The Sunday Getaway - 21 05 2023 - Parenting

It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon in Thessaloniki on a weekend that has left the city almost only with its registered voters. So the vibe is a bit more mellow but there’s still enough buzz as summer temperatures are back on after a few months. We’re meeting with some childhood friends for lunch, outside a lush playground at the back of the Rotunda, on what has been a few years since our last get together.

Toddlers have now turned to young boys and adolescent girls, as their parents share tidbits of their most recent accomplishment, showing pictures, videos and all. It’s a fun banter as we discuss how clued up and quirky girls are at a young age, much more than their male counterparts that are more concerned about playing ball.

On a different setting and by the city’s waterfront, we’re walking with a dear friend who’s sharing his own parental tidbits but in the opposite direction; that of parenting your elder parents. A long one as you may gather, that’s rather different in vibe, tone and style.

A lot later on the same night, a friend is telling us how she is chaperoning a group of artists in a retreat she is hosting in the city. A bunch of travelers from across Europe that in their late 20s need a bit of parenting themselves too.

But the more we mix drinks with music in the early hours of the am, I cut in to entertain a much more meaningful type of parenting. That of parenting one's self. As an airline carrier would put it "Put your own mask first, before helping others". The reason why another friends bombards her Instagram feed with simple advice on how to take care of yourself, the mind, the. body and the soul. But more on that soon on?Mnáome.com.

Meanwhile, ballots in Greece will be closing tonight, but on a rather more dear note your ballots on your favourite long-hauls from last week are in. I received greetings and photos?from a Buddhist temple in some Tibetan foothills, a tips request for a couple that are on their way to Japan?and the one that topped the list - a fortnight?replenishing retreat in Sri Lanka.

For those of you that view Greece as your next long-haul, hop on we're taking you for a ride every week on this column starting June 4th. Meanwhile, if you find yourself not ready to decide on which island to settle down your sun lounger on, give us a shout at?[email protected]

Travel On.

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