We went to Athens early on Wednesday for an appointment at the American Embassy on Thursday to get baby Kat's birth abroad certificate. We didn't make a Passport because we won't be going anywhere anytime soon and the kids grow up so fast that the picture won't look like her for very long. The clerk at the Embassy told us that it only takes 10 days to get one so that won't be a problem. 
(above) Nik looking out the window of the train, it's a 5 hour trip to Athens the first 2.5 hours he pointed and awed over all of the big trucks and work equipment outside of the window. They are building new tracks for a fast train and have put in a whole bunch of new tunnels and bridges, a very big job, considering how mountainous Greece is. Anyone that says that Greece is in recession has not seen all of the big jobs being done and all of the people shopping at the malls.
We only purchased two tickets, kids ride for free on the train until the age of 6, lucky for us that the train didn't get full because I don't think I could have had both kids on my lap. (above) Kat looking over the back of the seat at Daddy, (below) both kids sleeping from all of the excitement and early wake-up.
After getting off of the train we crossed the street to get on the metro to take us to our hotel, it was very close to the American Embassy. Here's an action shot of us walking on one of the best sidewalks you will find in Athens ( for the most part sidewalks are non-existent and very dangerous for strollers).
Eleftherios Park, a very famous ex-prime minister the airport is also named after him.
So here we are at the Athens Mall, we met up with Arthur's cousins they live very close to the area. He hadn't seen one of his cousins in 10 years so it was a good visit. Nik enjoyed going up and down the escalators I wish we had one at our house he would have a grand'ol time
Baby Kat ate two whole pieces of KFC, the picture below is of them both enjoying an ice cream cone.
They had a play center for kids and Nik saw this digger ride that you get in and there are 3 controls one for the arm to go up the other to go right or left and the other to scoop up the balls in the pit. It cost 1euro and lasted 20 minutes, enough time for 3-4 kids to enjoy it, he got off a couple of times and then got back on.
We ate at some wonderful American fast food places, McDonalds, KFC, Taco Bell and Cinnabon. The kids loved every meal and for the first time Nik had some cheeseburger, at all of the previous visits he has not wanted to eat a cheeseburger but I guess seeing his sister smack down on them he decided that they must taste good after all.
But she really enjoyed drinking Nik's juice box and completely finished it this made Nik pretty upset and he was not happy with her for drinking all of the juice and now demands that she have her own box and not share his.
(above) finishing the juice box, (below) Nik's very unhappy whiny face.
I have disliked just about every hotel we have stayed at in Greece, this one was a 4 star and was more like a cheap American Motel. First the beds in Greece are not comfortable the "doubles" are two twins pushed together leaving a crack down the middle. The third bed was a pull out couch. The sheets consist of a bottom sheet and then a comforter, no top sheet, it was bloody humid in Athens but we didn't have a top sheet to cover us the comforter are just too hot so I used the bathroom towels and luckily brought the kids their sheets. The bathrooms are always small, this one I had to put the back of my legs up against the toilet in order to close the door. At least this one had a small tub, sometimes they have a shower with no curtain so water gets all over the place. I have become a complete bathroom snob with the addition of kids, if they go in there I want it to be clean, at least this hotel had a fairly clean bathroom I can't say the same for the carpet in the room, Kat got her pants all dirty cleaning (crawling) the floor for the hotel.
(above) her happy face, saying are we getting out of here, let's go (below) munching down on a McD's cheeseburger.
This McDonald's is located right off of Syntagma Square, a stop on the metro line so easy to get to. We walked around Ermou street and stopped at a cafe to have a drink and in good time because 5 minutes after sitting down it just started to pour rain, so much that the streets flooded. Then we had one last bite to eat at McD's, you can't miss out on the 1euro cheeseburger's and milkshakes, cheaper than a tyropita.
I made a video of the picture below we are in front of the Parliament building which is also located at the Syntagma Square metro stop, I will put that video up also.
Katerina enjoying her time in Athens.
We had some time to kill so we sat down and let Nik chase birds, his favorite big city activity since most of the time we keep him close to the carriage and holding our hand.
(below) chasing birds
Last Metro ride before getting on the train to go home. One thing I like about Greek people is their love of children, each metro ride was full but someone would always get up and let me sit down with the kids, very nice. But what I don't like is that they like to touch the kids and some of them go "Psst, Psst, Psst" (spitting on them) to "keep away the evil spirits", YUK! Total Greek tradition though.
