My own afterglow

We snoozed (and coughed and blew our noses) as Paul drove us south to Albert Lea. Colds and three different flights and layovers had pretty much done us in. Think Paul is planning to Lysol his car…

The bed I slid into was fresh, cool, and silky…and my pillow–my own pillow! For some reason I really had missed mine on the trip. Must mean I’d better get over that if I want to travel more.

To travel more…yes, I already have my next trip in the works for February, if the world cooperates. Since childhood I’ve always wanted to see the pyramids, and perhaps I will on a trip to Egypt if it pans out.

The first thing I noticed waking up in Minnesota was the cool room. I couldn’t imagine why the air conditioning was on, only to realize it was the morning air wafting into my window that brought the chill. Now that’s different, I thought. Cool air drifting in…not the 40+ C we’d experienced. And another thing–the terrain. In place of rocky hills and grey, what greeted me outside my window was green grass and foliage, and birds all a-twitter. In place of the sea was a calm lake. How I miss the constant whoosh of the waves.

The house and yard were perfectly kept, thanks to you, Ronda, Rod, and Hunter. I mean PERFECTLY in order. Bird feeders filled, plants watered, (and Pete and pets fed and watered)! Some people are worth their weight in gold…

Had to run to the market, of course–as most do when returning from a trip. And I pondered the plain Greek yogurts, noticing for the first time the amount of fat in each. I have no idea the percentage of fat in that we’d eaten, but I’m sure it was hefty. I ended up with a 5% container and a 2% one for the times I’m calorie conscious. My shopping cart also loaded up on tomatoes (so looking forward to those from the garden soon), cucumbers, lemons, and feta. Oh…and watermelon for dessert. So our first dinner home was beef on the grill, potatoes roasted in oil and lemon, Greek salad, watermelon. Sound familiar? Though I did miss the Greek wine, it was delicious.

And now that the clothes are washed and the suitcase is nearly empty, I’ll be getting back into my routine soon, I imagine. Visited Mama Hazel yesterday and she seemed fine–even remembered I’d been traveling. She looked well groomed and content. Carol, I’m sure she appreciated your visits, and I so appreciate your kind attention to her.

So the traveler is home, wanting more…more experiences of life beyond my narrow realm here. I prefer to call myself a traveler, not a tourist. A traveler constantly seeks other cultures and environs, appreciating the differences. Travelers adapt to other countries’ customs, food, ways, not expecting the reverse. They’re life-learners, and I hope I’m counted as one.

Early morning on the porch–green and cool

My attempt at replicating breakfast…

On the road again

Anne’s plane back to  Rome (via Athens) left at 6 am, and ours left at 6:40, so we were up early with final preparations. She was bussed off to the airport before us, but we did manage to see her and wave across the terminal before she hopped on her plane. I watched from the outside terrance as the sun rose and her plane took off.

Then our turn. Santorini to Athens–about 45 min. door to door. Quite uneventful; we had to claim our bags, get another set of tickets (this time we could check all the way through Philly to Minneapolis), and we had one last coffee as a group before going our own way.

On the plane, Jane and I were lucky enough to have no one next to us, so we each had a bit more room to maneuver during our 10 hour flight to Philly. Though I slept a bit (this cold is giving me fits) I watched three movies: Lady in the Van, Eddie the Eagle, and Whisky, Tango, Foxtrot (Tina Fey). Finally during the last hour of the flight I learned from watching gal to my right with stiletto nails, how to manipulate the screen in front of me–not like an iPad where the pad of the finger changes the screen, but rather a simple tap of the nail. Poor guy in front of me was probably a bit tired of my pressing hard on the screen attached to the back of his seat.

Once we landed, we put our Global Entry classification to use and zipped through customs.  Then we had to grab our bags, take them to “re-check,” go through security again (though we had TSA Pre-check), and we made our way to the gate to Minneapolis.

But then…nearly an hour taxing the runways of the Philly airport.  Goodness, but we taxied, stopped, taxied, stopped.  Finally, an hour late, we soared toward Minneapolis.

