Getting the boys to Greece

Monday 20 December 2010

George and Richie left George's pad only an hour after the time I'd suggested, and text me from the Gatwick Express leaving me fretting that they might not make it to the airport before Easyjet's vicious check-in closure deadline.

I'd already had a week of stress watching the snow reports for Gatwick, and had just about faced up to the disappointment of them not being able to make it.  Still, with the runways clear and not too much fog, they took off only 15 minutes delayed.

Casually glancing through the Greek newspapers online I was horrified to see there was a transport strike in Athens.  Was I going to have to drive there?  (Hopefully not)  Would the Punto make it?  (Definitely not).  Luckily, in the queue at the Post Office I ran into Helen 'Dead Dog' Morgan - the expat's lifeline into all things Greek.  She made a phone call and confirmed that the buses from Athens to Lefkas were running, thank goodness.

G & R landed, but by the time they'd cleared baggage and customs they were never going to make it for the mid-afternoon bus.  After some adventures crossing Athens, including a taxi with a flat tyre, they made it to the bus station, but with nearly four hours to wait till the 8.30.

I called Konstantine the Architect, who I knew to be in Athens, but he'd left town 40 minutes earlier, in raging traffic.  Heroically, he offered to go back for the boys, but I couldn't ask it of him.  If they'd been younger it would've been different.  As it was, he said encouragingly: 'at least they'll have a real Greek experience at the bus station'. 

They arrived in Lefkas at 1.30 am Tuesday.  Dave and I, struggling to stay awake, met them and brought them home, where they demolished the contents of the fridge and stayed up talking until 4 am.