Pre-history

I would like to tell the story of Marisoula, lots of people knew her, but others will learn about her from these pages. A really sweet girl and a fantastic woman, who with her lust for life and positive energy inspired all around her. She became only 33 years old, but in these years she did more than many in three times that much. Despite pain and practical problems because of OI (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) she had always a smile and a cheerful joyful disposition, and with courage and perseverance she managed to realize all her goals and dreams. With her sayings as “complaining and worrying is a waste of time and energy” and “every day to do something fun” Marisoula gave a bright example, with which she still can help and inspire people.

A Dutch-Greek Couple

But before I start with Marisoula’s story, first something about the family history, to sketch time and place. I am Marie-Claire Bergé (Dutch, from Breda, historian) who during an Interrailtour met Georgios Katarachias (Greek, from Trikala, captain Greek Merchant Navy) on 14-8-1976 in front of the Archeological Museum in Athens.

After a brief introduction and ten long letters he asked me to marry him (like in a Harlequin novel), one year after our first meeting we got engaged, Georgios got a ship with contract between Dordrecht and Huelva and I started to learn Greek. We married on the 28th of June 1976, in Breda, in the Town hall and in the Great Church, and after our honeymoon trip to Greece, we married again on 30 July in the Greek Orthodox Church in Athens.

Nearly a year I could travel with Georgios on his ship. When I became pregnant, I went by way of Breda, to Greece, to Galatsi to finish our house. Georgios came home good in time for the birth of our daughter Eleni, who had his beautiful chestnut eyes and dark hair.

The reality of a seaman is that he has to travel 9 till 10 months and then come home for 3 months vacation, without internet and mobile phones, letters were the only form of communication, rarely in a port he could go to a telephone-office to call home, but you had to be home at that (with time-difference unforeseeable) time. During a summer at my parents in Breda Georgios could visit us, that was a lucky interval, but daily life wasn’t easy. After a difficult year, where I had a miscarriage and my father-in-law died, I got the chance to travel again with Georgios, now together with Eleni, who was then 2 years old. It was a beautiful family-cruise to Vietnam and Thailand, which had as result that I became pregnant again.

Our second daughter was born on Sunday 21 November 1982, she was blond with grey-blue eyes and she got the name Maria-Athanasia (Maria from my family and Athanasia of Georgios’ father), we called her Marisoula (Athanasia means immortal).

A ‘Dutch Girl’ in Athens

We agreed with Georgios, that he would always come home for the birthdays and the holidays, and that we would pass the summer months in Breda, with my parents, so that we had the possibility to see him when his ship would come to Antwerp or Rotterdam. I spoke Dutch with the children and Greek they learned from Dad, Giagia / Grandma and at school, so they had two languages, a Father- and a Motherland, two cultures.

It was funny that Eleni, with her Greek beauty, was so Dutch, while Marisoula, who was called by everyone ‘Mikri Ollandeza’ / Dutch Girl (with her blond braids exactly the cheese girl from the ads), had more the Greek spirit and character.

– Marie-Claire / Klairy Katarachia Bergé, mother of Marisoula

Curious about Marisoula’s story? Then read her biography.