Mykonos

After our zero-dark-thirty reveille and a two hour drive to Piraeus, we boarded our slow Blue Star ferry for a 5 1/2 hour voyage to Mykonos. In spite of lack of sleep, My Lovely Bride was quite chipper on the ferry ride which began right after dawn... doesn't that drive you crazy sometimes when your partner is always bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when your butt is dragging and all you want to do is pull the covers over your head? "Stop moaning, Ty, and get another cup of coffee!"












The ferry made a brief stop to drop off/pick up other passengers at the beautiful island of Syros. This is the harbor area, but we didn't have time to look around. It was a quick stop-and-go.












Here is our hotel, the Porto Mykonos. It was very comfortable, with a view of the Mediterranean out our window. Our bed had a huge mosquito net suspended over it, and I asked our friendly porter how bad the mosquitos were; he replied with a smile that there were no mosquitos, and that the net was just there for decoration. (Well, not exactly... for three mornings, I was awakened between 0400 and 0430 by the buzzing of the little female beasts out searching for male blood... why do I say that? Because Suzanne was not bothered at all by the skeeters. It must be professional courtesy or something like that keeping them away... sigh... I hope I don't pay too badly for that comment... Smack!)





After a brief rest, we got out into town for some sightseeing. Just across the very narrow road (yes, most roads in Greece are very narrow) from our hotel were some private homes with interesting entrances. These are new homes; that means they are less than 2,000 years old.








The Salparo seafood restaurant has unique advertising, far better than a billboard or a neon-lighted sign... seafood is very expensive here because the Mediterranean Sea has been overfished so badly. The average catch is a small fish about 8 inches long, and is grilled with the head on. They are tasty, but pretty small.









An example of the lack of fishing success here is this fish-cleaning station, made of beautiful marble, which never had more than one fisherman cleaning small fish... (I know My Good Friend Bob is about to make a wise-crack about it being my kind of fish cleaning station, but I will forgo any comments on his sense of humor in the spirit of neighborly good-will and because he and Jan have our little puppies in their good care.)

The harbor right in town is very small, suitable only for fishing boats and a small local ferry. Our hotel is in the center of the picture about halfway up the hill, only a 5 minute walk from town.

Did I mention that the streets were very narrow? Here is Suzanne in downtown Mykonos, flanked by shops and residences. Very small cars, trucks and motor scooters use these streets for delivery of goods, trash pickup, etc. Fortunately, tourists are generally not targeted by the drivers, although there were several close calls. You can imagine that you would not want to step out of a bar after a few glasses of retsina without looking carefully at what's driving by!








Mykonos is famous for its windmills, which sit on a hillside on the west side of the island. A couple appear to be in use as private residences, but regrettably, we weren't invited in for ouzo...











My beautiful date and I had a wonderful romantic dinner out at an upscale Italian restaurant specializing in freshly-made pasta. The meal (veal Marsala and spaghetti with prawns) was delicious, and I decided to take up gourmet Italian cooking when we get back home... hand-making pasta can't be that hard, right?












Shopping is apparently a Big Deal here in Mykonos, which is known as a favorite stop for the Rich and Famous. In June, July and August, the island is insanely crowded with tourists. We are here off-season, and the only day with crowds was when there were three cruise ships in port at the same time. This shop specialized in white cotton and linen, and is typically very small and cozy... and expensive. Fortunately, My Lovely Bride is not much of a Power Shopper, and I conveniently forgot to pack the extra bag she wanted for goodies... Sorry, Dear...

Navel of the World; Where is Your Oracle? Arochova; Narrow Streets; Retsina and Raki

One of the interesting sights at Delphi was the Omphalos, Greek for navel, a four foot high hollow stone with a carving of a knotted net covering its surface. According to legend, Zeus sent two eagles flying across the earth to meet at the center, or navel, of the world. The Omphalos was said to allow direct communications with the gods, and may have been made hollow to channel intoxicating vapors from below ground that the oracle (a priestess) would breathe in and interpret for pilgrims coming to Delphi for guidance. It is probably not coincidence that there is another omphalos in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem that was said to be the foundation on which the Ark was placed when God revealed himself to his people. It was also called the navel of the world, and as the tradition developed during the Hellenistic period after the Omphalos of Delphi was already in use, was probably an attempt to copy and compete with its Greek version.

