Hi there!
Today is kind of a brisk day, fall is definately upon us. I've really been enjoying the changing of the seasons here, but I'm feeling some longing for my midwestern fall.
I want to be at Goebert's, looking at pumpkins and watching the kids playing. I want to go to a haunted house, and dress up as something funny-scary-disturbing.
Fall has always been my time. It has always made me sad and I love it.
Anyway, after Kithera, I was so alive and in love with everything. I was really looking forward to taking a train around the Peloponnese, reading and writing in my journal, pausing frequently to see the trees passing by.
Gythio, where I landed there, was really difficult for me. It was different from the Greece I knew. I felt unwanted. I would walk around any time during the day, and get constant harrassment from men. Really bold, they would hiss as me, make lewd faces and say strange things. I was afraid to go out at night, so I would stay in my room and drink a beer and read. I tried not to let it affect me, but it got me down. Especially after the warmth of Kithera. It was obvious that I didn't belong there.
So, I thought about my choices; continue with my plan around the Peloponnese, go somewhere else?, but slowly, my mind would turn back to my friends in Chania.
Maria has become one of the best friends I have ever had. She's really smart in so many ways and we're learning alot from one another. And, if it isn't obvious to you, Marinos and I have also become very close.
I made up my mind to come back to Chania. I'll admit that is wasn't an entirely comfortable decision. It seemed weak of me to be running back to something so familiar and easy. This trip wasn't supposed to be like that, I planned to learn about things, myself and new experiences. But I'm cutting myself some slack here. I am learning. I can almost have a conversation in Greek, I'm working on my yoga and finally reading the Jerzy Kosinski book that everyone has recommended to me. Plus I really like it here, they way people speak to each other, they really listen and care about one another. There is an enormous honesty in life here and I never knew I needed it so much.
So, enough of this stuff. I know the only reason you read this is for the pictures, I managed to get a few good ones in Gythio in the only place I felt comfortable, this small penninsula with pine trees and a light house and these incredible things...View image View image View image View image
Here's Gythio View image View image cool boat huh?
Here's a few of the times I've been having lately....View image View image
View image
View image Yamas Everybody!
P.S. I'm getting all of my pictures organized on various yahoo-webspaces. If you are interested, I can send you the addresses, but I'm not going to post them on the site, so just let me know.
Hi y'all. It's been awhile since my last entry and I have lots to tell and show you. Maybe you should get a cup of coffee or something, we're gonna be here a while................
Two Sundays ago, my Greek friend Marinos and I, along with his motorcycle, took the ferry to Kithera.
It's a medium sized island just off the south coast of the Peloponnese peninsula. I had heard of its reputation of being a haven for pirates and more recently, lots of Australian-Greeks.
Arriving at the port there, you see this View image
Creepy huh!? We later learned the story behind it from our new Australian-Greek friend Georgos (more on him later). It seems that this ship captain was drunk on vodka and thought that the tiny island was the port. Obviously, he hit the rocks and the ship sunk. Luckilly, he was okay (but now probably job-less) and they were able to remove the cargo from the ship safely (it was an oil tanker). The port authority tried to remove the wreck but it broke in half and sank to where it is today. I knew right away that Kithera is cool!
So, Marinos and I drove to the south part of the island and tried to find a room. Tourist season being totally over, we were a bit worried as to what we were going to be able to find. Did we ever start getting lucky! We found a huge room with a fridge and stove (never used that!) and this incredible veranda with tons of plants and flowers and a beautiful view of the harbour and ancient castle.
Here's the only picture I have of it, you'll have to use your imagination, it was completely awesome View image
Being pretty much the only tourists on the island, many restaurants were closed (of course the one open by us was great) and there wasn't much night life to speak of, which was okay because we had our 'villa' to hang out in. Marinos had brought his little speakers and we passed the first night with some stkoudia I brought from Chania (thanks Costas and Sophia!) and Marinos recieved his first lesson in country-bluegrass music (thanks Andy!)
The next day was a beachy day and we found this small rocky one near the port. Here's some good ones.....View image
View image View image View image View image View image View image
Then we went to the castle ruins, very nice..... View image View image View image View image
View image View image
That night, we went to the only bar half-way worth going to. We walked in, and the one dude sitting there was like, "Hi! How are you guys?"
Now, I'm thinking, 'who is this guy, do we know him?' He was just so familiar with his greeting. This was just more of the wonderful luck we had on Kithera.
