Have family, will travel

Three generations take flight together

Part of the Roman Agora

By Chinyere Ubamadu

Our multi-generational trip to Greece took a year of planning, which included several conference calls and action lists. What started out as a family trip turned into an “all-girls” excursion that would include my mom, who lives in Boston, my younger sister, who lives in Chicago, my daughter, Zoe, and me. After researching a variety of exotic locations, we decided upon Greece. We were all thrilled about sharing this extraordinary adventure together.

Aug. 31: Greece bound

After a quick flight to Atlanta, Zoe and I connected to a larger plane that would take us to Athens. We had one bag each, fully packed with daily essentials, plus beachwear and clothes for an evening out. Our plane was scheduled to arrive in Athens at 10:35 a.m.

Sept. 1: Settling in

Our flight took us across the Atlantic Ocean, through France, then across the Mediterranean Sea into Italy and finally Greece. We flew over the Greek Islands as we approached Athens. What a way to wake up! As the plane approached the runway, there was a great view of an IKEA store against a backdrop of mountains.

When we landed, my mom, my sister and her friend Yang were already waiting for us at the baggage claim area. After warm hugs and hellos, we took the metro from the airport to our beautiful, modern hotel, the Classical Imperial Athens—within walking distance from the metro stop. Then we headed back out, taking the metro to the Acropoli station, a touristy area full of souvenir shops and taverna, small restaurants where you can enjoy an authentic Greek cuisine. We stopped for lunch, then walked to the Acropolis Museum to meet our tour guide, Michaela, who took us on a four-hour tour from the museum to the Acropolis and onwards to The Parthenon. We toured ruins dating from the 5^th through 8^th century BC, then dined at Sissofros restaurant, where we had a rooftop view of the Parthenon at night.

Three generations of a Chattanooga family travel together on the trip of a lifetime.

Sept. 2: Markets and mountains

The sound of Athens waking up reminded me of New York City; car horns blaring, dogs barking and motorcycles cruising down the street. Our Day Two plan was to visit Plaka, another part of Athens popular with tourists. We visited a large flea market in Monistraki, stopped for brunch at Zorba’s, a restaurant off the beaten path, then strolled by The Tower of the Winds and took a few pictures. Further down, we ventured into the Roman Agora, once the city’s main marketplace. The highlight of our day was climbing Mount Lycabettus, Athens’ highest hill, where we visited the Ayios Georgios (Chapel of St. George) and the hilltop café, Café Lycabettus.

Sept. 3: Three by sea

On Day Three, we toured the Greek Islands by ferry. During our seven-hour boat ride, we stopped at three islands: Paros, Naxos and finally our destination, Santorini, which is dominated by a tall mountain formed by a volcano. The view from our hotel was breathtaking. After a rooftop dinner at a restaurant, my sister and I walked Mom and Zoe back to the hotel before sharing an evening out on the town.

Sept. 4: Zoe versus the volcano

Day Four of our trip included a volcano tour and riding donkeys up nearly 500 steps.

We took a sailboat to the site of the volcano, where we were given an hour and 15 minutes to hike up and back down again. Mom stayed in the boat, while the rest of us ventured up the mountainous black rock. We made it to the top, just stopping for a picture and to drink some water. I was so proud of Zoe—she hiked all the way to the top with us.

During our tour we also stopped for a swim and enjoyed a sunset that was the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen (next to the birth of my children, of course). Tears streamed down my face as I looked at it; it had been my adult dream to visit the Greek Islands, and here I was in one of the most gorgeous places on earth.

Sept. 5: A long look back

On Day Five, our last day in Santorini, we explored a Greek Orthodox church and a Catholic cathedral. During the seven-hour ride back, we enjoyed the vast view of the Mediterranean. We also met three nice Greek high school students and an Indian family with a 3-year-old son. It was a few minutes after midnight when the ferry pulled into Piraeus in Athens. We caught a taxi back to our hotel.

Sept. 6: Homeward bound

By our final day in Greece, we were glowing from the whole experience, not to mention the sunshine, but I was already going through withdrawal knowing our journey was about to end. We met for breakfast at the hotel, caught the metro to the airport, and said our goodbyes. As the plane retraced its way back home, I sat with my daughter in our coach class seats and daydreamed about our extraordinary adventure. Once we arrived in Atlanta, I was thrilled to have service back on my phone so I could speak with my husband and son. It was the Labor Day holiday. Tomorrow reality would kick in with full force—and jet lag, too.

Chinyere Ubamadu lives in North Chattanooga with her husband, Ben, and her children, Zoe (7) and Zachary (5).