Athens and Delphi

Yesterday, Nikos drove us to Naxos City so we could catch the ferry back to the mainland. After unloading our luggage, he gave each of the girls a traditional Greek kiss on each cheek. Nikos and his family welcomed and cared for us as if we were members of their own family. They have a terrific gift of hospitality.

It was dark when we arrived at Piraeus Port and we were treated to the sound of a full peal of the orthodox Cathedral's bells, celebrating Holy Spirit Day! In Greece, Monday after Pentecost is a holiday known as Holy Spirit Day.

This morning we took the subway to the Acropolis and the long, steep hike to the top! We paused at the Theatre of Dionysus, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, just below the entrance to the Acropolis, and then we made our way through the Propylaea (entrance) and on to the Parthenon.

There is a significant amount of cataloging (every rock) and restoration in process right now. It was impressive, despite some of the cranes and scaffolding.


We also visited the Erectheion Temple with its infamous Caryatid Columns. Our girls posed in front to lend a little extra feminine character!

Next, we walked over to Mars Hill (the Areopagus) where St. Paul made his famous speech to the people of Athens. 

Sitting on the Areopagus just below the Acropolis.

This speech (which we just heard as the lesson on the 6th Sunday of Easter) is one of my favorites. We brought along the lesson sheet from that Sunday so we could read it aloud as we sat on that outcropping of rock. Just having visited the remains of the temples on the Acropolis, the context and the power of St. Paul's theological discourse were all the more powerful. If you want to read what he said, you can look it up in Acts (17:22-31) . 

We enjoyed the gentle descent into the agora (gathering place) of ancient Athens, where democracy was born long ago. We passed along the Stoa of Attalos which serves as a perimeter along one side of that archaeological park. After lunch, we returned to our hotel, collected our bags and proceeded to the bus station, where we boarded a bus for Delphi.

Three hours later, we were in the mountains enjoying fresh air, expansive views and a glimpse of the gulf to the west.  We stayed at Pan Hotel in Delphi, where we will explore the Sanctuary of Apollo, where the Oracle of Delphi made her many predictions, and the Sanctuary of Athena.

We were all baptized into one Body. --St. Paul's 1st Letter to the Corinthians

What an adventure today! We started this warm day off right... at the beach! We took a small walk to a beach a little further down the coast, so there would not be as much wind (it is very windy here). However, when we arrived at the beach we very quickly discovered that this beach was much like you might imagine a beach on Jupiter...it had MANY full moons. (This is code for nudists, people. I mean Lamar can barely watch PG-13 movies and she had to be exposed to this!  She was nearly catatonic trying to keep her eyes shut.)  And, despite the fact that these people were older, a few of them loved to move up and down the beach, including the edge of the beach where we decided to set up camp. Eeew!  Nonetheless, we still enjoyed the sun, and after absorbing plenty of sunshine we left the beach and proceeded to eat a late lunch and swim in the freeeeeezing cold pool.

A couple days ago Dad and Lamar stopped by a nearby, small hotel that had just finished being built. On the property was a small Byzantine Chapel, barely large enough for 5 people to stand in. Dad was curious if the people would be willing to let us hold a service of Holy Eucharist inside the small chapel on Saturday, since Pentecost was Sunday and we are leaving on that day. The owner was a little hesitant to let us host the service there because she felt like the chapel was not quite finished, but she agreed to let us do it in the end.

So today we arrived at the new hotel at the time that we discussed with the nephew of the owner, around 5:00 p.m. (Greek time), and dad introduced the whole family. It turned out that the aunt could speak only a few English words and the nephew was the only one that could really communicate with us.

After we had our introductions they convinced us to sit down in their sitting area and chat. Very soon after we sat down, the aunt and niece brought out platter after platter of snacks and drinks for us to eat! They were so hospitable! We learned that even though the owner did not speak English she did speak French. This was lucky for us because Katherine speaks French! For the next half hour we sat there with three different languages flying around the room. It was so interesting to listen to the different words and try to pick up their meaning. Since I could not understand the French or the Greek, I realized just how much body language was important. So I guess you could say that there were four languages present, Greek, English, French, and our bodies.

