Arrived in New York: Thursday, 9/13/2012

I have a few thoughts to put down as I wait in NY for my connecting flight to Boston.

After my beach day yesterday, I met the “female nomads” for a lovely dinner outside the hostel. They had already negotiated with the maitre d’ for free drinks and a discount, since it was our last night. Had moussaka (too big! As usual), Greek salad and red wine. Delicious! Topped off with ice cream.

We then, Maureen, Mica and I walked up the hill across from the Acropolis to see a Greek music and dance program. As we walked down the path, by this time it was dark – 9:30 show – and a stretch had no lights. There were two Greek men walking a dog and they said they would show us where the theatre entrance was. I was a bit disconcerted but Maureen charged on ahead talking with them. Mica said, don’t worry, she would protect us! She probably weights 110 lbs soaking wet! But strong!! She’s the marathoner. She said she would fend them off while we ran away and then she’d run like crazy and catch up with us!! But they were just being helpful and showed us what must be like a back gate. We could finally hear some music but everyone else must have gone in the other entrance. Only about 40 or so people there. E15 for the 90 minute show. It was interesting at first, authentic costumes from around Greece. But then it kind of got repetitive – the steps varied a bit but all line dances and similar. There was a really old woman doing the singing and then she’d plop back down on her chair and wait. But I enjoyed it for a final night in Greece!

Said we’d meet in the a.m. for breakfast before I caught the bus to the airport around 8:30.

Some things I forgot to mention and observations:

People are very kind! When I was headed to the beach on the tram, I couldn’t figure out where to get a ticket – thought I paid on the tram. There was a woman sitting on the bench, she tried to show me and then just handed me a ticket, showed me where to stamp it before I got on and I headed out!

I’ve had more trouble with buses on this trip, figuring out the system and schedules. I had that bad evening in Rome after I left Doug and the driver wouldn’t let me on the bus, even if I paid, and there were no kiosks open to get a ticket. I had that very long, painful walk all the way to Termini to catch the metro back to Anna’s!

Observation: Greek women, it seems to be when they pass a church, cross themselves 3 times. Is this a superstition? The woman next to me on the plane crossed herself when the plane took off and landed.

Sr. Trai Nyiem e-mailed me from Paris that she had gotten in touch with her former roommate in Athens, Katerina, and sent me her phone numbers. I had the desk call her that night but no answer. And they couldn’t call a cell phone from the desk. So I never did connect with her, but I only had one day left anyway. So maybe another time!

Kerry et. al. will meet me at Logan and we’ll head straight to Wellfleet for their anniversary weekend. Can’t wait to see them all!! “Nana! Nana!” Can’t wait!!

It was a wonderful trip, had some great time with Doug, met a number of unforgettable people, and hope to see some of them again for sure!!

Down to my last day – Weds. Sept. 12, 2012

I had a beautiful relaxing day! The other “femalenomads” headed off to visit Acropolis and other ancient sites. I took the tram leisurely for about an hour and ½ out to a beach at Voulu. It was lovely, hired a bed and umbrella for E2.5 for the day and dove in. It had a lovely sandy bottom, something I haven’t found in Greek beaches so far. So for me this was the best beach so far. It wasn’t too crowded, the water was refreshing and I spent several hours reading, swimming, dozing, lazing (is that a verb? Word?) The young woman at the travel agency who had been so helpful told me to maybe take the tram one way (it makes lots of stops) and the bus back. That’s what I did. Meeting the other 3 at 7:30 for dinner and then to the Greek Dance Theatre in an outside theatre across from the Acropolis at 9:30 for E15. I’ll get packed up first. Just found out it looks like my flight is 1:00 p.m. rather than the original 2:00 p.m. But I know right where the bus is to express to the airport. For some reason it won’t let me check in online so I’ll have to do it there.

I think the key to traveling longer, and not getting so tired, as I did after the six week China/Japan sojourn, is to take a day of rest – like today! I could probably keep going for another week or so and then rest. But home for now. Two of the nomads are going on to a couple of islands and then maybe a month in Turkey!! Would SOOO like to have included Turkey on this trip but it just seemed too much. Another time! We’ll keep in touch and I’ll hear how and what they did while there. They were in Dubrovnik (they said most beautiful city they were ever in!) and through Albania where the people were incredibly nice! So much to see! So little time!!

BTW, I remember from 1965 we saw a beautiful outdoor Sound and Light show in English with music where all the various sites were lit up and they told the history story. I hadn’t heard anything about it. Finally found out, online of course, that they stopped doing it in 2000 – they thought it might be damaging the sites. I don’t think the lights can hurt marble but what do I know. Glad I got to see it when I did.

More later!

email from Anna in Italia....

Ciao Susanna,

so how are you? I imagine you still in Greece on wonderful beaches.


We concluded our week with Thay with the conference last Thursday. Everything was very good, the retreat was so good for me: the Darma talks by Thay and the sharings in particular.


Send news when you can,

a kiss from Rome

Anna

Tuesday in Athens, Sept. 11, 2012

Sleep was interrupted at 1:30 a.m. when a new roommate showed up (it’s a 4 bed room). But think she left already this morning. After breakfast I headed off to the Hopon/Hopoff bus again and rode to the Acropolis stop. As I headed up the LOOONG climb, I saw a handicapped elevator sign, so decided my limp was a handicap and followed it around the base. Came upon a construction elevator going STRAIGHT up a cliff! Rode it up with an elderly German couple – it was pretty breathtaking! I didn’t get up there until about 10 as I had chatted too long at breakfast with Kendall, a woman from Long Beach I’d met the night before. She said she’d leave a note if she was interested in going on the bus out to see the sunset at Sounion on the southern tip of this peninsula at the Temple of Poseidon.

So there were already crowds of tourists up top but I tried to ignore them and enjoy the moment. The two temples on top are amazing but the British Museum really needs to return the Elgin marble statues stolen in the early 1900s from this site and return them to Greece! Something like over 40 statues were taken! They are working on some reconstruction but I think Greece needs to focus on other economic needs rather than reconstructing sites for tourists right now!! I ended up spending a couple of hours taking in the wonderful views out over the city and the temples before returning to the hostel. Stopped and had a wonderful Greek salad and souvlaka for lunch and then took a rest at the hostel before meeting Kendall, Maureen and Mica (two Canadians from Vancouver traveling together – Kendall had met them on the walking tour of sites today – I wasn’t up to that much walking.

We ran (hobbling/run for me!) to make the 3:30 bus out to Sounion. It was a gorgeous ride along the coast with beautiful views of the Aegean with tons of people in swimming and windsurfing! It took almost 2 hours (a bargain for E6.5) to get out to the remote hill where the temple was. They only give you a senior discount if you are from an EU country so paid the full E4 to get in, E12 at the Acropolis. We got some cold drinks and headed up to walk around the temple. It doesn’t look restored and was in much better condition than the Parthenon (although it didn’t get a bomb thrown into it by the Venetians or somebody like the Parthenon did!) Very few people there so we had a lovely visit and headed home just as the sun was setting on the 7 p.m. bus. The travel agent here in the hostel was wonderful! I was going to pay E48 for a bus tour out there and she said I didn’t need to do that – just take this local bus – and it was much better. We were on our own time schedule.

Kendall is a social worker, working with troubled kids and adults in Long Beach, CA. She’s over here for a month’s holiday and will head to some islands. She loves traveling on her own and has done a lot of it. She met on the walk Maureen, a retired American Airlines employee, traveling with Mica, also retired, from Vancouver. They are traveling for several months, will head to some islands and maybe Crete from here. Mica’s amazing, 55 years old, has run 10 marathon and will run in London in April. She said there are 5 majors and this will complete the 5 for her. She’s run Boston several times. Amazing!! I think Maureen said she’d hiked that trail from France into Spain last year – took her 5 months!! They will travel for a month or so in Turkey after Greece! Mica lived 16 years in Fiji Islands (but she is Sikh) and then moved to Vancouver when she married. She and Maureen are both now divorced and passionate travelers. Hope to connect with them again sometime!

