A Day of Kid’s Museums

It seems that our mornings are having later and later starts. Yesterday we were up at the normal 7 am, but we didn’t leave the apartment until 11. Same as today.

We decided to give the kids a break from the usual old rocks and boring paintings. Instead, we went to the Greek Folk Art Museum, the Greek Children’s Art Museum and the Museum of Musical Instruments.

Our first stop was a mix of folk art, which included traditional wedding and formal wear, jewelry, silverware & bowls, table cloths and blankets, puppets, etc. Each of the kids got to pick out their favourite costumes for their picture. The puppets were all shadow puppets that had apparently been part of a well-known traveling puppet show that lasted for 3 generations, starting in the early 1900’s.

Note the pompoms on the shoes. These are affectionately known as “Ice cream slippers” by our kids. They are similar to the ones that the national guards wear, though the pompoms are red.

Outside the museum, we found this church. Didn’t see any frogs or butterflies, though? Ironically, the church was being renovated!

 

Next was the Children’s Art Museum. This really wasn’t a museum, but rather a gallery of drawings by kids from around Greece, after having been exposed to some Paul Klee and Picasso artwork. Our kids got to sit in the gallery and draw pictures. S made a nice pattern, while J made a drawing. The picture is a bit non-descriptive of the museum because we weren’t supposed to take pictures.

Lunch in the park. We realized here that we were about 1 block from the hotel where we stayed when we first arrived in Greece. B was quick to point out that we were also only 1 block from a Starbucks! Though we had walked around a lot, we hadn’t noticed it there before! Good thing, too. The prices are the same, but the currency is Euros (60% higher than in Canada).

Another turtle. This one was stuck in a courtyard. Maybe a pet? The biggest one we’d seen yet.

At the Musical Instruments Museum. Lots of recorder-like instruments, lutes and liras, drums, bells, etc. Two unique ones were a long plank (2×4 x 8 feet long) that the Orthodox priests used to carry and appeared to strike with a smaller stick to let everyone know that they are coming to their isolated villages. Another was a wind-up instrument that appears to have been used by traveling musicians. 

After that, we went shopping in the tourist market areas. S and I got soccer jerseys. S’s is from one of the 3 Greek teams (similar to an NHL league, the best of which plays the best of those of other countries – such as Manchester United), and mine is from the Greek national team. S is showing off his boat that he got from G&G for his birthday.

Cute J looks on as S gets his picture taken for G&G. She’s in her new pink-embroidered shirt/dress

All 3 of us in our new shirts. B also got one, which has embroidered olive wreaths in an olympic rings pattern, but she didn’t make it into the pictures.

We finally got some powerful internet in our apartment, so no more sitting on the cold marble foyer pirating other people’s networks, but we’re not sure how reliable it will be in the days to come.

 

This morning, the kids and I went to a park at the foot of Mt. Lycavettis, while B ran up and down the stairs to train for the 10K race that is this sunday. Don’t forget to cheer her on!

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