I am home. After a 20 hour travel day I arrived home to the loving arms of my wonderful husband. My last day in Florence was a perfect food day. It started with meeting my friend Toni, who owns a food walking tour in Florence called "Taste of Florence". We had a fantastic lunch, then strolled the city. The evening was another fun dinner at a vegetarian Italian restaurant with Che-che, Jamie and Dada.
It was a great trip and I am glad to be home.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Concert and a medieval tower
July 16, 2012
It started out as a quiet day. We went out for lunch to have
a pizza. It was delicious. Then to the grocery store for a couple of things. We
talked to Jamie and she said Elenora and Luca had a concert that night in a
small town outside, but near Florence. So about 7:30 pm we went to Che-che’s
house to pick up Jamie and Che-che. Another friend Maurice was there and I
talked to him. He is Irish, but has lived in Florence for 22 years. I asked him
how he ended up here and he said, “Shoes!” When he was a child in Ireland on
Sunday at church he was fascinated by the shoes people had on. This is where
his love of shoes began. He now had a shoe collection and works in the shoe
industry in Florence.
Jamie, Che-che, Dada and I got into the car and drove to the
concert. It was in a park with a medieval tower in the center. It was a warm
night and the concert started about 10 pm and lasted for two hours. It was a
group of 5, a drummer, a violinist, a bass player, and Luca who played about 10
instruments (several types of clarinets, several sizes of sax, bass, cello) and
sang and Elernora who played keyboard and accordion and also sang.
It was so much more than a concert; it had poetry, theatre,
dance and amazing music. It was very coordinated but seemed improvised. It was
funny and touching. It was jazzy and folk. It was passionate and lyrical. I
loved it.
Ryan Air
Ryan Air is a well known discount airlines in Europe. They had lots of other ways to make money, and they have very severe restrictions on carry on luggage. When we were boarding the plane in Chania, they made everyone put their bag in this box and if it did not fit, they had to pay or not take the bag. We amused ourselves for about an hour watching people pound with fists, using their feet and sitting on their bags to get them to fit in this box, so they could take it as a carry on bag for no charge. It was amazing how they could squeeze those bags into the box and sometimes they had more trouble getting then out of the box.
The other ways Ryan Air has to make money are; choosing a seat, checking a bag, food on board, gifts on board, lottery tickets on board (2 Euros each or 6 for 10 Euros), advertising on the overhead bins, extra insurance, talking to them on the phone rather than the Internet, and printing a boarding pass for you. But the plane tickets are very cheap and Ryan Air is very popular.
The other ways Ryan Air has to make money are; choosing a seat, checking a bag, food on board, gifts on board, lottery tickets on board (2 Euros each or 6 for 10 Euros), advertising on the overhead bins, extra insurance, talking to them on the phone rather than the Internet, and printing a boarding pass for you. But the plane tickets are very cheap and Ryan Air is very popular.
Goodbye Frangokastello (Greek: Φραγκοκάστελλο)
July 15, 2012
I am sitting in the Chania Airport waiting for our flight to
Pisa. We started the morning at our hotel in Frangokastello. We drove from the south side of Crete to
the north to arrive at the airport. Yesterday was the day of three beaches and
today is the day of three monasteries. The first one had a ceremony going on
with balloons and a wooden cartoon pirate holding the balloons on each side of
the door to the church. There were 30 people, with gifts waiting for the
ceremony. A young girl, about seven, was the cause for the celebration. She had glitter in her hair.
The monastery itself was lovely, partially in ruin and partially in
good shape. I did see the guests who were waiting, smoking and putting their
cigarette butts in the plants and small aqueduct. I was horrified. The smoking in Greece was very widespread and there are no restrictions at all. It made me crazy, because often I was the only person who was not smoking. Cigarette butts were everywhere, except on the beaches. Californians are really extreme compared to the rest of the world, when it comes to our smoking rules.
The next
monastery, about 10 kilometers from the first, was large and had a big business
of olive oil, honey, raki and wine. The land surrounding the monastery was a vineyard, olive orchard and lots of bee hives. No photos were allowed inside, but it had a
fantastically ornate church and lovely courtyards. The third monastery was much
smaller, undergoing restoration, but was on a high remote hill overlooking the
sea. Pictures were not allowed.
