We just started and came to the end of what was supposed to be a 3-month worldschooling trip across Europe. Athens, Greece was our first stop, but it ended up being our only stop, thanks to COVID-19. And although the coronavirus brought everything to a screeching halt, I’d still like to share what we were up to because we really did have fun while it lasted.

Our trip was interesting from the very beginning. Before we left home, my 10-year-old asked if she could bring my very best dressmaking shears on the trip. Umm…that’s a no.

So fast-forward to Customs…

Security guy: Ma’am, do you have any sharp objects or weapons in your bag?

Me: No, definitely not. [I said this with great confidence because I personally checked and re-checked each backpack before leaving the house. I got this.]

Security guy: Please come over here while we check this bag.

He points to my eldest’s backpack.

Then he proceeds to pull out a black sheath containing what I know to be the sharpest scissors known to mankind. Or at least the sharpest ones available with a Prime membership. He holds them up, and I think an epic soundtrack started playing slowly in the background. He looks at me and cocks his head to the side like, “Really, dude???”

I immediately look at my daughter who has turned purple. She avoids eye contact, but that bottom lip is trembling so I’m certain that she knows things aren’t going well for her.

Then he grandly tosses my beloved shears into the garbage.

I stand there, stunned, for just a moment. And then I realize that there is a great lesson to be learned here. I turn to my purple offspring and simply say, “I’ll be placing an Amazon order using your debit card as soon as we land.” #naturalconsequences

Upon arriving in Athens, we made our way to the Airbnb and began to make ourselves at home. The highlights of our visit were:

• Riding the Athens Happy Train around town.
• Walking around Plaka – the oldest district in Athens, continuously inhabited for over 3,000 years. The shops were touristy, but the shopkeepers weren’t pushy, and we enjoyed perusing.
• Exploring the Acropolis, one of the most famous ancient archaeological sites in the world. “Over the centuries, the Acropolis was many things: a home to kings, a citadel, a mythical home of the gods, a religious center and a tourist attraction. It has withstood bombardment, massive earthquakes and vandalism yet still stands as a reminder of the rich history of Greece.” While there, we also visited the Acropolis Musuem. This day was definitely the highlight of our time in Athens.
• Watching a film in Greek, with English headphones, about life in the deepest part of the sea at the Eugenides Foundation Planetarium.
• Spending the day completely alone in the Goulandris Natural History Museum. It was just us and the employees the entire time. I couldn’t help wondering if we were starring in the next Jordan Peele movie. It was so strange to be in a museum with literally no other patrons. The cool thing was that the kids could do whatever they wanted with no risk of disturbing others.
• Visiting the Attica Zoological Park where we spent the afternoon playing and watching a cute dolphin show.
• Hiking up Mount Pentelicus – one of the five mountains defining the metropolitan area of Athens.  It’s famous for the marble extracted from its quarries, which was used to build the Acropolis. The trail was dotted with tiny ornate chapels, and we had a great guide, Jack, that I found on Airbnb. I thought I was going to die on this hike because I carried my 4-year-old uphill for most of it as his little legs just couldn’t keep up. Now I feel like I should make a donation to Ergo because that carrier was stretched to its limit with his big behind, and it held strong.
• Strolling through The Athens National Garden, a beautiful 40-acre green space in the middle of Athens. It has seven entrances, six lakes filled with ducks and turtles, 7,000 trees, and a handful of goats and peacocks. The amazing trees for my big kids to climb and my four-year-old’s squeals of delight and rapid-fire commentary on each and every living thing made this ordinary afternoon an extraordinary one.

We had plans to visit several other places in Athens, but things started closing down because of coronavirus social-distancing. That was our first clue that things were taking a turn for the worse.

Here’s a quick peek at our home away from home while here in Athens:

What made me laugh: This bookstore because this is what I picture our home looking like by the time my youngest graduates our homeschool. It was completely impossible to shop in there, but I got a chuckle out of it every time I walked by.