(above) Nik looking out the window of the train, it's a 5 hour trip to Athens the first 2.5 hours he pointed and awed over all of the big trucks and work equipment outside of the window. They are building new tracks for a fast train and have put in a whole bunch of new tunnels and bridges, a very big job, considering how mountainous Greece is. Anyone that says that Greece is in recession has not seen all of the big jobs being done and all of the people shopping at the malls.
We only purchased two tickets, kids ride for free on the train until the age of 6, lucky for us that the train didn't get full because I don't think I could have had both kids on my lap. (above) Kat looking over the back of the seat at Daddy, (below) both kids sleeping from all of the excitement and early wake-up.
After getting off of the train we crossed the street to get on the metro to take us to our hotel, it was very close to the American Embassy. Here's an action shot of us walking on one of the best sidewalks you will find in Athens ( for the most part sidewalks are non-existent and very dangerous for strollers).
Eleftherios Park, a very famous ex-prime minister the airport is also named after him.
So here we are at the Athens Mall, we met up with Arthur's cousins they live very close to the area. He hadn't seen one of his cousins in 10 years so it was a good visit. Nik enjoyed going up and down the escalators I wish we had one at our house he would have a grand'ol time
Baby Kat ate two whole pieces of KFC, the picture below is of them both enjoying an ice cream cone.
They had a play center for kids and Nik saw this digger ride that you get in and there are 3 controls one for the arm to go up the other to go right or left and the other to scoop up the balls in the pit. It cost 1euro and lasted 20 minutes, enough time for 3-4 kids to enjoy it, he got off a couple of times and then got back on.
We ate at some wonderful American fast food places, McDonalds, KFC, Taco Bell and Cinnabon. The kids loved every meal and for the first time Nik had some cheeseburger, at all of the previous visits he has not wanted to eat a cheeseburger but I guess seeing his sister smack down on them he decided that they must taste good after all.
But she really enjoyed drinking Nik's juice box and completely finished it this made Nik pretty upset and he was not happy with her for drinking all of the juice and now demands that she have her own box and not share his.
(above) finishing the juice box, (below) Nik's very unhappy whiny face.
I have disliked just about every hotel we have stayed at in Greece, this one was a 4 star and was more like a cheap American Motel. First the beds in Greece are not comfortable the "doubles" are two twins pushed together leaving a crack down the middle. The third bed was a pull out couch. The sheets consist of a bottom sheet and then a comforter, no top sheet, it was bloody humid in Athens but we didn't have a top sheet to cover us the comforter are just too hot so I used the bathroom towels and luckily brought the kids their sheets. The bathrooms are always small, this one I had to put the back of my legs up against the toilet in order to close the door. At least this one had a small tub, sometimes they have a shower with no curtain so water gets all over the place. I have become a complete bathroom snob with the addition of kids, if they go in there I want it to be clean, at least this hotel had a fairly clean bathroom I can't say the same for the carpet in the room, Kat got her pants all dirty cleaning (crawling) the floor for the hotel. 
(above) her happy face, saying are we getting out of here, let's go (below) munching down on a McD's cheeseburger.
This McDonald's is located right off of Syntagma Square, a stop on the metro line so easy to get to. We walked around Ermou street and stopped at a cafe to have a drink and in good time because 5 minutes after sitting down it just started to pour rain, so much that the streets flooded. Then we had one last bite to eat at McD's, you can't miss out on the 1euro cheeseburger's and milkshakes, cheaper than a tyropita.
I made a video of the picture below we are in front of the Parliament building which is also located at the Syntagma Square metro stop, I will put that video up also.
Katerina enjoying her time in Athens.
We had some time to kill so we sat down and let Nik chase birds, his favorite big city activity since most of the time we keep him close to the carriage and holding our hand.
(below) chasing birds
Last Metro ride before getting on the train to go home. One thing I like about Greek people is their love of children, each metro ride was full but someone would always get up and let me sit down with the kids, very nice. But what I don't like is that they like to touch the kids and some of them go "Psst, Psst, Psst" (spitting on them) to "keep away the evil spirits", YUK! Total Greek tradition though.
1 comment:
I love reading about your travels. The reflection picture of Nik on the train is so cute~ My how they are both getting so big!
Is Kat walking yet?
Keep blogging~
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