We got to the airport in plenty of time to return our car. When we returned our car, it appears someone
tried to break in and there was damage to the lock, so we got charged an extra
356 Euros, more than twice as much as we paid for the car!
We arrived at Dada’s home at midnight. Our plane was late,
we took the bus from Pisa to Florence, then another local bus. We were planning
to take another bus, but because it was Sunday and so late, there were no more
busses…so we walked. It took about 40 minutes to get to Dada’s house. We walked
by a ruin of a Roman bath in her neighborhood. When we got to her house she
made pasta with garlic and olive oil for a midnight supper in the garden. We
also had iced red wine. How can such a simple dinner be so perfect?
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Three Beaches and Three Swims
July 14, 2012
It finally has arrived, my last day in Greece, tomorrow we
catch our plane for Pisa then back to Florence for a couple of days (with a
packed schedule of seeing friends, dinner parties, seeing sites and of course
eating Italian food). It was a day of three swims at three different beaches. I
started the day with a swim the moment I woke up. There was only one person on
the beach and the water was perfect. The Libyan Sea here is very clear and
warm. I can actually see my shadow on the bottom when I am swimming. As soon as
I was finished with my swim, we packed up and drove off. When we stopped at a very high point to
take photos of the sea, I swear I could see Libya! We stopped in Sellia for
breakfast. It is a small village up on the mountainside. We had omelets and
Greek coffee, plus I had watermelon and Dada had a dish of yogurt topped with
local honey. It looked like an ice cream Sunday. The owner, who spoke very
little English, sat with us and insisted on toasting us with a Raki, even
though I said no…but I did. It is strong and clear and you are supposed to
drink it in one shot. It burns going down, but everyone here seems to drink it.
Then he sat with us and we chatted for a while…it is amazing what conversations
you can have, even though you don’t speak the same language. We then drove for
another 30 minutes on narrow winding mountain roads to our final stop, Frannokastello.
It is another beach town, but far less developed, but has another Venetian
Fort. We drove up and got a room at this remote and nearly deserted beach. The
second swim was here at our hotel. It is rocky and the water is clear and
greener than the first beach. Next on my agenda was sitting on our terrace
looking out at the Libyan Sea and thinking about my travels coming to an
end. And remembering all the great
things I have done, seen and ate! Next was a nap, and then off to the Venetian
Fort, which is more like a small castle for a swim at that beach. This was my
third and final swim for the day. It was white sand and the water was like a
swimming pool. Even when it is very deep, I can see the bottom and fish on a
background of white sand.
Getting rooms has been easy and we never paid more than 40
Euros. This last room is only 30 Euros. Despite the upbeat attitude of the
people here, I can see from the closed shops, half built buildings and empty
restaurants, that the economy is suffering. The tax used to be 9%, but now it
is 23%. It used to be affordable
for people to come to Greece, but now it is not so cheap. So fewer people come.
Friday, July 13, 2012
I am 150 miles from Lybia
July 13, 2012
Friday the 13th in Greece seems very lucky for
me, I am swimming in the Libyan
Sea.
Slept late, went immediately to swim, with only one other person on the
beach. Walked to town for a coffee along the beach, then back to the local place
we went for dinner the night before for omelets. Dada wanted to swim at the
beach right there and I went back to the beach in front of our hotel for a
swim. I spent all day either swimming or laying in the beach chair and I am
exhausted.
Knossos
July 12, 21012
Today we finally got into the archeological site Knossos. It
is controversial because one of the archeologists from the early 1900’s did
reconstructions on the site of what he thought the site looked like. I hated
these. It prevents your imagination from working. We beat the tour groups and
did the backwards tour to avoid the crowds from the cruises. I was glad to see
it. Then we said good-bye to Maria (hotel and shop owner) and Manuel (kiosk
owner who gave us coffee). I also bought a bracelet from Maria, I thought I
should try and get something from her for all the kindness she showed.
Then we drove and drove to the south coast of Crete. We took
some small and scary roads, but drove up to the beach of Plakias. Lovely large
cove. We drove to the edge of town, stopped to eat and I said I was going to
ask about rooms. The “On the Rocks” had a perfect room with a small terrace
overlooking the beach and two beds. And the price of the room includes two
beach chairs and an umbrella. Also, they have internet access, which I have had
trouble getting because we are moving so much.
