Last night we agreed that we are both tired and ready to come home. Two weeks of backpacking through Greece, the Greek Islands and Turkey are enough for us. We would do it again anytime, and I hope to visit Crete and Turkey in particular again. Tomorrow, we have to be at the Ataturk Airport at 6am so we will miss our beautiful breakfast with the Blue Mosque. We may also have heard our last call to worship by the Imam there, a hypnotic chant beckoning the faithful to prayer five times a day. I love its mystery, and it reminds me of one of my favorite recordings, Peter Gabriel's "Your Eyes".

Before I go, I will relate one more vignette I witnessed at the shop next door to our hotel. An older couple who looked American, were shopping for decorative "evil eyes", a glass talisman that comes in various sizes and which by reputation protect the owner from evil. They are everywhere here, and, soon, you should be able to see a fairly representative collection of them at my house. Apparently, this couple was a pretty hard sell so the salesman held the "Eye" up in front of the woman' s face and began to sing "Santa Claus is Coming To Town". Honest to God, and a pretty good rendition of it, too. How could you not love a country where people love what they do that much? 

Last night we agreed that we are both tired and ready to come home. Two weeks of backpacking through Greece, the Greek Islands and Turkey are enough for us. We would do it again anytime, and I hope to visit Crete and Turkey in particular again. Tomorrow, we have to be at the Ataturk Airport at 6am so we will miss our beautiful breakfast with the Blue Mosque. We may also have heard our last call to worship by the Imam there, a hypnotic chant beckoning the faithful to prayer five times a day. I love its mystery, and it reminds me of one of my favorite recordings, Peter Gabriel's "Your Eyes".

Before I go, I will relate one more vignette I witnessed at the shop next door to our hotel. An older couple who looked American, were shopping for decorative "evil eyes", a glass talisman that comes in various sizes and which by reputation protect the owner from evil. They are everywhere here, and, soon, you should be able to see a fairly representative collection of them at my house. Apparently, this couple was a pretty hard sell so the salesman held the "Eye" up in front of the woman' s face and began to sing "Santa Claus is Coming To Town". Honest to God, and a pretty good rendition of it, too. How could you not love a country where people love what they do that much? 

Except for the first night in the attic of the Mystic Hotel, our stay in Istanbul was at the Alzer Hotel. I mention this because if you wish to hear the story of the Optimist Hotel and Ahmet and the vanishing room and the missed appointment and the awkward little dust up with Ahmet at the restaurant in front of our hotel, you have only to come by my rug store - no obligation to buy. I will tell it. 

Finding the Alzer was like falling off of a burning ship and landing on the back of a dolphin which takes you to the safety of shallow water. It was just what we needed. The Alzer Hotel is across the street from the Blue Mosque. In fact, our window room looks out on it. If you lean out a bit, you can also see the Hagia Sofia, currently a museum but formerly a 6th century church which was converted to a mosque when the Ottomans conquered Constantinople (Istanbul). Both buildings are unbelievably beautiful. The hotel offers a sumptuous breakfast in a little dining room on the top floor of the building. We were there each morning at 7:30 so we could get the best table in the corner facing the Blue Mosque and looking out over the Bosphorus, a strait that connects the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea. It is a MAJOR shipping lane with cargo ships day and night chugging along serving the markets of Bulgaria, Moldovia, Russia, Georgia etc. I' m telling you, this place was the best. It was also a pleasure to stay in one place for a few days and cleave ourselves from our luggage. 

Istanbul is a city where you want to travel light particularly if you plan to shop the Grand Bazaar or Spice Market or any other of the dozens of insanely crowded shopping areas throughout the city. condense the sights, sounds, smells and contents of the average American mall into a snow globe. That is the Grand Bazaar.

We took a ferry up the Bosphorus, the strait separating Europe from Asia, to its termination point at a little fishing village. There is a ruin of a Medievel castle at the top of a steep hill overlooking this village from which you can see the Black Sea. We went there and got a great picture of an indistinguishable body of water and the top of the heads of a group of German boys who seemed to be in front of us everywhere we went that day. the three hour ferry layover at this village was awkward because there was only 45 minutes of things to do there. I was reminded of this statement by a friend from Corbin, KY: "if you make people wait somewhere more than 30 minutes, they'll throw $25 up a dog's butt." So true.

