By Alexia Martha Symvoulidou
I remember
my childhood
June / my birthday month
Peaches rinsed in the Mediterranean
Wheatish complexion colored by the sun
Sticky watermelon juices
Nap in the shadow of pine trees and tamarisks
Long mountain excursions by car
Long summer months at the village with the grandparents
September
Hot days, cool nights
Playground after school
Almond chocolates from grandpa
Weekends at grandma’s
Play with the dollhouse and painting
Strolls in the center of Athens
Street names: Ifaistou, Athinas, Omirou, Nikis
Trips to mount Parnitha
We learn to recognize the plants, the birds, the insects
I get frustrated cause I don’t like grandpa’s cooking
My friends are called Elena, Zoi, Dimitris, Giannis, Mirka
My parents’ friends live in other areas of Athens
They often go for holidays to their villages
I have a couple of friends from other countries too
I never learned how to bike (Athens is full of cars)
December
Ermou street is adorned with lights for Christmas
The air smells of freshly baked chestnuts
We are waiting for Santa Claus (the presents, that is)
I wish for snow, I get hail
But when it snows, the white mountaintops are magical
We make a snowman on the balcony, while we still can
April
It’s almost Easter
I am already panicky about fireworks
Everything blooms
Poppies everywhere
At the village I play with sheep and ride on donkeys
If it’s warm, we might dive in the river
And dad might catch a trout or two
The lamb on the spit, traditional music, drunk relatives around
Back in Athens
National Gallery, Natural History Museum, children’s theater
A few more weeks with dad gone at work and then it’s summer again.
I live
my childhood
June / my birthday month
Blueberries rinsed in the North Sea
Pearl-white skin, straw hat, tons of sunscreen
Sticky wild peach juices
Nap in the shade of chestnut and maple trees
Long dune excursions by train
We send postcards and pictures to the grandparents
September
Wellies and the first rains
Playground after school
Carrot cake, bites stolen from mom’s
Weekends dad is home
Play with clay and books and piano
Strolls in the center of Haarlem
Street names: Grote Houtstraat, Korte Zijlstraat, Gedempte Oude Gracht
Trips to Elswout forest
We learn to recognize the plants, the birds, the insects
I get frustrated cause mom won’t let me eat more fries (or ice cream)
My friends are called Pablo, Matthijs, Maia, Katelynn, Dicky James
My parents’ friends live in other Dutch cities
From time to time they go on holidays at their homelands
I have a couple of Dutch friends too
I already know how to bike
Bike lanes extend to infinity in front of me
December
Grote Markt is adorned with lights for Christmas
The air smells of freshly baked oliebollen
We are waiting for Sinterklaas (the presents, that is)
I wish for snow, I get wind and rain
But when it snows, the frozen canals are magical
We run to the ice skating rings, without caring for the bruises on our knees
April
It’s almost Easter
I can’t wait to find the eggs hidden by the bunny
Everything blooms
Poppies everywhere
At Texel we visit the farms with the newborn sheep and go seal-watching
If it’s warm, we might take off our coats and go to the beach for seashells
Picnic in the forest, hummus and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and fresh lemonade
Back in Haarlem
Teyler’s and Frans Hals museums and children’s theater
A few more weeks with dad gone at work and then it’s summer again.
(We might go to Greece this year)
-Alexia Martha Symvoulidou
Alexia studied architecture in Greece and the Netherlands and happily abandoned it after her Master’s degree to focus on creative writing, illustration and messily eating brunches with her partner and Wild Thing aka toddler girl. She now lives in the Netherlands, guides creative writing workshops, and is up for illustration and writing gigs. You can find her at “Alexia’s Writings and Designs” on facebook or alexia.symvoulidou@gmail.com
Cover image also by Alexia