Ate wonderful food and wine next door to the hostel (they give us free drink and 15% off). They told me they ran into Stephen Baldwin on their walking tour and showed me pictures he took with them. Apparently he was with some religious group, carrying a Bible. He was very friendly and willing to take pictures. They were all excited! At the next table to us at dinner was a Greek Australian musician with his younger date who chatted us up and invited us to where his friend would be performing. We’re already going to the music folklore program tomorrow evening up on one of the hills near the Acropolis. But they may go see him another night. Fun!

Got an e-mail from Sr. Trai Nyiem (Akemi) from Paris with her former Athens roommate’s contact info here. Tried to call her to maybe meet up with Katerina tomorrow sometime. The other 3 are headed to the Acropolis tomorrow but I was going to try to find a beach out by Pireaus maybe for the day. There were beautiful beaches out that way.

Yassas for now!

Day one in Athens, Monday, Sept. 10, 2012

Got to Skype briefly with Kerry and kids last night in my room. It’s been very convenient to have my own computer and not too much extra to carry. Every place I’ve stayed has had free Wi-Fi. And Irini in Rome got me a European plug (the one I brought didn’t work!).

When I spoke to the travel agency this morning, she told me how to just get a public bus out to Sounion and Temple of Poseidon instead of paying for a bus tour – this would allow me to stay out there later and see the sunset and then hop the bus back. But my knee just wasn’t up to it today, as I know there’ll be walking around the temple. So I’ll save that for tomorrow or Weds. Instead I got a 2 day HopOn/HopOff around Athens bus ticket (second day was free; saw a sign on the way there to get ticket in HardRock Café and saved E2 so got ticket for E16 instead of E18). On my way back this afternoon, I stopped in there and had a juice drink and garlic toast, just to sit there and say I’d been there! Had Buddy Holly’s jacket, etc.

I got a good overview of downtown Athens, passed some Roman and Greek ruins, the Olympic stadium of 1896, really cool looking, where the first modern Olympics, and the first marathon was run. Won by a Greek if I understood the narration correctly! The original guy that ran from the battle of Marathon to tell I think the King that the Greeks had won, and then promptly dropped dead! Ran a bit less than 26.2 miles. And the first one in 1896 matched his length. But when London held the next Olympics, they wanted it to start at the Palace and end at the Olympic stadium so it was changed and stayed at the current 26.2 mile length. Someone I talked with today about the Greek economic crisis said that Greece spent so much getting ready and putting on the 2004 Olympics, it fueled the crisis.

After breakfast (English one: eggs, bacon, bread, juice –that fake orange stuff!, tea – here at the hostel), spoke with Suzuki, a Japanese traveler here from Kyoto for a week’s holiday. Long way to come for a week! We had a great time chatting about my Japan visit last year, etc. Very nice! And excellent English!

I had found a copy on the ubiquitous book-exchange shelf here a hardbound copy of Steve Jobs’ biography by Isaacson. Suzuki couldn’t believe I was carrying that around while traveling! I assured her I was just reading it while I was having breakfast. But it’s interesting! He’s not a person one would like as a friend, boyfriend, husband, or family member! He was really cruel to his adoring adoptive parents who constantly sacrificed for him. I just read when he insisted on going to Reed College, one of the most expensive liberal arts schools in the country in the ‘70s, they gave in, sacrificed to get the money, and then he refused to let them drive him to his dorm – only let them drop him off! Didn’t want anyone to know he had parents!! What a brat!! Not in MY world, no matter how “special” or brilliant! I’m just getting to the part where he gets his high school girlfriend pregnant and then abandons her! I guess he later reconciled with his daughter from that union. Later he married and had 3 other children. Haven’t read that part yet! But interesting how his mind and skills developed.

So Happy Hour is closed on Mondays (as are many museums, etc.) so I’ll head out for a beer and some supper. Was really looking forward to that Mythos! See what tomorrow brings! I will try to get a really early start on the Acropolis in the a.m. before the crowds collect.

Yassas!

Arrived in Athens Sunday, Sept. 9

Everything went smoothly leaving Santorini. Loved staying at Sunset Hotel with Elena, the proprietess who was delightful. I had plenty of time to pack but when her husband was almost at the airport driving me in the van, she called and said I had left some money in the room. I had left some Euro for the cleaning lady and thought that was what she meant. But, no, he said a “packet”. Then I remembered! I had put my passport pouch with my driver’s license, extra credit cards and about $500 in American dollars under about 5 pairs of underwear in a little drawer!!! Aargh!! A guy showed up about 10 minutes later on a moped with it all in a plastic bag! Can’t believe I did that and am so lucky I leave for airports in LOTS of spare time!

The crowd was horrendous at the airport – can’t imagine it in high season in July and August! Lines to check the baggage and line for security. Then it was confusing what line was for what gate. But ended up on the right plane and smooth 45 minute flight (including a chicken pasta salad, drink and piece of chocolate!! Unbelievable in that short a time!).

Found the X95 bus and rode to Syntagma Square at the end of the 45 minute ride and walked to the hostel. My knees is REALLY giving me grief!!! Mihaila (from Bulgaria, who’s worked here 7 years) was delightful checking me in. Gave me a great room for the 4 nights (I think tonight I’m alone) with a balcony and everything – 4 beds to a room. I do NOT have a top bunk! E50 for 4 nights! Great location a few blocks from the Acropolis. I unpacked and came down for Happy Hour and E1.5 for beer and chips. Then I went out for a walk, headed to the Acropolis but was told it closes at 7 p.m. Painfully walked back downhill. There is a 2.5 hr. walking tour on Tuesday but don’t know if I’ll be able to do it. The great thing about hostels is they have tours already scheduled. This one has a tourist agency right in the hostel. I might do the ½ day tour to Sounion and Temple of Poseidon on the end of the peninsula that Athens is on tomorrow. They open at 9:30 so I’ll see then.

Stopped at a place next to the hostel (Student/Traveller Hostel) for dinner since the hostel gave a card for free drink/free dessert and 10% off. Don’t think the waiter was to happy when I brought out the card but too bad!! Had a lovely veal/rice/veggies dinner.

Athens seems wonderful, huge pedestrian area throughout the Plaka area full of restaurants, shops and tourists. Mihaila said it’s a very safe area. I had read some Trip Advisor reviews that kept talking about “sketchy” areas. But this seems really nice and safe. Of course, I’m not much for being out late at night. There is also an Athens at Night tour I might look into.

Yassou! (I was spelling it wrong. Hostel gave me a whole sheet of “Greek words you would probably want to know” Love those hostels!! Will teach Jackson, and maybe Sarah, how to count in Greek: ena, dio, tria, tesera, pente, eksi, epta, okto, enia, deka. He can already count to five in Chinese and we were working on German before left.

Second day in Santorini, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012

Tomorrow I pack up and head to Athens. Today’s tour wasn’t as terrific and interesting as yesterdays. Part of the problem was the tour guide spoke first English, then German and then Greek – all very fast! His English wasn’t near as good as yesterday’s guide.

We headed first up to the Prophet Elias Monastery, a Greek Orthodox monastery where the monks make various products. The guide said only 6 monks now live there, and they were not anywhere in sight. There were two little churches to visit – one built in 1914 and the other since the 1950 earthquake. BTW, the guide said later there were something like 300+ churchs on Santorini, but the reason is it was traditional for each family to have their own little church. There are a lot of bright blue domes in the vistas. And they are really tiny, most of them.