We spent the day swimming and then walked all the way
through town to the farthest restaurant, which was a family run local place,
all outside and right on the beach. I had a modified and expanded Greek Salad.
I try to get other things, I read the whole menu and there are many vegetarian
choices, but it is so hot that I always come back to a lovely salad. Every meal
for the last week ends with a plate of watermelon, sometimes with another melon
or cucumbers, but always watermelon. They also serve raki, a local wine, very
strong, in shot glasses. This is a “gift from the house”.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Santarini
July 11, 2012
Up early, then Dada drove me to the boat for Santarini. This
is one of the most famous Greek islands, know for its blue and white buildings.
It was a 2 hour boat road on a big fast hydrofoil boat. I was expecting a
donkey ride up to the town, but there is a new port now and you go by bus. (I
heard they still have the donkeys, but I did not see them.) It was a brutally hot day, but I walked
the capital village Faria. It was mobbed with tourists
and full of small shops selling t-shirts, frozen yogurt, trinkets, jewelery,
and assorted restaurants. When I made it to the top of the village I saw a sign
for the Santarini Palace. So I walked up another flight of stairs and came upon
a very fancy hotel all white with a beautiful blue pool and a view of the blue
sea. I was so hot, I went to the bartender and said, “Can I swim in your pool?”
and he said, “Sure”. It was the most refreshing swim and really saved me from the
searing heat.
I took the boat back and Dada was there to meet me, with the
air-conditioned car. And we went to our restaurant for dinner, but I told her,
that I could not last until midnight tonight. I was tired from all the sun. The
dinner was more of the same from the night before, with lots of wine and talk
on how to live one’s life. They were a lovely family.
Knossos
July 10, 2012
We left early, because we did not want to have a problem
with the car…like getting a ticket or getting it towed.
Dada is our driver and she had driven about 30 minutes and
said I am going to stop for coffee. She turns off the national highway and we
arrive at the most picturesque village with a small harbor and a beach perched
on a hillside. Very small. We walked to the end of the street and sat at a
table, perched on the end of the cliff overlooking the ocean and had a coffee
(the best of the trip so far) and a breakfast. It was a storybook village.
We drove east along the northern coast toward Heraklion to go to the
Archeological Museum and then Knossos, a Minoan archeological site. We made it
to the museum, which was under renovation so only a small gallery was open but
it was a wonderful collection of very ancient artifacts, some from 6500 BC.
Loved it. It was hot, but we walked to the port to check on tickets for a boat
trip to Santarini. The cheap ferry for 18 Euros only goes once a week, but the
tourist boat goes everyday but for 102 euros. Dada decided not to go, but I
booked my ticket.
Then we spent most of the day looking for a small beach
village to stay for a couple of nights, because I will be spending the entire
day on Santarini, we wanted a nice place for Dada to hang out until I return.
In the end we gave up, found a beach to take a swim and have a coffee, then
decided to look for a place in Knossos, where we will be touring the following
day.
We arrive in the Knossos and we cannot see a real village
and drive a bit further and then we stop at an outdoor restaurant and ask the
young punk rocker type guy. He was tall, dressed in low slung sweat pants and
his head was shaved except for a strip on top that stood straight up maybe 3
inches and the ends were dyed blond. He also had an eyebrow piercing. He was very
animated and told us where to go…he said, "It was easy." I said, "Yes, easy for
you! Could you come with us and show us?" He was reluctant so I asked him to
draw me a map, so he wrote some directions down and promised to go with us if
we could not find it on our own and came back.
We got to the town and could not
see anything, so we stopped and I hopped out and asked the person at the
tourist kiosk. He said it is right up there on the hill, but no one is there,
but I will call them for you. He was shockingly helpful. He takes out his cell
phone and then hands it to me to make the deal for the night. I asked him if
there was anywhere to get a coffee and he said his house, which happened to be
next door to the house with the rooms. He had to close up his kiosk and then he
got in our car and we drove the 100 meters up a steep hill into the village to
his house. Manuel welcomed us in and it was beautifully designed, he had just
moved back in after remodeling. It was and small stone home that he expanded
with a living room and a loft for is bedroom. There was an inner courtyard off
the kitchen and a terrace on the roof.
