Shannon Murphy Rocks on The Voice of Ireland

I just wanted to insert a post with her name as the highlight of the title to get her a little extra PR.

Her rival today was Sinaed something. She is fine but not nearly as good as Shannon. But she had a lot better public relations and so got more public votes. She was out singing at elder-bingo in Ballyfermot, rocking the vote.

Long story short it was Sinaed v. Shannon. Sinaed won but Shannon got the hail-mary vote and got kept on.

I encouraged one of Shannon's peeps at the after-show to up her PR. Here's my effort to help her.

GO SHANNON MURPHY! You rock! You remind us of an Irish Carrie Underwood!

The Twelfth Sunday: Easter in Dublin and Go Shannon Murphy

I will get back to finishing up our spring break holiday, but must interrupt that flow with an Easter update.

Sheila and I woke up this morning after tying one on with Dervla and Anne-Marie last night until one a.m. (only to realize while walking home that Ireland was changing time on the 31st and that it was actually 2 a.m. !?!) to two really excited kids ready to head on the hunt for their Easter baskets.

The Easter Bunny back home has a tradition of sending the kids on a little scavenger hunt where they find clues in eggs that lead them from one egg to the next and, ultimately, to their basket. The tradition, apparently occurs here as well, but the clues were much more difficult. Maggie, for instance, got a clue about an egg sitting next to similar items that come from all over the world, particularly France, Italy, Spain, Argentina and Australia.*

Anne Marie told Sheila about a noon-mass at Guardian Angels so we met them there after some good French Toast and chocolate.

This was my first experience at an Irish Catholic Mass and my eyes were opened.

WIDE.

Get this. The priest dropped the F-bomb.**

Seriously.

Here's the quote: "We're going to over our Baptismal promises. Some people believe. Some people don't believe. And there's something in-between. If you're somewhere in-between, you'd better go talk to somebody because you need help. If you're a believer, you'd better get the fek out there and start living a good Christian life."

My bold. 

Then he went on to tell us that there were three good Western's on this afternoon that we should catch on television including High Noon, with John Wayne and Natalie Wood.

And that's how he tied it all together by saying that Natalie Wood is dead and that she didn't find Jesus but that Jesus found her.

Wow.

It was impressive.

Dervla then picked us up and we headed to Deer Park where they were having this little festival for kids that had an Alice-in-Wonderland theme and included several rides, face painting, crafts and an egg hunt.

Johnny and Pierce did the pugil stick fight.

It was cute and free but it was cold so we didn't stay long.

The big hit of the day, however, aside from priests cussing, was getting to see The Voice live at the Helix in Dublin. 

It was really fun to see how live television works and the kids loved it. We hung around for a bit after the show to meet a few of our favorite contestants.

John: Future judge?

This is Andy. He was awesome but got kicked off tonight. We bought him a pint after the show. Seriously. Would this happen at home?

This is John Gaughan. He rocks.

This is Shannon Murphy. She's my favorite. She's like an Irish Carrie Underwood. I hope she wins.

*The egg was planted near our stash of wine.

**I'm working on an entire post devoted to the Irish and the F-Bomb. It'll be a long one.

The Road to Koronisia

Monday was Independence Day in Greece!

Paris was to march in the city-wide parade so we headed downtown in the morning to see. It looked like rain and weather was clearly headed our way.

Without notice, the parade went on a half hour earlier, in anticipation of the weather and we missed it.

Instead though, we headed up to see Jeanne's mother-in-law, Marina.

I have to say that this single half-hour chunk of time may have the largest impact on me and my family than any other portion of our entire time spent abroad.

Marina lives a few houses down from where Jeanne and Yiorgos used to live in the city of Arta on a steep street of Greek "row houses" that look out over the rest of the village and the valley toward the sea. The mountains are mainly behind the village. I'm not sure if they call the houses row houses in Greece, but I know no other way to explain them. The houses are white stucco (I think) and have a front patio filled with lovely flowers and clearly vines that cover a type of pergola that are probably stunning in the summer. The homes themselves are short one and two-story houses that are essentially one room across and extend two or three rooms to the back patio all linked by a long hallway. The houses next door are all connected with no yards in-between.

Marina and her dog at her gate.

