We're All Here

First things first... we've all arrived safely at the hotel in Athens!  I'm grateful for how well the kids handled the stress of the day. Annie got off first and navigated her way to Amsterdam all by herself. Then Maddie - she handled a last minute flight change like a champ. My big worry for the large group was the transfer at the Minneapolis airport. They were off the one and on to the other with time to spare!

We have met our tour director Christiane. (We're still trying how to pronounce it properly. When she introduces herself it sounds lik Christiana.) She is nice and personable with a bit of humor peeking through. She got us to the hotel and fed so we're feeling a bit better. Dinner was a collection of traditional Greek foods. Salad with cucumber dill dressing, fresh bread with cheese dip and cucumbers, Pork stewed with tomatoes, dolmatas (stuffed grape leaves), rice with zucchini and red peppers, roasted potatoes, green beans and for dessert a vanilla/cheese custard with a cinnamon honey topping. They let the kids come back for seconds so everyone was happy. 

The kids have gone for a walk to explore the neighborhood. We are in a residential area so it's pretty quiet. We just went to a park the next block over and watched a group of local kids playing soccer. The square was surrounded by little shops so all the adults were sitting at tables drinking iced coffee and watching their kids. 

I think everyone is back and ready for bed. It's only 9pm but it's been a huge day. We want to be ready for tomorrow's excursions.

The internet service it spotty - sorry the pictures won't load....