R and R in Greece

Rob’s journal

when: September 21 to October 2, 2007 where: Greece what: First R&R

© Rob Crimmins, Felton, Delaware, USA

Friday, Sept. 21

Customs requirements in Athens prevented us from meeting where Judi picked up her bags so I waited for her at the exit to the baggage claim. It was crowded and she didn’t see me so I shouted. She turned and walked toward me with tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face. The moment was as fantastic as we envisioned, with the crying and kissing and all.

Next we got Euros and the car and a map and discovered immediately some of the problems that would be posed due to our inability to read Greek. Despite our illiteracy we made it to the Eden Beach Resort Hotel in Anavyssos near the southern tip of Attica without a problem in just forty-five minutes, just after dark. There’s a cheap motel on the road and we shared an anxious moment when we mistook it for ours. The Eden Beach Resort is a little further up the hill and we were very relieved when we found it. It turned out to be a great place.

First we fell into each other’s arms. Five months apart for two people as in love as we are is a very long time. Then we had dinner, at about 9:45 PM. It was the buffet that was included with the room and it was quite good.

Even though Judi had a harder flight and was more tired than me I fell asleep first. She covered me.

Saturday, Sept. 22

We slept till 8:45 and on arising marveled at our good fortune. The large, circular window on the wall next to the bed offered a confined and lovely view of the sea and the rounded, symmetrical island just off shore.

It was like a portion of a ball cut off and placed in the water. We discovered later that from every direction it looked nearly the same.

Complimentary breakfast was next and that was good too; eggs soufflé, little wiener sausages, and croissants with delicious jams and tomatoes with melted cheese. Cheese was one of the many very good things about Greece. Greeks eat more cheese per capita than the French. The olives, which we enjoyed during nearly every meal but breakfast, were very good too. We bought some for Judi’s Dad because he is an olive lover. They also had fruit and cereal but no milk. The Greeks don’t eat their cereal the way Americans do.

We explored the resort, found the pool, which is great. It’s huge, deep and filled with salt water. Then we went for a road trip.

First we rode up through the neighborhoods on the mountainside behind Anavyssos which rises to several hundred feet. It’s a pretty steep slope so just about everywhere has a good view. It reminded us of the view of the Pacific from Palos Verdes in Los Angeles near where we lived in 1985 but higher, with more to see includ-

ing several small islands and the one large offshore island, the tip of the ball. Homes are set in pockets carved out of the mountain or with the downhill side supported by columns. Most of the homes are poured in place concrete with lots of stone, tile and glass. The Greeks are proficient at building forms and pouring concrete although they aren’t as adept at finishing it. A lot of concrete surfaces were pretty rough.

Their workmanship is mostly quite good, which is a pleasure to see after the awful construction I’d seen in Iraq. Like Iraq, there are a lot of unfinished homes although many of the reasons for that are different in the two places. None around Anavyssos have fallen into rubble from neglect like thousands have in and around Baghdad but there are quite a few concrete structures that appear to have been ready for plumbing and HVAC rough-in for many months and even years.

From there we rode south on the Coastal Highway through Thymarl, around Cape Katafgi through Harakas, then Aspro Lithari to Sounion and then Cape Sounion, the southern tip of Attica. The road is just above sea level in Anavyssos and Thymarl but then it rises. At Cape Sounion it’s a hundred feet above the water and the view is great. The water is clear at the rocks and turquoise further out becoming green and grey out at the horizon. Through the towns the streets are narrow. Similar roadways in Delaware would be taken slowly, but not in Greece. Quick acceleration, frequent breaking, tailgating and horn blowing are the way to get around here.

The homes, both new and old, are lovely. Churches with character and roadside shrines are at each town.

The colors are vibrant and the smell of herbs is often in the air. Thyme grows wild.

Shortly after Legrina Bay we were at Cape Sounion where we spotted columns high on a cape. It was The Temple of Poseiden, our first Greek ruin! The temple itself, like all ruins, is only impressive due to its age,

meaning and placement. We were very impressed. It is magnificent.

Legend says it is where Aegeus, king of Athens, waited for his son Theseus’s ship, to return from Crete.

Seeing a black sail, the predetermined signal that Theseus was dead, Aegeus leapt to his death, thus giving the Aegean Sea its name. Theseus had gone to battle the Minotaur and had defeated him, but tragically had simply forgotten to lower the black sail.

We saw a man doing handstands on a fallen column section, apparently to impress his wife. It was a good stunt.