We then visited the Santo Winery which the very brief tour guide narration said was a conglomerate of the many varieties of grapes grown on S. I kept looking for vineyards like in France but there are not wires of vines standing up. The vines grow in a circle and low to the ground, to protect them from the fierce winds here on this high bluff landscape. It’s supposed to be harvest time but I didn’t see any vines with actual grapes on them. The wine tour was mainly to have you taste 3 wines, two dry whites and one dessert wine. They were tasty. Met a couple from Atlanta, GA, who were here on their honeymoon (she yes, ma’am ed me!!) They looked close to 50 so maybe second marriage. They were married last Saturday and then went to a resort in Crete. Her luggage was lost for 36 hours! So they didn’t see much on Crete – she didn’t have her makeup or contact solution and other essentials. They were headed to Mykonos from here and then Athens.

We then walked through Megalohori Village, a small village that had some cave homes, I guess as protection from volcanoes. Again the explanations weren’t very clear.

Our next stop was one of the black beaches where we had time for lunch and a swim. It was refreshing. The water got deep quickly and there seemed to be a strong current so I didn’t stay in long. The last stop was Akrotiri ruins, from around the Minoan civilization time around 1500 BC – again wiped out by volcano eruption. This one had a cloud darkening the skies for over 2 months. Not sure how they know this but…. I opted to go down to a café near the beach rather than wander through more ruins so enjoyed my fresh oj again and met the group on the bus later.

After a short rest I headed out about 7 to see more of Fira and discovered this beautiful walkway along the edge of the caldera (means cauldron) where the cable car goes down to the port or the 500+ steps – alas, more donkeys going by! I didn’t go down. People were there watching the sunset again – which set behind another island Therasia rather than sinking into the sea.

On my way back to the hotel, I passed some kind of a young people’s group performing some songs on a platform. It was all Greek to me so I didn’t stay long. Was hoping for some dancing but didn’t see any.

BTW, I forgot to mention yesterday when I rode the bus back from Oia after the donkey ride and sunset, I didn’t see Pierre, Juliet and Thomas (his parents, I learned this a.m.) As I got off the bus, I was worried I was in the wrong place (it was dark) because I didn’t see them, and they are at this hotel. This morning Pierre told me as they were walking back to the bus last night, as it was getting dark, his dad tripped over a very low wall he didn’t see and went down, scraping both legs and smacking his head. “Mama” told them to take a different bus which would get them back sooner to Fira and they went to the hospital right nearby the hotel. He required stitches in his legs and bandages on both shins and his head!! They were very pleased with the medical treatment, and it didn’t cost them a thing!! He couldn’t get over it, as Reunion, the French island they are from, and under the French medical system, always require you pay when you go in. Maybe this is why Greece is in such financial ruin!!! Rumors abound of them leaving the EU! I still have some drachma from 47 years ago!!

That’s all for now.

Full day in Santorini Friday, Aug. 7, 2012

Stefano picked a beautiful, comfortable place for me to stay in Fira, the main city here. I’m just around the corner from the bus station, and walking to shops and restaurants. The boat ride over was relaxing, about 3 hours and a gorgeous view of the high cliffs coming in by boat. A van was waiting, after a bit of a search, for the Sunrise Hotel and we dropped a couple of other people off first. Driver explained that so many boats come in that drivers share passengers. I was the only one going to Sunrise. It was a hairraising ride up a switchback road from the port to the top. I saw a guy carrying a backpacking walking up. That would have been us, Betty, 47 years ago. IF we’d had the money to get here! Which we didn’t! J

My room (E45/nt) is right by the pool so each morning I’ve had a refreshing dip/exercise (doing qi gong, tai chi, yoga – whatever mixed-up) in the cool pool before heading out. The proprietess speaks excellent English and prepares tea and 3 pieces of toast and Greek yogurt for breakfast. She recommended two places for dinner, gave me a complimentary glass of white Santorini wine (that and small tomatoes are their products here. Had plenty of the wine but not the small tomatoes yet. Today’s tour includes a winery tour (no wonder Sandy and Brian like it here! They are such wine afficianados!). That first night, I hopped a bus (E1.60) out to see the sunset at Oia, on the western end of the island. Along with everyone else on the island!!! It was mobbed and I just followed the crowd to a standing spot, saw the sunset which didn’t have the spectacular colors as in the postcards, but got a round of applause when it sank, anyway! Took the bus back in the dark to Fira and to bed!

Yesterday the tour took us back to the port, then aboard the King Theras (the original name of this island was Thira. Changed to honor the patron saint – Santa Irini – changed to Santorini). We headed out after a couple of other busloads came aboard. Turns out their leader, “Mama” (and we were all her children!) was the leader of our tour as well. We boated across the harbor to the volcano iin the middle of the bay = Nea Kameni – whose eruptions had a lot to do with the formation of these islands. Legend has it that this was the famed Isle of Atlantis, that sank into the sea when an eruption occurred. Also it had a major reuption in 1450 BC that was responsible, along with the following 100 meter tsunami that hit Crete, for the destruction of the Minoan civiliation at Knossos (see previous entries). It’s a huge pile of volcanic cinders – the black more recent eruptions in 1936 and 1950 – most recent. This was shot up and then cooled quickly to form the black, very shiny – almost glass like cinders. The red rocks from other slower eruptions cooled more slowly. There is a red beach that I haven’t seen yet. Also several black beaches that I’ll see today. 




We followed “Mama” to the winding trail on the top of the caldera to see the view in all directions. I was really glad I had carried my sneakers for this part as people with flipflops and sandals were struggling. 



We then sailed around to the other side of this island where there were hot springs gushing into the ocean. Some of us (yes, I did it) jumped off the boat and swam about 400 meters in toward short where the water was decidedly warm. I had gotten acquainted with my neighbors in the hotel, who ended up at the next table when I went to dinner the first night, and now were on this trip. They sat next to me on the boat so we started talking, finally. The parents, around 70, don’t speak much English, only French. They were traveling with their son who does speak, and he swam with me into the springs to where we could stand on a rock. He just took my e-mail as his dad had taken pictures of us from the boat so he will e-mail them to me.

They are from an island between Africa and India, near the Seychelles that begins with an R, was a French possession and has a real mix of Chinese, Pakistani, French, and whatever natives had been there. His father is a retired policeman, his mom was an elementary teacher, and he works for the post office as a computer guy. It’s hard to tell but I’m guessing in his 40s. Very good and solicitious son! He said they’d traveled in Athens, Crete and now here. Before on another trip they went to Morocco and Tunisia. Mom said she had been in Florida, Texas and Louisiana once. She watched my bag while I was swimming. 

We then switched to a smaller boat and went across to Oia again. I thought we were going to watch the sunset from the boat, but no! We had to either climb 258 steps up to the town, or ride a donkey up. For E5 I chose the donkey. 
Mine kept leaning to the left near the wall, making me nervous, so I kept pulling to the right. The guy at the end scolded me, I think he was saying, for doing that, as he pulled me off as we got near the top! Apparently the donkeys don’t go all the way up because of the crowds gathering for the sight. I found a spot in the shade to wait as we had about 2 hours until sunset!! And people-watched. It was a bit more colorful than the night before, and then we were told to meet “Mama” at the church with 6 bells! She gathered all 81 of us left, and herded us to the two buses and back home. I was full from lunch – Oh, I forgot, we boated to another island, Thirasia, and had lunch and some of us swam – to wash off the sulfur and other minerals from the hot springs! She said we might turn orange!! Before we boated to Oia.


It’s now my last full day in Santorini, had my breakfast, good night’s sleep, a swim and yoga and sitting in the sun for my hair to dry (my curling iron doesn’t work with my plug!). That same family from R. is also going today on the tour of the southern part of the island to see a monastery, some ruins, and beaches and then the winery tour. It’s only from 11 – 5 or so. Tomorrow to Athens!

