Greece 2015, Part One

Home education is going well, though it's going to come to an end in early September. E has a place at an outstanding local school starting in September. We're hoping C will get a place there as well. In the meantime, she'll attend the school around the corner (on the way to E's school). She's finishing up her year of part time Nursery. We were offered full time but I did not accept. They're only young once.

Because we're home educating, travel during term time is possible. (If you try to take a holiday during term time if your child is enrolled in school, the government can, and often does, fine you. Which is ridiculous, but is not the topic of this particular blog post.) So, a few weeks ago, we traveled to Greece.

First stop was Athens. We got there late, went to the hotel across the street from the airport, and spent a few hours there in bed. Flight delays didn't help! Early early, around 5:45am, we got into a cab and headed for Athens. Saw the sunrise from the cab. Our destination was Piraeus, where many ferries call. We were able to board almost immediately, and set up camp in a comfortable area near the front of the boat. Keep in mind we were all running on about 3, maybe 4 hours of sleep, so finding a good area was vital.

The kids were initially Too Excited to snuggle up/chill out, so we went onto deck and watched Athens slip by...

Then, as we drew further into the Aegean, we withdrew indoors for a different perspective:

The ferry ride lasted for a little over six hours, during which E was able to take a short nap. Although it sounds a long time, it was thoroughly pleasant, with good toilets nearby, and several cafes to choose from. Also, one could go out on deck and enjoy the breeze and warm weather. I chatted to a passenger who was on her honeymoon, heading to Santorini. I took her photo, with the Aegean as a backdrop.

The ferry called at Paros, and then there was the excitement of pulling into the port of Naxos. Our first view of the island:

We traversed the gangplank and found a cab. "Welcome on the island!" said the cabbie, who was very surprised to discover that B had been there thirty years ago. He told us the island had been very different then, with his father having been called out to help people push vehicles that had gotten stuck on the dirt tracks that had once passed as "roads" back then. Now, many roads are paved and vehicular access is pretty widespread.

We stayed at a lovely little apartment off the beaten track (almost literally, since the roads nearby were not paved!). It had a small play area that we could see from our patio, and a nice swimming pool. It was also about a 45 second walk to the beach.

Above, E and I test out the pool. It was a nice surprise to see that E is swimming, properly, with absolutely no floaties or assistance. Just a doggy-paddle, but a fairly strong one, and certainly it grew stronger as the holiday progressed.

The beach. Well, what can I say...

...that pictures don't say better? Sandy, warm, light waves, cool ocean, warm sun, mitigating breeze. Happy children in the sunset.

There were many local tavernas to choose from, plus the option of a local market where we could buy light food items and eat in our own apartment. I lost track of how many times I ordered moussaka. Great stuff.

One day, we headed into Naxos Town (Chora) to do a bit of sightseeing. We waited for the bus...

...enjoyed lunch in town...

..and headed off sightseeing around the backstreets of the Old Town.

Along the way, we found some spigots that dispensed cool water, which the children enjoyed splashing over their hot little faces. By popular request, we stopped for ice cream before walking out to the islet that hosts the two thousand year old Portara.

The waves were wilder out here! E points a particularly large one out...about ten seconds before it delightfully soaked all three of them! (Aftermath not pictured. Photographer may have been laughing too hard.)

This post is getting quite long, so I will stop for now. Next time, I will post about our adventures in the interior of the island.