An early rise, a quick flight, familiar faces, "It's all Greek to me..." not. Amstel and bats: Croatia to Greece Day 13

Early Morning Trek to Athens

We ended up getting up around 4:40 am.  Our goal was to be out to catch the bus for 5:15 for our 8 am flight to Athens.  The busses started running at four.  After some hustling we made it up to the corner.  I grabbed some pastries with the kids while Jess was at the stop waiting.  For the record, her throat hurts and she has a slight fever.

We waited for the bus for a while and I reminded us that we have been here before - Eastern Europe - 5am with no transportation and a train to catch.  Thankfully, other people started showing up so we knew it was coming.  Jess checked again and it said that it should arrive by 5:46.  A few more minutes and we were off.  The ride to thei airport was quick and so was the line through security.  That placed us at the airport and waiting at 6:10 am.

8 am flight to Athens.

With 4 kids.

It's 6 am at a Croatian airport.

Sounds like it's gonna be a good time.

After they got off their iPads and Roblox, they were out of their minds.  I've honestly had it with that shit.  Not only do these games make no sense, they are fucking stupidly mind numbing.  After they got off, they were out of their minds.  It really messes them up.  Jess has had a hard time with them redownloading it after they deleted it and the deal was that they could play on Neil's private server - but they even argue constantly over this nonsense.  I think the new rule is going to be delete it and if we find it on there after the delete you lose the iPad for a month.  After their stupidity in the airport, we got on the plane and Duncan had a meltdown because he wanted to sit with the boys.  Apparently this was a plan I was supposed to have heard.  And so, he sobbed, like he does.  Not a big deal - just couldn't move until the plane was boarded.  We had an over under - how long would it be before Glenn said, "It's all Greek to me!"  Jess said 10 and took the under - I took the over.

We got out of the plane and everyone had to use the bathroom.  Apparently, we were supposed to take car of our essential needs because they closed the security doors near the gate and now they "can't" open them.  I was really, "won't" because what could have been the issue?  So we walked to the other part of the terminal and headed down the stairs.  We made our way out towards Hertz and there were two people sitting there waiting for us!

The car rental took a while since we had to change the cars they gave us.  Apparently they gave us cars good enough to travel downtown Athens - with like 69 horsepower - thank God the guy checked with us where we were going because we wouldn't have been able to be on the highway or get up an anthill otherwise.  We blew past the over under and it was not said.  Neil tried multiple times by asking him what signs said, he really tied to tee it up for him - but with no effect.

We got on the highway and headed out to the Peloponnesus, where we will be spending most of our time while here. The Hertz guy said that the traffic was already queuing for the big holiday escape on August 15th - The Dormition of the Mother God - my assumption is that this is the assumption of Mary.  So we got on our way, after about the half way point of the trip we stopped at a rest stop area near Corinth - near the Corinth Canal.  Thankfully, there was no traffic.  

Everyone used the facilities and grabbed some food - this was not the plan for food, at least in my head but whatever.  After eating, Malcolm swooning over stray dogs, Isla and Duncan not eating, they went over to check out the canal.  Malcolm and I went to sit in the AC of the car.  Apparently it was cool - serves me right for not going to check it out.  

That rest stop lasted way longer than it needed to despite us not being able to check in until 4.  We got back in the car and made it the rest of the way despite Jess' slow driving and people flashing me and flying past us.  

View from the front of the house.

The panorama views are from the sprial staircase leading up to the roof.  I didn't go on the roof and I also didn't see anything blocking the stairs to prevent me from going up there, so I did.  We got in and there was some napping and a bunch of iPads - which, started the earlier rant.  Now we are waiting for Jess and Chris to get back from the grocery store - which must be like an hour away so that we can have dinner and more importantly, get some cold beers.  I'm guessing that is going to be the plan for the evening.  This evening we will be having some Amstel.  How did I know this?  This is why I was in a fraternity - it has all led up to this moment on the beer porch:  ΑΜΣΤΕΛ

I thought I was gonna be done but there are about 40 bats flying out of out roof for the sunset - which hopefully means that they will eat all the mosquitoes and they will leave us alone.

I tried to get them - but they are fast so I changed the live pic and you can see the two black smudges.  Glenn says there were 100  - they are coming from all over the house.  Not sure that's a good thing or that at least one us won't wake up a vampire or with a new strain of the Covid.