Speaking of dogs, both Greeks and Turks love their dogs (and cats); however, it appears that very, very few actually own either in these countries. Don't misunderstand. They are everywhere. Dozens of dogs at the Acropolis. Litters of cats at Delphi. Cats by the ton in Istanbul and every other place we went. No one wants to own them ,but all seem to tolerate and share in their upkeep. I was told in Athens that the authorities from time to time will round up the dogs, give them rabies shots and release them. 

If you travel to Istanbul and you are not solicited to purchase carpets at least 20 times a day, you mistakenly exited the bus in Istanbul, Arkansas- not Turkey. They are everywhere, and the best of them are exquisite. They range in price from too much to " you are out of your mind", but if you have the patience and stamina to really negotiate, many visitors seem to work a deal that they feel is equitable. The Turks are the best sales people in the world I've determined. They are charming and gregarious, are good showmen and can easily weave their sales spiel into a casual conversation. I consider myself pretty skeptical and hard-edged when it comes to touts, but I found myself visiting a carpet gallery with a young man who took me on a free tour of the Blue Mosque. In the Hippodrome, a huge promenade (think of the mall in Washington) where ancient chariot races were held, we met a man who introduced himself as an American with business interests in Turkey which included a 600 employee rug mill. He married a girl from Charleston, SC, had a place in Gatlinburg, liked to vacation on Edisto Island, and lived in Florida ("here is my license"). He was wearing a Siesta Key Florida polo. He did not sell to the public only wholesale, but, if I wanted to come to his office, he would teach me about rugs. And, then he said it..."you don't have to buy anything". Honestly, he nearly had me. I' d still like to know whose Florida driver license he flashed. 

Don't misunderstand. The come-ons and the touts are all a part of an elaborate dance between the natives and the tourists. It is part of the entertainment. The best part is that you decide when it ends. Turks take no for an answer. Just be firm and walk away. No hard feelings. The supply of customers is always being replenished. I read that there were over 500,000 foreign tourists in Istanbul last year just from cruises. 15,000 came while we were there.

Istanbul is a city of about 18,000,000 people. Some large percentage of them are riding the street cars in the late afternoon. Those who are not, are waiting on the station platforms to insert themselves into one of these moving cans of Spam. Istanbul may be the best run major city I've ever seen or just run better than any major I've visited. I don't know which. It is clean and safe, and getting around is very easy. Besides street cars which seem to run every five minutes or less, there is an extensive bus system and a subway. The subway network is expanding very slowly because whichever direction they try to extend it, the workers dig up some ancient ruin or other. Apparently, it is all quite a bother. They may have had a lot better luck if they had decided to build the city on a greenfield site. 

As I mentioned earlier, Istanbul is an exotic city while also being very cosmopolitan and chic. It is ageless and modern at the same time. 

 

 

My first impression of Istanbul is that no one in this country can identify their luggage at the airport. We flew from Izmir to Ishtanbul with about 300 other people; however, there seemed to be 2,000 standing around the baggage carousel. I think every flyer had at least five other family members there with them handling each piece, inspecting it carefully and discussing whether it might be theirs. It took forever. Leslie even saw one man pick a bag off the carousel, open it and brouse the contents- before placing it back on the belt to continue it's travels. Ours were practically the last bags off.

By the time we left the airport, it was dark. I had planned to take the metro to Sultanahmet and walk to the hotel from there. The hotel was supposed to be across the street from the Blue Mosque and should be easy to find. I thought it would be fun and adventurous. Leslie insisted that we take a taxi, which turned out to be the right plan because the taxi driver got lost and could not find the hotel. Here is a basic driving rule in Turkey that I learned from the taxi driver: it is ok to go the wrong way on a one way street as long as you are backing up.

