Renewing Old Friendships

Preparing for this trip I have been in touch and arranging some long over due reunions. They involve old family friends that I haven't seen since my childhood. It has been 44 years since I last saw Stamatis. He was a very good friend to my parents, and my brother Michael and me, while we lived in Greece from 1960 until 1963. When I met him he was our night time hotel clerk and was still in University, but by 1963 he had finished University and was serving his mandatory stint as an officer in the Greek Armed services. Coincidentally Greek television was in its fledgling infancy 1963. I doubt even Stamatis could have known that his destiny was to become a well known television director. Also among his accomplishments, he is also a best selling author. Despite all of this he is making time to greet Phyllis and me at the airport when we arrive in Athens and when return from our cruise he is going to take us to his family home in Kimi on the island of Evia. So I can see his mother and another sister whom I have also not seen since leaving Greece so long ago. Fortunately is was Nafsika, Stamatis’s sister who has lived in the States for many years who has helped me facilitate this reunion. I first met Nafsika in about 1961 when my family accompanied Stamatis to his families home in Kimi. Nafsika lives near DC and I had not seen her since I was about 13 or 14 so it was definitely time I paid her a visit. Phyllis came of course and we had a wonderful afternoon and evening together. The boys joined us later for diner. It was terrific to see her again and I am glad we have renewed our friendship.

Well it is finally Monday morning. It's Phyllis's birthday and in about three hours we leave for Greece. Until then Adio