Or, how does a Jewish girl from Skokie end up in a penthouse in Athens?

Who would have thought when I told my husband I wanted to buy a little pied-a-terre in his hometown, Athens, Greece, that I’d end up with the greatest accidental career of my life? Born and raised in Chicago, my love for travel was evident early on. Perhaps it was my arrival in the world, early one December morning, way quicker than my siblings had, in fact so quick we were still enroute to the hospital, and I still hold the title of youngest patient ever admitted to that north suburban hospital! (And thus, as a Sagittarius, characteristically smitten with wunderlust). I traveled my home country extensively with my family as a child, and was fortunate to have parents who encouraged us to study a second language young. While my language of choice as a child was French, my culture of choice was Greek. My earliest jobs were always in Chicago’s Greek diners, my university days filled with hours playing backgammon in the cafeteria with my Greek friends, and my Eurail passes always started and ended my European backpacking holidays in Greece.

Falling in Love

So no one was surprised when I met Basil, a romantic writer but practicing translator and linguist, born and bred in Athens, but transplanted to Chicago, fell in love, and married him. While our life in Chicago was full, rehabbing a warehouse we purchased to house ourselves, our son and our growing Greek translation agency, I longed to plant some roots for our family in Basil’s hometown. A small studio overlooking Mount Lykavittos was to be our Athens crash pad, but thanks to what seemed then an unfortunate turn of events, our home in Athens ended up being the beautiful Athens First Luxury Duplex. Larger than we had planned, offering it as a short term furnished rental seemed the logical way to afford it. Little did we realize that it would become so popular we’d be sleeping on friends’ couches rather than in our own Athens home! Tired of being homeless in Athens, we purchased a second penthouse directly adjacent to the Athens First. In 2006 we completed the renovations of three additional short term furnished rentals. As I said early on, this is the greatest accidental business one could imagine, and I love sharing my adopted city with visitors. Our guests repeatedly thank us for the little extras that often mean so much when you are planning what is often a once in a lifetime trip. As an ex-pat in Athens, I know the wonderful off the beaten path places that can make a holiday special, and I also know how to stay on the tourist path without feeling like you are being herded along with the crowds. Feel free to email me with your questions as you plan your trip to Athens—just one of the little extras guests of Greek Vacation Rentals will find when they share our homes in Athens.