On the way to Santorini Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012

I’m 2 hours into the ferry (I think it’s close to 3 hours all total) from Heraklion to Santorini. There was a taxi driver waiting for me when I got downstairs to take me to the right boat (E11 – just want to keep some track of what things cost).



I forgot an important thing I did in Chania! When Portia and I had been walking in Heraklion, I saw something I had never seen before. A fish massage! I can’t pass that up! But we didn’t have time to do it then, so I did when I was at the harbor after dinner in Chania. You sit on a bench (mine was overlooking the beautiful evening harbor) and they spray and wipe your feet down. Then you dangle your feet in a fish tank and this guppy-like fish eat dead skin cells off your feet and lower legs!! I did it for about 40 minutes (she gave me an extra 10 or so because people were stopping to watch so I think it attracted business for someone to be doing it). E15 – for 30 min. It was weird at first but just felt like little bubbles bumping up against your feet. I’m sure if you were really ticklish, you wouldn’t like it. It is supposed to stimulate tired feet and smooth them. They did feel pretty smooth (my feet were pretty torn up after 3 weeks in mostly sandals!) Can’t EVER pass up a new massage experience!



So after my return last night from my overnight to Chania, I thought I would just relax, veg out, have a nice dinner at my taverna and catch up on my blog. I got a phone call from the desk guy (he brought it out to me on the balcony) from Portia saying a group of relatives were attending a concert down by the bus station/port outside of a mandolin festival, with Cretan dancing. I was ready in 5 minutes and fortunately asked the lovely waitress who spoke some English to bring me a glass of wine and fried potatoes! There hadn’t been a chance to eat earlier and it would be almost 10 p.m. before we did!



I had them call me a cab (E20!!! He said because he had to come get me and then take me! – no meters here on a regular basis! I hate the feeling I’m being ripped off. But the buses are so irregular! Portia had waited for an hour after a swim one day, so what they hey!) We met just outside the Café Marina where Portia had been waiting. We found Desmones and Portia’s deceased husband’s older brother, Demetri (same name as her brother-in-law). Big man! And his wife Sofia, and her friend. They had secured 3 chairs in the crowd in front of the 459 mandolin players! A Guinness book of world record!! Last year (so the announcer said) a German group had gathered 250, but this one was beyond that! And it was being televised! Well, they were practicing and singing and playing the same tune over and over. It was said to start at 8 p.m., then 8:30 but didn’t get going until 9! And then they played that same song over and over!! There were many mandolin young players near the front of the group so I suspect lots of the parents were in front taking pictures. Poor Portia had not eaten any lunch except just a bit of rice and was starving! So we left (Desmones, P and me) and went back to the nearby Café Marina, sitting outside, and I had a salad, she a veal burger and D. a toasted sandwich. We shared a bottle of wine, not as good as I’d had at my taverna. Smokers are allowed at outside tables and a group of women almost drove us away. They finally left. Portia insisted on treating and told us to go back to the concert as we might see some authentic dancing and we could hear more proficient mandolin players. The maybe 15 players who were performing had moved to the stage and the younger ones were gone. I think if there had been dancers they were gone! But the music was nice, a singer was singing, but Portia said it wasn’t real Cretan music. I had heard that my first night in the taverna with a mandolin and a lyre player – very plaintive, soulful type songs that usually tell a story, she said.



We finally each grabbed a cab to head home about 11. I packed for today and went to sleep about midnight. Great final night in Crete!



Oh, I forgot to mention when I met Immanuel’s brother, Demetri, Portia told him the story of my having been to Heraklion in 1965, meeting George Paterakis (I think that was his last name) who was in the Greek army – we met on the boat from Pireaus. We’d had a very romantic 2 or 3 days, riding his moped out to olive trees in the moonlight, etc. etc.! Betty spent time with his friend Walter. I remember leaving Heraklion on a night boat, SOBBING! All the way back to Athens!! J I received one letter (which I still have – just found it before I left! ) when I got to Munich from George! He didn’t sign his last name!! Hopeless romantic, I am!!



Anyway, Portia told him the story (he spoke no English) and he said he knew 2 George P.s and would call them this morning and I should wait for a call! He kept calling me “Susie”! No one called me that except Grandpa Rice! I kept telling him I was leaving on the 8:40 boat! He was very funny and so insistent!! I do remember George said he WAS from Heraklion itself. I also remember I got the feeling he didn’t want to be seen by any family around town, with a foreigner. Portia said maybe he was MARRIED! In 47 years, I never gave that a thought!! Innocent 21 year old that I was!! Anyhow, it was a fun evening and George will always remain a romantic memory! I know! TMI!!



More from Santorini maybe tonight. Will be at the Sunrise Hotel, same place Portia’s son=in=law and step-granddaughter stayed for a few days this month when they were visiting.



Haszas! (Not sure how to spell this!)

Wednesday, September 05

Heading up into the mountains – Tuesday and Wednesday


Portia and I hopped a bus and headed out of town, up into the mountains to visit the small town where her mother-in-law was from. We passed olive trees galore and vineyard patches recently harvested. It’s too soon for the olives. It was a picturesque little town and we walked around. Our timing was off however, because of our visit to Knossos. We arrived about 3, just the time when her cousin’s family was settling down for a siesta. The town was very quiet. We walked by the house but no sight of anyone so we didn’t disturb. We walked by a restaurant from a clipping we both had seen in Blue magazine, the Aegean airline magazine, about great restaurants. This one was mentioned but it was only open for dinner. We went back to the town square and had a lovely lunch. I tried the moussaka (Portia had ordered) and liked it! Eggplant, zucchini, meat (ground beef, I think) in a cream sauce, baked.


We came back to town and headed for Desmones and Demitri’s apartment/condo. It is lovely! They were there, just getting up from siesta. They plied us with drinks and more food – fruit, ice cream, cakes. Too much food! We visited for quite awhile on their balcony right in the city. They’ve lived there for 26 years. It was very modern and nice! Portia said she had owned two nearby and had sold them. In Greece, any inheritance of property is evenly divided among spouse and children. So Nuela, Christina and John all agreed with Portia to sell them a few years ago (good call! What with the way things have gone here!) and divided it up. Portia still owns like a basement of one of the buildings but would like to get rid of it.


Portia was very brave and borrowed her nephew’s car and drove me back. Quite an experience driving here! Stop signs are optional! It’s kind of similar to China! I wouldn’t like to drive in either place. We stopped by Stefano’s travel agency as I hadn’t heard back if he’d found me a place to stay in Chania for one night in the Old Town. Poor Portia just pulled over; it took quite awhile for S. to find something. He hadn’t looked but said now that I’m there, he would do it! So I stayed. I heard an ambulance siren and looked out at Portia trying to move out of the way! She managed! I finally got my reservation and he said to just pay for it when I got there. Good thing I had him write down the name and address, as well as let me look at the picture of the building on the internet. It was a real labyrinth of streets and I got lost going and coming and repeatedly had to show my paper to people!




BTW, I’m back here for my last evening in Crete, sitting out on the balcony (2nd floor) overlooking the pool and in the distance, the beach and gorgeous Aegean Sea! I’m so lucky!!! I left my suitcase and computer and just went overnight with my backpack. Everything was here when I returned and they gave me the same room back. I had a moment’s nervousness when I arrived in Chania and realized I had NOT picked up my passport (they had been keeping it at the desk) before I left. Fortunately, I was coming back the next day and the hotel in Chania never asked for it. They just took my E30 and I never saw them again. I was right on the street with a door leading into my single bed room. It was perfect except, as I said, when I left there to walk around and go to dinner, I got lost coming back. Then this morning at 5:00 a.m. I got lost getting out of the maze to head to the bus station. But I made it in plenty of time for my 5:30 bus to Rethymos.


