My adopted Greek grandfather

Today the weather in Athens was beautiful, sunshine and 70s. I went for a run and when I got back to my apartment I decided to sit outside on the steps for a bit and enjoy the day. Shorts in Greece are not common until the middle of the summer and most people will only exercise in gyms. So the fact that I was sitting outside of my apartment building wearing workout shorts and running gear, made me curious to the people passing by. This nice, grandfatherly Greek man came up to me and asked if I was "trying to get brown". I smiled and said, "yes I am trying to get tan." To which he replied, "You are very white. You should not sit in the sun for long, you will get red because you are very white, you see?" He told me that I was not used to the sun (I guess he couldn't tell that I was from California) and that I needed to get sun lotion. He recommended that I go to the islands to enjoy the sun, "but only if you get sun lotion first". I wanted to give him a hug. His concern about me, a total stranger, was heartwarming and reminded me of family at home.