29-04-17 3-Day Long weekend-Glyfăda

Saturday 29th April 2017

We decide to get out of Saronītha for the first day of the nation’s three-day long weekend ‘protomayā’ as its known. By 9am its already hot and I don’t want to be stuck in Saronītha seeing the same locals as I do every day. Plus I’ve a good mind to take Kingsley to the gorgeous fishing village of Glyfăda since I absolutely fell in love with it yesterday. Those two play grounds I spotted on my adventures screamed for Kingsley to enjoy them and I think I had made a subconscious decision then and there to bring him with me next time.

And next time turned out to be today. A great decision! We start the day on our balcony eating a very Mediterranean breakfast of olives from Kalamata, feta from Epirus, dry rusks from Crete, locally baked bread and pink apples from Thessaloniki. Our NO TV ALLOWED rule is working its magic as Kingsley is now more engaged, interesting, interested and chatty and even JiaJia Dora enjoys his company this morning. (Mind you we’ve had 12 hours sleep so there really should not be any grumbling preschoolers in the house).

Highlights of our day: 1) having such a great (read: no pushing or shoving or hitting) time at Glyfăda playground #1 that I decide to take Kingsley later on to Glyfăda playground #2; 2) that is – watching Kingsley play nicely with all the kids he interacts with; 3) being approached by mums and dads at both playgrounds because they want to praise what a terrific child my son is; 4) watching other kids ask to play with Kingsley and then watching them all scamper away to either a swing or a climbing castle; 5) Kingsley sharing his soccerball and learning from other kids that ‘it’s called football because you must use your feet to kick it’ (that is, stop picking it up Kingsley!!); 6) trusting Kingsley in the Glyfăda bookstore to read quietly while I searched for books to buy him (no books were harmed in this process!); 7) enabling his concept of transactions by giving Kingsley money and allowing him to buy his favourite icecream (mini cornetto at 11:30am) then a friut juice (Delta ‘Smart’ nectarine & peach combo – he saw it on TV on Thursday morning; the very last time he watched TV) from the perīptero.

A most satisfying heart-warming start to the long weekend. Here it is in pictures.

Checking out the coastline on our 45 minute journey

 

Making mates with like-minded crazies

Demolishing the mini cornetto

Climbing

We found a shady spot in Glyfăda to do a wee

Enjoying Glifada playground #2

Glyfăda playground #1

Arrived in sunny seaside Glyfăda