Leash laws either don’t exist or aren’t enforced because we saw dogs roaming around on their own and sleeping where they chose, including in the road. One medium-size, black dog hung around the hotel. He and the others were mostly well cared for and as comfortable in their skins as the café dwelling Greeks.

Continuing north on the east side of the Attica peninsula other seascapes worthy of an artist’s brush continued to unfold. Through Lavrio, past Thoriko Bay, and inland to Keratea where our illiteracy resulted in some confusion about the way back to Anavyssos. We did make it back in plenty of time for dinner, which was even better than the night before. After dinner we drove south again for liquor and when we got back we danced a little but the Russian DJ didn’t have much so we settled for one cha-cha and a swing. We tried to watch TV but there are only three English channels so we went to bed which was much better than TV anyway.

Sunday, Sept. 23

I swam a mile in the pool. We spent most of the rest of the day at the beach, which was alternately invig-

Temple Of Poseidon Cape Sounion Attica, Greece

orating and utterly relaxing. I had another long swim and dove on the coral, some of which was living, saw lots of little fish and just had a ball. Judi came out for a while too. She wore my goggles briefly and saw some small fish. We walked to the north end of the beach, collected worn stones and walked out on the rocks at the south end of the beach.

After getting cleaned up we drove thirteen miles north on the west side of the peninsula to Varkiza, where we bought a magazine and newspaper. After that we went back for dinner and then early to bed.

Monday, Sept. 24

Monday we drove through Athens then to the Peloponnese. Our route from Anavyssos was north on the west side Coastal Road then inland and north through Markoupoulo then on the freeway through Athens. Long road trips together are just about our favorite activity so we were really having fun.

Our first stop was for fuel and coffee on the highway just west of Athens. Shortly after crossing the Corinth Canal we took the exit to Kiato where we bought masks and snorkels and had lunch of Cuttlefish, Greek Salad and Feta cheese in a cafe on the beach. Lunch was delicious and the location on the Gulf of Corinth was perfect. The opposite shore was fifteen miles distant and the mountains of central Greece loomed on the horizon. The only sound was from the low waves on the beach, a slight breeze and our conversation. We were the only ones there.

I told Judi about life on the FOB. Talking about the attacks and what I see operating the camera isn’t allowed on the phone or Internet so most of the incidents, with the exception of the two that Judi witnessed during video chats, were unknown to her. I’d looked forward to telling her the details that weren’t classified and she was glad to hear them.

Just before Kiato we went past Korinthos, the home of the Corinthians to whom the apostle Paul addressed his letter. The National Road took us past Xylokastro, Egira, Diakopto, Egio and Ag. Vassilios. We didn’t take note of the names then, because most of the signs are in Greek, but they were lovely towns and often our view of them was elevated. Judi snapped picture after picture as we went by. Some turned out, but many were of blurred trees and guardrails. The hit or miss nature of digital photography at 120 kilometers an hour was another thing we faced throughout the trip. A momentary viewing followed each shutter release and then either, “damn”, or a happy “got it.”

We lost some time after leaving the highway to get a look at the Rio-Antirio bridge, which is the world’s longest multi-span cable-stay bridge. Finding the way back to the highway was hard.

Once back on the National Road we scooted along to Patra, thinking it might be a good place to spend the night but the parts we rode through were run down and there was nothing nice on the beach so we decided to press on, which turned out to be the right decision. At Kourouta Beach, which is among the few wetlands we found in Greece we stopped for cocktails at The Destino Cafe one of several fashionable bars on the beach strip.

The barmaid taught me how to say Thank you. (Efcharisto – ef-cha-ree-sto the sto sounds like the o in fox).

The clubs and bars are modern, well appointed and masterfully designed. Many use colored glass, wood, fabric and fixtures in very creative and well-coordinated arrangements. The seating is in cushioned chairs around low tables. Groups and couples settle in these spaces very comfortably. Few sit at the bar which is where Judi and I usually prefer to be.

We found a great hotel in Olympia. The Olympion Asty, on the highest spot in town was very nice and it had a double bed, an outstanding amenity for two lovers who had been without each other’s comfort for so long.

Before dinner and as the sun set, I swam a mile in the large hotel pool. Judi read her book and again, was pleased with herself, and the Universe.

Dinner, which was included in the ninety Euro room charge, was by the pool. The food was OK but the company made the meal. With Judi, the company makes my life. She had chicken fillet with risotto and I had souvlakia. After dinner we went to the town of Olympia and strolled down the main street browsing the shops, cafes and restaurants in a Main Street mall type arrangement. We looked for souvenirs, particularly the sculpture I had years ago, “The Wrestlers”. We found it in two places but both were small and lacked detail so we didn’t get it, hoping that a better version would be available at the museum store. We did however find a great deck of cards, each depicting an erotic scene from classical pornographic scenes.