Georgos is an Austrailian-Greek (not the other way around, he made sure to tell us) who had just gotten out of the Greek army, and was spending some time at his home in Kithera before flying to London to meet the wife and son he hasn't seen for almost a year.
We had a great time talking, telling stories, and drinking a bit of tequila. We capped off the evening at our 'villa' and Georgos offered to drive us around the next day for a tour of the island.
*owch, sun*
We first went to the 'Black Virgin' Monastary for some quick looks and prayers. This was a very special place for the island. Its namesake is an icon that was found in a field and has the unique attribute of blank, black faces on the Virgin and Child. There was a huge fire a few years ago on Kithera, surrounding the Monastary. Not having a very sophistocated fire brigade meant that they had to pool all their resources to save the compound. It was striking to see the acres of destruction with this beautiful ornate white church at the center.
Pictures weren't allowed, sorry peeps.
Then we went through the interior and walked down to this waterfall View image
Finally, here's Georgos! View image
It was an incredible day, I nearly peed myself a few times from some of Georgos' stories. So, after some nap-time and a good dinner, we met again at the bar we were at before. Georgos was a bit ahead of us when we arrived View image
and I truely saw the reason the Kitherians call him 'Lolovos' (crazy man). View image
We blew the bar and went to 'Lolovos'' house. View image View image View image View image
Dancing! Bacardi! Crazy Greeks! American Girl Keeping Up! Awesome.
The next day we (understandably) slept late, and I got some pictures printed for us, since my boat left for the Peloponnesse that afternoon and we had to say our goodbyes. Marinos' boat to Crete was in the opposite direction, so he was leaving the next day. It was sad to leave Kithera, obviously because I would miss my friends, but I would also miss this very special island which I know one day I'd have to return to, it has a part of me. View image View image
Well, I think that's enough for now. Next time I'll tell you about Githio on the Peloponnese and try to explain why I'm now back in Chania.
Take care everybody,
Kate
P.S. If you can, tell your grandmother today that you love her.
I will never be able to give you Crete.
But I can help you taste......
Kriti; Your soft winds fill my soul to brimming. I am electric now.
So, I'm working on a big entry to wrap up my time on Crete, since I'll be leaving for the Peloponnese in a few days. In the mean time, I'll catch you up on some of the little things here in Chania.
After returning from Iraklion, I settled back into what's been feeling like a second home.
I'm falling into a rhythm, I wake up, maybe read a bit, say 'kalli merasas' to the elderly Sfakian who owns the pension, have a read in the park, take a walk around and do any errands.
Later I can go to the beach, or visit with friends. I try to spend a least two hours a day writing, either on this page, or in my journal. View image
I have some lunch, sometimes at Lisa's and try to take a nap.
In the evening, I like to go visiting, catch up on email. I've seen a few movies.
Basically, it's a life. (without a job, I know. But writing is my compromise on this issue)
Last Sunday Lisa, Thanai and I went to a beach about an hour east. It was pretty windy, but we had a really nice time. Lisa has been getting over a cold, she has been working alot and Thanai had been sick previously, so it was good to have a day of sun. View image
View image
Our friends Jorgos and Ioanna met us View image and we had lunch. View image View image
Thanai provided the entertainment View image
So, in essence, lately my time has been relaxing. I'm enjoying hanging out with my friends here and just living the cretan life.
Later Taters (open this in its own window)...View image
Whew, it's exhausting to travel like a tourist!
Kiriakos and I rented a car and I'm really not used to covering that much ground in a day. I'm back in Iraklion now, trying to re-adjust to my normal pace. Wanna see why everyone goes to Santorini (especially for honeymoons)? Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!
So we got a room in Fira, which is on the north west side of the island. Immediately we walked to the view-point there of the caldera. View image View image View image View image
People come to Santorini for the picture-esque views and the cutesey mountain-perched villages (if you can call a town with nothing but restaurants and trinket shops a village), but not the beaches, which are sub standard for Greece. View image
He He, look at these cute scare crows! View image
That night, we did the standard 'sunset at Oia'. So did everyone else on the island. It was pretty freakin' cool though. View image View image View image View image View image
The next day was beach day, we drove all around the island taking in the sights and finally stopping for some sun-baking. This is a picture of 'red beach' View image
Boys, check out this cool huge sail boat View image
Girls, see what I was really looking at (you'll have to open the picture in a new window)View image
Then we had to say goodbye to the mythical Atlantis of lore, and hello to reality. But had a good lunch first View image View image
And I had a drink to all my friends, old, new and future View image
P.S. anyone interested in more Santorini pics go to:
http://photos.yahoo.com/santorinipicskate