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Exploring Athens and Beginning of the NESA Conference

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After a harrowing time on the metro (why didn’t we send the luggage ahead in a cab as planned?)  - with doors closing on Kerri Caramella inside with her luggage outside, and the Camponeschis still inside the car – we all finally rendezvoused at the Acropolis Museum Boutique Hotel.  We immediately went to our quirky modern rooms and should have slept, but most wanted to get out and about and see the city.  Cole and I went two blocks, past seedy sex shops and closed businesses to a mom and pop restaurant called “Smile” for a souvlaki (gyro) and local brew. LOVED it (and went back several more times during our stay in Athens.) Then we went back to the hotel and crashed for an hour before meeting with our cohorts for an investigation of the Plaka – near our hotel.  Lots of souvenir shops, jewelry stores, cafes – and finally, a view of the Acropolis.  We found Diogenes Café on Lisikratous Square and had a tasty meal and wine. Thirteen of us then wandered the streets back home – exhausted but satisfied.
Breakfast in the hotel the next morning – ate little as I was still full from the yummy linguini and local shrimp (still in the shell). We met a group to tour the Acropolis and were very happy with our choice of tour guides. She spent over an hour with us, sharing historical facts, but also Greek philosophy and theology.  It felt unusual as we are now used to NOT talking about such things, but interesting.  We wound down the back of the Acropolis, meandered through the small streets into Monastiraki flea market, buying souvenirs (I got a hooded sweatshirt to warm me in the cool, spring evenings) and finding a wonderful place for lunch – Maiandros.  Delicious and fun, we had a view of the passing tourists and balloon vendors.  Patty, Chris, Meg, Camponeschis, Cole and I enjoyed the afternoon.  We missed the ancient Agora site (closed early – don’t believe the signs), but enjoyed the shopping and meandering.  Cole and I walked to the InterContintental Hotel to register for the conference. The 15-minute walk highlighted the financial plight of the country, with so many closed businesses and graffiti  everywhere.  A short rest back at the hotel before meeting up again for supper at Smile restaurant – nice to be remembered by the proprietress and given lots of attention. We toasted each other with the local “yamas!” and each ate a simpler, less expensive but tasty meal. The moussaka was great! Some more shopping in the Plaka before heading home to the hotel.  We meant to go to bed early, but there was too much to see and do!
Meeting early for a European-style breakfast at the hotel, we left early and arrived early at the conference, meeting up with many ISG colleagues. The keynote speaker, David Miles, gave a good talk on internet safety. My first session with David Booth on Literacy and Boys was funny and informative. Lunch was a bit of a fiasco as we all had to stand to eat, despite tables in sight in the pay-only restaurant.  Jeff arrived at the conference right on cue, having flown in from another conference in Singapore.  I attended a workshop on using songs and poems in the reading program (isn’t that what good teachers have been doing all along with young children?), and then we all walked back to the hotel to change for the evening reception.  The hors-d’oeuvres were plentiful and the bar open, so we stayed until we were full, then took a bus back to the Plaka. Jeff and I had planned to meet colleagues at a roof-top bar where we could view the Acropolis at night, but we mistakenly were led to another part of the city and literally stumbled on a taverna with a Greek show. We caught the tail-end of the show and then followed our noses back to the more familiar part of the Plaka before falling into bed.  It was not the romantic reunion I had in mind with Jeff, but it was an adventure nonetheless.

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