Because of the historic spirituality of the entire Delphi site, Suzanne suggested that everyone take time to meditate near the Temple of Apollo and consult the Oracle, which she reminded them, is actually inside all of us. She personally received a surprising and meaningful answer to the question she asked.












The most impressive statue in Delphi's museum is this life-size bronze charioteer in almost perfect condition. Part of a set of six horses, a chariot, and two grooms, it was erected in 478 BC by Polyzalus, the tyrant of Gela, a Greek colony in Sicily, to celebrate the victory of his chariot team in the Pythian games (like the Olympic games, held every 4 or 8 years). (What if NFL team owners commissioned bronze statues to celebrate their Superbowl victories; that would certainly help our sculptors...)













Okay, enough history... we also had time to explore modern Delphi and a nearby town, Arochova. It is near a ski and snowboarding center on Mount Parnassus, and is relatively modern, with lots of shops and restaurants. The architecture is quite stunning, with houses built in terrace fashion up the steep mountainside.

The streets here are quite narrow, and traffic jams can be, well, interesting; this lady on her ATV may not be familiar with the mariner's Law of Gross Tonnage, but is surely at a disadvantage with the approaching tour bus... speaking of buses, Suzanne and I joked about bringing our motor coach over here and touring Europe. I can't imagine the stress of trying to fit it down streets originally designed only for walking, or maybe an occasional oxcart. And don't even think about the $9.00/gallon diesel fuel prices.

This wood products shop was one of my favorites. I thought about buying a neat wooden slingshot, but realized that the TSA officers might frown on any hand-held weapons in my luggage.

We had a great group dinner in Delphi. These photos prove that this was a happy, fun group, even before the raki (also known as arrack, a raw, hard liquor distilled from anise or grapeseed) and retsina (Greek wine made with pine sap; it tastes a bit like turpentine) started flowing... the food was much tastier than the drinks.

 

 

 

Jet Lag; Delphi; Busy Bees; Ge, the Earth Mother; Early Reveille???

Okay, international travel wasn't that hard when I was 25. Now it's a little tougher to fly seven time zones east and try to function normally on one hour's sleep in 24 hours. I arrived in Athens, Greece on Monday morning and met Suzanne at the airport. After a week apart when My Lovely Bride was giving presentations in Crete, it was great to see her. We immediately boarded a van bound for Delphi, a two and a half hour drive west through Athens and its suburbs, then into the mountains. We were to spend two nights there, and I hoped to catch up on some sleep before the heavy sightseeing began. I managed to get a few hours in, but it wasn't nearly enough. The next morning, we drove to the world-renowned archeological site where the Oracle of Delphi and a lot of other treasures were located. We were 10 turistas, 2 turistos and one tour guide, Yanni. Here is our group, less Yanni serving as photographer, in front of the Thalos of Athena Pronaia. We were blessed with perfect weather, 75F and sunny.  This group for the second week is a subset of the 45 members of last week's conference.





Suzanne was in an ebullient mood and feeling the vibes of this sacred site, as you can see in this photo taken on the hillside above the Tholos. No, her voice did not cause ten of the columns to come crashing down. That was caused by various invaders and an earthquake or two, as best we can determine. An historical note: the Tholos was built in about 380 BC, or 2,400 years ago. Yes, it was already in its fourth century when Jesus lived. You get a different perspective of time when you visit Greece...












Speaking of time, not everything here is old. These bees are creating honey today. Suzanne captured them collecting pollen from these ivy flowers. Shops in town sold fabulous honey that is also used in some of the very sinful Greek desserts like baklava, which we of course had to taste as a matter of international good will...











The Temple of Apollo is another famous landmark here. Built about 700 years before Christ, it was established here in Delphi after Apollo killed the Python, the snake that guarded the oracle of Ge. This began Delphi's reign as the spiritual and cultural center of the ancient Greek world.










You may recognize "Ge" as the prefix of words like geography and geology. Ge was the deity "Earth", the first deity worshipped here. These small bronze figurines from the Mycenaen period depict Ge as the Earth Mother and symbolize fertility, are approximately 3,000 years old, and are in the fabulous museum at Delphi. 3,000 years old... that's even older than My Good Friend Bob, who keeps pimping me about driving My Lovely Bride's Corvette... I told you there would be a payback, Bob...