When we transitioned to the chapel to worship, we explained a few things to the family about how we did things. I was assigned to do the reading from the Acts of the Apostles. In this reading the Holy Spirit fills the apostles and they start speaking in different languages. As the crowd grew they each discovered that they all understood what was said even though they did not all speak the same language. This related to our situation perfectly, even though we did not all speak the same language, we spoke in different languages and eventually understood all that was said. Disregarding the fact that I butchered a lot of the words like 'Elamites' and 'Cappadocia,' we all connected to the Scripture.

Soon after the service ended the Greek family convinced us to go back to the room, talk some more, and give us more food to spoil our dinner! Not only did they spoil us with food, they spoiled us with gifts. The owner of the hotel gave all the women in the family a piece of jewelry to remember them by. The hospitality of these people was unbelievable. It was so hard to say goodbye, but we had to so that we could make it to dinner back at our hotel.

Sunset at the chapel by the Aegean Sea



Driving around Naxos

Unlike Athens, the traffic on Naxos seemed sparse enough and the pace slow enough for us to consider renting a car to see the largest island in the Cyclades (Kick-LAH-des) group of Greek Islands. We left the southern coastal village of Alyko and drove to Dimitras' Temple in the agricultural center of the island. This made perfect sense, considering she was the goddess of the harvest, and 6th century B.C. farmers would have wanted to honor and please her as much as possible. After the spread of Christianity through the Greek Islands in the early centuries of A.D. this temple was converted into a Church.

In fact, on this island of Naxos with a population of 20,000 people, there are 500 churches or chapels. (That is one for every 40 people...even more than in Greenville County!) Many of these chapels are built by homeowners or neighbors or small villages, and they invite the priest to come only occasionally to celebrate the Eucharist--perhaps on the feast day for the saint for which the place is named.

After Dimitras' Temple, we drove through another charming, small village in the mountains, and proceeded to a spectacular lookout near the peak of Mount Zeus, the tallest mountain on any of the Cyclades Islands. Unfortunately, our designated driver was an acrophobic (a Greek compound word: acro (high) phobic (fear), or one who has a fear of heights). The road was simply too narrow and the guard rail non-existent, and the slope to close to 90 degrees for us to proceed on this so-called two way street!

We found a 'lookout parking spot' and proceeded to walk a little further up (with one member of our party staying close to the inside of the street.) From this point, we could see a chapel on the very top of the opposite hill, composed of solid rock. It brought to mind our own patron Saint Peter, and Jesus' words--"You are Peter (Petra means rock) and on this rock I will build my Church!"


We proceeded to Apiranthos, also known as the "Marble Village." It is near the places where marble is mined and processed. In fact, Naxos was an ancient source for marble statuary and blocks for much of the classic Greek architecture. Imagine having sidewalks made of fine marble. This is the case in Apiranthos. We enjoyed lunch in a traditional Greek Tavern with views of the surrounding mountains.

After lunch we drove to another ancient archaeological site with two Kouros (large statues of men) dating to the 6th century, B.C. Located near the marble mines, these broken bodies were probably prepared for export to Athens or some other location, but after being damaged were simply cast aside.

On the way from this site, we paused in a parking lot to verify our directions, bought some fresh fruit from a vendor, and took this picture toward the North which lacks a visible horizon--the shades of blue water blending like watercolor impressionist smears into the lighter shades of blue sky.


It was a beautiful day on Naxos, and a breathtaking amount of diversity, history and scary, scary heights in such a small place!

Alykos Point & Juniper Forest

Today we set out to traverse a 1.5 mile walk around the Alyko Point which began across the street from our hotel.  The point contains a nature preserve of approximately 200 acres with  juniper trees, lentisc shurbs, heather, thyme, calycotomes and various wild flowers.  Juniper trees grow a mere 2-3 cm a year, and their lifespan ranges between 200 to 300 years.  They measure up to six meters in height, with a diameter of up to one meter.  The root system of junipers stretches out in a radius at least double the juniper's respective height, and includes an enormous amount of slender, webbed roots that hold the sand, and thereby maintain surrounding sand dune formations. It was amazing to stand next to trees that had literally been alive for at least a century!

The trail was easy to follow and the views were amazing as they opened up to all sorts of beaches - from rocky precipices to sandy oases.  

 

After our walk, we took a rest in the afternoon and then went back for a small stroll just before dinner.  This time we saw crabs and gulls in addition to a few tiny shells. 

Then, you guessed it!  It was time for a fabulous dinner overlooking the beach masterpiece, as a fiery sun set behind a neighboring island.  What a day...