We tried to find coffee but it’s not available in Greece as it is at home.

In one place Judi asked for “American coffee” but there’s no such thing. Here it is cappuccino, espresso, Greek Coffee or “Nescafe®, hot or cold?” Getting it to go is a problem too. People sit to have their coffee here. We finally settled for Nescafe®, hot, although “sweetener”, “Sweet and Low” and “artificial sweetener” weren’t understood. They offered brown sugar but by then Judi remembered she had Splenda® in her purse. A few days later we discovered the term “Filter Coffee” on a menu so we thought we had it figured out until I tried to order it at the Macafe (Greek McDonalds®) at the airport and the guy rolled his eyes slightly and said, “You mean regular coffee?”

With “Nescafe®” in hand we continued to meander until finding a store that sold books and other items for the tourist, including the erotic playing cards. I bought “Zorba The Greek”, which was the perfect book for a vacaOlympion Asty Hotel Restaurant tion in Greece.

The hotel was lovely. The room had a patio, hardwood floor and the doors, frames and window frames were of teak or some other dark wood. The floors outside were tiled and the grounds were immaculate. The flower beds had roses and a few other plants but they weren’t full. The architecture was Modern Greek and very well done so the well-spaced rose bushes were just the right accent.

We slept well and I held Judi at times throughout the night. Her warmth, soft skin and scent were heavenly. I missed her so much.

Tuesday, Sept. 25

We got up at about 7:00 and had breakfast in the hotel restaurant. In the driveway in front we found a tortoise and took its picture. Breakfast was good as it included fresh, fried eggs, which I hadn’t had since leaving home. (I was told that bad eggs had been served in Baghdad before we got there in May so fresh eggs were no longer shipped in.)

On the way down the hill to ancient Olympia we again congratulated ourselves. We also noticed evidence of the fires the region had suffered just weeks before. They reached the town, destroying one building.

First we visited the museum and it was one of the best museum experiences we’ve had. Galleries with artifacts from the historical and pre-historic periods included pottery, weapons, votives, armor and sculpture from 4300 BC until the Byzantine era. The large central gallery has the pediments from the Temple of Zeus with many of the slightly larger than life, original figures. Most are fragmented, some badly, and that was a compelling aspect of the exhibit. Disembodied hands and heads, each a priceless relic, were suspended where the lost arms and necks would have held them.

Being in the same space as these magnificent, ancient works was sublime. The living generations should be very grateful that these works have been recovered and preserved.

The most important single work is in its own gallery. Hermes Carrying Dionysus by Praxiteles, carved in the 4th Century BC, resembled Michelangelo’s David. Some say it inspired him although he never actually saw the Greek statue.

Lots of pictures were taken. In fact, throughout the day we couldn’t stop taking pictures. It seemed every minute and every turn of the head presented another aspect of our long awaited trip we wanted to save. It wasn’t until the last day or two that we ceased to marvel at where we were and what we were seeing. Maybe we’ll become seasoned travelers and take these experiences more casually in the future but Tuesday our immaturity in this regard was manifested as pure, childish glee.

The Olympic grounds were magnificent in what they represent. The site upon which a national identity was formed is also where the modern concepts of sport, human freedom and justice were born. Roman emperors walked the paths and cheered the athletes from where we were standing.

In the stadium, THE Olympic Stadium, we laughed at the distinctly non-athletic tourists as they pretended to begin a sprint, cross the finish line and launch a discus, antics that Nero, Alexander and the Greeks would not have encouraged. In fact each of those silly, happy visitors to the temple built to honor the gods probably would have been tortured to death by the founder and participants in the Games. In our century though, fortunately, silliness is allowed and little is sacred.

Our adventure on Tuesday began when we left Olympia. We stopped at a store on the outskirts of town, met the young man who ran it and found a good, affordable reproduction of “The Wrestlers” which, according to him, was made locally. He inquired of our origins and told us he’d spent two years in Boston. He helped us get out of town with directions to the winding road that traverses the Peloponnese from Pygros to Tripoli. He

said it was a difficult road, not for him, but maybe for me. With the challenge offered we headed east and up.