We were greeted at the gate by her large and very friendly dog (I can't remember his name... Jeanne?) who we immediately fell in love with. He is big and looks tough, but you could see his gentle, loving eyes.  Marina came out to greet us and make sure her dog was behaving. She doesn't speak English but Jeanne does an excellent job translating and we had no trouble communicating. She remembered me from our last visit (14 or 15 years ago) and commented on my short hair. She invited us in to her tidy home and served us juice on a beautiful silver tray. We sat in her front room and chatted.

Marina was shy in front of the camera. Johnny took these photos.

It is clear how intelligent, wise, loving and generous this 83 year old woman is. Johnny and Maggie did great, sitting and chatting in her humble house. She commented on how "healthy" the kids looked and it was unavoidable to not compare the excesses of American life to the typical life in Greece. All four of us could easily shed a few extra pounds and have clearly not had to worry about necessities in terms of nourishment. Marina talked about her own kids being all bones and having their ribs showing. Neither of us were being or feeling disrespected in this conversation -- she wasn't saying our kids are fat and spoiled... The comparison is just unavoidable. At one point something was said that made it clear to Johnny that she couldn't read and he was astonished that someone that age couldn't read. He doesn't think of reading in terms of a privilege yet, but instead a skill one learns over time and in his mind probably accomplishes by second or third grade for sure! She asked about Maggie, aware that we had been focusing on Johnny, and we told her that she had just had her thirteenth birthday and that she had gotten to go see her favorite band in concert. Another obvious implication that we have a little extra money to spend and Marina commented to Jeanne about this, again, not disrespectfully, just in a matter-of-fact way that was untranslatable. It was an amazing lesson for my kids to see this. We sat on chairs and a bed that were on a rug that she and her sister had made for her dowry, over sixty years ago. It was in immaculate condition, obviously a) made extremely well, and b) taken care of. It was amazing and gorgeous. At one point our discussion went to the recent loss of her husband and she teared up and let me hug her. Jeanne translated that "we can't go together" and I nodded, tearing up myself. In Greek tradition, she will always wear black now. Always be in mourning. Pictures of him, her kids and her kids-kids covered her walls and shelves and she carefully showed me these moments of her life. I loved it.

It was impossible also, not to compare her to Sheila's mom who, while she is several years younger, feels and seems about thirty years younger. Sheila's mom went to college and reads and was a teacher.

Moreover, Sheila's parents are headed to Ireland to see us this Wednesday and then, in the middle of their time here, they will head on their own adventure down the Seine and then back again to see us. They've been careful to say that they don't want too much on their plate in terms of tourism in Ireland ("we are OLD"). That they just want to see us and visit. But still. They are coming to Europe and have the health, and energy, and resources to do it. They are not THAT old.

Disparities, while inevitable (I'm an economist, so I can't honestly believe that socialism works even though I do have a soft-spot for the ideals of it) seem criminal. Of course, there are incredible disparities in the US and people suffering and I am not trying to minimize that. It's just that we don't see it so clearly and personally very often.

Marina's husband died a few months ago of lung cancer. Jeanne commented that he had quit smoking for some twenty years at that point but we immediately made the connection that perhaps his lung cancer came from the black mold on the ceiling and walls of their damp and ever-moist house. I have no idea if there is a causal link or not between the mold and the cancer, but I can tell you that I would not be able to spend a night in the damp house without having some kind of an allergic reaction. I have no idea the extent to which the darkness on the ceiling or walls is mold or has spores or what would/could be done in the US about the problem, but I do know that the Greeks, at least most of the Greeks don't have the money to deal with it.

When we were about to leave Marina lamented the fact that she had nothing to give us. Instead she offered to think of us and ask about us to Jeanne. We stopped to take pictures in her gorgeous garden and she gave us all flowers from her little tree. It was all just amazing and I so enjoyed the time spent with her.

Jeanne, Maggie, Marina, Me and Johnny

The kids with their flowers.

A garden across the street.

Marina's patio.

We then headed out to meet Yiorgos, Nick and Paris at a restaurant on an island called "Koronisia." Yiorgos called Jeanne about six times warning her that there were some "little waves" on the road but not to worry.

