Them Aegean Islands

And then 'Cott, 'Becca and Lizzie arrived, and our summer had begun in earnest. Patty also arrived the next day and, as was expected, the girls were happy as can be and the huggin' and the kissin' came fast and furious. The arrival brought with it smiles and a chance to rekindle times when chatting about nothing in particular was just a short drive down the street. They stayed in a hotel nearby since the apartment was overflowing already, but they were with us almost the whole time. So, what do you do when you see friends and want to catch up?  You head to the islands, of course!  And so off we went... Santorini (Irini's island) and Mykonos awaited. 

Irini insisted on explaining to everyone that Santorini was actually named after her. She was so happy to be there. It had been years since we'd been there before (and the girls had never been) and so we knew that the islands were more "developed" but didn't quite know how we'd take it. As it turned out the development is obvious, but the style and architecture is similar meaning there's just more of a good thing!  The tranquility of "out of town" cliff view accommodations in Santorini couldn't be beat and the kids quickly became accustomed to sitting out over the caldera and playing cards and or jumping into the small pool that waited for us each day. As the World Cup wore on we went here and there and ate and ate and watched sunsets galore. 

In Mykonos we also were able to rent some four-wheel drive motorcycles (what do you call them?), though we got a small car to take the girls around. TTmouz and Avi (and Lizzie too) were in seventh heaven with the wind blowing in their hair as they went from town to the beach and back. The water was crystal clear and though it was already quite crowded things were friendly and slow paced and quite lovely. The small walk streets that we remembered so well were still there and inviting us for walks to and fro. 

Of course, the trip was also time to reunite, to share stories and thoughts, to be together, and that took place quite naturally. Our return to Athens, and visit to Plaka and the Acropolis area was also well received by everyone. But more than anything, and despite the wonder of the locations, it was the hearts that were the highlight. The friends. The chats. The laughter. The playfulness. What makes life such a wonderful thing.