The road was very winding and at times quite narrow. Some of the slopes were steep and included multiple switchbacks. Several times it took us ten minutes to travel up one side of a valley and just as long to make it up the other to travel a few kilometers. Usually there was no shoulder or guardrail but every mile or so there were places to stop, almost all offering spectacular views, particularly at the river gorge where the distant and sheer canyon walls included broad caves with entrances that formed gradual arches supporting high ceilings.

Stone Age paintings are in the same kinds of caves in France, perhaps here too.

Now, as I take up the travel journal again, I’m two days behind.

Today, Friday, we were on the beach and in the water from 10 AM until 5:30, our second day of snorkeling. Judi has come to love it. Now I’m on the balcony of our room enjoying a very gentle, cool Mediterranean breeze and a Greek beer. We’re fond now of everything Greek. I’m even growing a beard.

The senses have been excited and the spirit soothed the past seven days. The fact there are three more is wonderful. Today we floated on temperate swells and reclined on sun baked gravel on a tiny hidden beach. We saw an octopus on white, sun dappled sand and felt the breeze which is, at this moment, washing around Judi and me. We’re thrilled too by the sight of each other. Judi is as happy to be with me as I am with her and I am pleased beyond words.

Sights and sounds and the sensation of speed as we traveled the twisting road through the Peloponnese were our sensual pleasures after leaving Olympia on Tuesday. We drove through a dozen little towns perched on mountainsides supported by industries, markets and engineering solutions we couldn’t imagine.

An old woman flagged us down to sell us prickly pears and grapes and to show us her shoe. She only spoke Greek, maybe a dialect, so we couldn’t understand her but she told us something about her shoe or her feet or maybe it was something to do with shoes or feet because she took off her shoe and showed it to us. We also got a good look at her tooth. As far as we could tell she only had the one and when she smiled it presented itself on her lower lip. She was trying to tell us something and until we understood she was unwilling to release the door. Judi was quite anxious to continue. I could tell, so I just slowly let out the clutch, forcing our new friend to let go. The little beggar wanted ten Euros for the grapes and pears, which weren’t even clean. I gave her five.

After Judi chastised me for stopping she complained about the leaking fruit the old woman dropped on the floor at her feet. I tasted one, which had a tomato flavor and may have tasted good as a pasta sauce but it wasn’t something to be eaten off the car floor, without preparation. The grapes were good though.

In Zorba, Nikos Kazantzakis drew on his experience mining in the mountains in this part of Greece for the descriptions of the mining Zorba and his employer undertook in the book. The literary connection reminded me of my fondness for Hemmingway during our time in Key West and Thereau while writing about Killens Pond at our home in Delaware.

Zorba is a very good book with useful insights offered by Zorba and the narrator, Ogre. They’ve inspired some of my own. One is how Greece is constitutionally less free than the United States but for visitors it is freer. As some examples, there are no speed traps or lifeguards, public nudity is OK and leash laws aren’t imposed on pet owners. Distinguishing visitors from citizens here is appropriate because although the citizen enjoys the same lenience as the tourist the native is the one forced to pay for the welfare state.

Another insight realized while reading the novel is that today’s Americans are more like the ancients than today’s Greeks. Our creativity and production exceeds that of Europeans and we’re imperialistic. There are no Alexander’s in Greece today. At 51 I have a better physique than any Greek my age I’ve seen here and I work when I swim. I don’t just float. Americans lift weights and exercise like the ancient Greeks to prepare for competition or the possibility of battle. Gyms are everywhere in America. I’ve seen none here. Our success in war and the modern Olympics are favorable comparisons between Americans and the ancient Greeks and Romans that today’s Greeks can’t claim.

That idea made me think that Americans share central values with Arabs, Pashtuns, Persians, Tuareg and other Middle Easterners. Our trait complex, like theirs, strongly values egalitarianism, autonomy and competitive individualism. Survival on the American frontier could be as hard as it is in the desert so it follows that

people from both environments would develop similar evolutionary means and have some fundamental character traits in common.

In the book Zorba’s and Ogre’s work in Crete caused me to consider how what I am doing in Iraq is a difficult venture with a higher purpose. Not freeing the Iraqi’s, although that is one of my purposes, but building a future for Judi and me. She and I can part with resolve that will make missing each other bearable. We will be apart and our love, really one for all time, if others could know it, will be tested and strained but worthwhile things are hard. The struggle will be for a secure future so the separation and homesickness, even the dangers, are to be looked forward to, not avoided.

