NOTES from. near and far // July outings

With one part of July devoted to the end of term and the other a much needed holiday, the near was by far eclipsed by the divine reaches of the Greek Gods and Goddesses and all that they command.

Acropolis, Athens, Greece

The first time I tried to visit the Acropolis in 2006 it was having conservation works done to it and thus was shrouded in scaffolding – a modern day wonder in itself. I stayed in the city for a week or so and we passed by it many times, or gazed at its wonder from the even higher point of nearby Lycabettus Hill. Nearly 20 years later I booked an extra couple of days onto a Greek island holiday in order to explore Athens and see the sights together with my boys. Mid intense heatwave with devastating forest fires raging not far from the city itself, the Acropolis announced that it would be shutting early. And so once again I missed the opportunity to explore the columns and carvings of this 5th century citadel, and deliver an excited history lesson to my children. We did however make it to the lower reaches of the area, where groves of olive trees provide at least some shade from which to gaze up to the Parthenon. Venturing out into the thick sticky heat for ten minutes or so we also gazed out from the hillside down onto the landscape beyond. It wasn’t long but enough still to feel the magical pull of this ancient place. An ice cream begot on the way to the museum about a five minute walk away was much required, the hot pink bougainvillea and oleander providing bursts of colour energy along the way. Back at the Hotel Melia we hit the rooftop pool from which we could gaze at the Acropolis all day. In the evening, we ate fennel fritters and stuffed courgette flowers from a local taverna called Kriti. We will be back. Maybe one for the autumn.

Skyros, Sporades Islands, Greece

In desperate need of a holiday but not sure how to do it on my own with the kids, my lovely Greek friend Vassiliki stepped in to offer their place on the beautiful Greek island of Skyros. I would have to take two flights, one from London to Athens, the next from Athens to Skyros, in order to get there, but it would be worth it for the unspoilt and still authentic location, the lovely accommodation, and proximity to the beach. I leapt at the opportunity, albeit wondering how I would afford it or manage to do at least a week with just the boys and me, with Vassiliki and family meeting us later when we transferred to a hotel. Looking at the pictures now it feels like a lifetime ago but what a magical time we had. Travelling alone with kids is hard work but if you – like me – love soaking up different vistas and cultures, including of course all the nature that goes with it, then it’s worth every expense of energy. I know the kids had a life-changing experience too, having never really been to sunny foreign climes before. Nature highlights included fields of wild fennel on the hillside walk down from the town of Chora to Magazia beach, pots of herbs and jasmine on the cobbled streets, sweeping the papery bougainvillea bracts up from the yard (the flipside of looking up to those brilliant canopies above), the scent of pine trees up in the mountains where we drove to look at the view, fauna and flora on ceramics and textiles, and the full moon rising above the sea. I hope they never put a charter flight to this island even though it would be easier to get there as the beauty of such a place is partly that it hasn’t ever really changed. Natural, peaceful, artistic, and warm, it felt like coming home.