My mother's daughter

I just recovered from a wonderful 4 days with my mother here in Salonika. My first official visitor! The temperatures climbed above 35 degrees and the ice cream melted before you could say "mums" (yum in Danish). We spent a lot of down time together, walking the city or lying on my bed and couch just sorting out the business of running the world. A few really nice dinners and one night at the Electra Palace, complete with luxurious room, 2 swimming pools, hammam, sauna, jacuzzi and massage... Mmmm, well-deserved after last weeks fight against time to finish my first thesis draft.

My mom bought me a beautiful tavli board (backgammon) which will forever remind me of all those hours Yase and I spent on the balcony (Dr. B2) swearing and cursing, trying to change the luck of the game... It was a pleasure having her here, showing her around time, introducing her to Yan and Yase, Giorgos and Jenny (my Greek family) and all their hippie friends - and it was a pleasure for me to pretend to be on holiday for a couple of days. Enjoying a good dinner on the roof of the Electra Palace made me feel like I regained some part of me that I had lost for a while - and since I have now become extraordinarily good at directing my mind i.e. turning it off from thesis work and stress, it is actually possible to let the mind be empty, especially when floating around in a swimming pool all alone while listening to Mozart.