Well, after walking around Delphi in the hot sun, MLB was getting thirsty. There are no guys selling beer in the archeological area, so she had to resort to finding water from Ge, the Earth Mother. Fortunately, there is a sacred fresh water spring of pure mountain water that she was able to find to quench her thirst. Remember, folks have been drinking this water for over 3,000 years!










I am starting to wilt by this point, what with lack of sleep and a seven hour time zone difference. In this photo, there is actually someone behind me holding me up, and scotch tape is holding my smile in place...



















Speaking of lack of sleep, imagine my shock when, during a break, our tour guide announced that on the morrow, we would be departing for our next stop, Mykonos, at 0400. As a reminder for you civilians, 0400 in the Navy is 4:00 AM in the Real World. That meant reveille at 0300 (3:00 AM), the same time that I had to get up for my flight from Orlando to JFK... this is almost like being back in the Navy and standing watch on the bridge of a destroyer from midnight to 0400 after a full day of work...  I would write more, but I am out of energy, and falling asleep as I type..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Sweet Brewnette; Go Take a Hike; Pink; The Earth Moved; Driving Her Corvette; Oh No, I'm at the Wrong Airport!

While walking the puppies at a local recreation center, I came upon this advert for a mobile coffee canteen. It was reminiscent of the paintings that went on US bombers in World War II... Hey, great legs!













Go Take a Hike! Okay, I did. My Lovely Daughter Elisabeth and I are taking a week in December to hike and rock climb (Ty, are you losing your marbles?) out in Joshua Tree National Park, east of Palm Springs, California. I figured I'd better put on my backpack and hiking boots and get in some training miles... so if you happened to see some guy in a South Carolina ball cap tramping around Lake Sumter, it was probably me. It was warm and humid, which it won't be in the high desert in December, but what the heck, Suzanne was out of town, and what else did I have to do?





The hike also gave me some time to myself for personal reflection. (No, I didn't look down into the lake. I could see that question coming from several of my readers; I know who you are!) Other more spiritually advanced folks meditate while listening to Gregorian chants. I meditate to Kelly Clarkson and Pink. But occasionally I shift to Enya and Dido when the mood calls for it. I also like to stop and smell the roses while I hike/walk/wander. There were no roses on this hike, but (speaking of Pink) these pretty grasses caught my eye. I think they are grasses, but remember, I am a sailor, not a horticulturist.






As you may know, Suzanne is in Crete. I am joining her for week two of her adventure, assuming that transportation has not been disrupted by the earthquake that struck Greece yesterday. Here is the only photo that MLB managed to send before the wireless equipment at her hotel went on the fritz. I am sure she will have lots more to share later, but I think that the Greeks need some help getting their technology caught up with the times...








Yesterday I had to go up into the attic above the garage to retrieve luggage for my trip. After backing up Suzanne's red Corvette, I hadn't even gotten the ladder set up when My Good Friend Bob came over and asked, "Ty, is that as far as Suzanne will allow you to drive her 'Vette?" Bob is such a smarty pants.








I arose from blissful slumber this morning at 0300 to Christina Aguilera belting out "But I Am A Good Girl". I had a momentary dream that she was right there singing to me, but lest My Lovely Bride get jealous, I quickly tossed that vision aside, along with the comforter. Christina was only in my iPhone, and I was sleeping alone...

Not only was Suzanne on another continent, but my ever-faithful Rudy and Gretchen were no longer snuggled up to me under the covers. They had packed up and moved to My Good Friend Bob's house yesterday at dinnertime. I had offered to bring them over at 0400 when I left for the Orlando airport, but Jan and Bob politely declined my gracious offer.








It was a lonely household when I got up, turned on the coffee, showered, and did final packing. There also aren't many cars on the streets of The Villages at that hour. My driving companion, Jill, gave me excellent directions to MCO, and as I drove down US Hwy 27, I glanced at the GPS and thought I had been beamed up north to Minnesnowta! Look at those lakes, Terri...






But I was still in Florida, and an hour and a few minutes later, I was standing at the economy parking lot shuttle shelter. Another traveler heading to Kentucky asked if I knew which terminal Allegiant Air flew from. I said no, and a few minutes later the shuttle bus arrived, whereupon the poor guy found out that he was at the wrong airport... Allegiant only flies from Orlando Sanford airport, 30 minutes from MCO. Bummer. Fortunately, I was at the correct airport, and I did make my flight. The only glitch came when I was pulled aside by the friendly TSA agent (unfortunately they are not affected by the government slim-down) and told that my shaving cream container was too large. (See, size does matter.) Darn, and it was only a week old!