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What we read while here: We revisited The Wonder Book and The Wanderings of Odysseus – books that we previously read – mostly focusing on connections made here that relate to stories told in those books. I read History News: The Greek News aloud for fun each day, and everyone got a kick out of it. My girls read Usbourne Greek Myths for Young Children to each other in their room at night. We had those last two on our shelves from when we used Sonlight back in the day. I impulsively grabbed them at the last minute to bring with, and I’m glad I did.

What I’m glad I brought with me: Each kid had a plastic bento box from home in his/her backpack. I used them to pack their dinners for the long flight because I wasn’t sure what they’d serve on the plane, but I’ve been using them for leftovers and to pack snacks when we leave the house. I’m positive that they have aluminum foil and ziploc bags here, but I haven’t found any, so these came in handy.

Biggest challenge: Cooking and laundry, hands down. When we arrived, the Airbnb owner informed us that the oven and stove were broken. No microwave. One 3-inch knife. He kindly provided a hot plate and toaster oven, but…there are 6 of us. So cooking even the most basic meals has been a hassle because I have to cook in batches. For instance, the hot plate doesn’t heat enough to boil a big pot of water, so I have to boil multiple little pots and serve pasta according to who is the most hungry. And the washing machine is teeny tiny, so we have to wash every time we change clothes. Then we hang those clothes out to dry for the day. The kids can’t usually re-wear the same clothes because we’re out and about all day, and they get filthy (climbing trees, sitting on smashed olives, dripping ice cream, touching ev.er.y.thing). And the mini-washing machine, the hot plate, and the toaster oven all share one plug, so we can only run one at a time. Ugh. [Update: Once my loving frugal hubby flew back to the States, I switched up this losing game. We ate out every day. It was super cheap, fresh, and delicious. Sorry, babe! I love you though.]

What I wish was different: We didn’t connect with the local people here. I don’t want to make sweeping statements as I’m certain that there are many lovely Greek people all over, but we did not encounter many on this trip. Generally speaking, they have been rude. There have been a few (literally three) nice people, but most have been unhelpful and unkind. I’ve received feedback from friends who have lived here and others who have visited, and the consensus is that they don’t like us because (1) We are American, (2) We are black, or (3) Coronavirus freak out. I have theories on all of this, but suffice it to say, our enjoyment of the city was not people-oriented.

What we splurged on: A private family tour of the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum with a guide who specializes in working with children. I’m ashamed to even say how much this cost, but it was worth every penny. Going to look at these ruins without a guide to tell all the stories would have been pointless.

What I liked best: Greek salad. I could literally eat it every day. Well, actually, I did eat it every day. I tried to concoct the very simple salad at home, but it didn’t come out nearly as well, so I went back to buying one daily. I saw a magnet in a gift shop with the recipe, and I’ve figured out where I was going wrong. It said to add a FULL CUP of olive oil. So much for the American diet drizzle. The oil must make all the difference in the world. I also adore the pedestrian way of life. We walk everywhere!

What we saw from home: Starbucks, McDonalds, Dominoes, KFC, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Nike, IKEA (Oh wait! That’s not even an American company). We visited Starbucks twice, and I got an ice cream from McDonald’s once for my little guy who was having a rough afternoon.

Biggest rookie mistake: We arrived on a Sunday and weren’t really hungry, so we just ate snacks from our backpacks that evening. On Monday, we got ready to head to the grocery store and found that the neighborhood was dead. No one was really out. Everything was closed down or abandoned. Eventually, we stopped and asked directions to the nearest grocery store. The lady looked at us like we were nuts, and informed us that it was a national holiday, and nothing was open! It was Clean Monday or Ash Monday, the first day of lent in Eastern Christianity – just like our Ash Wednesday. Luckily, we found a convenience store where we could at least buy cereal. Note to self: Look up the local holidays before visiting a new country.

Overall, we had a nice time in Athens. I’d love to return to Greece in the summer to visit the islands and spend time on the beach because it wasn’t warm enough to do so this time around. And though our time there was tarnished by the coronavirus situation, I’m thankful that we were able to get a lot in before our worldschooling trip began unraveling.