At one point he was so frustrated that he stopped, opened the trunk and was about to put us out on the sidewalk where we were. The only thing he could say in English that I could understand is "problem, problem". Thankfully, a Turkish man who was watching the scene interceded on our behalf and admonished the driver to continue on. God bless that man because where we were at that point and where we ended up close to the hotel (finally, in the taxi) would have required the undaunted courage and perseverance of Lewis and Clark. You see, the Blue Mosque appears to be size of the Biltmore House and several square miles of Istanbul is across the street from it. 

So, we got to the hotel, and they had given our room away. The hotelier admitted that he had made a mistake and graciously provided alternate accommodations in the attic suite at the Mystic Hotel, just a kilometer away, down a series of dank alleyways. We could return to his hotel in the morning as planned he assured us. 

I am writing to you from the Mystic. I hope you are enjoying your soft bed(these are newly paved) and your rooms where you can stand up straight without hitting your head. I will be fine. I am in Ishtanbul, clearly the most exotic city I have ever visited. 

The main focus of most people's visit to Ephesus/Selcuk is the ancient city of Ephesus. It is one of, if not the best, preserved of the ancient Roman cities. At its peak Ephesus, hosted over 250,000 citizens and was one of the most influential cities of the ancient world. A walking tour through Ephesus takes a least half a day, and you MUST hire a docent to interpret the city for you. It is a little expensive but well worth it. I have been awed by ruins in a lot of places, but never quite the way that Ephesus affected me. Of particular interest is the main theatre (amphitheater) which held 24,000 persons. It is here that the Apostle Paul planned to preach about Christianity in the 1st century AD. Some sources say that he did preach at Ephesus. Others say he was discouraged from preaching by the protests of a large portion of the populace who were pagans and who worshipped the Godess Artemis. Nevertheless, Paul was in Ephesus for a time, and there are clear signs that Christianity had taken root in the city even before the conversion of Rome. If you are so inclined, the Book of Acts is an interesting read. 

A short walk from Jimmys is the Basillica of St. John, where the Apostle John is buried. It is a ruin. There are a few interpretive signs and the burial spot is clearly marked. John also spent many years in Ephesus with Mary, the mother of Jesus. Jesus entrusted the care of his mother to John at the Crucifiction, and they remained together for the remainder of her life. 

A short taxi ride from Ephesus and Selcuk is the burial place of Mary. I think many pilgrims who have no interest in Ephesus come to this shrine. It is very crowded. It is very solemn. I felt like I would cry. It is a wondrous place. At the door of the simple stone building where she lays is an ancient maple tree. We filed quietly through the building; it is nothing really. Perhaps it is the cumulative grace of those thousands who come here, but the place is sacred like no other place I have been.

I am the first to acknowledge that I am not particularly demonstrative with my faith. I will also tell you that it has been one of the great pleasures of my life to experience the stories of Mary, John and Paul directly in some small way. Ephesus is a magical place.

 

If you find yourself lost in Selcuk, Turkey at 11pm on a school night, you can do no better than to wander into Hotel Jimmys, an oasis for lots of foreign travelers, mostly English speaking. It had all the required amenities. - a room and a self-service beer cooler in the lobby. The hotel is run by brothers, Jimmy and Adem, who apparently speak several languages and who are among the most accommodating and engaging people you will meet in this part of the world. The staff is great, the free breakfast is very good and they can provide complete travel planning and advice. Please promise me that you will go to Jimmys, unless, of course, you wish to sleep. The beds are much too hard for that. 

Anyway, Jimmys is perfectly located in the center of town near Ephesus. On Saturdays it is ground zero for market day when everything for sale within 100 miles (seemingly) is put on the sidewalks and streets and sold at extraordinary levels of volume and enthusiasm. Think of the county fair without the tractor pull and the Fairest of the Fair Contest. So elaborate was this event that men came in early in the morning and strung tarps over the streets to shield shoppers from the unrelenting sun, creating a virtual mall. A huge portion of the market was taken up by produce vendors - the most beautiful produce you have ever seen! The variety and quality was breathtaking, and the care with which the vendors displayed their goods approached fanaticism. Leslie picked up a peach to determine its appeal and when replacing it to the pile, the vendor picked it up, turned it 90 degrees and set it back down. The glorious and neurotic fruit and vegetable market of Selcuk. We bought figs and plums and peaches and a honey/sesame snack which is delicious.

