The Aegean Sea

Waves of history

The Acropolis and Herma

The day after our arrival we walked over to the Acropolis and made it to our timed entry for seeing the Parthenon and Erechtheion. Walking up the hillside there are a lot of things that have been excavated and are now on display. I was surprised to learn that there are statues called herma that include male genitalia. What a way to be memorialized!

Having been there before I find it to be an incredible place to reflect on time, history, human knowledge and cultural evolution. The timeless beauty of the sculptural and architectural elements never fails to inspire. Walking on the smoothed over stones where feet have trod for millenia.

Shipping Off

The sun was way up and it was hot so we retreated to the shade for lunch. Afterwards we caught a cab to go down to Piraeus and catch our ferry to the island. It left in the late afternoon.

The ferry was large with room for cars and trucks below, and had an escalator going up. The route passes through the Cyclades, bypassing the most of the popular destinations, stopping only a few times before delivering us to Karpathos around 6am.

We had a small cabin with four bunks to sleep in for the night, just enough space for our luggage and ourselves. Stowing our things in the room we took care of the important business of getting the instructions for the wifi and the girls burrowed down in their bunks. I went for a walk to explore the ship and look out at the sea from the deck. The ferry moved at a good clip, so the wind was strong, I headed to the stern for some relief. The deck was open at the back but covered. A good place to sit and watch the islands pass by.

Beautiful Mysterious Sea

The Aegean sea is beautiful and dotted with islands all around. The water deep blue, silvery and vast. The sky filled with high hanging clouds, filtering the light into glinting shafts. It is easy to see how so many myths sprang from this place. Hydra, Cetus, Scylla and Charybdis, dangerous and terrifying mythical creatures, it’s good to have a healthy and wary respect of the sea.

Looking out over the water the light danced moving along with us. The beauty was overwhelming. How grateful I was to have this moment of tranquility looking out on the horizon.

Silvery Sea

Underneath the Surface of Beauty

In breathing in the beauty of this light my thoughts drifted to the dark side of this splendor to all of the people fleeing in desperation from their homelands seeking a better life, and how treacherous their journeys must be. Knowing that the experience I was having was not like theirs. 

Then onwards I thought of the people huddling together fearful for their lives in Palestine not terribly far from where I was. Somehow they were surviving under daily assaults with little access to basic resources. I wished for complete peace and safety and that no more harm would befall anyone in the region and that the impulse for revenge would end for both sides.

– Tim Winton

Sunset Selfie

Sundown

My younger daughter, Cecilia, texted me and said she would come and join me. It was just in time for the sunset. I texted her sister, but she was happy in the cabin on her iPad. Cecilia and I walked around the back decks and sat for a while. I bought her something to drink and then we took some selfies together. Sharing this moment with her was delightful.

As the sun went down creating a stunning band of terracotta underneath dark shafts of shadows spreading out from purple-gray clouds. We headed back inside continuing our journey.

– Nikos Kazantzakis