JFK. Not the president, but the airport... that's where Your Faithful Correspondent is sitting right now, watching planes take off for myriad destinations around the globe while munching on a bagel with peanut butter. Foreign carriers like El Al, South African Airways, Swissair, Air India, KLM, Air France and Aeroflot (God help anyone who flies that airline...) are lined up outside. I have a seven hour layover here at JFK. Then a 10 hour red eye flight to Athens. Ah, the delights of international air travel. Maybe I'll get lucky and not suffer the jet lag that My Lovely Bride has been enduring for the past week. And maybe pigs will fly. (I had better be more careful; what if Miss Piggy reads this and is assigned the seat next to me... SMACK!)

A Local Hero; Is That a Saw or a Knife? A 76 Year-Old Beauty; Parking Hall of Shame; A Flashy Pelican; Dinghy Towing; Wadsy's Delight

While walking Rudy and Gretchen today at Sumter Landing, one very nice lady asked to pet them. We got to talking, and I found that Judy has a heart of gold. She rescues lost and unwanted dogs. She only has three now, but has had up to 7 or 8 in the past when one of her newly-rescued female dogs had an unplanned litter. Judy ensures that every dog she cares for gets his/her shots and is neutered. She has paid hundreds of dollars out of her own pocket for veterinarian care for her dogs, and ensures that they go to good homes. Judy gets our Hero of the Week Award. If you happen to see her around The Villages supervising a landscaping team, please thank her for her wonderful work.











What is really funny is that I had actually met Judy yesterday. I was on my way to grab a cup of coffee at Panera, and saw this group of guys trimming a small oak tree's limbs. I started laughing when I saw the small (no, tiny is a better description) hand saw they were using. I ragged them about why they weren't using a real saw, and Judy laughingly replied that their truck was around back, and it would take longer to get the big saw out of the truck than use the tiny pruning saw they had in hand... (they all had a great sense of humor, and I promised not to send a copy of this photo to management).







I am not really a car person. Let me clarify that statement. I like cars as transportation, and for carrying kayaks and bikes, but aside from an occasional spin in our convertibles, cars don't mean a lot to me. But I really admired this beautifully-restored 1937 Packard, still looking good at 76 years old! However, I have to admit that I was more than a little disappointed when I saw magnetic signs for a real estate agent on the right and left doors...












Getting back to cars, this summer wasn't a great time for Parking Hall of Shame Awards. It seems that The Villages has a higher than average number of folks who ignore parking stripes, like the owner of this yellow Daytona. The white stripe is under the center of the driver's door!  (Sorry, Dale, I looked for Japanese cars, but Detroit drivers seem to have the Hall of Shame locked up...)





Pelicans have always intrigued me. The white pelican is the Louisiana state bird, of course, and while we were sailing, I always enjoyed watching them dive for fish. Pelicans go blind as they age because of the high impact with the water when they dive. When we were in Pensacola recently, I saw this fellow on a street corner. He is painted with the colors and emblems of the countries that settled, ruled or owned Pensacola over the years (Spain, France, England, the Confederate States and the USA).








In the RV world, the car towed behind an RV is called a toad, but the method of towing is called dinghy towing, relating to the small boat, or tender, usually inflatable, towed behind a sailboat or powerboat. This RV has taken dinghy towing literally!











Our final story is of my brother-in-law Brent's Dachshund Wadsy. His name is really Wadsworth (yep, you guessed it, as in Longfellow), and he loves to chase geckos in his side yard. One had eluded capture and found refuge in a planter full of old golf balls. Well, that wasn't a very bright gecko, because now he was trapped! We watched as Wadsy pulled golf ball after golf ball out of the planter. Thankfully, we left before The Final Reckoning...

A Good Omen; Back Home! Girls with Hammers; Grand Nieces; A Guy with Needle and Palm; A Singer, A Lawyer, Sushi and a Warning

It's been a few days since the last blog... longer than I would have preferred, but our schedule since arriving home back in The Villages has been just a bit hectic. When we departed Suwanee State Park in Lee, Florida, we got an early start, and had this beautiful sunrise sky to look at
for a few miles. We regarded it as a good omen for our homecoming.







