Thus far.....

I am sitting on the ferry to Athens….2 hours having passed quietly, and 7 more ahead.

So, I am taking the time to muse over the last month and think on the some of the moments that have shaped this adventure thus far!

To begin, I would not have believed the ease of moving from one place to the other. Granted I am in the shoulder season, but travelling amongst the Euro-countries is astonishly straight forward.
In one day, I was in Spain, England, Athens and Santorini……..that is amazing to this Canadian, wide open spaces…travel far to get off the rock… girl.

England was exactly what I hoped it would be.
Full of warmth and humour, made more so by my wonderful host at reading Room Cottage who shared her countryside with me and introduced me to my first castle.

That was something…walking up the hill in Norwich and seeing the castle, high above standing guard over the picturesque town.
Breathtaking. The pub fish and chips didn’t suck either.

Along with that was Victoria weather…blink and it changes, I felt right at home…lolololol.
My friend and her furries await me at the end of my journey as well and I am so grateful to have that familiar comfort to bookend this trip with.

Spain offered the comfort of a soul mate friend and her family, and the incredibly beautiful countryside of Northern Spain. I had no idea it would be so green and lush.
Really everything was exciting and new, and the tastes….mmmmmmm…. Fabados, ciders, vermouths, wine, pimenton and scenery…. extraordinary.
The Gigon harbour sea twinkling its greeting and the mountains answering.
Honestly the best thing about Spain though was getting to do all that with my friend and her family. Not a moment slipped un-celebrated and made special and the laughter flowed easilly and often.
We climbed up to see 4th Century churches, high above the district of Oviedo…..these structures have withstood the test of time and send out a vibration that speaks to its history, architecture that is beautiful. More time running fingers over stones. ( smiles)

It is hard to write about my feelings of Greece so far.
It has been such a dream for so long and it has not disappointed, still pinching myself that I am here.
Santorini and its cliffs of white and blue, the sea, the ruins and the sunsets…..add in friends from my hometown to share it with and truly a magical dream come true.
Our host at Stelios Place was a huge part of what made Santorini special. A ready smile, nothing too much trouble, including picking me up at the airport at 6:15 am…I would return to them again as returning to an old friend.

I was surprised at how small the island was and with a rental car, we traversed much of it.


In spite of the fact that AkriTiri was closed….Grrrrrrrrrrrrr…I did spend time amongst the ruins of Ancient Thira.
Amongst all the rubble of a culture that disappeared after a voclanic eruption destroyed most of the island; this peak, high above the sea, managed to remain and with it, its extant evidence of another time, incredible intellect and innovations we would not even be dreaming about in the west for a long time to come.

My favourite thing seems to be the round columns and structures.
The rubbles needs a good imagination to visualize the life there and I spent many moments sitting, fingers running over stones, creating a world long gone by in my mind’s eye.
The round stones though, they could only have been created by hand, the chisel marks, the smooth surfaces…….it gives me goosebumps thinking about…..and the world they were fresh and new in, obvious for all to see and imagine.

Crete is the freshest and offered the most diversity.
Heraklion is a busy port that has not honored its past as well as other Greek locations. Beautiful Venetian architecture being dwarfed by modern, unimaginative construction interferes with the ability to truly appreciate its history. Spending one night there, I was more than ready to move onto Chania….but not before making iot to the Palace of Knossos.
Okay, so what heraklion lacks in history, is made up for by this incredible excavation and restoration.

Green stone processionals lead you through different wings of the palace. The structures rich in colour and architecture, fresoes recreated and hanging ( the originals in museums), the colours and vibrancy of the people who inhabited the palace, clearly visible…and it is huge.

The energy amongst this place was bustling and peaceful at the same time.
A must see for anyone even remotely interested in our history.

Chania saw my friend and I a pair as our other travelling companions had top depart early to head back to turjey due to challenging ferry schedules. Disappointed we moved on without them and checked into the Anastasia Pension.
3 exquisite rooms in a Venetian home, renovated with integrity.

The harbour of Chania is unbelievable. You could be standing in any moment in time within Chania’s history. The architecture intact and beautifully repurposed.
For example, what was once a Turkish Bath House, now a fantastic restaurant “Tammam” and the holes for the steam rooms still visible.

We spent ages wandering cobblestone alleys, discovering hidden places and doorways of such beauty that I have more pictures than I can remember taking.
We also travelled by car up the west coast, as far as we could go to Phallasarno. A whote sand, cerulean blue sea, oasis, complete with the ruiins of Ancient Phallasarno for us to explore. ( too bad I had to go pee like a racehorse though…not many bushes in the ruins)

We watched a goat herder, chase an escapee group of his mountain goats out of an ancient cave….that really was the highlight for me…lolololol.

The end of the week took us to Rethymno, a smaller and not quite as quaint version of Chania but offering its own rhythm and history. We climbed in spiral wind and 30 degree heat, up into the castle Fortezzo, high above the harbour…..sand pelted us but the views and the stones worth the ancient spa scrub.

Many of the highlights of this week have involved tastes of the local foods.
The spices, combinations and sheer luxury of spreading out a meal over hours is such a rare thing in canada.
Included in the cost of dinner would be; basket of yummy bread, some form of amuse-bouche, our main entrée, caraffe of grappa and a sweet something to end with. Usually for under 30 Euros between us including wine. Really really good food.

Back in Heraklion today, readying for Athens and S’s trip home to Victoria, we found ourselves at the centre of a celebration for Crete’s soccer team. Winning a huge game today, the black and white clad fans spewed out of every café, taverna, alley and restaurant, singing team songs and joyful beyond words. I am really glad they won, I am not sure what that energy would have been like if they hadn’t.

I said a bittersweet farewell to my friend who has been with me since I started thinking about coming on this trip and who shared two weeks of it with me, and then boarded the ferry bringing me to this point.
Alone, in a sea on Foreign voices, I sit here.
I am excited about making it to Athens fianlly and trekking alone through museums, plakas, and ruins.

It is good to be on the road to the Parthenong and the Acropolis. Whew……..will I feel like I really am awake and not dreaming then?.......