The transition from winter to spring in Athens is in full swing. The wildflowers are everywhere and some trees have started blooming, very pretty! It’s crazy to think this is already the third winter to spring transition we’ve seen here. We’ve really settled into a flow of life here. Julia is loving school, Jessica is keeping busy with One Heart work and James is still getting work as a contract engineer.
Fun Visits
This winter we’ve had a fun visit from James’ parents. Julia had a fun time skiing and playing in the snow with Grand Tom and James at the Καλάβρυτα (Kalvrita) ski center.
James got to spend a whole day exploring the ruins of Corinth with his parents during their visit. Julia enjoyed planting some seeds (flowers and radishes) in our garden and riding her bike with the grandparents.
James got a long weekend break to visit and ski Engelberg. The weather was nice, and getting to the ski area from the train from the Zurich airport was super easy. It’s a classic Swiss mountain with some fun runs. James got some good time to recharge after a busy December.
Jessica and Julia took part of Julia’s winter break to visit London. They enjoyed riding the double decker buses, seeing the ravens at the Tower of London, and seeing a theatrical production of Disney’s Hercules.
James and Julia went up to Αράχωβα (Arachova) for two nights. We spent Saturday skiing and playing in the snow with some good friends from One Heart. It gave Jessica some good time at home with an empty house to recharge.
Challenges
One of our big challenges this winter came from our local water company. A pipe started leaking water into the street in front of our house on a Sunday. Our Greek language skills are still not good enough to navigate phone menus, so our Greek teacher graciously helped us by submitting an emergency ticket on our behalf. The water company said they would come right away. On Monday we called the water company again. Other neighbors also started calling submitting their own emergency requests for the leak. The water company said they would come soon. By the end of the week the whole neighborhood was calling and emailing the water company every day. 14 days after the leak started, they finally showed up to fix the leak. They had to dig up part of the street to get to the pipe, it was fun to watch. Thankfully it is fixed now.
Another challenge this winter has been related to a lathe. One of our refugee friends uses a wood lathe to make wooden bowls as a side business, but the lathe keeps breaking. James has so far managed to get it running again each time, but it’s been a challenge. At one point we had to replace the whole motor which was a fun adventure.
If anyone has a better brand of lathe to recommend that sells their machines and spare parts in Europe, please let us know! James has been unimpressed with this Laguna brand lathe. Maybe we just need a bigger lathe for this type of woodworking.
Looking Forward
Some things we’re looking forward to this spring and early summer are more visits from friends and family. James is also taking a quick trip to Denver for work and to catch up with some church friends. Jessica and Julia are looking forward to beach season coming soon.
We’re also looking forward to building stronger relationships with some friends we’ve made though Julia’s school, and also strengthening friendships through our local church.
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