The bus ride was along the water on the north shore of Crete, about 2 hours past Rethymos, to Chania. Gorgeous views along the way. 50% of Cretans live near Heraklion and most of the people live on the north shore. This is mainly where the tourists go. I arrived in Chania about noon and immediately bought a fresh squeezed orange juice! Had one about every day! Right outside was the hop on/hop off bus so I purchased a ticket, and asked the guy which stop I should get off to get to my hotel. I was able to ride almost the entire route around before he ended up down by the harbor and the Venetian wall (those Venetians really knew how to build!). It was a scenic ride, including high over the city to visit Venezelos’s grave (I had NO idea who he was; the recording was a bit garbled and I heard something about a politician. Turns out, I had to buy a new book – it’s called The Thread about Thessolonika around First World War. And there he is mentioned!! Love to get my history from historical fiction! It’s so painless!)


The town has mosque leftovers from the Turks, churches from the Venetians (Crete was given as a reward to one of the crusaders, I guess from Venice) and then the Greek Orthodox churches. The driver left me off and pointed the way to my street. About 4 asking-for-directions stops through the labyrinth (this idea and word, BTW, came from the Minoan civilization in Knossos), I found my A. Euginia little hotel with the guy who showed me to my room. It had AC which was great because the window was RIGHT on the street! I was hot and sweaty so I took my shower and siesta before heading out to walk along the harbor. It was lined with restaurants and I stopped at one that advertised it was in Lonely Planet, no pressure, and had a pile of Crete guides right next to my table that I perused during my dinner. I had a Greek medley from the menu with salad, snapper (had to have a fresh fish! – they list on the menu ones that are fresh and the frozen ones. I was drawn to the shrimp wrapped in bacon but it said they were frozen!) They gave me a glass of white wine instead of the coffee when I told him I don’t drink coffee! Even Doug was drinking that very thick Italian/Greek coffee in a small demitasse cup! Eeuw!!


It was a great people watching place! Lots of German tourists. (just took another picture off my balcony – planes down low to land – I swear one is landing every 5-10 minutes! That’s why I keep my door shut at night and AC on, as well as from mosquitos, and a cruise ship going by. Could also be the ferry that I’m taking tomorrow to Santorini.) I keep getting distracted, sitting out here on the balcony. I moved to the public one as it’s in the shade and my balcony is baking in the sun with my laundry drying!! Anyone reading this is probably getting nauseous from my hopping around in this narrative! Sorry! But this blog is mostly for me anyway!


I bought a shirt, a new book, a picture book of Greek myths for J and S, and the ubiquitous gelato!! After a great night’s sleep, I woke at 4:30 (my phone alarm didn’t work!) and found my way back to the bus station. I headed back to Rethimno to just change buses south for Agios Galini, over the center of the island on the Libyan Gulf (Liviko Pelagos). The driver would stop along the way, if people had their arm out, palm down (that means stop) to pick up and drop off people. One side trip he took went up a very windy switchback road that I sometimes had to shut my eyes! And then, of course, he came back down the same road! I was annoyed with the driver as he left Rethimno as he was driving this huge Mercedes Benz bus one handed and chatting on his cell! He finally hung up just as I was going to pantomime keeping BOTH hands on the wheel!! The other driver was talking but he had a handless bud in his ear and could talk that way!


I got off at A. Galini, very again picturesque on a hillside by the water. I walked around the harbor to where I could see umbrellas and beach chairs. I had a little breakfast – fresh OJ and a cheese/ham/tomato pie (I think it’s puff pastry stuffed – very popular snack here – we had a cheese one the other day) and asked the proprietess how much the chairs were. She said E6 for the day. I said I only wanted like an hour. She came back and said I could sit if I wanted! I hadn’t brought a swimming suit but looked in a nearby shop and thought about staying. But they don’t print any bus schedules. When I got back to the little booth, the bus to Heraklion was leaving shortly so I just got on and came back over the mountains to H. They dropped me at a different bus station than the one I had left from so I wandered a bit but finally made it to Morisini Fountain, the only place I really know in town. Then I was able to figure out the bus ticket machine and wait for the #7 bus back.


My stuff was all safely here when I arrived and I immediately paid my bill and got my PASSPORT!! They gave me back the same room and I went for a swim in the pool! The beach here is rocky and really hurts my feet so it wasn’t worth walking the 10 minutes to swim in the ocean. The pool refreshed me! I wrapped up in my pareo and went across to the patisserie and got a beer, seltzer another o.j. and CHOCOLATE CAKE to tide me over until dinner! The food is quite good at the taverna here and the waitress is so friendly and helpful! But it doesn’t open until 5:30 so I’ll have to wait.


Of course, after laundry there was the siesta (it’s just too HOT to do anything midday!). And now, I’ll have dinner, upload some pictures to Flickr and pack up for tomorrow. They called a cab for me to take me right to the correct boat at the port for 7:30 a.m. My ferry leaves at 8:40 but I need to be early!! It’s not worth trying to do the bus and finding it myself while dragging all my stuff. I think I’m going to try one of the hostels in Athens for one night. If it’s okay, I’ll stay the 4 nights. If not, maybe I’ll find something better. So I will make that reservation either tonight or on Santorini.


Bye for now!

Tuesday, September 04, 2012 Hi from Chania!

Took the bus for one overnight to Chania, western part of Crete. Will head back tomorrow maybe up through the mountains but will stay at same place (left luggage there) for one more night. Staying in the old town here in a really rustic place, but clean and great location near the harbor on winding streets. I finally gave up and let Stefano, a very efficient travel agent, book me a place here, the boat Thursday to Santorini, a place to stay there for 4 nights and then flight to Athens on Sunday. Now I need to work on where I will stay in Athens until I leave Thursday. Stopped here at an internet cafe for awhile as Ileft mylaptop in Heraklion. Very picturesque here with Venetian, and Turkish architecture. Plus lots was destroyed by the Germans in 1941. They've had a very violent history, as their ports were very well located between Crusaders, Turks, Germans, Romans, Greeks, Venetians! All left their imprint. And the Cretans were very independent and suffered a lot for it,especially helping the Allies escape when the Germans invaded. And now German tourists make up the bulk of those visiting Crete! Weird world!!


I'm really writing this blog mostly for me, so I remember what I've seen. Portia and her relatives want me to come back in 2014 when she returns. Very nice people!

Knossos and Archanas Monday, Sept. 3, 2012

I left off as we were headed out to Knossos, the Minoan civilization some people call the “birth of Western Civilization.” It was pretty amazing and advanced for the time – which was 2000+ BC. King Minos was the ruler the civilization was named after. But it was a matriarchal society in that the women held the power. The chief goddess was a woman usually shown with large bare breasts indicating fertility. They held the property and “money.” There weren’t any coins but talents were traded for equal value. The people were part of what has now been identified, by DNA, as the Mediterranean race – dark, curly hair, darker skin, big bum, small waist, and some other characteristics. People in southern Spain, Southern Italy, Egypt, Greece, and all along the north Africa coast share these characteristics, in this period.

These ruins were discovered by a Cretan in 1890 something (his name also happened to be Minos!). Then an archaeologist named Evans from England, I believe, settled here, purchased the surrounding land and began excavating and actually rebuilding some of the parts, based on the wonderfully preserved murals depicting life in the time. The artifacts, many beautiful pieces of gold and stone jewelry, pottery and a small disc with pressed symbols and pictographs (none of which have been deciphered) are on display in the archaeological museum near the well preserved Venetian walls surrounding Heraklion. We visited that later in the day.

We went around with an English speaking guide (E10 each) and it was really necessary. There were no labels to tell what things were, like the throne room, the queens bath (her bathroom had a stream of water running under it – first indoor toilet!!) They had a plumbing system with water pumped down from the nearby towns up mountain. They had a kind of amphitheatre. They had the first “sidewalk” that led to a prince’s separate accommodations from the king (our guide said even in those days kinds wanted to get away from their parents!). Apparently Evans is considered to have done wonderful reconstructions and very authentic. It stopped in the 1930s I believe.

