We have been officially living in Greece for three weeks on Wednesday. It’s been some rich three weeks. Rich in experience, rich in joy, rich in frustrations.
What have we gained?
A new home in a wonderful neighbourhood, close to friends and people who are genuinely kind and helpful. Humbled time and again is how I felt by the amount of care and help we have received so far. From being welcomed to the airport to having us connected to their own energy supply for the last three days(long story, I won’t get into details). From being invited for coffee SPONTANEOUSLY on Sunday morning to having a glyko(sweet) at midnight in a neighbouring town, we have been surprised to find ourselves part of a great community for which we are grateful.
Emma has gained an appetite for fruit(no, she isn’t cured of her famous pickiness but at least she has added chicken souvlaki, watermelon and melon to her list of favourites). Everybody’s love. A passion for the sea and swimming(she can swim with armbands now and has no fear of water). A love for HUGE dogs, thanks to our neighbours Lena and Pavlos who have a silly gentle monster of a dog who loves kids, NEVER barks and steals cookies from unaware kids(Emma was still licking her fingers after Nami took her cookie, she was so gentle in doing it:-).
All in all, we have gained experience of life in a hot climate.
We had expected stress from tiredness, emotional distress and working long hours at setting a home but what totally tripped us over has been…the humidity. We have been reassured it’s the worst in 20 years but we had never anticipated the fatigue that goes with purely sitting in an armchair and dripping sweat. We haven’t enjoyed a good night sleep since we arrived and we look forward to putting air-con in this week so that our brains go back to normal again.Again, I personally have been humbled as a mum by the experience. I never boasted at being the perfect mum but these three weeks I felt sooo many times that I let my girlie down by losing patience often, having no energy to play with her(expect in the sea, where I felt almost normal again) and sometimes raising my voice and saying things I didn’t mean just because I felt so…hot and sticky.
We have also a better understanding of the Mediterranean culture now. People go to have a swim in the sea often, have many frappes during the day, have a siesta at noon and a late dinner(out, many times) because everything is regulated by the heat and not because they are lazy…Some might but after I found workaholic hubby asleep behind his desk several times I realised it’s not simply a matter of choice. You do these things because there is no other way simply.
Okay, time to wrap it up. Sweaty again, time for my sixth shower for today and for a bit of siesta(reading on my Kindle, in my case as sleep is impossible in a hot bed).
Talk soon, clammy hugs from Thessaloniki!
Keeping cool
Mama's Haven 
Hi, Oana, how exciting is all that-the joys of a new place . Adaptation takes time and hopefully after few more weeks you will get used to the humidity and an air conditioning will help you get a good night sleep for sure. i speak from an experience, but this tiredness will pass. It can be really draining at times, but don’t forget you were in 10 degrees of rain and wind :-). I love the Mediterranean lifestyle and I am so happy to hear, that Emma is loving it. So glad to know that you are welcomed and loved -this makes it perfect. Enjoy yourselves the best you can. We love you all. Sending blessings and big hugs
I know, Iva, but it’s not ungratefulness and it doesn’t help comparing, anyway…it’s just on observation, the humidity and heat. Ireland and Greece are two different worlds and you can’t compare worlds. it’s not fair on either.xx
Yes Oana , that’s true. There is no comparison.Its wonderful you can get the best of both worlds. xxx
I missed the cool weather..my body has anyway, at the peak hours where it’s most humid…we have a blessed wind tonight and I really hope we’ll get to sleep better. Tomorrow is supposed to be much cooler(27 degrees, that is 🙂 and we’ll finally get out car and go hunting for air con units. Unbelievable, I know, as four weeks ago we were sleeping with duvets and the heating on occasionally…as I said, two different worlds. Hope you get to feel the sun’s warmth this summer too, Iva.xxx
Thank you , Oana,.The thing is I do miss the Sun, more than ever, as the so called summer here is more like a spring 😉 , but I am grateful for every hour of sun I can get. . Great you got a car. I remember the first night after we got air-con in Bulgaria.We ‘ve had air-con with an outside unit and they are really powerful. Then we had one with no outside unit , they are also good as it won’t attract attention, but where you are in the in closed development, that might not be a issue at all. To get the best out of it and make it last longer , keep it on all the time. You will feel different straight away.Sending you more big hugs and kisses for Emma .
Oana, ai mare dreptate in ceea ce priveste umiditatea. La Salonic e mereu asa, daca nu ma insel. Si la noi a fost la fel in ultimele 10 zile dar de ieri noapte s-a schimbat. Bate vantul tare dinspre nord si desi e f cald, e super. Asteptam sa scada temperatura cu vreo 10 gr. 🙂 Enjoy your frappe si ai rabdare!! O sa treaca!!! 🙂
PS: Si Filip cere mult pepene rosu de cand a venit canicula. Daca l-as lasa, ar manca si la micul dejun. 🙂
Ionela, ce sa zic? Aici ne-au spus ca n-a fost asa de cald si de umed de vreo 20 de ani. Ma trezesc noptile de 2-3 ori sa fac dus si tot transpir, in 10 minute sint iar apa…Nu stiu ce sa astept si cu aerul conditionat, azi am fost prin magazine si aveau aerul dat tare si acum ma doare capul. Stiu ca o sa treaca, de asta abia astept septembrie dar nu-mi place sa fiu asa de irascibila si obosita mereu…sper sa se indure Dumnezeu de noi si sa gasim solutia potrivita. Cit despre pepene, ce sa zic? noi am avut si un pic de diaree de cit am papat dar tot vrem. E mai bun ca dulciurile cu zahar, in mod sigur asa ca eu ii dau cind cere pina se satura.xx