So we are finally here in Greece. The entire trip had been planned around these 5 ½ weeks. Can’t say that it has been an easy road getting here (the planning alone was exhausting) and it seems that each step of the trip since we hit England has been one problem after another.
If you’ve been reading you know that we’ve had a lot of issues and road blocks along the way. I can’t say that arriving in Greece has been much easier. Not to dwell on the negative here but I’ll just say that if something could go wrong, it has.
The good news is our replacement villa is brand new. The bad news is that the villa is brand new. If you’ve ever bought a new house you know that it takes nearly six months to work out the “kinks…” We are only the second group of people to stay here so we are working with the management company to fix all the issues. They are trying their hardest but it is an island mentality here and a country in Europe where they still take siestas and consider them almost sacred.
The owners (the Sleepers) of our previous villa actually met us when we arrived and brought over loads of food and drinks for us. They really helped us settle in and were very apologetic about what had happened. If you are ever going to Rhodes I’d recommend the Sleeper’s villa.
On the positive side, I’ve been checking email poolside and we’ve had some nice meals out and been exploring the island of Rhodes quite a bit. I’ve also caught up on a lot of sleep which has been really nice. Justin and I finally seem like we are almost in our “travel groove.” For anyone who has “traveled” for a few months to a year you can relate. It takes nearly a month to actually shed the mental baggage of home and actually figure out what your groove is. I think we are almost there which is really nice.
Some highlights so far are:
1. Our first night out in the town of Pefkos we stumbled upon a bar that actually had a playground…Stella was thrilled and we were able to have a nice cold beer while she played. Note that this was at 11:00 PM…Stella has adjusted to Greek nightlife very well! (She takes some serious naps now that we’ve been here due to a combination of the heat and much playing and activity – and is also able to stay up quite late).
2. Exploring the village of Lindos. It’s a beautiful old Hellenic village that is traditionally whitewashed and tucked into the hillside with winding streets. We plan to explore the Acropolis there this week as Nana (Justin’s Mom) arrived today and she wants to check it out.
3. Attending a wine festival in Lardos. Very quaint town that we’ve actually been to three times. Our favorite town so far and quite Greek. We already know quite a few of the locals there already which is nice.
4. Rhodes Old Town. We only got to explore for a bit today on our way to the airport but it looks amazing. We plan to go back a few times to the walled city when we pick up or drop off family at the airport.
5. Our pool at the villa. We love just hanging out there and playing with Stella in her little boat. She loves the water and now crawls along the edge faster than I can swim to keep up.
Some lessons I’ve learned along the way traveling with baby…
I’m still not organized enough. I thought I was a very organized person and had everything sorted but it seems we keep losing things or realizing we should have brought something.
Things we wish we had brought:
Backpack carrier: We never bought a back-pack carrier thinking we’d get one in Europe… no luck finding one so all we have is my one small sling. This would be fine but with some of the sightseeing we want to do it really is making things difficult.
Mountain buggy tire pump: See problems below.
Aqua socks: While the Mediterranean is my most favorite place to swim most of the beaches are rocky. It’s really hard to get out into the water on your own without having aqua socks but to also carry Stella is almost dangerous.
Extra baby sunblock: Thanks to Nanna, we have a big supply now.
Beer huggies: I know, pathetic, but do you know how hot your beer gets here before you even get a sip…
Things we really didn’t need:
Baby clothes: We have way too many. For the most part Stella is in her swimmer or running around in her “birthday suit.”
Disposable Swimmers: I only brought a handful but realize they are completely unnecessary. The cloth swimmers you can buy are great for the pull and reusable and when she’s at the beach it just seems silly to even bother with one.
Half the clothes we brought for ourselves: We really didn’t bring a lot but I’m realizing we aren’t even going to wear half of them. But this is usually the case anyway.
Workout clothes: It is entirely too hot to actually think about running. But I do hope to get a run in here or there in September if it cools down a bit.
Unforeseen Problems:
Mountain Buggy…still my favorite stroller and glad to have the all terrain tires and shocks but it has been an utter nightmare dealing with the tires. So far this trip I’ve had to change out 4 inner-tubes…We have now realized the heat here is making the tube expand and bust inside the wheel…We think the solution is to not leave it outside or in the car when we aren’t using it and to deflate the tires a bit so they have room to expand. If anyone has any suggestions PLEASE pass them along. This has become the biggest pain of our trip in many ways.
Losing things…I never lost anything in my life really until I had a baby. Now add to the mix traveling thru 4 countries in less than 4 weeks and you can imagine how hard it is to stay organized. I’ve now started putting things into bags and organized for different outings and Justin and I have now designated each other in charge of keeping up with different things (he’s got the camera, I’ve got the passports…).
Translating detergent, cleaning supplies and washing machine instructions (just to name a few) into English. This is the first time I’ve actually “lived” in another country where I don’t speak the language. I didn’t even think about the little things of “living” in a different country that we’d have to deal with and figure out. It’s definitely been fun and all a part of the adventure.
A final word on traveling. Justin and I love to travel. We’ve learned how to meld our tastes, desires and interests into a mutually enjoyable adventure. I love traveling with Justin. It’s honestly our most favorite thing in the world to do. I think that experiencing life on the road with your partner – especially a long-term trip- has to be the biggest test of your relationship. We’ve always come out stronger and happier.
However, this trip is different. We are now a family with little Stella. It’s funny how your priorities change. Last night it wasn’t trying to find the best restaurant and club to go to but rather picking out the best balloon to buy Stella at the wine festival…
I know that Justin and I both have amazing memories of trips the two of us took on our own and sometimes look back longingly for those days (especially as we passed all the hip bars in Lindos tonight), but watching Stella take in all the new sites and experiences I get so overwhelmed with happiness that we are doing this together as a family.
If anyone is contemplating a long trip with your child or future child/children, I highly recommend it. It takes a lot of patience, planning and flexibility – and I mean a lot – but you will be richly rewarded.