Abbey Road

When we found out our hotel was very near the iconic Abbey Road crossing, we had to go see it. Christmas Day seemed like the right time as traffic would be light. And it was . . . sort of. We were shocked at how many people were trying to take the same picture we were taking. Taxi after taxi drove up, spilling their contents onto the sidewalk for their version of the picture.

We waited and waited our turn . . . and we found out that many people don't understand that concept. One group that arrived after us jumped out at a very good break . . . and took the entire time to take their picture. Four other groups could have jumped in if that group hadn't been so . . . obsessed. Another group would take a picture, go off, decide they didn't like it, take another picture . . . it happened about 5 times. As it was, we finally got our picture, and we were delighted with the results.

Friendly Encounters of the Hat Kind!

Our hats were the subject of many comments as we paraded around London. On Christmas Day, we all donned our hats and went for a walk. Since one Starbucks was open not far from our hotel, we headed that way (while passing by some iconic intersections; more on that in a later post). After partaking in our favorite Starbucks drinks, the kids decided to extend their walk, but the four "old folks" headed back to the hotel.

Not far from our hotel, we saw four young people headed towards us, all wearing Santa hats. They were the second group of young people we had encountered in Santa hats, so as we walked by, I commented to them, "Nice hats." After passing them, one of them came back to ask if we would take our picture with them. One of the young women pulled out a tripod, put the camera on it, set the delay, and joined us for the picture.

The young people were French tourists who, like us, were spending Christmas in London. Two minutes later, after exchanging email addresses, we were on our way! It was such a fun encounter, and now we have some new French friends.

The Hats Go Marching!

When we first went to Europe, we had an eight hour lay-over at Heathrow. Kenneth and Melinda were to meet us there, and when they arrived we saw this:

We decided that it would be fun for all of us to have the same hat . . . and so we embarked upon a mission to find them. Eventually we found them in H & M stores in Innsbruck and Salzburg so that, by the time we got to London, we all had a hat. Good thing, too, because it was very cold. We found that having the same hat was handy - we didn't have much trouble finding each other on the streets of London, and we got many comments. The hats aren't glamorous, but they certainly are distinctive:

Melissino's Sandal Shop

If you ever go to Athens, you must visit Melissino's Sandal Shop. It is easy to find, just off Monastiriki Square near the Agora. The shop was started by the grandfather of the current owner, but it was The Poet (the current owner's father) who made the shop famous, both because he was a talented poet and a good sandal maker.

When I met the Poet forty years ago, his shop had already been visited by the Beatles and he and his shop were well on their way to stardom. Since then such celebrities as Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Sophia Loren, and Barbra Streisand have visited him, and during the 2004 Olympics, Katie Couric did one segment of the Today Show from his shop.

What makes his shop so unique? Well, aside from the plethora of sandals hanging around, the many leather bags on the wall, and the original artwork, it's the service you get. Each pair of sandals is individually fit to the purchaser's foot. Once a style is chosen, the current owner, Pantelis Melissinos, fits the sandal and takes it to his bench to cut, reglue, and nail the leather so that the sandal fits perfectly. It is not the kind of shop to go to if you only have five minutes, as it is not a process to hurry along. But it is an enjoyable time, as there is plenty to absorb. We marveled at not only the craftsmanship of the sandal making but also the talent of Pantelis, as seen in his artwork.

And then there's the price. He has three prices for his sandals - 25, 27 and 29 euros. That's it. (They were $3 when I bought 40 years ago.) Where else can you get custom fit, hand-made sandals for that?

A trip to The Poet's Sandal Shop is well worth your time. I hope you manage to get there someday!

The Sandalmaker Shop

When I visited the Athens sandalmaker's shop back in 1970, I purchased two pairs of sandals. One pair, I wore all the time; the other I saved for a rainy day (I guess). I couldn't throw the worn-out pair of sandals away, however - I loved them so much. And I didn't want to wear the other pair because I loved them, too, and didn't want to wear them out - I know, illogical and pathetic . . . but that was my thought process.

When we visited the sandalmaker's shop before Christmas, I saw he still makes the same pair of sandals I purchased in 1970 - except he adds a rubber sole now. So I purchased a pair just like my faves and brought them home. The scary thing is I walked right to my worn-out pair and pulled them out. They were such trusty sandals that served me well. I also still have all of my information about that trip in 1970, and I noted that the sandals cost me $3 (150 drachmas at the time). What a bargain!

Now I have another trusty pair, and although they didn't cost $3, they were very reasonably priced. I might finally feel like I can wear the other pair I bought in 1970, since I don't anticipate waiting another 40 years to return to Greece. So here is a picture of all three pairs

of sandals - 40-year-old new, 40-year-old old, and brand new!

Chance Encounters of the Sandalmaker Kind!

Forty years ago I was lucky enough to take a fabulous trip to Europe. When we were in Greece, we went to the flea market and found an awesome sandal shop. At that shop, our group met a group of boys from Texas. After talking with them for awhile, we figured out that one of the boys had been in the Holy Ghost and stayed in a cabin two doors up from us - when we were eight or nine. We had played kick-the-can and many other games during the summer - they were friends of the Noel family and spent the entire summer there. Turns out I went to school in Albuquerque with his cousins, and his aunt and uncle were good friends of my parents.

Fast forward forty years. While researching for our trip, I found out the sandal shop is still in business, and although the sandal maker who made my shoes no longer works there, his son is still running it. I was determined to find the shop, so we went on a discovery trek . It wasn't too hard to find, and the first night, we looked at all the different pairs of sandals he has to offer. Since most merchants in Greece only accept cash, we had to go to the bank before we could buy, so we decided to come back the next night.

When we returned the following night, the store was filled with young women, sandals strewn all over the floor. I popped my head in and told the assistant that we would come back. About five seconds later, one of the girls opened the door, leaned out and said, "Ken?" Kenneth looked up .... "Feng?" Turns out they go to UCLA together, and the three other women are also in the UCLA program. It was great fun for all of us to try on sandals and catch up on what everyone was doing.

I have decided the sandal maker's shop is a magical place for chance encounters - at least for my family.

Happy New Year

This date - 1. 1. 11 - is the beginning of another awesome year! We wish for our friends only good things throughout the year!