Irini Dances Away!

It's Sunday morning.
Irini roams the apartment with her new toys.
The music echoes in the background.
Her Latin genes take over.
Need we say more?

Family Portraits

It's hard sometimes to find that opportunity to take a 'family' picture. Often you are in a rather private place and no one is around to take the picture. Other times one member of the family (who will remain nameless for now) is too busy wanting to get down to take a picture, or simply isn't in the mood. Perhaps it's bad weather, or that we forgot the camera. When the camera and everyone is in place sometimes we discover that the batter hasn't been charged or, in our excitement to film everything and anything, there is no memory left. This time we wanted to make sure that we had at least a few pictures of all of us. Smile!!

Meanwhile in Sweden...

It's not customary for us to incorporate news from places where we are not currently present, but alas these pictures were too good to pass up. And besides, where there is family there is a little piece of us. As we ventured south to Australia, Walter (the Myers wise one) ventured north to visit the older of the two Myers middle-generation boys. Walter spent two slow paced yet somewhat active weeks in southern Sweden where, for the most part, the young Myers's and their visiting friends were nestled in their basement hideout playing computer games and spending late nights together we are told. Sammy, Vincent and friends were spotted for one brief moment on camera. We are told that this is not photoshop but, in fact, they did venture out to see the daylight for a brief period. For the most part Anna was gainfully (though perhaps not happily) employed as Walter and Aleko roamed the coastline for picturesque villages, rolling flower-filled hillsides and small museums of art. The photos that came our way were often of either Aleko or Walter (dad, or grandpa, or papou). The Swedish vaction has now ended, leaving everyone with a wealth of heart-felt memories. Life, it seems, is just as good in sun-filled Scandinavias as it is Down Under.

Natural Walks, Talks and Pics

One of the favorite things to do in Australia was spending time in natural spots. It was important for us to allow time for Irini to be in nature, even in urban settings. So much time was spent looking at the birds flying by, visiting the Taronga Zoo, going on mini-hikes and enjoying the sights and sounds of the natural beauty of Sydney and the surrounding areas. Irini was able to walk in the parks, push her very own stroller in the Blue Mountains on the way to a waterfall, spend time petting a dog four times here size in a local Epping bookstore, look at the waterfront and demand that we allow her to jump into the water below. Overall, she loves nature and things natural. She is delighted by dogs (and she now knows to say "woof woof" though her use of the term is rather sporadic) and cats and birds and mice and monkeys and all sorts of creatures and we love her all the more for it.

As for the adults in the family, it was a return to the days where walking outdoors didn't cause one to exhude sweat nearly instantaneously. The fall temperatures made it perfect walking, moseying or strolling weather. Happy as can be, we walked and walked to the edge of the block and to the edge of the city.

Downtown Antics with Jim and Jay

A lovely contrast to the slower, more deliberate life of Epping was provided to us by Jim and Jay, our friends who live in Surrey Hills, just a few blocks for Sydney's Central Station. Frequent visits from Epping to Central Station allowed for us all to become very much acquainted with the transport system in Sydney which we found very much to our liking.

It wasn't, however, as impressive as Sydney's city center. Our walks (some with Chechi along) took us to Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, to the Sydney Opera House, the Botanical Gardens and a host of intermediary places along the way. Walking was a mandatory and much welcomed change to our lifestyle in Malaysia. We enjoyed a good deal of sunshine the first few days, and even enjoyed a good deal of rain for the next few days. The weather, a continuous 24 degrees or so, made the experience nearly perfect. As perfect as it was, the added bonus of having a Greek Fest right in Darling Harbor on the same weekend we there made our experience perfect, despite the choice of choral music.

Jim and Jay's apartment was a big success with a kitchen-dining-living room area all in one. The modern architectural style and location stole the show, of course. But even the apartment was no match to the number of places they took us to eat! From absolutely yummy Mexican food to the best ice cream in town and a stupendous downtown breakfast Jim and Jay revealed their culinary expertise. The choices were splendifeours. Their tours of downtown were friendly and fun-filled. Add to that Leanne's arrival during the week and we had ourselves a perfect match! We never expected anything less and we were not disappointed. It is wonderful to have wonderful friends in wonderful places. :-)

Life in the Burbs with Chechi and Brian

Our arrival in Sydney gave us a fantastic day to enjoy the first of what would become daily forays on the rail lines of Sydney's metropolitan area. After purchasing a weekly ticket we found our way to Central Station (which would soon become the hub of hubs for us) and then took the train all the way northwest of the city to Epping, a small suburb with two main streets straddling the railroad tracks. It was quaint and quiet with a few locally owned and operated shops of varying sorts (our favorites were the Armenian couples' deli and the Cafe Topiary with its divine chail latte). A kilometer or so beyond the downtown area, down the road and off to the right at the fork, the quiet neighborhood oozed with green everywhere. We found our way to the apartment building and let ourselves in (Chechi and Brian, our hosts, had left the keys for us).

The day was slow and relaxing, giving us time to catch up on our sleep deprivation (Irini walked up and down the isle for hours as the night had moved into the morning. Chechi arrived with her normal amounts of energy... how wonderful it was to see her again after all these years. Irini was immediately smitten.

The next few days allowed us time to get to the know the neighborhood and, more importantly, gave us a chance to do the things that friendships are good for... the things that individually might not make a major impact in one's life but which, over the course of our visit, meant so much to all of us, leaving us with memories that we can't help but look back on and smile. Brian and Chechi were the ultimate hosts, allowing us ample freedome to rummage the house and Irini to disembowel every pantry door she was able to get her hands on. More than anything, though, their mere presence made us feel so at home and the love they showed Irini was touching. Irini would happily move from Chechi's lap to Brians and change around. She would look into Chechi's eyes and instantly smile. It was one of those vacations where lives are touched.

Epping was also home to a host of absolutely wonderful bird life. The parakeets and cockatoos stole the show. The birds were colorful, large and, for the most part, very happy. Irini was enamored. The adults followed suit as well as our heads twisted this way and that to see the bird life flying in and out of the trees outside the back balcony.

We went to the Blue Mountains as well, and did a fair share of shopping and walking. Life was simple, times were good and love abounded.

Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Ferries and Strollers

We went, we saw, we fell in love and, along the way, Irini had a chance to enjoy many firsts... her first time to the southern hemisphere; her first time in a new continent; her first time to say "uh oh" when she dropped something; Her first time on a ferry boat; her first time to a Greek Fest; her first time to sit at an airplane window at 38,000 feet and look out over the void and western Australia waaaaaay down there and point at the islands below as they faded from sight. :-)

Along the way, little Irini took commuter trains and ferries, she took a car to the Blue Mountains, she took airplanes to and from Sydney, and she even had a taste of a good deal of walking along Sydney's beautiful landscapes and cityscapes. Sydney was a resounding success even if we never made it to the beach (it was raining on the days the beach was on the itinerary, so we left it for our next trip down under). So was Irini.

Hang in there... more posts to follow soon. ;-)