But the best of Ephesus and Selcuk could not be found at Jimmys or the market. 

 

I am going to purposely omit any description of Rhodes. We spent the day there walking through the Old City, a medieval era walled castle built by the knights who came to Rhodes during the Crusade. Most of the Old City is taken up by shops and restaurants lining narrow, maze-like streets. A small section has been set aside for touring the fortification and perusing lots and lots of Ancient Greek idols, pottery, jewelry, stonework and statuary. There was no interpretaton at all of the Crusade and the knights whom we presume made all this retailing and tourism possible. It was all very interesting but, candidly, I was a little distracted because later in the day we would be taking a short ferry from Rhodes and entering Turkey at Marmaris. 

The difference between Greece and Turkey is stark when you arrive in Marmaris. Greece is an ancient place of olive trees and ruins- a bit sleepy (they call it relaxed) and lethargic. For the most part the landscape where we have been is sparse; it is arid with rains in April and October (so I have been told). Marmaris, Turkey, on the other hand, was comparatively lush. We immediately saw forests of pine trees which spoke to me of youth, renewal and vibrancy. There was also an orderliness to the port activity in Turkey that was missing in Greece. Turks work like there is nobility in it; they seem to take great pride in it. This is a quality that the world could use more of. 

As I said, Marmaris was an attractive seaside city, but, unfortunately, we had committed to being near Ephesus when we stopped for the night. The problem was that there is no direct bus from Marmaris to Ephesus, or Selcuk, the city most close to it; there is no train serving our destination and the taxi service wanted 200 euros to go there from the ferry port. That is a ripoff in any language, and I was determined to find a way. 

Bus service in Turkey is convenient, on-time, clean and cheap - very much like a feeder airline system without the security hassles. we boarded a bus for Aydin which costs eight Euros apiece. I would like to tell you how far we went and in what direction. We were riding purely on the advice of bus employees who were very business- like and seemed quite intent on getting us onto a bus going somewhere as quickly as possible. What I think I was told ( and still believe) is that our bus was going to a town where we could get a bus going to Selcuk (Ephesus). 

As I mentioned, the bus was very much like a plane. There were three employees aboard - a driver, a steward and what must have been a manager. He did nothing but stand around at the intermediate stops Looking brooding and concerned. The steward, a young man in black pants, pressed white shirt and red bow tie, was a whirling dervish of activity. First, he came through offering cups of water and then he served ice cream! It was good ice cream! I was looking forward to wine and olives, but Leslie had other ideas. She wanted to take a taxi from Aydin. It was getting very late and we did not have a hotel room to stay in.

With the help of Jack, a young Turkish man we met on the bus who was anxious to practice his English , and by the grace of God, we got a taxi in Aydin that took us all the way to Selcuk and Hotel Jimmys. Best of all, the whole trip only cost 66 euros. And I got ice cream.

The Flying Cat from Irakleio to Satorini (Thira) is fast, sleek and, as you might imagine, much smaller than the ferry to Crete. Santorini is a small series of islands that exist because of a number of volcano eruptions. The island of Santoini is the largest of these islands, and from the top of it you can clearly see the shape of the caldera. I was told that is both active and inactive. For your benefit, I will not speculate as to which is right. The plan was to make Santorini a day trip and take the late overnight ferry to Rhodes. However, the ferry company cancelled the ferry that we had planned to take out. Being ever flexible and somewhat realistic, we decided to spend the night. Note: published ferry schedules are only good for the week they are published and can change very quickly. I had read that fact in the travel literature but assumed that it was not likely. You are forewarned. 

