Day 1 (Friday)
Our departure from Toronto was uneventful - the kids didn't fuss or seem disappointed that we were leaving, and Steve and I found ourselves checked in and wandering the airport totally uprepared for a 12 hour journey of plane, train, bus and car: no snacks, no magazines, no movies. We did download the Air Canada Rouge app (minutes before we left the house) and ended up watching a few flicks on the plane - A Theory of Everything and A League of Their Own (which I hadn't watched in years - what a GREAT movie, and so aligned with my thoughts and intentions these days [women and girls in sport]). The flight was long (9+ hours) and we slept more on the train after we arrived. The train ends in a small town halfway between Athens and Patras (near our final destination of Kavasila), and from there we took the bus to Patras - upon which we met a very grumpy bus man who got very angry with me for eating onboard for which all the passengers around us got very angry with him for being so rude to me. Nik and Constantina met us at the bus stop in Patras, we had a coffee (of course) and took off for the village right away. There were wedding jobs to do and preparations for the two-nights-before-the-wedding party (happening that night at Nik's parent's place in the village) to be made; it was great to see the Mixalopoulos family - it was like we never left! We got a chance to steal Nik away from the jobs jobs jobs to hit the beach (Kourouta) for a swim and a cerveza before checking into a little room in the village next door (Andravida). We made our way back to the village for 9:00ish and met up wit several other Canadian wedding guests including the Litwiniuks (Steve's sister Erin's in-laws) and several Greek family members we'd met over the years. There was a TON of food, lots to drink - no surprises there - and dancing dancing dancing; we went to bed close to 1:30, well before the party ended after 5:00. Even though we arrived in Patra with just half the day ahead of us, we managed to make the most of it!
Day 2 (Saturday)
We had one of the longest sleeps in recent memory - near 11 and a half hours! I woke up and was shocked that it was 12:30 - but know now that time lost in the morning is made up for late at night - we weren't going to make it to bed before 3:00am for a few days. After a coffee and toast (a pressed ham and cheese sandwich) we picked Nik up (we've hijacked his car) and headed for Castro beach, where the sand is buttery and the water is downright clear and warm (/amazing). We swam and lounged and ate souvlaki (still full from the previos night's feast) and then visited the Litwiniuks at their hotel nearby. Our late afternoon routine was much like the day before: we dropped Nik off in the village and went to our hotel to shower before returning to the house to eat and drink. The greeks sang along to Nik's guitar, and there was some dancing before we took the party to the beach bars of Kourouta. We were home at 4:00 for the last village sleep - Day 3 took us to Patras and then south again, for a wedding ceremony on a hill looking over the south shores of Patras.
Day 3 (Sunday)
This was the first day we woke up to an alarm and things to do; the first order of business was to pick up the groom's suitcase and then do a Litwiniuk luggage run. Marianne, Larry, Todd, Ashton and Holly followed us up to what was once our home town, and we checked into a lovey hotel right in the centre of the city. With everything shut down (Sunday), Steve and I had to wander a bit before we found a lunch place - and we had our first (of many) pita/gyro. With another late late night looming, we scheduled an afternoon nap before our 6:30 rendez-vous with the Lits; they followed us just south of the city to a small chapel perched atop a hill - the view was incredible. Nik was there when we arrived (he was part of a convoy of cars that we stopped to follow for most of the way) and he mingled and chatted with guests until horns signalled the impending arrival of the bride. Constantina look beautiful - I loved her dress... and her relatives did something that must be traditional - singing and walking together to pass her to her future husband. The two of them went into the hot-as-an-oven and tiny-as-a-bun chapel to do their wedding thing (there was chanting and there were prayers and fans going like crazy to keep them cool), and they emerged to a barrage of rice thrown in their faces and stuck in their hair and clothing - married! We stayed to help with a bit of clean up and put two of the biggest candles we'd ever seen in the car and then stopped at a bouzoukia place that looked like a greek Vegas venue before heading to the reception. Neestled among olive trees in a large garden with lights hanging from trees and the open, starry sky above, we ate and ate and ate; there was more food than two or three Canadian weddings combined, and with the exception of one set of North American music (mostly oldies - that only four of us danced to while the Greeks watched), Greek music and dancing reigned supreme. We joined in here and there and by 4:00 we were ready (I was ready) to call it a night. It was an ah-mazing day!
More to come soon - here, a few pics!
(Blogging on the balcony, wedding wedding and wedding!)
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