Son Paul fetched us from the airport and we literally fell into his Mazda for a 75 minute ride home. So good to be home.

 

Final fling in Greece

Our last day gave us a choice–group activity or chill on the beach? It was a no-brainier for us–the beach and its soothing water beckoned us. After a breakfast of my now well established routine of yogurt, muesli and honey, we grabbed our suits and strolled into the warm, breezy, air and down the dusty path to the town.

Paramount before enjoying the water was one last glimpse at the shops that clung to the beach, as barnacles cling to rocks. And though my Minnesota body did try on a few two-piece suits, I have to admit I dismissed them all–choosing instead a more suitable (and actually quite nice) necklace as a momento of the trip.

As with many beaches, one pays to lie on the loungers belonging to beach restaurants and bars, but if one eats there, the privilege is gratis. We decided schmooze our way through a restaurant and greet the waiters who’d served us a day or two before, and remembering us, they let us lounge free of charge. Super–more money for drinks.

Each set of two cushioned loungers was covered by a reed umbrella. These sat near planked walkways that led directly to the beach, a real necessity, since the black pebbly “sand” heats up making even a small trek to the water painful.

Ahhh–the water. So cool, clear, and blue–a refreshing splash if there ever was one. As we walked out into the water and then dove in, waves gently lifted and carried us. Being salt water, it bouyed us; even remaining vertical, we didn’t need much effort to relax and float as we took in the activity, the boats, the shimmers reflecting sky and sun.

Back at our loungers, we summoned the beach waiter, Danny, and I held off ordering my first gin/tonic until just before noon. Figured it was nearly 5 pm somewhere in the world. He quickly understood our gin/tonic routine (learned from Anna after drinking watered-down versions): one glass of ice, one glass of gin, lime and a small bottle of tonic. Then we mixed our own. Perfect.

So we spent much of the day cooling off in the water, resting on the loungers, and eventually ordering beer, fried cheese, a gyro, tatziki and pita bread. The air turned hot, and poor Danny kept us so well supplied with refreshments, that we decided he needed a beer himself; we bought him and he drank it right in our midst, his gratitude quite apparent.

We’d all agreed to meet at 6:30 pm for a venture out to the south end of the island for one last group dinner and sunset. So after showering and with the dread of the packing yet to come, the 10 of us piled into a 9-person van, and Anna drove the winding roads to our “last supper” of the trip.

Here we tried fish, and naturally enjoyed the now group favorite Greek salad. Nothing better than the tasty tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese and simple oil/vinegar dressing. Still haven’t taught the green peppers to like me, though, and my tablemates knew by then to take all of those they wanted. None for me, thank you very much.

Yummy eggplant salsa

Greek salad

Lobster that went with pasta

As 8:40 approached, we could see the sun settling down for a wonderful show on the horizon. And we weren’t disappointed–no cloud bank this night. The afterglow lasted well into the next hour, and our drive back to the hotel was magical as the white buildings shone in the glow and lights illuminated our way.

Before packing, we gathered on the upstairs terrace under a glorious starlit sky to de-brief and reflect on our experience with Anna in Greece. Sipping the last of our wine and liquer, we shared feelings of how fortunate we were to have seen unique slices of the culture–from antiquities and beaches, to food and wine; from cities and villages to the hills and the coast; from mainland Greece to islands as well. Though we touched only a bit of Greece, the taste we enjoyed was delicious–something I’d like to sample again sometime.

 

Just sayin’…

My two roomies are still snoozing, wrapped in their sheets as the morning light peeks through the shutters. Before beginning what’s to be our last day in Greece, I just want to take a moment to reflect on the magic those of you on the homefront have performed to make this trip possible for me, and the arduous dance you had to carry out when crisis arose.

First of all, Pete–you’re a dear for encouraging me to join Anna’s venture. It takes an incredible life partner to shove me out the door for a festive trip, when this is really the type of sojourn we ourselves had thought we’d take together.