This is the reason many cruise ships in the Aegean stop at Heraklion, to see Knossos. Not too many other special tourist sites.

Today, however, I met Portia downtown and we visited a wonderful Eastern Orthodox church, St. Titus (he was a pal of St. Paul, and was also a contemporary of Jesus). He’s the patron saint of Heraklion. We also visited a Roman Catholic church (Crete was controlled by the French for a short time and the Venetians for a couple of hundred years. Of course, then by the Turks in the Ottoman empire, then the Germans during the war, and finally independent. I think it became part of Greece in the early 20^th century.

Two most famous Cretans are El Greco (there’s only one of his paintings here somewhere) and Nikos Kazanzakis (we visited his very simple grave, along with his wife’s, on top of the Venetian wall on our way home tonight.

Have I seen any evidence of the financial crisis that Greek is immersed in? Only in conversations with Demetri, Portia’s brother-in-law, whose pension has been cut E300/month so far. Many people are being laid off. Unemployment I believe is like at 30%. Tourism is way down, although I see a lot of Germans and others. They own a condo that has been for rent and vacant for over 8 months. Portia said many people are moving back to property they own in the countryside and doing subsistence farming, things are so bad. Prices are WAY higher than the way they used to be. We paid like $36 for a lunch for two of us at the beach – Portia thought that was outrageous. She’s been coming here for over 30 years.

Tomorrow I bus for 2 hours over to Chania, a picturesque town to the west. I’m staying one night in the Old Town and then hope to take a different way back here. I am booked on the ferry to Santorini on Thursday early and will spend 3 nights there, flying to Athens on Sunday. So far Greece has been wonderful! Portia is planning to come back in 2014. Who knows, I may be with her!

Yasas!! (something like that means hello/goodbye!)

Monday, Sept. 3, 2012 Happy Birthday Jackson!!!

JACKSON’S BIRTHDAY!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETHEART!

I’m sorry to miss it but I know you had a great time at your party and will have fun at school today!

Here I am in Heraklion, Crete, named after Hercules! I arrived 2 hours late as our plane had to land at Chania in the western part of Crete instead because of a problem with radar at the airport just before we landed. We sat on the plane for 2 hours. Twice they told us to take our stuff and I thought we were going to be bused the 2 hours to Heraklion. But, no, they fixed the problem and we took off again and landed maybe 15 minutes later.

Portia had been going to meet me at 5:30 but she was not around. Many planes landed all at once so we weren’t the only plane to be diverted. I waited for almost an hour and then grabbed a taxi and asked for the Prince of Lillies hotel. It was a E10 ride (even though I’m looking at the planes landing and taking off right off my balcony! Oh, well, things are MUCH more expensive in Greece since 47 years ago when I was last here.

This is a lovely hotel, has a pool that I haven’t used yet, can walk to the beach, beautiful turquoise water! I arrived and was very hungry, music was playing in the taverna so I had a wonderful dinner of lamb, potatoes (LOVE their French fries), rice and salad with a little carafe of white wine!! It was a great start to my Greek holiday!


I had to look up on the Internet to find the number of Portia’s sister-in-law. The desk person called for me and Demetri, her brother-in-law, answered but spoke only Greek. So we conveyed the message that I had arrived and was at my hotel.


Portia called back in the morning and met me at 10:30. She had waited around until 7:30 at the airport, they would not really give her any information about when or if my plane would land or even what the problem was. Another person waiting for a passenger had gotten a text message from someone on the plane about the radar.


Portia was going to an outside concert in town at 9:30 of Cretan dancing and music (sorry I missed it!) But we met up the next day, walked to the beach and swam, then walked down to Alexander’s on the beach and had a lovely lunch, catching up on all she’d been doing in the 3 weeks she’d already been here and came home. She actually met her husband, Immanuel, in the 60s when she was here with her parents (whose parents, Portia’s grandparents, came from Greece but the Pelloponesian area). It was right on this same beach where we were swimming. He was in the Greek army at the time and from Heraklion. I think it was mutual love at first sight. She came back the next year and they were married here that December. They lived here for a year and a half and then moved back to MA, near Lawrence. He ended up in the auto business, both filling stations and selling them, I think. They had two daughters (both of whom just left here Weds. With their SOs and a couple of grandchildren).She also had John, whom I met and got a golf lesson from last year. He lives in Utah. Anyway, Immanuel died very unexpectedly at 32 of an unusual heart infection and Portia raised the 3 kids by herself, teaching, doing taxes, managing property (they had property here in Heraklion for years). She’s been coming back here to visit in-laws maybe every 2 years since then. Interesting story!


We agreed to meet up that evening. I thought we had agreed to meet at 7 at the Morisini Fountain, built in 1626. I rode the town bus (E2) and found my way to the fountain. I looked up and the clock there said 8:00!! I asked someone and realized I was on Italian time and Greece is an hour later!! Had no idea what to do and was heading back to the bus when there was Portia!! She had thought maybe I waited near the bus so had walked back on the pedestrian walk way. We must have passed each other. As we walked, we passed two places where you get FISH MASSAGES on your feet! You put your feet in tanks of water where these certain kind of fish nibble the dead skin off your feet! We are DEFINITELY going to do this! The woman said she would give us both 20 minutes for E15.


We met Desmones, her husband’s sister, and her husband, Demetri, and went to an ouzo place where you drink ouzo (liked it!) and have mezedes, I think it’s called, which are like tapas in Spain. Lots of plates of fried zucchini, calamari, octopus, little fried fish – you eat the whole thing!, salad, etc. HUGE feast!! We had a wonderful time, although Portia had to do a lot of translating. I think they could understand most of the English but not speak it. Lots of cats were hovering around waiting for a handout. I surreptitiously threw them my fish head!!






Yesterday I met Portia again in town (riding the city bus mostly but sometimes taxi. You can only take the bus schedules with a grain of salt!! We rode another bus out to Knosses, the ruins of the 1500+BC Minoan civilization. More later! Gotta meet Portia!

Walking Meditation and goodbye to Doug 8/30/2012

After the Vatican, I was able again to talk my way onto the on/off bus to get a ride to the next stop, near the Piazza Popolo where the Walking Meditation was going to take place. I first had to find a place to eat lunch/dinner (only had fruit for breakfast so I was pretty hungry). Found a lovely place, a lovely large Heineken and a pizza and bruchetta – delicious!! I knew we’d probably get gelato later with Doug so I waited.

When I got to the square about 4:30, Thay was already sitting in the shade of a fountain and people were starting to gather around. Saw Doug and then sat with Sr. Trai Nghiem (the Japanese sister who had visited Wellfleet, plays violin – I’d seen her in Waldbrol). We chatted for a bit. She’d lived in Athens for a year when she was a musician so she might have a contact for me there. Thay just sat calmly and silently while hoards of people took photos. He gathered a few children around him from the Italian sangha and at 5:30 moved over to where the platform had been set up for him. Many people were already sitting on their cushions ready to meditate. I saw Silvia and Laura from Milan (paid Silvia the E185 for my plane and train tickets that she had purchased ahead of time). Anna was there; she had brought the posters of Thay’s calligraphy and a beautiful pink azalea plant for the stage.

Thay spoke for awhile and then began the walking meditation around the piazza. I was walking kind of off to the side and Doug spotted me (he’d been in with a group of monastics right behind Thay). He worked his way over and we walked the rest of the walk together, holding hands!!! Thay spoke again for a bit and then the monastics bused back to wherever they were staying – about an hour outside of Rome. Doug, Dylan, Phap Lieu (the Italian monk who had traveled with us, lives in Thailand, and translated for Thay during his talks today), and two Vietnamese monks who were leaving the next day, and a woman from Vietnam, and me all went hunting for gelato. An American from Chicago, Israel and Italy showed us his favorite and we all indulged – the Vietnamese woman treated everyone. I’m really going to miss gelato!

