love us and appreciate our visit to Greece, and the great part is that we appreciated every second of it equally. Goodbyes are very tough, and even tougher when you are saying goodbye to our 94 year old Thea Emmy, who we cannot wait to visit again real soon. We love you Thea Emmy, Pelos, and George – you are rockstars!

That night, Emily and I scored an Athena date night, thanks to our kids’ all-star Yaiyas! We utilized our St. George Lycabettus Lifestyle Hotel day pass for drinks overlooking all of Athens and took another dip in the pool. Another rooftop overlooking the Acropolis and Parthenon, including Athens awaited us, and this bar was a nice segway into our night in Athens. Walking through the bustling streets of Athens on a Saturday night in the summer is straight up fun and invigorating. After crushing through the streets and alley ways, we went to a perfect bar for us 40+ year olds – Old Fashion. It was hot outside, but perfect for cold drinks. Late night Gyros delivered the perfect night cap and final bite in Greece.

The flights home the next day were did and done, from Athens to Frankfurt to Seattle to San Francisco (easy breazy!), and we are already talking about plans for our next trip to Greece! Sagapopoli (I love you) and efcharisto (thank you) Greece!

The End

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