And the support team taking care of Pete, Mama Hazel, and the homefront–you’re incredible. My joy of discovering this part of the world is due to you–your diligence and care. Ronda, Hunter, Rod, Carol and all–I’m so grateful.

And naturally when things became “complicated,” you all pitched in. Love you kids for dropping everything and being there. Jane and I are incredibly blessed to have wonderful offspring who figure out how to navigate the challenges–not that you haven’t had practice. Haha.

Both Jane and I cherish those of you who surround us daily with your love and prayers as we give care to our spouses, and as I care for Mom. This escape has enlivened our spirits, expanded our world knowledge–as well as our bellies! WIll see you soon…

Day 15–Discovering the island

The cold virus that’s been going around finally has hit Jane and me. Sore throat, stuffy nose, etc. Good thing pharmacies here sell Kleenex, cold meds, and nasal spray over the counter. Energy level was a bit lower, but nothing causing us to slow down–oh, except for the heat. It’s back! My morning voice was Lauren Bacall’s–deep and throaty. Sadly that sexy attribute disappeared before noon. Just my luck.

Our leftovers from last night’s dinner (chicken, potatoes, wine) Anna turned into a fantastic cold salad–she added tomatoes, parsley, capers, a bit of onion, and dressing of lemon and oil. Delicious! and we ate it on the patio outside our room in the heat of the day. The local beer (Vulcan) helped us ward off the heat.

At 1 pm we set off for a day of discovering the island of Santorini. Our first stop was the pre-historic town of Akrotiri. This Neolithic village grew during the Early Bronze Age and became a harbor town of the Aegean. Then an earthquake destroyed it and in the Middle Bronze Age (2100-1650 BC), it again became of port city of importance, this time to trade beyond the Aegean. Remnants reveal impressive buildings–even a drainage sewer system. In the 17th century BC, another earthquake destroyed the city and was again rebuilt with even more impressive public and private buildings adorned with wall paintings and art. Then a double whammy–another earthquake followed by the eruption of a volcano. The city, buried in pumice and ash, was then preserved until excavation began in 1967.

Second stop was a winery–Gavalas winery. We had a brief tour, sipped wines, bought some, and off to stop number three.

View outside winery

Firas, the capital of Santorini, gave some a major shopping opportunity. We enjoyed the Orthodox Cathedral Church of Candlemas of the Lord and the myriad upscale shops, as well as the touristy vendors. Lots of accessory shopping here–jewelry and eyeglasses, scarves and shoes. Oh–shoes! Couldn’t resist a pair of sandals. When in Greece, one buys Greek sandals–right?

Stop number four took us up-island to Oia. This is the iconic, picturesque village one equates with Santorini. We tried to capture the breathtaking views, and I’ll let you decide whether we did that or not… We’d thought about eating dinner here and watching the sunset from the tiered city, but the crowds and the heat gave us another idea–visit a nearby winery instead. Not a bad choice, as it turned out.

As the tour busses jammed Oia, we drove out of town to the Sigalas winery. They usually grow the grapes close to the ground here to prevent wind damage, but this winery is tucked away a bit so they grow grapes more traditionally as well. We sampled wines, ate delectable courses, and captured the sunset before it escaped into an evening cloud bank.

Grapes grow close to the ground for wind protection

Tomato/white eggplant “tower”

Orange salmon eggs topped this dip

Sea bass with green beans

The sun settling into the hazy horizon

Another full day under our belts, we headed home as we plotted our adventures for last island day (our last Greece day!!).

Day 14–Ahhh…Santorini!

An early morning shower got me going, and we were up to the rooftop restaurant around 7. Again, had many choices of food. Somehow my taste is only for fruit and yogurt (and coffee!), at that time of day, but many veggies, cheeses, etc. lined the tables just waiting for us.

A quick bus ride to the port and then we dragged our luggage up the gangplank, stored it in the downstairs area near the autos and found our way up to the seating area. I was expecting wooden bench seating, but this was luxury! Somehow we snagged seats (airplane type) at the very front of the boat, giving us the best view possible–the sea in front of us as we chugged along on our 2 hr. voyage to the island of Santorini. The ride was relatively smooth and we napped and relaxed on the way.