Just before the old woman and the shoe the road went through thick forest, not Oregon rain forest thick but fairly dense, and high. After pulling away from the clutching fruit vendor the road generally continued up for another ten or twenty kilometers but the forest thinned out, probably because the elevation rose and because as we got further from the sea the seasonal rainfall dropped off. Eventually the road widened and straightened and skirted the south side of a huge valley with thousands of acres of cultivated fields and a large quarry in the side of one of the mountains.

At one lookout we saw a disturbing scene and got a whiff of an odor that made it worse. Some Greeks have a bad habit of dumping their trash from the sides of roads at these vantage points. At a lookout near the quarry we stopped to enjoy the view and I noticed that quite a lot of construction materials and other debris had been dropped down the slope, which was very steep. Two hundred feet or so down an RV had come to rest on its top. The odor of something dead nearby was unmistakable and so was the possibility the dead were in the RV. You’d think that someone would have investigated the wreck but it isn’t visible from the road and getting to it would be very difficult.

By the time we finally got back to the hotel, near dinner time we were pretty tired. Dinner that night was the only one that wasn’t excellent.

Wednesday, Sept. 26

Our first day snorkeling was Judi’s first time ever. We both loved it. She was apprehensive and early on, according to her, a little panicked, although it didn’t show. It didn’t take long for her to relax and to really start to have fun.

The beach is a crescent shape with small rocky capes at either end. In-between is mostly fine and abrasive gravel, which is pretty hard on the feet. There’s sand in a few spots but very little, not even enough to spread a towel on. There’s a lot of sand just a few feet off the waterline along nearly the entire length of the beach. So the trick to getting in the water without hurting the feet is to get in and lay down on your stomach as soon as the water is deep enough and then push past the softball size rocks to the sand.

We did that and then swam to the rocks on our right, the north end. Once there we swam along the rocks and west, going out into deeper water. Judi stayed a little behind and, of course, we couldn’t speak to each other, but whenever I looked back at her she was moving along well and seemed fine. When she started treading water to clear her mask I went to her and asked how she was. That’s when she said she was a little panicky and her breathing was quick. We swam together over to some rocks and stood there for a little while to rest, talk and look around. Again, we said, “Look where we are!” She must have also thought, “And look what I’m doing!”

It was another fantastic scene and this time we were in it, next to the clear, warm water and about to immerse ourselves in it.

Once back in we swam out even further, sometimes in water fifteen, maybe even twenty feet deep. I dove down a couple of times for sea urchin shells and just to be at the bottom or to peer under ledges. We swam between rocks and let ourselves be lifted up and down by the waves. A few times we just floated and if fish were near when we were still they would swim to us, almost within reach.

We went in again later in the day at the other end and did the same thing, swimming and floating around the rocks and sea grass as it swayed with the waves.

Before dinner we took another ride on the Coastal Road toward Cape Sounion but we didn’t go quite that far. We came back and had dinner at a restaurant in Anavyssos. I had mussels in garlic and Judi had feta cheese and olives.

Thursday, Sept. 27

We went to Athens and the Acropolis then back to the hotel for a swim in the pool while Judi read.

Friday, Sept. 28

At the beach snorkeling then a drive north on the west side of the peninsula. Dinner at the hotel.

Saturday, Sept. 29

We drove almost all the way to Athens looking for a place for breakfast and couldn’t find one! On the way back we stopped at marinas looking for sailboat rentals. At a private sailing club a man named Tosas told us he knew of a Greek Army officer who had a “Laser” who might rent it to us. He gave me his number but I didn’t call.

The rest of the day was spent at the beach sunning and snorkeling. We stayed there until after sunset.

I’d eaten lunch at the hotel so we couldn’t have dinner there too so we went to the first town north, first to a bar with many national flags on the deck, including Canada, but no American flag. They didn’t serve mixed drinks so we went to a bar around the corner where we ordered pizza and took it back to the room. The pizza wasn’t very good.

Sunday, Sept. 30

We spent all day on the beach. We were so adventurous snorkeling we almost got in trouble swimming out to the tip of the rocks at the south end of the beach and letting ourselves drift out too far. We had to swim against the wind to get back, which was tiring. We didn’t go too far but we almost did.

I went out again later and swam hard to the furthest rock at the north end and beyond it. There were two

ledges. Beyond the first the bottom was about twenty feet and after the second it was around forty. The deeper water was pretty exciting. On the way back I found three more sea urchin shells.

Greeks from other towns, probably Athens, were on the beach and it was fun watching them. Judi and I took pictures, read and played cards.

Monday, Oct. 1

Our last full day together began sadly. Realizing we’d part the next day we lingered in bed, holding each other and looking into each other’s eye’s. Neither of us said, “It’s our last day.”

