Greece Day 1- Athens Bound

Trips with our family are always memorable, especially when there is too much estrogen present. On the way to the airport, Dad spotted a new store- Trick-R-Treat. You could tell how he stereotypes that area of town when he thought aloud, “Wow, I can’t believe they choose such an appropriate name for a new nudie bar!” We fell out laughing as we explained to him that Trick-R-Treat was not an adult-oriented business but rather a costume store. Now we know where Mary gets it.

When we arrived at the Memphis airport, we seriously thought the rapture had occurred because the airport was dead. Note for future travelers- fly out of Memphis on Memorial Day. We were escorted through security with our secret Corkys BBQ sandwich for hard times and soon flew out for Detroit. The gods were smiling upon us in Detroit since we did get stuck there as is our usual modus operandi; however, as hungry as we were, none of the food in the airport measured up to our secret BBQ sandwich. We secured deluxe seats to Amsterdam right in front of the bathrooms. The clientele of the Detroit-Amsterdam flight matched the surliness of the crew. An obstinate lady was adamant about making sure her family was seated together for the flight. She almost had an altercation with the flight attendant who took out his anger on her carryon luggage by throwing it atop my backpack with computer enclosed, but mom saved the day by finding a separate home for my backpack. Oh the times! Oh the lack of Southern hospitality!

The “special” thing about trans Atlantic flights is that the crew feels the need to feed you constantly. Who needs sleep when the plane leaves at 9:30 PM! Mom, apparently needing to feel “special,” ordered a special meal which upon receipt she did not remember ordering. Let’s just say we feasted upon the cheese and crackers and the hidden BBQ sandwich. We watched the movie 27 dresses—mom stayed awake for about 20 of them—which we followed with The Devil Wears Prada.

Before we knew it, and before we had slept, we arrived in Amsterdam. After doing the security shuffle once more, we were off to Athens. Let’s just say that European airlines are doing something right- they serve real Coke and actual meals even on short flights!