After our two-hour ride, we disembarked and found our contact, loaded into a bus, and began our trek up the mountain to the other side and our hotel. The busses and cars that met the ferry made for a near traffic jam.

And who was waiting for me at the hotel? Yippee! My sister Anne had flown in from Rome earlier in the morning and I got a hug after six months of separation. I quickly introduced her around and we trekked off to a pizza place for fantastic beer, salad, pizza and dessert. Absolutely delicious, and Anne got her first “taste” of what it’s like to travel with Anna and Friends.

After a brief nap, we walked to the beach just down the road. This beach has black pebbles and though chilly, the water cooled us from heat of the day–so wonderfully soothing.

Then out for dinner in a relaxing breeze on the beach. We began with gin/tonics and sampled cheeses and hummus, fava dip, chicken and potatoes, and fruit. Again, wonderfully prepared and so very sumptuous. Noticing my clothes seems to be getting a bit more snug. Go figure…

Day 13–Back to the coast

So what’s an early Sunday morning in the hills of Crete like? I’m sitting on our room’s balcony where two chairs and a small round table overlook a narrow street–an alley really. Trumpet vines wind around the railing and bees of all kinds (even those huge bumble ones) are gathering nectar from the orange flowers. So very busy.

In the distance I hear the occasional crowing of roosters. Birds chirp, then scold, and mourning doves hoo-HOOOO-hoo.

The nearby hills are sprinkled atop with green, their lower faces dry and a bit grey now in the June weather. The sun is on its way to peek over the top and warm the cool air. All seems lazy and relaxed here–except for those buzzing bees still peppering the vine.

Later: After a second breakfast feast, we loaded up for Heraklion on the north-central coast. A brief stop at the “green lake” in the gorge of Agios Nikolaos just north of Zaros revealed steep hillsides and a variety of flora and fauna. I enjoyed the wafting smell of sycamores and the gnarly trunks of ancient olive trees. If only they could talk…

Next stop on our trek to the coast was a shop filled with natural products (dried herbs, tinctures) and fossils/finds from 6-8 million years ago. Crete has risen out of the sea, so many sea creatures, including clam, sea urchins, leaves, coral, are preserved in stone form. Fascinating.

Over the hill and down to Heraklion. The capital of Crete, Heraklion has three major universities and is Crete’s fourth largest city. We settled into our hotel, and after several attempts at getting the air conditioner to work (success–finally!), took a brief rest before walking down to the Archeological Museum of Heraklion around the corner. Feels strange to be back in the big city after our quaint hill town.

Some interesting things from the museum:

This Phaistos Disc is important to Cretan writing/script.  It has 45 pictorial signs, arranged (in various combinations) into 61 groups and is separated by incised lines–which is presumed to represent words.  To date, no one has figured out the contents of the inscriptions (the disc is two-sided), but most evidence points to it being a hymn or a text of a magical character–this is from the early 17 century BC.

I’d never heard of bull leaping, but apparently it was a sporting “event” where one person held the bull’s horns, another was at the tail to catch the acrobat who vaulted over a charging bull’s horns, onto its back, and then off the bull.  Oh my… Men and women of all races took part in this.

One “assistant” at the horns, another at the tail as the acrobat vaults over the bull.

The third item is the ring of Minos. This ring impacts one’s understanding religious iconography.  The image on the bezel summarizes the three levels of epiphany.  The goddess is depicted hovering in the air in miniature form, seated on a stepped platform topped with horns of consecration and rowing and steering a boat with a seahorse-head prow.  The goddess passes through three natural elements of air, land, and sea, and this passage symbolizes the unification of the mortal world and imposes the message of Minoan power over land and sea;  1250-1400 BC.

A dinner on the hotel’s rooftop and tomorrow off the Santorini.  Only one more stop remaining!