With overwhelming relief to be off the ferry, and, with a few hours to kill before our ride to the hotel arrived, we stored our bags and explored Naxos Town.  We found fresh octopus for sale, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and trinkets galore.  After a delicious meal of native dishes we sampled Kitpon Naeoy, a lemon liquor made from the fruit and leaves of the citron tree that is produced on the island of Naxos.  

After eating we still had time to kill so we wandered over to the Portara, following a short pathway off the harbor to a sort of point. The Portara was a temple to the god Apollo.  It was begun by the tyrant Lygdamis, who ruled Naxos from 545 to 524 BC, but was never completed.  All that remains today is the platform of the temple, some columns and architectural fragments, and the northwest portal. which was made from three massive blocks of Naxian marble.  The temple served as a quarry in Byzantine times, and its marble blocks, columns, and capitals have been identified in several churches in Naxos Town, as well as in the medieval mansions and fortifications in the Venetian Castro on the Acropolis.

After hanging out here for a little bit, we headed back to rendezvous with our driver and head to Faros Villa.

We enjoyed chatting with our driver, who turned out to be one of the owners of the small hotel we would call home for 5 nights.  He told us theirs was the best hotel around, and that we had chosen well.  As we drove past quaint little villages, and pastureland dotted with goats, we listened to tales of life growing up in a gregarious, Greek family.  We felt like we were living in a movie!

Upon our arrival we checked into our rooms, which were very nicely appointed, and headed down to tour the pool area.  The weather was actually very cool, which we later learned was normal for this shoulder season time of year.  We were told it was supposed to warm up in the next day or so.  As we were working from a limited selection of clothing, we certainly hoped this would to prove to be true.  So, without bathing suits, but with books instead, we settled in to read a little until time for dinner.

The hotel has a restaurant that is opened to all for lunch and dinner, and we heard on good authority that it was the best, so we decided to taste and see.  Boy, were we impressed!  Everything was delicious, from the Rabbit Stew to Pasticcio.  We even photographed our plates, they were so beautiful.  Our waitress was also so kind and took time to explain all the dishes and their ingredients.   

Our stomachs full and our bodies still sleep deprived, we decided to call it an early night, and begin our exploration of the surrounding area fresh tomorrow.

One of the cardinal rules for Buchanan sojourners is that everything you take on a family adventure involving airplane travel must fit in an overhead bin, or be stowed under the seat in front of you. This generally results in taking an assortment of school backpacks, stuffed to the gills with all sorts of necessities. Each airline traveler is also allowed a personal item—a purse or small bag—so each of us actually carries two bags on our adventures. Since, for this trip, we will be away for six continuous weeks, we bent the cardinal rule about checked bags and brought two suitcases with wheels.

Everything we deemed necessary or important for these six weeks fits within these bags except for two books—the Holy Bible and a novel stuffed with two unopened cards, various notes, and receipts. Thus, at any given moment in transit, four to five of us are carrying two bags and one other item— a heavy suitcase, the Bible or a book. (We take turns leading “the Gospel Procession!”) As of day three, this has proven only marginally functional, and other possible solutions are under consideration.

At 6 a.m. without the benefit of coffee, we left our hotel in Athens and trekked approximately 8 blocks uphill to the nearest subway station. The wheels on the suitcases were worth every penny! After taking the subway to the Pireaus Port, we boarded a large ferry bound for the Cyclades. Our destination, Naxos, was the second stop for the ferry, with an anticipated time of arrival coming about five hours later.

This ship was not the fastest vessel coursing through the Aegean Sea, but it did have an impressive eight levels of decks, abundant seating, cafés, coffee shops, and even a gift shop. (Who contemplates shopping on a ferry ride?)

We made a crucial mistake, which is entirely understandable for those of you who know the importance of early morning coffee consumption by the adults and young adults in our family. We stopped just outside the first coffee shop, located approximately on deck three at the rear of the boat. It was situated in a quasi-outdoor area, which seemed desirable for the gentle breezes which are among the most effective antidotes to motion sickness.

The coffee was good and strong! Approximately 1.5 ounces of Greek coffee corresponds to two mugs of the brew in our house. With backpacks and suitcases littering the floor, and two books on the cluster of tables we pulled together, we were ready for our boat ride…until several other early morning coffee drinkers pulled up chairs nearby and proceeded to light cigarettes. Most of us are allergic to smoke, and so we dispatched a member of our party to scout for another location.

