Limnos photos

Yiassou (hello to you)

We’ve arrived in paradise, and we feel right at home in my ancestral homeland. Limnos is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen (think blue, blue water and sandy beaches).

We spent a good part of yesterday traveling from Paris to Athens to Limnos. Our flight to Limnos was delayed by two hours. At one point, a man screamed in Greek for several minutes when it was announced that our flight would be delayed again. The kids ran around the airport, made some friends and learned some Greek words ("hello to you " is pronounced “ya sue.”) We didn’t check into our hotel (Lemnos Village Resort) until around 1 a.m.

Today, we enjoyed breakfast (cereal, melon, olives, cheese, eggs, bread) overlooking the Aegean Sea. The girls swam in the kiddie (!) pool while Apa drank a beer in the shade.

We’ve just finished lunch (salad and spaghetti). D, Baba and Apa are taking a nap. Eena and I are about to check out the ping pong table, tennis courts and beach.

I’ll post pictures and write later tonight (we only have free wi-fi in the lobby).

Last day in Paris

Eena and Baba loved seeing the wallabies and flamingos at a small zoo (menagerie) at the Le Jardin des plantes. When we visited the reptile house, Baba said: "Don't bite me, Snaky Snake" over and over. Eena followed suit and asked a goaty goat not to bite her either. Afterward, they played at a nearby playground. We continued to tire them out by having them climb the steps of the Petit Palais. We then took a short cruise on the Seine.

Tomorrow, we head for Lemnos with a five-hour layover in Athens. I'm hoping we have Internet access...

Luckily, we found a translator and more of our family (we think) in Tsmandria, Lemnos.

We're adventuring...Eena, Baba and Apa

We weren't stuck behind closed doors all day yesterday. Eena and Baba started their day at a playground at the Champ de Mars with their Daddy. I had to sleep because Eena decided to wake up at 3 a.m. We had eggs (ouefs) and cold salad at a nearby restaurant for lunch. Then, we walked (my poor dad) for about an hour or two (or "forever," says my dad) in what was supposed to be a "20-minute" walk to the Jardin du Luxomberg. We had hoped to have the girls wade in a little pool, but the sand made the water so murky that we decided against it. We enjoyed looking at the beautiful flowers and for the opportunity to rest at one of the many benches. Next, we hopped the Metro to Notre Dame Cathedral and lit a candle for my mom. D and I visited the church the last time we were in Paris, and we went through quickly this time. The girls weren't too excited by Notre Dame as you can tell by their picture. Friday night mass was in session as tourists snapped photos of flying buttresses and intricately carved statues in side this Gothic church. We had dinner (pizza and salad) near Notre Dame and the Hotel de Ville (City Hall). The girls' favorite part of the day? When Mommy bought them Paris T-shirts. I guess they love touristy things too. Today, we are hoping to visit a zoo and take a boat ride on the Seine.

Panic room

When you combine an old-fashioned door and a non-stop moving preschooler, trouble is bound to happen. Right after D left for his conference, Eena slammed our very old door shut. No problem, right? Except that screaming Baba was on one side with Apa, and I on the other side with Eena. I called D on the cell but to no avail. When I finally got through, I could hear him but he couldn't hear me. I called the landlord, but I had trouble reaching him. After trying everything (including a butter knife and credit card) for 30 minutes, Apa remembered that another door was similar. I was to pull the latch to the side rather than forward. Voila, it worked. During that frantic 30 minutes, Eena and Baba both passed out.

If only that was the end of the door story...

Hours later, Eena and Baba were playing in the room. D left for a minute. The next thing we know is that the girls are trapped on one side and all the adults on the other. We each tried to explain to Eena how to open the lock (now that we understand), but she couldn't do it. Instead, she cried. D's idea was to scale the wall from one window to the next (about three stories high). At first, I told him 'no way.' Then he convinced me that it was the only way since even our landlord wasn't entirely sure what to do. We tied "Boy Scout" knots, using two bed sheets and a belt. Apa and I held on to D as he scaled the building. It took less than 10 seconds for him to reach the girls and open the door.

I'm happy everyone is safe. And, yes, we taught Eena how to unlock all the doors in the apartment. To be on the safe side, we are propping all the doors open now.

More about our day of sightseeing soon.

Paris isn't just for kids...

We had to post some photos of the adults too.

Future artists or critics? You decide

Some of the art from the Louvre (Athena, Mona Lisa, Wings of Samothrace and Venus de Milo). Also, a shot at the Eiffel Tower. Read more about our day in the previous entry.