When arriving on the island, we rented a car and immediately headed to Oia on the far north end of the island. Remember those iconic pictures of the Greek Islands with the white buildings and cerulean blue trim and domes? That is Oia. It is a maze of homes and shops built into the side of the cliff connected by narrow sidewalks and alleyways. Buildings are stacked on top of each other like blocks. A title search and survey would be impossible to complete in this setting. It turns out that homeowners buy "their hole". They own no property, just the improvements on it, and disputes concerning leaky water and sewer lines and a myriad of other problems are rampant. The underside of Paradise, you might say. 

. Santorini is an island famous for its sunsets. We were able to enjoy two. Nick, an American from Hollywood, CA, who rents cars on Santorini during the season and lives in Thailand during the off season encouraged us to view the sunset from Señor Zorba's Mexican Restaurant, owned by an American from Colorado named Mary, or the Santo Winery next door. Both are at the top of the island where you have a panoramic view of the caldera. Our first evening was spent at the winery and regarding the sunset, I will paraphrase Mark Twain: we expected lightning and experienced lightning bugs. Nice, very nice, but... 

The next day we spent the day diving near a couple of islands that form the other boundary of the caldera. The water is exceedingly clear, but the marine life is sparse. A very pleasant day but not a great dive experience. The second sunset; however, was magnificent. We drove again to the north end of the island to Amoue Bay (the spelling is not right). It is on the water at the bottom of the cliff below Oia. Boats congregate there at sunset and the tavernas on the water fill with sunset gawkers. Please promise me that you will experience a sunset from Amoue Bay before you die, but remember that the best part of the show starts when the sun drops below the waterline. 

When going from the port to Oia, you must go through the main city of Thira (Fira). This is a crowded cruise ship stop. Avoid it. 

Now, we take the overnight ferry to Rhodes and anticipate our entry into Turkey. 

Special note to Hank: if the peach juice in Hungary is better than that in Greece, you are a lucky man indeed! 

This morning, Irakleio, Crete represented a logistical challenge which at times seemed daunting. Driving in a major city is a completely different experience than the rural roads of the west and south on which we had spent the previous two days. Our challenge was to drop the car at the airport, take a taxi to the ferry port and hop the ferry to Santorini. My personal challenge was to leave the car at the rental car agency without a drop of gas in it. That is the way we had received, and I intended to return the favor. 

The next morning we retrieved the car and headed to the airport with enough time, except that we got a little turned around and could not find it. We finally found a sign and followed it through a residential area on a very small street. Unfortunately, the street terminated at larger arterial street where we had to turn left. Note: it is not possible to turn left across traffic in Irakleio during a rush hour. We sat and sat thinking that some kind soul might stop to let us by, but intersections in Irakleio are very complex organisms. The car trying to drive against traffic is much like a virus to this organism - the intersection wishes to fight this effort, deny it access, and stamp it out. All of this occurred to me at the intersection while waiting to turn left. After all, I had plenty of time to think. It also occurred to me that the turn would be particularly difficult to execute if the car were to run out of gas. Leslie had her hand on the door handle with the intention of entering the intersection and stopping traffic for us. That did not seem sensible to me, but I was willing to accept her sacrifice so at least one of us could get to the airport. 

You will be happy to know that a citizen on a motorbike (who obviously got tired of waiting on me) rode up beside the car, chuckling to himself (surely about our ineptitude) and said something to the effect of "let me help you". It was then that he pulled out in front of a truck and served as a shield for our entry into the intersection. Off, we were. 

Do you remember my mentioning that we needed a taxi ride from the airport to the ferry port? Once again, there was a taxi strike so we walked to a bus stop. Luckily, this stop was manned ticket office. There was an employee inside and three men sitting under a tree outside. We bought two tickets for the port, the man assuring us that the bus would be there in 5 minutes. It seemed almost instantly that he called out to one of the men. The fellow jumped up, crossed the street and started up a bus. By the time the driver came around to pick us up, there were several other passengers standing nearby. Despite some tense moments, we made the ferry to Santorini with fifteen minutes to spare.

