Nosteimo Greece (how's that for Greek-lish?)

I am in yet another stunning country, experiencing another new culture. I arrived in Athens, Greece last week after transferring through Doha, Qatar, which was a very unique experience in itself (even though I didn't leave the airport, the landscape was stark dessert) to the welcoming arms of familiar faces, Mother, Uncle, Aunt, and cousins. Greece felt new, but at the same time somewhat familiar, having been surrounded my entire life with stories and language and Greek culture from my Uncle George, who is a Greek Canadian and whose family journey's back to holiday in his birth country every summer. As I entered yet another new culture, I did it with a new group of travel mates; new habits and people whom I had not been around in a long time. We spent a couple days in Athens exploring the ancient acropolis, an ancient structure that I am not sure I have total historical appreciation for, but was stunning in and of itself. We saw the new acropolis museum as well, a fabulous display of ancient artifacts and ruins from the acropolis. I felt a little under pressure, being back around these openly familiar people, naturally being questioned from a number of people about my summer and my lifestyle choices, but appreciated the challenge. During those first days in Athens, we visited my Uncles old suburb of Athens, saw the home where he grew up, complete with lemon and fig tree out front, the church he attended, and the dilapidated school that he learned in. It was only after the hardship of the second world war that his family decided to make the semi permanent move to Canada, which eventually turned into the permanent home for his family, a country which seemed to carry through on it's promises of a better life, but that lacked the same comforting culture of Greece, their true home. During these same first few days in Athens, I discovered the sheer pleasure of home style Greek food enjoyed in the warm outdoor air of one of the very many tavernas. After plotting our adventures for the next couple of weeks in this new country that was new to me, but so familiar to my Aunt, Uncle and cousins, we journeyed on our first out of Athens adventure to Hydra, a quaint little pedestrian and donkey only isle close to Athens, with crystal clear turquoise waters and cute ma and pop tavernas. And now, I write to you from Stoupa. A small beach town, located next to a small fishing village, on the coast of the warm Mediterranean waters in south western Greece, in the lovely Pelleponesse area of this European country. Here, an area that has been on my Aunt and Uncles agenda almost every time they venture 'home' we are with some of my uncles family, enjoying swimming in the brackish beaches that are constantly supplied with fresh mountain water, crisp and clean, an anomaly in this seemingly desert like landscape. Late night dinners at tavernas in fishing or mountain villages where everyone shares the typically wonderful and fresh dishes, where melons, oranges, lemons and figs are so wonderfully sweet and ripe, being picked and eaten so close. Where I have discovered yet another fresh, beautiful culture, and will continue to for two weeks more.