Bus Travel B-day 10/1/9

I awoke in a modest haze.  Thank god I don’t get hangovers!  I took a shower, checked my laundry (almost dry but not quite - damn!)  pulled my things together to pack and headed out.  Thessaloniki had been a good, enriching three-day post.  I’m very glad it happened.

I had to catch the dreaded #8 to get to the bus station (at least directly without transfers) but when I approached the bus stop, the handy LED arrival sign (I love it!) read two minutes until the #8 arrived.  And it was right.  It took a solid 45 minutes to reach the station and the bus started off stuffed full which wasn’t so pleasant with my luggage but I delighted to know I had a nice long bus trip with seats ahead of me.

Once at the station, I got my ticket and went for a breakfast staple - chocolate croissant and coffee -but no chocolate!  I had to settle for ‘carmelada’ which I will not do again.  The goo inside kind of sucked and it was insanely hot - like hand burning hot

when it dropped from it’s protective pastry pocket onto my skin.

The bus terminal is an incredible free-span dome.  It was very impressive to look at.  Soon we were on our way, and I’ve been writing and landscape viewing ever since (whoa - four hours ago!)

After we passed through the flat surrounds of Thessaloniki dominated by field crops - namely corn, grains and cotton, we entered a region rich in tree fruit.  This continued until we began to climb in elevation and scale the face of the mountain range we just now seem to have emerged from.  It has been an amazing journey.  I’ve done what I can to take photos and video to hopefully make emends for my inability to find words to describe it.  

The dynamic topography and changes in elevation have been striking.  I believe the tallest peaks around topped 7000’ and we passed through well over a dozen tunnels as we wove through the hills.  The terminus of the range featured an incredible gorge followed by a sycamore lined riven.  

It’s been a slow day.  I need it.  I’d love to sleep but I don’t want to miss anything and I brought four books with me to ‘read’ while we’re traveling too.  I’m going to stop now before the carpal tunnel sets in.  We should be in Lefkas within an hour.

So now it’s one day later and the rest of the journey was smooth.  Soon after I stopped writing we began to pass through a more densely populated area with hoop houses lining both sides of the road - apparently for tomato production.  The sea came into view and the Mediterranean waters appeared tropical in color.  We crossed a land bridge that connected the island 

of Lefkas to the mainland and approached a charming seaside village, with a harbor full of fancy 40’+ sailboats.  It appeared to be a popular tourist destination and it was easy to see why.  We reached the bus station on the outskirts of town in another five minutes.

Once we’d arrived, I called Stamatina to check in, and I learned they had yet to leave Athens.  She estimated it’d be five hours before they arrived.  The sun was strong and it was a beautiful day so I embraced the opportunity to enjoy a slow day along the sea.  The only drawback was that I had to remain chained to my luggage.

I headed back towards the town and wandered through the winding streets.  It was a maze of narrow alleys and small two story buildings.  The main pedestrian way reflected a town with very distinct seasons - on and off.  Only a fraction of the shops were open, and I knew that we were likely either experiencing siesta time or just crossing into the off-season as far as tourism is concerned.  I continued to explore the town on foot and get my bearings, searching for a cafe to relax at, set down my things and catch up on some work.

I ended up settling for a place that was less than ideal, but was quiet and comfortable with a nice outdoor seating area and a wireless connection.  I ordered a crepe and was astonished at how she fit so many olives inside.  It actually got to be a bit sickening towards the end.

I spent some time responding to e-mails and had received numerous well wishes for my birthday.  Then I began to transcribe my written journal reflections, calling it quits when my battery began to expire after an hour or two.

I headed back towards the town center and picked up a calling card, attempting to reach some family with no luck.  It’s tough accounting for the 7-8 hour time difference.  I strode along the waterfront admiring the beautiful sailboats docked there.  I imagined a life sailing the Mediterranean and it seemed pretty sweet.  I considered attempting to befriend someone who might be willing to take me out for a sail, but just continued along and found a nice perch on a small spit of land between the sea and a narrow passage for motorboats.  

There I sat watching the water and brainstorming ideas for the presentation I’ll be giving on water in a couple of weeks during Transition Shelburne’s ‘Toolkit for Transition’ series that began today.  It was an ideal backdrop, and I appreciated the opportunity to revise and revisit a subject I’ve been presenting on for a few years now.  I heard a splash out on the water, looked up and saw a 15” long fish make four to five aggressive jumps out of the water, diagonally leaping a foot or more high and 2-3’ long with each.  It was quite the sight.

The sun began to set over the town skyline to the west and I was able to soak it in slowly and enjoy the moment.  It was quiet and cool and a lovely way to bring a peaceful end to an otherwise slow day.  From there I tried my phone calls yet again and after catching up with Uncle Jerry for a few minutes went to find a place for dinner.  On the way, I passed a street full of vehicle rental shops and noticed a long row of scooters.  I’d thought about looking into renting one at one point in my trip but had since forgotten.  This definitely re-inspired me.  I asked the shop keeper how much it cost to rent one for a day and to my surprise he replied just 10 Euros.  I was blown away and eager to figure out how and when I could work that into our time here.  If I’d have only known earlier I think I would’ve done it when I first arrived on the island.

The central square in the town was packed with people, political flags and again a deafening broadcast of political rally cries.  It was certainly something worth witnessing peripherally and the square was quite charming so I scoured the periphery for the right restaurant and chose what seemed to be a Greek-Italian joint, sat down under the covered patio and ordered a baked seafood dish and my very first Greek beer (Alfa).  As I waited for my meal to arrive, I pulled out Ehernfried Pfeiffer’s preface to Rudolf Steiner’s biodynamic agricultural lectures (given to be my Jennifer before I left) and read on to completion.  Definitely some interesting food for thought.

As I finished up, Stamatina called to let me know that they had just arrived in Lefkas and were ready to pick me up.  I paid my bill and headed over to meet them.  We greeted each other, got in the car and made a few stops (for a birthday cake, wine and some other supplies) and drove south to their property a few kilometers from the village to the sounds of a ‘Freak Out’ disco remix.

The moon shone brightly as we arrived and entered the old stone building to make ourselves at home.  It’s a very compact building about 60 years or so in age.  Stamatina had recently applied an earthen plaster to the old gypsum finish which adds a pleasant, soft, textured surface to the interior.  We took a little stroll around the yard, shared cake and wine, unpacked and 

chatted until just beyond midnight, finally retiring for the evening.

It was a cool night and I woke up several times feeling a bit unprepared for the evening temps.