I promised to talk about Chania (or Hania or Xania) and even though that place is far behind us, there is something that you need to know if you make this trip. The overnight ferry from Piraeus to Chania docks at about 5:30am, and with a complimentary orange juice and cup of coffee, you are dispatched from the ferry. The ferry port is a very bleak place at this hour so you must take a bus into town. The buses are idling right off the boat but don't daudle because there are a limited number. Thankfully, I do not have to speculate about what you would do if the bus left without you. I think the bus was one euro twenty, but if it was five euros to get out of this place, it was worth it. The bus let's you off in the center of town. There is a little square with businesses like any other downtown. At 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning there is not much to do while you wait for a rental car agency to open. Providence lead us to the Arkadi Hotel to ask for some directions. The night manager there was unbelievably generous with his time and information. First, he unlocked a closet and allowed us to put our bags there, safe and secure. Then he took us down the street to point out a favored rental car agency. Best of all, he suggested that we walk a couple of blocks down a narrow street to the old harbor, a scenic little bowl of water now reserved for tour boats. On one side the harbor is protected by an ancient fort and the other by fortified stone wall and light house projecting out to create a narrow throat for entry into the harbor. There was a wide boulevard that rimmed the harbor lined by cafes with tall residential buildings behind. The whole scene looked a lot like Venice. 

We sat at one cafe on the water where we were the first customers, had breakfast and watched the city wake up and come to life. It was the perfect start to a new day and new adventure. By 9am we were in a rental car and on our way to see the rest of Crete. 

 

If you are one of those people who is not Inclined to drive down dirt roads, you may miss the best Crete has to offer. That is my opinion. For instance, drive southeast from Chania ( more about that later) in the general direction of Darraj, Libya, down a dirt road, just before you completely submerge your car in the mediterrean Sea, is a place called Elafonisi or Lafonisios or a host of other names the Greeks have given this place (There tend to be multiple names for most places). It may very well be the most beautiful beach I have ever seen that did not have a Hyatt. In fact, there is nothing there except a taverna with a few rooms to rent and a mini-market (Do not think 7-11, Pilot ot Weigel), some umbrellas and beach chairs, a fellow selling delicious and overpriced corn on the cob and loads of pristine beach, rocky outcrops, private coves and the most incredible cerulean, aquamarine and turquoise water you have ever seen. 

Another dirt road adventure has resulted in a trip to Preveli Beach on the south coast, which is very rocky but equally beautiful. Based on my experience, it is nearly impossible to find - there were only eight other people there. If you try for yourself, follow the signs to Palm Beach not Preveli Beach. When you get to the Preveli Monastery, you will be treated to an amazing view from the side of the cliff of the Sea. You will also know that you are lost. persevere, it is worth it. 

Finally, we ended up in Irakleio, major city from which we travel tomorrow by ferry to Santorini. Driving in Crete has been much more enjoyable and relaxed than I thought it would be. Drivers on the main roads tend to be very courteous, slower traffic pulling over to the far right side of the roadway to allow faster drivers by, and tend to take the official suggestions of a speed limit very lightly. The rented Daewoo is keeping up fairly well on the highways. When traversing the island north and South; however, you cross a ridge of steep mountains with torturously windy and narrow roads and second gear gets a workout. It is all so incredibly beautiful. The people of Crete seemed to have found a way to integrate themselves into their environment instead of dominating it. The small, angular houses, pure white with terra cotta roofs and surrounded by terra cotta pots of flowers, sit amongst the olive trees, oleander and bougainvillea. The hillsides are dotted with Greek Orthodox churches with impossibly steep walking paths up to them from the road. We drove past one such church on Sunday morning and saw two ladies, one much older and walking with a cane, both dressed in solid black dresses, tentatively and carefully measuring each step on a dirt path from the church in which they had been attending worship. It was a wonderful show of faith, commitment and humility. That is Crete.

For the second time in one day I have been accused (?) of being German. This is not why I am awake on an all night ferry to Crete. The children, or the vast majority of the criers on the ferry have gone to bed. The reason I am up is the the exterior restaurant on the deck level is still serving authentic gyros and hot dogs, the galley restaurant has decided to stay open another 30 minutes ( you just never know when or how your personal lotto ticket will pay off). The important thing to understand here is that Greeks tend to eat late. I consider it a big night in Greece when I stay in the restaurant until 9 pm. The tables don't even start to fill until I am on my way out. As Americans, you know that in order to make proper product selections, you have to be exposed to too many advertisements. So, every two minutes the same woman who makes all airport announcements chimes in on the ferry PA system (where does she find the time) to remind us of gyros, hot dogs and opportunities that are slipping away from us by the minute. 