We wandered the streets to the Pantheon which Doug remembered from 1992. Phap Linh (Dylan) guessed 150 BC and Doug looked it up on wikipedia (on his iTouch) and it was pretty close. Well preserved building.

They then had to get a train to get their ride back so we parted. I tried to hop a bus but couldn’t find anywhere to buy the bus ticket. You have to get them ahead of time at a tabac shop but I stopped at 6 of them and no one had any. I got on a bus with correct change and the driver was very rude and said it wasn’t his problem I didn’t have a ticket. I had to get off. I walked for an HOUR on exhausted feet all the way back to the train station to catch my metro back to Anna’s. I was so tired I couldn’t even stand to pack my suitcase last night but did it this a.m. before I left.

AND I forgot to put my toothpaste in the checked bag and when I just went through security, they confiscated it!! Damn!!! I had already gone through security in Rome and here but went to the wrong gate for the wrong earlier flight to Heraklion. I had to come back out and go through again, and they took it!!

So, BAH! On the Italian bus and train system where you have to get a ticket ahead of time but there’s no easy way to know where to get them – unless you’re Italian. BTW, Anna gave me a ticket for the first bus this a.m. but when I put it in, it looked like it said it was invalid. But I sat down anyway and driver didn’t say anything to me. Whew!

So now the new adventure in Greece begins. This is a very busy airport and I have about a 4 hour layover. I don’t have my camera wire so can’t upload any pictures for Michelle to post yet. I’ll do that when I get to my hotel in Heraklion. Portia said she will meet me at 5:30 at the airport.

Adio! Is how you say good-bye (I think!)

Vatican and Walking Meditation Peace Rally 8/30/2012

I’m sitting at Fiumicino airport waiting for my Aegean Air flight to Athens and then Heraklion. Anna was very helpful online telling me what bus to take from her apartment, where to get off, what street to follow to get to the train to the airport. She even had a bus ticket for me. I, again!, couldn’t find a Tabac shop to buy a train ticket. When I got to the station, there was nowhere to buy one, as an English girl told me, but it was the right train. So I just got on and hoped! No conductor came by asking for a ticket. Made up for last night’s fiasco, transportation-wise. More on that later!


I went in Anna’s car with her to work – a small motorcycle shop that her family owned and now she runs. She had arranged for me to take a ride, around the garage, of a motorcycle as I’d never ridden one myself. She, and her work force I think, thought it was funny! But I had a great time! She printed out my boarding pass for me and then we went down to the garage where I rode in a big circle around the garage. It was really simple. Until I stopped and then tried to turn and start up at the same time – not what you do! – and tipped over, but slowly and wasn’t hurt and didn’t damage anything. There was an American who works there for her and said everyone falls at first and now I’ve gotten it overwith!














I left Anna to take a bus downtown to head to the Vatican. I realized on the bus that I’d left my 2-day on-off bus ticket back at the apartment. I talked my way onto the bus getting off at the first stop after Piazza Venezia where I got on, at the Vatican.


I had seen the crowds and lines the day before but just lined up at the end of a snaking line. I heard an American voice talking to the couple behind me saying did they really want to wait in long lines, or would they like a tour that skips the lines to Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum and the Basilica. Turns out he was from Michigan, Grand Rapids, went to Michigan State and we bonded. It was only E30 (E15 of which was for the museum ticket itself) for a 3 hour tour. He assigned me to Roberto (robertonotarmasi@hotmail.com 0039 333 8763410 – that is for my friend Joyce who will visit Rome in October. In case you wanted to contact him to arrange a tour.) The other couple opted out so it was just the two of us. We spent a good ½ hour in the shade of Bernini’s columns looking at the vast courtyard while he gave me background info on Vatican city, et. al. One of the more interesting stories was the erection of the 4000 year old Egyptian obelisk in the center. It stood here in Roman times when the emperor made a circus here – which meant racecourse. He told the slaves they had a certain period of time to get it up or else! As they almost got it erect, the ropes started breaking/burning. The director ordered water thrown on the ropes, even though the emperor wouldn’t like it! But it worked! Legend has it, (Roberto looked doubtful – no proof that St. Peter EVER even came near Rome!) that St. Peter was crucified, upside down so as not to outdo Jesus, here by the obelisk.


When Constantine became emperor and converted to Christianity (I think around 300+ AD), he had 3 churches around Rome as sort of headquarters. One was St. John the Latern and two others. There was some kind of a building where St. Peter’s is now but was crumbling. The whole area on the left bank of the Tiber was basically the cemetery for Rome plus the circus. So in 1500 I think it was Julius II began plans for St. Peter’s hiring many of the local architects, including Michelangelo, to help design. Arguments ensured as to whether it should be a Greek cross (all 4 sides of equal length) or the Roman cross where main aisle is longer, side aisles shorter and not in the middle). Roman won out. Michelangelo designed the amazing two-layered dome where you climb in between them to reach an amazing view of Rome at your feet.


Another tidbit, Rome was political as well as religious capital and so the ecclesiastics ruled the governmental aspects of Rome as well. The nearby Castel Sant’Angelo, right on the river bank, that was already there, became a place to escape to if the Vatican was threatened, as there is a long tunnel connecting the two. It was used in a couple of cases for the Pope to flee.


Bernini’s 4 rows of enumerable columns was added later, to tie the whole complex together. He pointed out the smokestack where either white or black smoke comes out from the Sistine Chapel where the conclave to elect a new pope is held. He pointed out the balcony off the Papal apartments where the Pope gives holiday blessings (I was here in 1966 and we determined it was Pope Paul VI – at Easter)


Then we headed back to the office (to actually pay for the tour) and they shifted me to a group led by Sara, whose English wasn’t as good as Roberto’s but she was very knowledgeable – an archeologist. There were 7 in the group which wasn’t too bad. We proceeded to the Vatican Museum which has an overwhelming display. She was able to point out some highlights to keep us from getting bogged down. Several hallways we walked down had these beautifully decorated enclosed bookcases (empty) where the Vatican Library used to be house. We passed it but no admittance.


This museum is the wealthiest and largest in the world. Many artists would give paintings as gifts to the Church. Beautiful tapestries adorned one long hallway. Sara pointed out several sculptures from Greek and Roman times that Michelangelo used as inspiration for figures in his ceiling and Last Judgment mural in the Sistine. Then we entered the SC. Signs said we should be respectful and silent but apparently most Italians disregard signs! A couple of guards kept saying something loudly which I’m assuming was be quiet! They were pretty much ignored! Too bad, this is a place that calls for silence.


The first time through it wasn’t too bad. First of all, I had been here in 1966, and the colors were very dark! I had to look in my guidebook to know what I was even looking at. Then in 1992 when I was here with Kerry, Doug and Geoffrey, the scaffolding was up and they were working on the restoration. Roberto told me the Japanese Nippon company agreed to pay for the restoration. They thought a few million! But it ended up costing about $18 million! So Nippon said, to pay them back, no photographs could be taken in the Chapel (so that people are forced to buy postcards, printed pictures, etc. ) which I assume Nippon publishes! R. said you can’t damage frescoes with photographing them! Interesting!


Anyway, whatever money they spent, it is magnificent!! The colors look as if they were done yesterday!! I believe I remember it took Michelangelo 14 years to do this! I think he did this later in his life – R. said he lived to 94 I believe! And he sculpted the Pieta at 24!! R. said he was a true genius! I was actually able to sit down on the sides at one point, to be able to look up more easily!


