The Lark: Vol 5, Issue 3, July 2025

Notes of a Family Odyssey – “Oh No. More Steps”

by Gloria DePaola

The month before my 90^th birthday I accompanied my daughter and son-in-law to Greece.

2024 had been a tough year: a lumpectomy in the spring, my husband’s sudden decline and death in late summer after a marriage of more than 60 years, and Donald Trump’s re-election in November. So when Claudia and George invited me to join them on a trip to a country they love to visit, I dug out my passport and said yes.

The plan was to meet my grandson Matthew and his wife Lindsey in Athens and spend the next 27 days visiting that ancient city and three islands.

George, who can make himself understood by Greek waiters and cabdrivers, made all the arrangements and they were flawless. Selecting Airbnb's, important sites to visit or pass over, which restaurants to try and deciphering their menus – he made it all easy.

After a four-hour flight from Heathrow Airport in London, we arrived in Athens at 2 a.m. The waiting cab driver took us to our first lodging – a 2nd floor apartment in the Plaka district filled with the owner’s collectibles.

Mount Lycabetus as seen from Anafiotika, Athens

Across the pedestrian walkway below our balcony was the oldest elementary school in Athens. Our breakfasts were accompanied by the chatter of parents and excited children.

We are a foodie family so meals were a major part of our day. Claudia had booked a food tour for our small group and our guide, Kiki, led us through seven eateries. We began with a breakfast snack – cheese, custard and spinach wrapped in filo dough. Our last stop was the Central Food Market where we squeezed into a tiny space to sample the plates of fresh shrimp and anchovies that had been laid out for us.  All of it washed down with tsipouro, a high alcohol liquore made from the residue of pressed grapes – a Greek version of grappa or aquavit.

Along the way we stopped at a quirky hole-in-the-wall spot that sells only olives – at least 30 varieties – green, black, beige - from different regions, using different flavorings and piled into large bins that spilled out onto the street. We tasted whatever looked interesting and left with shrink-wrapped bags of our favorites.

The day was a food fest, but we agreed that walking for over five hours from restaurants to cafés to the Central Market must have burned off the calories.

Unlike Italy with its regional specialties, Greece sticks to a pretty uniform cuisine. Moussaka, tart yoghurt, grilled meats (the pork and lamb are outstanding) always served with a pile of hot, just-made French fries, very fresh fish, octopus grilled or marinated, steamed greens and of course, Greek salad. Who would imagine that tomatoes locally grown in a dry, sunny climate and cucumbers dressed with olive oil and a slab of feta cheese could be so delicious?

And frappe – the national drink that “transforms iced coffee to art.” It’s a wonderful hot weather pick-me-up made with Nescafe, a bit of sugar, water, milk and ice cubes whipped into a foamy drink.

These meals were served family-style, outdoors in small tavernas tucked into hidden nooks and small plazas.  Dinner was around 8 p.m. and never rushed. We were expected to stay at the table for at least two hours. Often the proprietor would offer a complementary dessert.

George, Claudia and a photo-bombing butcher at the Central Food Market in Athens

To be continued...