Journal #67 - Greece
Yassou from Greece!
Her isles and the iconic blue and white palette of her vistas are a boundless source of inspiration. It is a country that was home to some of history's favorite philosophers. Today, Greece is still remarkable to behold. Mr. Wanderer and I have been lavishing in some gorgeous sunshine across Athens, the Saronic Islands, Santorini, and Crete on this visit and loving every minute of it.
This adventure began with one of the most exciting plans of our whole Odyssey. Seven friends met us in Athens, and our group chartered a boat to sail around the islands. For many of us, this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. The group we got together and the time we shared was one of the most enjoyable and heart-warming experiences of our adventure.
Embarkation happened at a port in Athens and we quickly established a routine. The captain awoke with the sun and sailed to a destination where we would drop anchor for the afternoon. There is something peaceful about starting your day with a gentle rocking and the morning light on the sea. The mid-day would be spent at a remote inlet or off the coast of some uninhabited island. Here we would play. The group took turns jumping in the sea, trying yoga on our paddle boards, swimming to investigate some rock formations, or whatever suited our fancy that day.
Then in the late afternoon, we would set sail again and head to the next island. Each night we docked at a different harbor, taking in the flavors of every unique island. Some had ancient archeological sights nestled in their cliffs. Residents of other islands ride on donkeys and have banned cars. Most of our stops had cats roaming around who would cozy up to you if they thought you were inclined to give them food or welcome pets. We dined with a view of the water every night on fresh seafood and an obligatory order (or three) of phyllo-wrapped feta saganaki with honey.
Our captain, since none of us were certified to sail this ship, played a major role in our experience. He picked our itinerary, gave us most of the restaurant recommendations, and was the source of many, many, many stories (both with and about him). He seemed to like our gang, even passing out nicknames to several of the guys on the boat. The trip would have been immeasurably different without him.
The amount of laughter and fun, history and architecture, beauty and deliciousness all worked together to charm every one of us on this trip. These memories are special and we will cherish them for a long time. I could write entire posts about our adventures, but for now, this was, thankfully, not the end of the line for Mr. Wanderer and me in Greece - especially since we were not ready to part with her.
Our next stop was in the iconic central hub of Athens. Having grown up learning about the Ancient Greeks, for us to finally see some of their historical monuments in person felt like a dream come true. We started by visiting the largest and most iconic temple, the Parthenon. The imagery of this structure is more famed than I can describe. It is set up on a hill and overlooks the whole city. When we had sailed several miles away on our boat, we could still see its magnificence. It is easy to understand the impact and impression that would make in the Ancient world.
The whole of the city is filled with pockets of archeological sights. You could not walk in a straight line through any neighborhood without running into at least one. We saw the Temple of Hephaestus, the Ancient Agora of Athens and the Roman Agora, the Theatre of Dionysus, the Temple of Athena, and so much more. There are churches and museums, famous hills, and even the prison cell of Socrates.
These historic sights stand in dramatic contrast to the more modern constructions that current residents live and work in. Many of these more up-to-date buildings though, feel like they are deteriorating before our eyes. It is as if the ancient buildings are tearing them down, in an effort, to reclaim their rights to the land. It almost feels as if the city is being forced to leave space for its history.
The pull of the sea was strong for us though, and soon we were itching to investigate more islands. So we headed to one of the most famous Cyclades Islands, Santorini. Popular for its volcano and accompanying caldera, this island is known for being glitzy and glamorous. With iconic whitewashed buildings and blue roofing, the marketing photos strike a specific chord.
The buildings do all have whitewash and the roofs in the tourist neighborhoods are meticulously maintained. That iconography, we found, was not your prominent view inside the city though. The most eye-catching part of our panorama was the volcanic remains. So much of the landscape was dark earth and volcanic soil. The land looked dry, as if it had burned up and was left in the sun to bake.
Our experience was rather split. From a specific viewpoint (all available to be located via blogs and online maps), you can get the "perfect" picture of the maximum blue roofs and white buildings with the ocean in the background. On the other hand, if you were trying to record your experience on any other part of the island, it would more likely render brown patchy ground and voluminous tourist crowds.
Our accommodations were not overlooking the water, or exceptionally fancy. It was though, one of the filming locations from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - complete with a still from the film of the front door and a little boy running down the street next to Alexis Bledel. Well that child is now an adult, and he checked us in upon arrival.
On from Santorini, we continued to visit our final island, and last location in Greece - Crete. Now this was an island that we adored. We rented an apartment across the street from the ocean. So we would wake up in the morning, throw open the curtains, and stare at the sparkling blue. I awoke every day with a smile on my face - you practically have to with such a fantastic view. We loved the town we stayed in, walking all over and finding our favorite restaurants. We munched on a lot of delicious fresh fish and our favorite Greek appetizers.
While it is hard to pick favorites, we were deeply happy to have ended our visit to Greece on such a high note. It was the perfect setting to read Zorba The Greek, to sip herbal tea, and to look back on the fulfilling visit we had to this amazing country. We are reluctant to move on but are grateful to not be traveling too far. Our next nation is said to be the birthplace of Aphrodite - any guesses where we are off to next?
