The Californian Fishes in the Athens Pond

My mother and father in law recently made their visit to Athens to meet baby Ezra.  They've been to Athens twice before, but it was so long ago, we were tourists ourselves.  Now with 6 years of Athens under our belts, we made it our mission to show these Californians what Athens is all about.  Before they came, Jason and I made mental lists (and iPhone notes) of places we knew we wanted to take them and then narrowed what would be feasible during their visit.  Most locals would probably scoff at our list, as Jason and I rarely venture downtown.  We don't like the traffic or the parking, so everywhere we planned to visit barely grazed downtown.  So Athenians--don't bark at me! 

They arrived late Thursday night via Groome transportation and due to Ezra's strict bedtime routine and a delayed airplane taxi, we didn't get a chance to see them.  But Jason went early Friday morning and met them for breakfast at their hotel.  Then they got the full UGA student experience: they hopped on the Family and Graduate Housing bus and headed to campus where they sat in on Jason's lecture.  Five years ago, Jason would have never let this happen because his nerves would be shot--but as a seasoned professor, guests are no big thing for him.  I heard he got a round of applause, too. 

Finally, they arrived to our house to meet baby Ezra.  Our parents are very different from one another and Jason and I always dreamed that Ezra would learn to laugh and cuddle from my family and learn good manners and the value of hard work from Jason's.  But when he was in their arms, both of our parents loved him the same way.  They gushed over his little toes and cooed over his beautiful eye lashes.  They both commented on what a lovely baby he was and told us how lucky we were to have such an easy going baby.  They both wanted to hold him and feed him.  And truly, they both loved him the moment they laid eyes on him.

We celebrated that love with lunch at our favorite little Mexican restaurant, La Parilla.  If there's one thing I know about the Vacuza side of the family, it's that if they could eat refried beans and tacos for every meal for the rest of their lives, they absolutely would.  So naturally, La Parilla was a hit.  In our opinion, it's the best Mexican restaurant in Athens.  We've yet to have a single poor experience.  It's quiet enough, has nice ambiance, the service is always wonderful, the lunch specials are great, and it's kid/baby friendly (a hard quality to find in a lot of Athens restaurants).  Jason always enjoys their quesadilla (he rants and raves about their gooey, melty cheese) and I usually get their lunch fajitas.  This visit did not disappoint.


My inlaws have a lovely little farm where they grow pistachios and apples and pomegranates and grapes which they sell at their local farmer's market.  So when I tried to think of experiences I'd like for them to have during their visit, the Athens Farmer's Market at Bishop Park was on the list.  Saturday was a chilly and Ezra is so hot natured, I thought it would be a good day to try out our Ergo for the first time.  So like a true Athenian, I strapped my baby to my chest and marched into the little market of local produce and wares.  We bought delicious focaccia bread and a hunk of cheese.  And for breakfast I picked up some yummy pastries.  My mother in law got to meet a local celebrity when she spotted the 3 Porch Farm folks at their booth.  She had followed their blog prior to her visit and was excited to meet them and talk farmer au farmer.  And Ezra just slept on my chest like a sweet little personal heater.  Success.


On Sunday, Jason insisted his parents get the Waffle House experience.  This greasy spoon of a restaurant is not a California find.  Which is funny, as there is one on every corner in Georgia, so we have plenty to spare.  And even though I can think of 7 Waffle Houses in a ten mile radius (no exaggeration), a new one just opened up on our side of town.  But it being Sunday, we couldn't get a seat so we had to go to a less popular one.  The experience is the same, I imagine.  Fast service from women who appear to have had very hard lives, while country music blares on the jukebox.  Greasy hash browns piled next to bacon and eggs which were cooked on the same unsanitized flat top as the eggs prepared five years ago.  You know, about what you'd expect.  Don't think about it and gobble it down. 




On Monday, we enjoyed an Athens favorite: Mama's Boy.  I'm proud to say that at one point, we were considered "regulars" by the waiters.  To even get a seat at Mama's Boy is a feat.  To be a regular is a major accomplishment.  Ezra enjoyed the geometric wallpaper and mason jar chandelier, while those with fully functioning digestive tracks enjoyed biscuits with jam and eggs and pineapple bread with caramel rum sauce and never ending cups of coffee. When we left, our bellies were full of a true taste of Athens and our fists were full of York peppermint patties. 

Jason and his dad had a few fix it projects around the house, so his mom and I took Ezra and the dogs to the dog park at Memorial Park.  I've been a few times before, but it was never as busy as it was at this visit.  There must have been 25 different dogs.  There were three giant Great Danes and an adorable little Chihuahua named Calvin.  Tammy and Beverly had a wonderful time sniffing and socializing and chasing one another.  The park is so lush and expansive with wooded area and a central mostly dusty dirty area where dogs like to chase and dig.  The best part is that the whole acre and a half fenced in so everyone stays put and dog owners can socialize instead of giving chase. 

  
For dinner, we went ate by candlelight at Big City Bread.  Known for their delicious pastries and twinkle light garden dining, Big City Bread was also voted one of the most child friendly restuarants in Athens, which is a fact I like to tell all non-locals as it seems rather surprising when you look at it.  But in the day, there are buckets of chalk and adorable elementary school art on the walls and sidewalks.  Whenever I've dined at Big City Bread for lunch on a weekend, I will almost always spot a family from my school.  Anyway!  The food was delicious and the restaurant was quiet and peaceful. 






On Tuesday, we started our morning by heading to the Georgia Museum of Art.  The feature exhibit was Emilio Pucci's fashions from the 50s and 60s.  Mannequins sported bright patterns and orbish hats and girdles with butt padding were displayed in glass showcases.  We all agreed that my sister in law, Jason's sister, would have enjoyed the exhibit.  Jason and his mom seemed to really enjoy the portraits, while his dad enjoyed the landscapes.  I've never cared for landscapes, and I like the portraits just fine, but my favorite is the collection of silver dishes.  I like the filigree and all the different place settings.  I get that from my mom, I think.

 

Bear Hollow Zoo at Memorial Park.  It was the perfect time to go.  All of the leaves were perfect shades of orange and gold and we mostly had the park to ourselves.  We saw the bears taking their naps and Dill Pickle, the alligator basking in the sun.  I didn't see my favorite little owl, Radar, but we did see a vulture, some tortoises, and the deer.  I have always felt so conflicted about zoos.  Caged animals, solely for the purpose of human entertainment doesn't sit well with me.  So I took my first tour at Bear Hollow with trepidation.  I was comforted by a guide who told me that all of the animals were rescues--that they were injured or kept illegally by residents and were unable to be released back into the wild.  That, coupled with the care and beautiful habitats make me feel good about spending my time on the trail.

My mother in law celebrated her birthday during our trip and just like her son, the perfect night consisted of pizza at home.  So we ordered pizza in and had salad and wine by candlelight, followed by a game of rummy with rules that consistently change in favor of my father in law who cleaned the floor with us. 


On Wednesday, we met for breakfast at the hotel and to say our goodbyes.  We had a lovely, packed visit and I think they got a true taste for Athens and got to spend a lot of quality time with their new grandson.  But even with the good times, it's always hard to say goodbye.  Being 2,000 miles away and months from our next visit makes the goodbyes even harder.  So we'll be counting the days until we can be together again but will be satisfied with our good memories for now.  :)