After getting off the Interstate and regular back roads, we arrived in The Villages to find some changes. The trees, golf courses and lawns seemed greener and more lush than when we left... probably due to the heavier than normal rain over the past couple of months. As we pulled onto our street, Rudy and Gretchen were sitting in Suzanne's lap, and his nose was twitching like crazy. After saying hello to our neighbors, we got to work and unloaded The Coach. We were fortunate in having Suzanne's friend Elizabeth volunteer to work like a dog unloading. Then Bev Garlipp arrived just in time to help with the new painting that Suzanne's friend Barry Mack had sent her. (Now, guys, imagine my concern when Elizabeth asked for a hammer and screwdrivers... I made the mistake of laughing and saying, "What, girls with tools?" Fortunately I was outside the arc of the hammer in her hand, so I felt safe.) 







 
 
 
We were all amazed at how perfectly Barry's gift fit in the intended space and matched the color scheme in the study.  I have to admit, the ladies actually did a pretty good job of hanging  Barry's  stunning painting... like the Brits say, "I guess I have been made redundant." It took two days to completely empty The Coach's closets, cabinets and belly compartments, and get her cleaned her up inside and out. It was amazing how much stuff she was carrying. Our garage is now an official disaster area until I get it re-organized. 
 












Just about the time we were arriving home, Suzanne's niece Lisa and her daughter Zoe arrived at Suzanne's mom Ruthie's house for a visit. We stopped by, and watched in wonder as Zoe ran from room to room at top speed half a dozen times. Then Lisa and Zoe visited us in The Coach
and at our house.














Lisa and Zoe were heading to Disney for an entire day, and have this great picture with Cinderella to prove it. Lisa said that at the end of the day, Zoe went to sleep before they even got out of the Disney parking lot. Lisa deserves a vacation after this week; I don't know how she keeps up with her 3 year old!
















We are still recovering from several long days unpacking and cleaning, and also getting used to the last time zone change. One morning I actually got up at 0600 for a walk in the dark and caught this sunrise at 0700. It's a quiet and peaceful time, and listening to the birds wake up and start their chirping was a real treat.   






Shortly after my walk, Rudy and Gretchen awoke and asked to go outside, where they met their friend Suki. I chatted with our neighbor Chris, Suki's nominal "owner", but we all know who the boss is in any dog family. The three puppies exchanged summer adventure stories for a few minutes and then got down to important business... 










Over the past couple of days, I have assumed my alternate persona as Mr. Fix-It. After being snubbed as part of the painting erection crew (no snide remarks there, please!), I got my first assignment. My Lovely Bride was at the sink and turned on the disposal, whereupon a loud bang was heard, followed by water gushing out from under the sink. The disposal's plastic case had developed a crack, and was now leaking badly.









Off to the store for a new one, and an hour or so later, out goes the old unit and in goes the new one. Then I got assignment number two. Suzanne's roller suitcase's back zipper was coming off, and she was worried that it would get snagged by a conveyor belt on her upcoming trip to Greece. Knowing that I had saved my ditty bag of sailor's palm, needles and sail thread from our sailboat, I was detailed to make repairs. I even got ribbed for letting the girls do the work with hammer and screwdrivers while being assigned sewing tasks. Sometimes My Lovely Bride
is not very amusing. At least I had Rudy to commiserate with.






On Friday night we took some time off from the house and went to dinner with our friends Lawyer Gail and Nashville singer-songwriter Karen Taylor-Good. We met at our favorite Japanese sushi restaurant in Sumter Landing. As we arrived, Gail and Karen were debarking from Gail's car, which was parked in a rather obvious (but unmarked) "no parking" area. I asked Gail if she liked living dangerously, but she laughed and said, "Hey, I'm fine there. There's no sign saying 'No Parking.'" O-kay... don't say I didn't warn you... 





We had a great dinner, with lots of laughing, and proceeded out to the cars to find a red warning posted on Gail's windshield. Gail is a public defender in Marion County, and thought she was safe, since we weren't in Marion County, where the local police have a 24/7 APB out to track her down and give her a citation, warranted or not. "Sorry, Gail... guess the word's out!" 

Karen is in town for a concert Sunday evening at the North Lake Presbyterian Church, behind Home Depot in Lady Lake. Because Suzanne has a very early reveille at 0300 Monday morning for her trip to Greece, we will be unable to attend, but we encourage everyone to attend and experience Karen's lovely voice and incredible talent. Also see Karen's web site at www.karentaylorgood.com .