Here's a Youtube video of what the "road to Kornisia" (Κορωνησία) looks like on a lovely, sunny day.  By the time we got to the road though, it was covered with rocks and the waves crashed over our entire car. I was driving (Jeanne's back) and was fairly terrified. I wish we had taken a video from the front seat, but Maggie got a little snapshot from the backseat. The ominous clanking was just a loose thing on the roof of their car, no worries there!

 We made it safely (surprisingly) and ate another wonderful meal at a little seaside restaurant.

Johnny and I wandered the beach a bit before we headed back. Yiorgos saw how much worse it was on the road for us than it had been for him an hour or so earlier so he called and somehow managed to get the road maintenance crew out before we had to head back over the rocks.

Sunday in Preveza

On Sunday we all woke up slowly and headed out on an excursion to Preveza (Πρέβεζα), a little city located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf.

On the way to the city Jeanne showed us several points of interest, in particular the "Nicopolis" or "City of Victory." This was an ancient city of "Epirus" founded in 31 BC by Octavian (Julius Caesar's 18-year old adopted son and heir) in memory of his victory over his sister, Cleopatra and her B.F., Antony at the Battle of Actium in the previous year.*

We went to the site where the battle occurred. At the moment we walked up to the site a sheepherder had followed his flock into the area. The site was, clearly, much more serene than back in Anthony and Cleopatra's day. 

 After the battle Octavian created the "city of victory" (Actia Nicopolis) in 31 BC to memoralize his victory at Actium. The city was spectacular and held extraordinary views over the Ambracian gulf and into the Ionian Sea (see below).** The ruins have been studied and indicate a highly civilized populace. Octavian held festivals held in honor of Apollo and Poseidon and there is evidence of musical and athletic competitions held in the city.

The theatre (above) had a rectangular state building and a gymnasium and bath complex linked to it.

Octavian (who later became known as Augustus Caesar) placed his headquarters on the hill of Michalitsi after the battle and dedicated the height to Apollo. According to the legend on the site he "built a victory monument which he adorned with booty and the rams of the enemy's ships." The houses in the area had mosaic floors, inner courtyards and private baths.

The whole area flourished during early Christian times but Bulgar incursions in the 10th century led to gradual abandonment of Nikopolis.

 

After all of this history we headed to Preveza for some seaside relaxation and refreshments.

We wandered through the city, Paris kicking a ball with Johnny the whole way. Their favorite place was packed so we passed and found a great little spot to sit down.

There is nothing like Greek food ordered and organized by an outgoing and gregarious Greek. Yiorgos ordered us some excellent fish, toast, french fries, wine, calamari, garlic potatoes, eggplant and roe. He talks with everyone. Maybe its because he knows everyone, or knows their father or uncle or some other relative. He was a policeman and seemed to have connections everywhere. If he didn't, his confident swagger, and inquisitive and joking interactions just make people feel comfortable. At this restaurant, I saw him chatting in the kitchen with the owner/cook. When Jeanne translated, he was finding out all about her life, where she grew up and how long she had been married.

After lunch we wandered through the city and then to the gulf to look around and, of course, get some ice cream.

Jeanne and Yiorgos showed us these signs on the posts notifying people of local deaths and their funerals.

And here is a beautiful garden, typically Greek. Yiorgos and Jeanne said that the little shack in the back was used as a kitchen and there is a well in front of it. Notice the lemon tree and the gorgeos linen in the windows.

Here is us by the sea.

* The romance between Anthony and Cleopatra was bound to be a political scandal. Octavian thought that Cleopatra and her son Caesarion (son of Julius Caesar) were were his only real threat to power, so when Tony broke with his wife (Octavian's sister) for the Egyptian hottie, Cleopatra, Octavian took it to mean that Tony was trying to break up the Roman even though Anthony and Octavian had been besties and fought for the Roman Republic together in the civil war after Caesar's assassination. Roman politicians thought Anthony moved to Egypt and took up with Cleopatra just to expand his influence.

The Battle of Actium between Octavian and Antony/Cleopatra was the decisive confrontation of the Final War of the Roman Republic. It was a naval engagement fought between the forces of Octavian versus Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC, on the Ionian Sea. Octavian's victory enabled him to consolidate his power over Rome and its dominions.

** The victory had significant and long-reaching ramifications. It was thought that the victory successfully unified the Roman Empire under one and created a major transportation and communications point linking the eastern and western halves of the Mediterranean.