Otherwise, let me tell you how wonderful the boat is. This ferry boat can hold about 2,000 people. It has at least 4 restaurants and an equal number of bars. It is spacious and comfortable and it happens to be plying through some of the best weather in the world. I am sitting on the deck watching distant lights of remote islands pass. I intended to sleep, but I am not sure that I will be able to. These are the waters of the Phoenicians, Hannibal, Odysseus and numerous others. I can't help but think I might miss something historic. And, I am a minor celebrity. The bartender I spoke to was so impressed that I came from "jack Daniels" that all the employees now think I own the place. It is a marvel to me that wherever you go in the world, people may not have any idea where Tennessee is, but they know Jack Daniels. 

Here is my last bit of news for tonight: I heard a tour guide at the Acropolis tell her group that there is an exact replica of the Parthenon in Nashville. The tour group looked not only a little perplexed but distressed. Nashville may be the Athens of the South, but. It is no Athens. 

Dear Greece

Dear Greece,

You are a beautiful thing. I have only been here two days and I am in love. Your Acropolis is mesmerizing and puzzling in a flawed and hypnotizing sort of way. The view of her from the rooftop bar at my hotel, Eridanus Hotel on Pieros Street is one the most breathtaking sites I have experienced. Athens is a beautiful city (except for the ever-present graffiti) with engaging and friendly people. That is, except the citizen who cussed me in Greek, German and English (mostly German) because I had my foot on the facing seat in the Metro (which I shouldn't have). He demanded to know if I would do that in Dusseldorf, and I didn't have the heart to tell him that I probably would. Nevertheless, he vented VERY loudly and was still yelling when he exited the train. A Greek family sitting nearby apologiized. It was cool. I assummed that he was the Minister of Finance and the stress was getting to him. Please believe me. Everyone else has been wonderfully generous. The young girl who helped us get back to the hotel from the bus station when the taxi drivers called a sudden strike was awesome. For the most part we have been made to feel welcome. 

But back to how beautiful Grrece is. Delphi and the Temple of Apollo are also enchanting, but the town (it is referred to as New Delphi by the taxi drivers) is even better. The town is in the Parnassus Mountains and it sits on the edge of a mountain with a view of the Ionian Sea and hundreds of acres of olive trees. There is no better reason in the world to drink red wine and to sit and stare at the beauty of this valley from the patio of a taverna. In fact, even the food is beautiful. I know that because a table of Japanese tourist next to me in a restaurant in Delphi thoroughly photographed their lunch before eating it. At one point three of them were clicking shot after shot while the fourth held the plate aloft. It looked like a stuffed pepper to me, but how would I know, I'm just a tourist.

On the way to Delphi, we passed through a very picturesque town call Arachove (no, it is not pronounced the way it is spelled. Try again. No, that's not it. The C is silent. Alright, this time try the V as a W sound. You are hopeless. Stay home and practice how to pronounce Maryville.) Arachova apparently is an affluent ski town with oodles of atmosphere. You can tell this because the streets are very narrow - about the combined width of a bus, a Smart Car and a grilled cheese sandwich ( no pickles). We stopped here long enough to realize that it was not where we wanted to be and promptly took a taxi back to Delphi and that unbelievable view from the patio.

The highlight of my afternoon was a vist to a hammam very near the hotel and on the way to the Metro station - a Turkish bath. Steam bath, a scrub down and massage. it was wonderful. I'd describe it but...I can't.

Now I am on the ferry between Piraeus (the port nearest Athens) and Crete. It is an overnight ferry which docks in Chania very early in the morning. It is very much like I would expect a luxury liner to be except that it appears that 40% of the passengers are whiny children. I pray that crying yourself to sleep works as well in Greece as it does in the US. Good night all.