Sunday. Goodbyes and Back to Athens

Sunday, May 17.

We got up and went downstairs to eat some breakfast. We didn’t want to show up hungry at Georgia’s! We packed up, checked out, loaded up the car and then drove to Episkopi to see Georgia and Soterios again. I wish we had pictures of us loading the car – or should I say attempting to load it! Or even a picture of it loaded! Oh well.

We didn’t go to Georgia & Sotirios’ right off, but made a small detour through the village.

We had seen the sign for this temple (Temple of Alea Athina) and wanted to check it out.




Later, Georgia & Sotiros showed it to us as well. I still wonder if this might have been a place my father ran through as a child! They didn’t excavate it until fairly recently. That bell tower is at the church in Kerasitsa.






(a few more pictures are below)




We made our way to the house—I took pictures so that next time, I’ll be able to find it on my own.







It was a beautiful morning, but VERY windy. We all commented on the wind while we sat at the table drinking our coffee.

Our visit is hard to describe, but even though it could have been really awkward because of the communication gap, it wasn’t at all uncomfortable.
Or at least I was not uncomfortable.

Here’s a photo of us—we had all the dictionaries out!



Here is one of my all-time favorite photos.

Elena and Sotirios laughing over an inside joke.







After “visiting”---i.e. sitting around table smiling at each other while drinking coffee and eating pastries---I asked Georgia if we could go to the cemeteries so Elena could see where relatives are buried. She seemed to think it was a strange request, but maybe she was just surprised.

Looking from the porch of the new house across the yard to the old house.
This patio is where we had an incredible pig roast feast in 1988.

During that 1988 visit we all sat out on the balcony which overlooks the driveway--the scene of our tearful goodbyes that summer.

The old kitchen where we "helped" Georgia prepare that amazing feast. Now, Georgia stores her cherry cordial here. The jar with the red top made it all the way home in my suitcase!








I wanted Elena to see this old house where her grandfather had once visited his own grandmother. He used to tell us that he would run across the fields from one grandmother's house to the other. It's the house that all my siblings visited over the years. Now Georgia uses it for storage and had gone over to get get me some of her cherry cordial!

So we went to the cemeteries in Episkopi and Kerasitsa and lit candles and walked around looking for names we recognized. First we went to the church in Episkopi. This is my paternal grandmother's village.
Soterios leading the way.

We saw a few Andreanopolis names. Georgia’s family is also buried here.









This is Georgia's mother's headstone.



Then we stopped at the temple or the Sanctuary of Alea Athena – they seemed very proud to have these ruins to show us. Of course, we had no idea what they were trying to tell us…and we didn't know how to tell them we had seen it already. Actually, we were excited to have another few minutes to see what we could and take a few pictures.





Then we went to the cemetery at Kerasitsa which is where my Grandfather’s (Adamopoulos) family would be buried.

Once again we noticed the WIND!
You can see Elena's hair blowing. You probably can't see Mike's shirt billowing. He's standing at the end of the walkway on the right.













Then we went back to the house and took pictures. There were lots of hugs and trying not to cry.
Luckily, the one thing I can say with assurance in Greek, is I love you.

With great difficulty, I hugged them, touched their faces and said I love you very much.

This was probably – no, it was in fact, the hardest place of all to leave. As we pulled out of the driveway, Elena turned around and reported that Georgia was standing there sobbing. Then we all really fought to not cry! We were all a mess. There was a lot of sniffling in that car. Then to the highway and back to Athens. Driving through these mountains....I really understand my Grandmother's reaction to the moutains in southern California. They brought tears to her eyes. She must have spent her whole life dreaming of returning to Episkopi!


Just as we got to Athens, my brother Mark called with news about Mom. I’m not even sure how we navigated our way—for me, it felt like we were driving blind through the streets. Somehow we made it back to the hotel. Lilly called to make sure we had made it back from the village OK and I told her the news and asked her to let Georgia & Sotirios know about Mom. Lilly said we should come over there to eat later.

Now we needed to accomplish even more difficult communication—all the way from Greece to California! Oh and with Amelia and Jennifer in New York! The internet at the hotel was awful so we finally decided to find internet service and went to Starbucks! We paid for some internet access, bought some coffee and sat down to figure out a plan. This was Sunday and we were leaving Tuesday so that was not a problem. However we still needed to get from Maryland to California in time for the funeral.

We were waiting to hear back from Lilly and finally, we went over there for the evening after walking back to the hotel to get the car. We ending up staying until after midnight. We ate some dinner—delivered from a restaurant down the street instead of home cooked by Lilly. But look how good it was!





























(Laki says goodnight to his youngest)


It sure did help to spend the evening with family—even though we barely knew them. It was a comfortable way to spend an evening after hearing such heartbreaking news! Lilly understood very well because she had been through it too.

At the end of the evening, more photos and another bittersweet farewell.






The question remains: What was the deal with the wind? Even Georgia and Sotirios thought it was weird. Later, I decided it was my mother’s spirit. I know it doesn't make sense....she wasn't even Greek! But she did have some good times in Greece! And it's not that I think I'm so special that she came all the way to Episkopi to let me know she was leaving...but still....
Now, looking back, I am sure it was her. Some people call the wind Mariah. Now I call the wind Betty.