Success! Merely two flights up the cast iron steps and half way to the bow, was another set of tables, mostly unoccupied, and with no smokers in sight. The wheels on a 50-pound suitcase are worthless on exterior ship stairwells. However, we reached our goal, and arrived at a mostly covered seating area with gentle breezes of fresh air still available. The cloudy skies were noted, but did not amount to a deal-killer at this point. As an added measure of insurance, when no one else was around, a member of our party collected all of the ash trays scattered across the surrounding tables and hid them, in an effort to make this section of the starboard side appear to be a non-smoking section.

It worked like a charm. A retired couple arrived and navigated through our luggage sprawl to find a nearby table and enjoy the fresh air with us. It was delightful for about an hour until the winds shifted and approached speeds that would have been hilarious, if the consequences had not been so devastating. One member of our party made at least two trips to the bathroom, making wardrobe adjustments from the plethora of luggage beside our feet to fend off the cold. Despite traveling with multiple changes of clothing, the other four of us—thinking of June and July in the Mediterranean when we packed—simply did not have the resources to remain on the outside of the ship with gale force winds coming head-on from the South.

Like a team, we picked up five backpacks, four carry-on bags, a large man-purse filled with camera and computer equipment, the Bible, and a novel, and marched indoors. Each doorway on the ship had a threshold rising up approximately four inches—as ships are known to have—and for which wheel-based suitcase manufacturers have not found an ergonomic workaround. We perambulated the ship, jostled our way down the interior stairwell; did it again; returned to the stairwell, and repeated steps one and two yet again. The only thing more shocking than the number of seats and sofas on this vessel, was the number of occupants already in place!

There were couples using table sets arranged for four, and families occupying seating clusters for larger groups, but with copious amounts of luggage—like ours—strewn about. One member of our group (without the heavy suitcase in tow) traveled a couple of levels up, and spotted a table with six chairs that we had somehow not noticed on our earlier lap. Heartened, the rest of us climbed back up the flights of stairs and claimed an ideal inside placement for the remainder of the trip…until a nice man with black pants, a white dress shirt and a turquoise bow tie, nearly as broad as his gleaming smile, informed us that we had inadvertently entered ‘business class.’ It was obvious to everyone—including us at this point—that we did not have the cache’ of business class travelers, and so we retreated to the stern in hopes that the southern winds were blocked and the second hand smoke was manageable.

Finding this the case, we watched the islands pass on either side and the sapphire blue water churn  by the propellers, spreading like a glorious wake in our path. The views were great, and the chill was blocked, even if there was still the persistent smoke in the air.

An hour or so later one of the children returned from a trip to the bathroom with an added walk about, to announce that there was a table inside with five empty seats. And it was only two flights up stairs and near the bow!

Peace+
Furman

Well, we have finally arrived on Greek soil, had our first Greek meal, and are about to enjoy our first night's sleep on a Greek bed!

Miraculously, all of our flights were on time, and, other than one unexpected and annoying bag check to add a little drama to our connection time, we had a very uneventful travel experience.  Our hotel is a wonderful deal, and we would recommend it to anyone wanting to stay away from the touristy areas, and, yet be 3 blocks from the train/metro stations that will take you anywhere you want to go.

We ate dinner in a little square with a pretty Greek Orthodox church.  Of course, before we could eat we, had to see if there was a way to go inside the church, but, alas, other than a Russian version of a daily service occurring in a small side chapel, we were out of luck.  So, after eating homemade gyros, traditional Greek salads, and lots of olives, Mom and Finley took the 5 flights of stairs to the rooms - we'll definitely feel our quads tomorrow - while everyone else took the elevator.

In the morning we will ride the Metro train to the port at 6 a.m. to catch the ferry to Naxos.  Who knows, maybe it'll feel like 1 p.m. and not like the dawn of the living dead.  So, as everyone at home is preparing for final exams, the carpool line, or a trip to the grocery store, we are settling down with a glass of an adult beverage of some sort on our little balcony overlooking a courtyard of apartment buildings - not the most romantic of scenery, but quiet except for the sound of birds chirping, church bells chiming, and laundry flapping in the breeze.

Good night!

Kim