Ruminations upon Tuesday September 24, 2024 in Athens, Greece
Another sleepless night, I woke up drained and exhausted. We let the boys sleep in again because I could barely keep my eyes open. Eventually, the boys began their math lessons. At one point, Amichai joined Chaim on the balcony where he was working. Chaim took a break to help Amichai with his math lesson. Watching Chaim and his Mini Me work sitting together and working on their respective computers was very cute.
Today, the boys only took two hours to get moving after school ended. We left around 2:30PM to eat at Gostijo, the only kosher restaurant in Athens. After a delicious meal of shawarma and schnitzel, we walked around Plaka, one of Athens’ oldest neighborhoods. An advantage to having no plans is the ability to wander. We meandered through the streets before stumbling upon the oldest house in Athens, the Benizelos mansion. The boys were curious and wanted to visit the ground, which one can do for a small donation of any amount. I searched for whatever small change I could find and dropped it into the donation box.
The Benizelos mansion was built in the 18th century as a konaki. It is one of the last konakis in Athens. There is a stone courtyard with a well immediately upon entering the campus, and several storage rooms for grains and wine are arranged along the first floor. A washbasin is fitted into the side of the outdoor staircase that leads to the second floor. On the second floor are bedrooms and living room. In the back courtyard are the remains of an old olive press. Interestingly, and as with much of Athens, we could see the physical layers of living history in the walls, some parts dating as far back as the 3rd century C.E.
The boys really enjoyed their time in the house. Even more so, I think they liked having the ability to decide what we were doing. It filled them with more ownership over their experience. I noted that I really need to find more opportunities for this as we continue traveling.
An hour later we left the house to explore Plaka some more. Matanel was not interested in the least, that is until I told him he could buy himself a small reward for having finished a math unit. How quickly his attitude changed! Suddenly, we were looking into every shop and at every small item. This turned out to be both great and slightly unsettling. As it turns out, every store in Athens includes a variety of sculpted penises and postcards with the raunchiest sex positions between the gods and the gods and animals. The boys could not contain themselves and were laughing the whole way. Who could blame them? Compared to this unexpected onslaught, the penis museum in Iceland was child’s play.
As the sun began setting, we came to Syntagama Square, one of the most important places in modern Athens. This is where the people demanded a constitution from King Otto, the first king of Greece, in 1843. It is also where the Old Royal Palace and Greek Parliament are located. We walked up the steps to see the palace and chanced upon the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Uknown Soldier outside the Hellenic Parliament and Presidential Mansion. It occurs in a couple of locations around the area.
The Changing of the Guard is not at all what I expected. Watching it in ignorance, with little knowledge of the history behind the choreography and the uniform, it all looked a bit silly. We later learned that to be awarded the position of Presidential Guard is one of the most respected positions a soldier could attain. Here, it is a dance, performed with greatest admiration for the soldiers of the Hellenic Army who fought off the Ottomans during the Greek Revolution in 1821, knowing that they would likely die doing so because their odds of winning were terrible. Holding off the Ottomans was of utmost importance and the Hellenic Army’s role in helping Greece win independence was key. Accordingly, these heroes are to be remembered for their sacrifice, always. The Changing of the Guard, which occurs every hour, with the grander ceremony on Sundays at 11:00AM, is a constant embodiment of this commitment. We also learned that their uniforms, which to the naked eye draw lots of attention, are replete with meaning. Every item carefully selected to represent a piece of Greek national pride, independence, and the past. We left the Changing of the Guard in awe, eager to do more research, and returned home close to 8:30PM. Another attempt at an early bedtime foiled, but I wasn’t complaining. The boys had had a great day and learned plenty.
In theory, there was nothing to complain about. Up until this moment everything had been working out beautifully – minor hiccups and questionable moments, that we now laugh about, aside. I was STILL SEARCHING for a Sunday activity that met all my desires and was failing miserably. Chaim and I were approaching the overly exhausted state where communication breakdown lurks waiting to strike. I was stressed. We (okay, I) had reached a level of irrational that was completely ridiculous. Clearly, it was affecting my sleep and my patience. Chaim stepped in and booked a Sunday activity that we both agreed wasn’t a great fit for our family, but we were going to do it anyway and hopefully enjoy it. Finally, I could sleep, sort of.