Day 12. Zaros and surrounds

I’m sure the proprietor will shake his/her head when they see Jane’s and my room here at the guest house. We’ve moved lamps, re-purposed furniture, and when the light bulbs were quite dim or missing, I took the bulbs from another room and supplied ours. Oh well!

Adding pilfered light bulbs standing on a chair

Staying in little villages and traveling with Anna in a small group brings one to “off road” places. We’ve met and seen interesting people and terrain. And the regional food? So unique and (mostly) tasty. The water here is pure, often running from fountains in the city. This water is bottled (called Zaro’s) and is widely distributed.

 

Breakfast consisted of tea first, then coffee, and fruit. Then…the parade began. Everything from a porridge-type of cereal to jellied musk from the grapes, to all sorts of ingredients en croute–like mushrooms, red peppers, apples, chocolate, cheese, etc. Food kept arriving at the table, all traditional and so well prepared. Anna says the farmers would eat the porridge, bread or cheese, and have a glass of red wine before taking off to the fields.

Our focus for the day was a “green” self-sustaining farm. They grow olives, herbs, carob beans, veggies, and have goats, sheep (now grazing in the mountains), chickens, and pigs. We tossed ourselves into the back of a pickup and took a 10 minute ride to a valley not far from Zaros. Along the roadside we had a lesson on the olive trees they grow (three varieties including “wild” olives), and herbs. Then we were introduced to a farm carved into the hillside, which I can call nothing but “charming.” It’s taken the owners years, but the gardens, pens, orchards, and residence have all been crafted with a visible love of the land and a determination to sustain all the gifts the land holds.

This herb’s “milk” irritates the skin, but is used in fighting skin cancer

Wild olive trees.  100 kilos of olives makes 4 kilos of oil. Each kilo of this oil sells for 100 Euro. All hand picked and a delicacy.

After touring the yard and pens (and milking a goat), we sat down to a delicious lunch of tomatoes, cucumbers, tatziki, bread, beets, deep fried zucchini, tender potatoes, carob honey, and fruit.

As these carob beans, dry, they turn black.  Then they’re removed from the pod. Each bean weighs EXACTLY the same, so they were used in ancient times to measure gold.

 

Notice the terracing of the olive trees

The family “spirit house” filled with icons and candles

Me milking a goat

The family butcher block

One HUGE pig!

 

Outdoor kitchen

We made cheese from the goat milk and tasted the curds and whey–actually very good! Then we made phyllo dough and after the cheese had drained, rolled out the phyllo, cut it, added a dab of cheese. Then we fried it in oil in the outside kitchen, topped it with honey and cinnamon and…wow! Naturally all this was accompanied by wine and Raki, the regional firewater.

Warming the milk

Curds and whey

The drained cheese

Phyllo dough ingredients:  flour, water, oil, salt, lemon juice

Learning to roll with a dowel

Cut and fill

Fold

Fry in olive oil over open flame

Drizzle with honey and add cinnamon if you like

A lovely breeze bathed us in coolness, and we so appreciated the temperature change in the hills. This farm is a testament to living off the land and being passionate about all things “natural.” For instance, the goats are sent out into the olive orchards after the olives are picked. They eat and naturally fertilize the land. They’ve found a distributor for non-GMO seeds, etc. and strive in every way to live in harmony with the land. If you ever get to Crete, don’t miss this experience. Greenpeace has contacted them about making a documentary about their mission.

Zaros in the distance

Our fearless leader Anna

Day 11–Viva la Vivi!

We packed and again enjoyed a great many choices of items for breakfast, I had several fresh orange juices and my yogurt. Then up to pack and we took off for the central part of Crete, leaving the water behind. This area is high (in the so-called White Mountains) and quite arid, though one sees many olive trees. We left the tall trees in the valley and now see mainly rocky terrain.

After 2.5 hours of bumping along rural roads and climbing hills, we made it to Vivi’s place in Zaros–she’s the dynamic proprietress of a restaurant and her family also owns a guest house. She served us a “lite lunch,” complete with bread, tuna salad, Greek salad, pickled beets, stuffed peppers, wine.

