Hearts melt as grandad finally travels to Greek hometown at 89 years old

A heartwarming social media video that chronicles an 89-year-old American granddad’s first trip to Greece, the country where his parents were born and from where they emigrated to the U.S., has moved audiences across the Internet.

The TikTok post recounts, through a series of warmly lit videos, what user @AnnaMG24’s ‘papou’ (what she affectionately calls her grandfather in Greek), got up to on his incredible trip.

The man appeared to be overwhelmed with emotions ranging from pride to delight as he was captured walking along Greece’s cobbled pavements with his walking stick in tow.

The viral video shows the man driving through the Greek countryside against the sunset, visiting the country’s famous historical sites, strolling on islands, and enjoying shots of Greece’s best-known alcoholic drink, ouzo.

While the video in its entirety has warmed plenty of hearts online, standout moments from the joyful montage include the moment the grandfather was captured holding a Greek flag up proudly on a windy mountainside, and when he put his dancing skills on show in bustling tavernas by dancing in the traditional Greek style with plenty of friends and acquaintances.

The video, which was compiled and shared to TikTok by the man’s granddaughter, has been viewed more than 900,000 since it was first shared on the social media platform on June 14.

The video was captioned: “It took our papou 89 years, but he finally got to Greece!! Can’t not cry at his pure joy and pride”, while “pure happiness” was written across the video.

The European nation, nestled in the eastern portion of the Mediterranean Sea, is visited by an average of 30 million international tourists per year, making it a popular holiday destination for sunseekers near and far.

What Do the Comments Say?

The vivid glimpse at ‘papou’s’ adventures in Greece has tugged at heartstrings across the Internet. The video has been liked by over 107,000 users and commented on more than 1,000 times to date.

“My soul needed this. He looks so happy and content. He was meant to be there and looks at home. Love it,” one user wrote.

“Using the cane to walk but dancing hands-free is killing me,” another user joked, in reference to how the 89-year-old was caught gladly dancing without the support of his walking stick but appeared to be reliant on it at all other times during the trip.

One TikTok-er commented: “I’m so glad he got to go.”

The TikTok post can be seen here.

Newsweek reached out to @AnnaMG24 for comment via TikTok.

Newsweek’s “What Should I Do?” offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.