The end-of-year trip to Vienna had originally been planned as a way to meet up with 'Cott, 'Becca and Lizzie but it soon turned into an opportunity for everyone in the region to head over there for a reunion. The family was soon "on board" and uncle 'Eko was able to pull together tickets and accommodations so that everyone was happy as can be. Pappou and Moca arrived, followed by uncle 'Eko and then Sammy and Vince.
Between the church where 'Eko was baptised (and, of course, the city he was born), the city of Pappou's youth and the history of Monica's family Vienna was the perfect spot to reunite with them all. Add the Christmas touch to the entire event and we were good to go! From the Christmas dinner at a Greek restaurant to meeting up with cousins Vince and Sam to get to know the city it was a bit of a whirlwind tour in pretty chilly weather. Still, the days went by merrily and we had the opportunity to see the apartment they were renting, to visit with them a bit and to explore the city. For pappou it was a chance to talk to us a bit about the days of his youth, when he and giagia were young and we were are "twinkles in their eye".
But the here and now was important too. We had a wonderful Christmas brunch and a good deal of time checking out the sites and just chatting up a storm. Though the time was short (3 days) it was a much needed bonus of family time for us. The girls, of course, were thrilled to see their extended family too! Thank you for coming over!