We sat in the inner courtyard and he made us a foamed, creamy, iced
latte. His mother was there too, she pulled up a chair and made comments
(without speaking) about how hot it was (apparently this will be the hottest
week on record!).
We talked for about 30 minutes, waiting for Maria, the hotel
owner to arrive. He lives 5 months here during tourist season and then 7 months
in Egypt. His home reflected this, with gorgeous light fixtures handmade from
Egypt. He gave such beautiful opinions on life and he lived to travel. He had
strong opinions and I found that I agreed with him. He is angry and hurt that
the world has a wrong opinion of Greeks as lazy and do not want to work. Maria arrived and she was equally charming, the room is small, but clean and
equipped with a kitchen.
As it was 9 pm by then, we decided to return to the punk
rockers restaurant. The mother and son were delighted to see us, we were the
only ones in this large open-air place. A bit later a couple of their relatives
and friends showed up. So began a
long evening of conversation on the philosophy of life, comparisons of people’s
cultures, stories of world travel and explanations of how the Greek live and
think. The food was delicious and I had my usual Greek salad. We arrived at 9 pm and left after midnight.
Reythymno, Crete, Greece
July 9, 2012
I am sitting on my terrace in the old city of Reythymno.
When you travel so many things happen in a day…today we left Kissamos by bus
after a lovely breakfast (Greek Omelet) and a Greek coffee in the town square
by the small church. It must be a very small town because after three nights I
am already recognizing people. We transferred busses in Chania for a 30-minute
bus ride to the airport to get our car. Everything went smooth and the rental
people were very talkative and I used this to ask questions I have about Greece
and the current situation. It was really fun. We hopped in our nearly new car
and were giddy with the new freedom of being able to stop wherever we wanted.
Our first stop was to have coffee and it overlooked a stunning beach. After we
finished our snack, Dada had meatballs and I had a fennel pie, we decided to
try and find our way down to this beach. It took us about 20 minutes but we
finally found the way down and had a wonderful swim with the other 15 people
who were on this fairly remote beach.
We finally made it to Rethhymno and walked in the old city
discovering a superbly preserved fort, Venetian, with a beautiful Mosque inside
the fort. It was designed to hold the whole city when they were under attack.
The city has Turkish influences, with the wonderful wooden houses that overhang
on the second floor, which I saw in Turkey and well as other Venetian homes. By
then it was 7 pm and I did not want to not have a place when it gets dark so I
saw a sign “rooms” and asked, no vacancies, I asked for a recommendation, she
said go to the bookstore around the corner, sometimes they have rooms, so we
went there and again no vacancies. I asked my same question about a
recommendation and the woman sent us around the corner to a house that had a
hand written sign “rooms”. The woman who answered the doorbell was 30ish and
very charming and happy. She was pleased to engage in conversation about
Greece. She told me she was an X-ray technician and she used to be paid 1000
euros a month, but now only gets 500 euros because her salary was cut by ½. She
hates the way the Greek people are being portrayed in the media. And she thinks
the politicians are corrupt.
The room was lovely on the third floor with a large terrace.
We got our things up to the room, found a free and safe place to park the car
and wandered the harbor and the old city, then had dinner. I had my usual Greek
Salad. I think I could eat this every night.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Kissamos
I wanted to tell a story of a religious man I saw in the bus
station. He was a Greek Orthodox priest I think. He was dressed in a dark blue
long robe that buttoned in the front. It went to the floor and was long
sleeved. It flowed beautifully when he walked. He had a long beard and was
wearing a tall hat the was the shape of a giant water bottle cap, with a thin
doughnut ring around the top. (I wish I could have taken his picture, but as
with many things when you travel, sometime you cannot take a photo and still be
respectful.) His “headquarters” was a table in the bus station, like all the
other tables. This was clearly his “office”. He had his cold drink, a jumble of
papers and most of the time was calmly sitting there with a wooden cross in one
hand and a small playing card size photo of a saint in the other hand. He was
holding them up for all to see. Several times during the 30 minutes I was in
the bus station he patrolled around holding his religious symbols. Once I saw
him go up to two young backpacker types and start talking to them. They did not
speak Greek , but the priest kept talking and finally gently touched the cross
to each of their foreheads and walked away.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)