My hip Greek mom away from home

True to form, after a short ferry and bus ride from Zakynthos, our arrival in Patras was met with open arms and smiling faces from our welcoming Greek hosts who were looking forward to sharing the treasures of Patra with us during the next three days.  I had the fortune of staying with Kyria Lilly, who has an apartment in happening downtown Patra - I immediately felt right at home!  Gracious and open-hearted just begin to describe warm spirit of Kyria Lilly, who went out of her way to make my stay in her beautiful home very comfortable.  Her home reflected her zest for life and was full of happy photographs of friends and family, including her adorable grandchildren - all the best to them!  Our conversations flowed easily and after mere hours together, I felt like I had known her forever - perhaps we were long lost souls who were friends in a previous life. We shared personal stories over morning coffee (Ms. Lilly always made sure to make frappé, my favorite!) and laughed about the day's events together over a homemade snack (toast, another Greek favorite of mine) before retiring to our rooms for the night (she also allowed me to highjack her computer every night - yay Internet!).  It would be impossible to capture every special moment we shared during my stay, but one that bares mention is Kyria Lilly excitedly arranging for me to meet, for the first time ever, my 92-year-old great aunt, Angelica, who lives in a little village just outside of Patra named Halandritsa, where my father was born and raised.  Words alone cannot describe the emotional significance of my visit with Thea Angelica, but suffice it to say that it was an experience that I will cherish forever.  My farewell with Lilly was conditioned upon her promise that I would see her again, either in Patras or  Philadelphia which I look forward to fondly. 

Anastasia