2006-12-07 - 8:00 p.m.
Well, back in Athens. I'm particularly pleased about this, as I was getting quite tired of Ithaka. Don't get me wrong- I loved the place. There's just something about living in a very small studio apartment with one other guy for three weeks though that makes you long for the open road, if not exactly a stuffy train.
Ithaka was great. The people who owned the place that we stayed were a couple named Dionysus and Sophia, and who had a very cute five year old named Amelia. They were beyond nice, and beyond generous the whole time we were there. We were only paying fifteen euros a night for the place, which included a kitchen and bathroom, and satellite T.V., and they kept giving us stuff on top of this. They gave us five or six meals, cookies, half a cake one day, home made wine, home made olive oil- it just didn't stop.
We spent our last day in Athens doing very little. We walked around and Jesse bought some souvenirs, but nothing exciting. The trip to Ithaka was interesting- we had to take the long stuffy train back to the ferry terminal we had arrived at, and once there wait for five hours for the ferry to leave. Luckily I had a flashlight so I could read. There was some sort of celebration going on in the town, I have no idea why, but we saw a big parade of people go by who were all dancing and singing.
The ride to Ithaka is about four hours, which I spent trying desperately not to finish my book. I nearly succeeded. When we landed Dionysus picked us up, and took us to the place. It was a small bachelor style place, with two single beds, a very small table (with a marble slab for a top) and a little kitchen and bathroom. In short, it was everything we wanted.
It was three weeks of doing very little, especially on Jesse's part. I did some exploring, went out and saw some of the island, and he mostly stayed inside. Still, he seemed happy, and it was nice to have some time alone. The island is very beautiful. It is very mountainous as well, the mountains rising nearly straight out of the ocean. You can see, when you stand on the port, little communities nestled in the hills. I climbed nearly to the top of one of the hills, and the view was just magnificent. You could see the mountain spreading down from your feet, and the sea, and in the background were more mountains on Ithaka and other islands.
It's beautiful, but aside from that there is not too much to see. I went one day to the old citadel. I was taking my life in my hands, walking along the narrow shoulder of a mountain highway. I could just picture what Dad would have said if he saw me. Still, I made it there with only a few scares, stopping regularly to climb up from the road and have a quiet read. When you are out of the towns, and not near the farms the silence is amazing. I've been in so many cities over here that I've nearly forgotten what it's like. The silence is only broken by the odd bird or insect, and of course the incessant sea. When I was sitting at the citadel, I heard a musical sort of noise, one that definitely did not seem natural. It took me a minute to figure out that I was hear goat bells, and then I could see them grazing on the hills. The sound of all the bells together is quite interesting, and at times I fancied that I could even hear a tune.
The nice thing about exploring was just how lonesome it was. There would be the odd car, perhaps a farmer in a field or orchard, but not much else. After five months of people and cities, it was a nice change.
The first Saturday that we spent on the island we got up (none to early) and went outside to buy some groceries, when we met Dionysus. He told us proudly that his daughter Amelia was having her birthday party today, turning five, and we were invited to come. At this point we had known these people about a day and a half, and they were inviting us to their daughter's birthday party. My natural timid instincts wanted to say no, but Jesse's politeness was too quick for me. So, that afternoon at four o clock we were heading down the hill into town for a birthday party.
We found the restaurant it was at, but couldn't see Dionysus in there anywhere, so we retreated, him being the only person we knew, and sat by the water. In a while we thought he may be back, so snuck in again. We found Sophia this time, who speaks only a little English, and she sat us down next to Dionysus' sister, Pandora. Pandora cheerfully chatted to us for the next forty five minutes, kept our drinks fresh, and made us keep eating. She was very nice, and we wished Amelia a very happy birthday, although I doubt she understood us. It nice, if a little odd, to go to a birthday party for a five year old. It was like any other five year old party- full of screaming children and parents who sat against the walls and tried not to get involved. It reminded me very strongly of when my youngest brother and sister had parties at that age, and our house was filled with the screaming children. I guess kids are always the same.