Delicious peppers stuffed with barley and cheese

Then we found our rooms in the guest house (little apartments really, since there’s a fridge, sink and dishes, etc). Our first room’s air conditioning didn’t work, so we switched up and now…cooler! So wonderful after being out and about to come back to comfort.

We went to Vivi’s place for a cooking lesson–and did we ever learn! We made dessert, fried it and then ate it topped with honey and sesame seeds. Then we stuffed zucchini blossoms, made tatziki, a dessert with phyllo and cream, and stuffed peppers and tomatoes. We’ll eat those tonight.

Making dessert

Ready to eat!

Stuffed zucchini blossoms ready for the oven

Shredding cucumber for the tatziki

Then Vivi (a one-person tourism bureau, I think) took us down the street to a gentleman who makes lyres and other traditional stringed pieces like balalaikas. Really fun to see. He was passionate about his work and it was remarkable.

This instrument has over 1600 pieces

Then on to a weaver and her loom. Exquisite work. And then–a walk around the village with a stop at a widow’s home. She served us her home-made liquor and ice cream. And we loved seeing her house (very traditional–nothing modern). When we asked Vivi if there was any way to compensate our “auntie,” Vivi said that to do so would be an insult. These villagers are so very happy to have visitors. One older gal on the street approached us and voiced how happy she was that we were traveling. She had to stay home with children and grandchildren, or at least that’s what she says she’d told herself. So cute.

Traditional garb for widows

“Auntie’s” traditional kitchen

A great group of women drinking strong, good home-made Raki

Day 10–Beaches and wine, a great combo

As you probably know by now, my FAVORITE thing for breakfast is freshly squeezed orange juice. So what did I find at the hotel breakfast area? A juicing machine to beat all juicing machines! Toss in 2-3 oranges, and you get a great juice. Delicious. Since my blog plan doesn’t include posting videos, just imagine rolling several oranges down the chute and the machine whirring and juice filling your glass.

 

Machine slices the fruit and extracts juice, then the rind falls into the orange buckets

But I ate my favorite breakfast of Greek yogurt, muesli, and honey. There’s no better way to start the day!

Greek yogurt with muesli, nuts, raisins and honey.  Delish!

On to Elefonissi beach for a fantastic few hours in the blue blue water. Anna says it’s one of the seven top beaches in the world, and we loved the sand, floating, and simply relaxing in the intense sun. I relished the melody of many languages and the tapestry of myriad colors and body types. Again, checked things out and our group of 7 gals had 5 of the 6 ONE-piece suits on the beach. Time for a tankini, at least.  Sense a “beach culture” that differs so from my water experience.  Long days on the beach with blankets/mats, people of all colors/languages, and activities like kite flying, wind surfing, and snorkeling.  No one cares what you look like, but perhaps yourself.  It’s liberating and relaxing.

The two-lane roads to the beach had wide, paved shoulders and those who drove slower, straddled the right lane, allowing others to pass on the left. Occasionally, when the road narrowed, our driver pulled over, allowing others to pass. A nice gesture for those in the fast lane.

As we drove to the beach, it was apparent that Crete is rich in agronomy. It provides fruit and veggies for the remainder of Greece and for Western Europe in general. We saw hot houses as well as orange and lemon trees, fully laden.

I’m beginning to recognize well-groomed olive trees and notice the carefully terraced orchards–field stone used for the walls and fencing. Solar gardens appear in fields or on tiled roof tops and speak to more “green” thinking and attitudes.

After enjoying the beach, we made our way to vineyard number 4, the Manousakis winery, where we tasted wines, and were surprised by a 1200-1500 year old olive tree. Its trunk is gnarled, but the shoots and new growth still provide olives to this day.

 

 

1200 years old–notice the new growth from the trunk

As always, as we see evidence of those who’ve gone before us, they are ever present in our minds.

We returned to Chania and after a bit of “happy hour” by the pool, took a walk by the wharf for dinner. Tried “goat” for the first time, and found it tender and good, though I felt bad eating the poor critter.  Tomorrow off to Zaros for two nights.