Next she wanted to show us the 4 Raphael rooms – when one of the Pope’s wanted to move his apartments to this area. Raphael (again about 25) painted huge murals that Sara explained to us. We had to do a lot of roundabout walking, passing again through the SC (which now was PACKED and you could barely get through!) to get in the back way, as one of the usual hallways to get there was closed for construction. They must ALWAYS be doing construction somewhere in this huge complex.


Oh, I forgot! Roberto also told me Vatican City only became a separate state/Country in 1927. It has its own currency, stamps, everything! Smallest country in the world, area wise. I/2 the size of Monaco. He was a font of information.


I was so tired at this point I barely glanced at Raphael’s work! Then Sara left us and we wandered down to the Basilica. R. told me 3 Popes have been slated for sainthood – John xxiii, Paul the x, I think it is, and Pope John Paul II. JP II is being fast-tracked because miracles have already been attributed to him, his body has been moved upstairs and I think it was him I was looking at behind the glass in a side altar, with a big crowd.


I had remembered in 1992, I think, going below the alter where St. Peter and other Popes are buried, thought I remembered seeing John XXIII through a glass display/coffin. But didn’t see him this time.


And, of course, the Pieta is a highlight for me. Sara had shown us a replica in the museum, because a few years ago someone tried to blow the original up! So now it’s enclosed in a bulletproof plexiglass. It’s hard to get the warm feel of the marble. It’s amazing! He sculpted a young Mary, she said, who couldn’t possibly be old enough to have mothered an adult Christ. It was Mary’s idea of what would happen that he was depicting. It’s just one of my favorites!!


More for another entry!

Touring around Roma-Aug 29

I easily made my way to the main train/metro station this morning. I bought a 2 day ticket for the Hop on/Hop off double decker bus (I paid E20 and then, when I was looking at the brochure while on the bus, I saw that over 65 is only E18. Had to return to the termini where I bought the ticket later and they gave me back my E2! Gotta have some advantages to getting old(er)!) J

Since I had gotten a late start, I stayed on the bus for a complete loop around town. We passed the Coloseum (unmanageable crowd!), the Forum, past the Piazza del Verite (big crowd here waiting to get into this church. Turns out that huge round medallion face, called the Bocca della Verita, or mouth of truth, that was shown, I believe, in Eat, Pray, Love. I think it was also in Roman Holiday where Audrey Hepburn stuck her hand in the mouth (it’s supposed to bite the liar!).

(Roman Forum)

Then the “Wedding Cake” or monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, first king of a unified Italy, is off the Piazza Venezia. Another building nearby this piazza has the balcony where Mussolini was frequently shown rousing the crowds.

As we passed all these sites, there are Roman ruins hidden among the more recent buildings, some even blended the ruins into newer buildings. The tour tape said many buildings used stones from the coloseum after it fell into disuse.

We crossed the Tiber past Castel d’Angelo, that has a passageway so popes could escape (as one did when French king attacked). Then arrived at St. Peter’s square and that magnificent St. Peter’s cathedral, originally begun in 300 or so by Constantine, the converted first Christian emperor, but then completely redone in 1500s with Bernini, Michelangelo and Raphael, among some of the great artists, having a hand in it. Crowds also here at mid-day were huge so I stayed on the bus.

I finally came around again and got off at Piazza Verite (had NO interest in waiting in that long line to see the mouth!) and walked along, past the wedding cake and around looking for St. Peter in Chains church where Michelangelo carved Moses for the tomb of  Julius II. I had remembered it from 20 years ago. It was closed for midday and so waited awhile with the crowd and then wandered around. It was beautiful as ever, then went below the altar to see the “chains” which I guess bound St. Peter.

I found a place for a lovely lunch almost across the street, it turns out, from where we had eaten with the archeologist on our tour on Monday. I’m starting to get the layout of the land. So many of the tourist sites are right in this downtown area on either side of the river. Those bus tours are very helpful, I find, in giving a great overview, without so much walking and wandering, of a place. Hopefully they will have this in Athens later on my trip.

Since I didn’t fall asleep last night until after 2 a.m. for some reason (could be the good book I’m reading!) that I was tired by midafternoon and made my way back to Anna’s apartment around 4.

Anna had to work today and then came home for maybe an hour and headed off to pick up 3 of the nuns arriving at the airport, which is an hour away. She didn’t think she’d be back until 10:30 or so. I think I’m going in to work with her tomorrow – she’s going to let me ride/drive a motorbike a bit!! I’m excited! Been on my bucket list! I’m sure it’s just around the parking lot but it’ll be fun! She is so helpful and gracious!

Tomorrow is the Walking Meditation somewhere at 5:30 p.m. so I’ll have another day to see a few more sites.

Ciao!

Rome Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012

Arrived in Rome Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012

We were met at the train station by Irene, our hostess and one of the Italian sangha organizers, and her 7 year old granddaughter, Gaia.  The monks walked a few blocks and I rode with the luggage, Irene and her granddaughter to her apartment. At first Irene insisted I was to stay in one of her two B & B rooms and the other 4 monks were all crammed into one room. But we finally worked out that I would stay in a hostel down the street, where she arranged a private room with my own bath for E35/night rather than the regular E55. She said she often takes leftover guests from the hostel at a cheaper price and vice versa. So he owed her. Before that, Doug and I had gone to the hostel and I had booked a dorm room, long galley type room with 4 sets of bunk beds and not much air circulation! For E20, so this was a much better deal. And it was just down the street.

 

Irene prepared a wonderful pasta dinner for us – I’ve NEVER eaten so much pasta in one sitting! I normally don’t even like pasta much but this was delightful and delicious! Gaia seemed very comfortable with the Italian monastics and even had Doug playing with her dollhouse with 30 minutes of our arrival! Today before we left she had 3 of them playing a card game with her. Her mom is expecting a baby next month, so she frequently stays with her Nonna. Nonna took her to work with her on Monday.

Irene had arranged for us to have a walking tour of the Colosseum area (we didn’t go in) and the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill area with an archaeologist, Paulo, and Patricia, an art historian. She spoke some English, him not much at all. But Claudio and Lelio (two of the Italian monks) and Phap Vieu, Italian living in Thailand, did a lot of translating. My feet were very tired and dusty by the end, and it was HOT!! But interesting! Saw a lot I hadn’t seen before, 20 years ago when Doug and I (along with Kerry and Geoffrey, ages 14 and 16) were last in Rome.

Arch near Forum

Beautiful gardens!

Stadium used to be filled with water for naval battles

                                                              
                                                                Finding hidden markings

 

 

Roman pine trees

Colosseum

Roma!

Kung Fu with the Gladiator!

Gaia ended up going with us, although I thought it was a bad idea at the start, as I was sure she would get tired and bored, and she did.

I met when I was at Irene's, a young woman also in the sangha who is coordinating the walking meditation on Thursday, Anna Ferretti. She is an English teacher and also runs her family’s motorcycle business. She’s taking a leave this year from teaching as two jobs is a bit much! Turns out she offered for me to stay with her for the next 3 nights, as the monks moved out of Rome to where the retreat will be held. I didn’t want to be so far out, as I’m not going to the retreat, Doug will be busy working setting this up (Thay arrives tomorrow and many of the monastics so they will go to the airport, etc.)

Anna is just delightful and I’m so lucky! It’s in a great location, near a new extension of the metro. So I’ll be able to easily get downtown to the main tourist attractions

When Anna came home tonight (I was just coming in from dinner), we had a delightful conversation while she fixed and ate her dinner and we shared watermelon. The fruit here is extraordinary!

Just Skyped with Jackson and Sarah – it’s so wonderful to see their faces. But they couldn’t see me so they had fun looking at their own faces, and making silly faces, on the computer. It’s very late so sign off for tonight! More on Rome tomorrow!