Finally we got out of bed and perked up. Even our last day together would be fun and we knew it.

First we rode north again to Vouliniza and Starbucks®. The Greeks are lousy at coffee, so lousy that we now love Starbucks® coffee and before we wouldn’t drink it. So that was nice. We listened to podcasts, like we always did at home, commenting on the stories and ideas. This time it was NPR’s “Most E-mailed Stories” about depression and suicide in the elderly, a story about Coney Island, which brought to mind my visit there in 1964. I told Judi about that briefly and she listened as if she didn’t already know. She is the best companion.

When we got back to the hotel I took care of a few messages from work and about my flight to Baghdad and then we went to the beach.

The wind was very strong just a few hundred yards offshore but the beach is tucked back into the hill so it’s sheltered. The sun was bright and warm so we were very comfortable.

For the first time, we moved to the bar for lunch, enjoying the cushioned chairs and cocktails, even further out of the wind. The sun felt wonderful, like it did lying on the hot gravel, which we did again during our swim.

Judi is completely at ease in the water now. It’s fun swimming with her. I loved seeing it all with her and watching as she moved through the water. Diving beneath her and seeing the sun pass through the water around her was thrilling.

A group of Germans came to the hotel the day before and some of them kept the water sports concession busy with the towed inflatables, the “Great Big Marble” and the “Banana”. It was fun watching them, particularly when the Banana tipped and they all fell in.

I walked to the south end of our beach to take pictures and on the way I came upon a dog and its mistress, an old communist. The conversation began with the inquiry, in the manner of Inspector Cleaseau, “Does your dog bite?” She only shrugged. Taking that as a warning I let her and her dog approach me. As soon as she learned I was American she scowled and said, “George Buussch, no good.” A brief and just slightly comprehensible political discussion ensued during which I learned she was among the eight percent of Greeks who are

communists and her dog wasn’t.

Judi and I decided to go for another ride so she went up to the room to get ready while I went for my exercise swim. Pulling hard through the water with the snorkel and mask is one of the best workouts I’ve ever known. In deep, clear water with sunlight on sand and rocks my strokes are like beating wings and the sensation is of flight. The same workout in a pool feels good but to breathe hard and keep up the elevated heart rate over a constantly changing and fascinating view is fantastic. If I lived in a place like this I’m sure I could eventually swim for miles at a time.

Judi confessed, or let it slip, that she enjoyed the fast driving we’d done in Athens and in the Peloponnese so our drive to Cape Sounion, once out of Anavyssos, was at as high a speed as I was sure was safe. I accelerated into some of the uphill turns, downshifting as needed. Our Scoda® Octavia handled real well. We slowed down a little when Judi said she liked some speed but she’d rather it didn’t feel “crazy”. The daylight was fading so we turned back at the Temple.

Before bed we packed, took some more pictures and enjoyed our last night in bed together.

The end of our holiday was not as upsetting as I’d pictured it would be. At the airport, she chose to part, not me. No clinging and few tears, she brought it to an end, walking away from me, looking over her shoulder just once to mouth, “bye”.

There was tightness in my throat as I left the airport. That we were now apart for another four months was painful but quickly bearable. I am better with her and fine alone. It was good then to know that she is the same. Strong and free but bound to me as I am to her.

I drove east to the sea, seeing more Greek countryside and coast. A gale was blowing in from the Aegean. The wind was so strong on the cliffs I could lean into it and my pant legs beat like a ship’s pennants. Offshore the swells must have been huge because they were breaking six feet high and more on the rocks. A little spray reached where I stood a hundred feet above. I walked down a steep path to the edge of a cliff to see what I could. Like Cape Lookout, Oregon and other places Judi has turned away from or carefully approached over the years, this promontory wasn’t to be taken carelessly. The sea was more exciting here than on the Pacific capes because the view into the clear, blue-green water, included another dimension that the dark Pacific waters don’t hold. The mass and power are more apparent because the entire volume of the wave and the submerged features below it are visible. Within it are infinite shades of green, some like glass, others nearly black.

With a bit of unjustified but true guilt I was glad to be alone, certainly not to be without Judi, because I treasure her, but solitude is enjoyable when not permanent and under the right conditions.

Now I’m over Turkey or Syria, maybe. On the way to Greece they played a video of the route so I knew where I was. Now I’m not sure, although I know it’s a long way from Delaware. Judi’s been on her way back for nine hours now so she’s over the Atlantic, soon to be on home ground. I envy her.