We weren’t far into our holiday to experience the challenges of a big trip, in fact we didn’t get off the air. Due to a ticketing issue, we were not able to take our flight at all and it was only thanks to Steve’s aunt Kay’s kindness in putting us up in Sydney and her sister Annie’s liquidity and generosity in sharing it that we got off the air at all, and were able to have a day in Bangkok. Not the two days with the girls’ friend and her parents that we had anticipated, but we packed a lot in to one day. They curated a boat ride, temple visit, two nights of rooftop bar drinks. an authentic Thai dinner locally, and Steve and I visited the palace while the girls were treated to lunch and a peek at their friend’s school.
We reached Athens without incident and enjoyed a day packed with admiring the Acropolis, Agora (park and ancient meeting place) and the Acropolis museum that put it into perspective and displayed the carvings from the Acropolis up close. We had some delicious strawberry and mango ice creams and bought some large peaches, small green grapes and fat figs from the small market, that we snacked on over the following week. I could have spent another couple of days in Athens but we were booked at the Greek island of Skopelos, the island where Mamma Mia was filmed.
It didn’t disappoint. From the bougainvillea- framed stone and pink house we stayed at, overlooking our own infinity pool and the Aegean Sea beyond, attentively tended to daily by Elizabet and the cat who lived there; to the whitewashed narrow streets painted with different shades of blue, teal, pink or yellow shutters and doors in the old town nearby; to the sailing boat we hired with captain Vasillis and his small dog Pirate; the Mamma Mia church we climbed; and a delicious dinner in a courtyard beside a gnarled old pomegranate tree; we had as close to a heavenly week as can be had. It was also a highlight spending time with the girls. Rhea wondered ‘How come everyone expects them to speak English but no-one expects English speakers to speak another language?’ And when I was driving cautiously around the hairpin bends in the hire car, which has a steering wheel and driving on the wrong side of the road, she noted: ‘You’re doing 13 km an hour.’ Lara wasn’t impressed with the constant bell-ringing by fellow tourists at the Mamma Mia (Agios Ioannis). ‘I wish they’d stop ringing that fuck-arse bell.’ Then getting up from where she was leaning against me, ‘Why are your shoulders shaking?’
We haven’t left the islands yet, with another detour to Skiathos island this morning because it was too windy for our ferry to take us to the mainland as planned. The plane we had to book instead leaves in another five hours.
We’re halfway through our trip. I’m not expecting France to be as eventful.
