My new school takes time off for both Christian and Muslim holidays, creating plenty of opportunity for short trips.  The Eid celebration in the third week of school was our first 5-day weekend this year.

It’s still plenty hot here in Cairo but we thought it would be pleasant to soak up some of the last of Europe’s summer sun in Greece. Andreas had some family and personal business to attend to on Ikaria which gave us a good reason to book a flight to our favorite Greek island. We are also looking to buy a vacation home on the island, and we could do some exploring with that in mind.

For a long time I refused to fly to the island. I am pretty much over that now. Besides, if we took the ferry, by the time we got there it would be almost time to start home.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We spent a lot of the weekend driving around looking at houses in various villages.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

One village we liked a lot is called Therma. It has radioactive hot springs that have made it a spa destination since ancient times. When Andreas’s friend Georgia was a little girl, her parents ran a guesthouse here for vacationing Greeks. Now she has renovated the building and she invited us to stay in her bright modern flat.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We looked at Agios Kyrikos, the capital and largest town (3,243 people) on the island. It’s too urban for my taste but it’s a nice place to visit.

Welcome to the island of Ikaria

The plaza is filled with outdoor restaurants

Still small enough that everybody knows everybody

As a place to buy a home, my first choice is the charming port town of Evdilos. At just under 3000 people, it’s the second largest community on the island. It feels like a village but has everything you could need.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We also made our ceremonial visit to Arethousa, where Andreas’s parents were both born and where he still has plenty of cousins.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We enjoyed plenty of that fresh Ikarian cuisine

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

And at long last Andreas finally got all the paperwork for his citizenship card completed. It has been… eight years???

The dima (like a county clerk’s office) in Evdilos where Andreas has spent way too many hours

Waiting at the police station in Agios Kyriokos for the final step

But wouldn’t you know, they needed one more day to print up his residency card, and we had to leave the next morning. I guess it never hurts to have another another reason to go back to the island.

Also, we didn’t find that perfect house. Maybe next time.

Picture us right here.