such is life

All those books.. a year in Provence.. under the Tuscan sun.. driving over lemons.. Italian neighbors.. which regal of life as living la dolce vita.. buying that old home on a Greek island.. or a villa in Tuscany… maybe it’s a vineyard in France.. or even Spain. Yet the reality of life in these places is a very different story. Watching fuzzy images on the tv depicting Athens this morning, in total dishevel. Another strike. Is this the 4th one this week? I’ve lost count. No metros are running. No buses. No taxis. Trash hasn't been picked up in over a week. The atms are out of money (the bank has closed). Oh and the power is off. Not due to a power outage but because they’ve pulled the plug. Just like that.

No life here is not easy. As was said to me yesterday in a conversation, ‘this is not the good life’. Until the wee hours of the morning, I stayed up speaking with my new Greek mamma ☺ Felja, the local guide who I’ve worked with on several of my past trips has invited me to stay with her. See gleamed quite an insight into life here in Greece.

Back in America, we’re scared of the ‘r’ word.. recession. But really. We have such a good life. Yes this means we must cut back on spending.. oh how i can go on and on about all that we have!

This will certainly affect my job. To travel is a luxury and this will be cut back considerably. I don’t know what my job situation will be into the new year but who really knows anyways?

We complain and worry.. not to say that some is not without validity. So we have to do without a new car this year or more square footage.. or the latest styles.. or going to the movies weekly.. or eating out each nightly… we still have SO MUCH. Do we go each day wondering if today they will cut off our electricity because a people aren’t getting the pensions they want? No. The biggest strike I’ve even seen in my lifetime had to do with Hollywood. So your favorite TV shows went off the air.

I’m sitting here in the sun looking out the backyard of my friend’s home. Modest apartments surround me and in the distance the rocks of Meteora rise high above like the old monks themselves. Laundry hang from clotheslines, chickens cluck and a warm breeze brings to life the trees and weeds that grow between the homes. Dogs bark, children laugh and birds chirping. Life seems good here. You’d think. But look closer. Trash has piled high on the streets (no trash pick up due to the strike). Junk lay in piles in the yards. Mold grows in masses on the buildings and water stains the enterity of most these buildings. These modest homes aren’t due to a minimalist mentality. It’s a result of just trying to get by. And these are the majority of the people, not a minority. The average income being 900- 1200 dollars a month. Therefore MOST people work 2 jobs.

As I stayed up speaking with my friends, the stories recounted to me were of a life of hardships.. yet it seems to be that most people shrug their shoulders as if to say ‘such is this life’. Such is life. My thoughts on this could go on and on, therefore will continue for another day.

Turkish Delight

The stuff commercials are made of: dancing beautiful women dressed in national customs, male counterpart dressed the same, the beat of the drums encouraging the women to dance. Welcoming our smiling faces to their country.. Turkish delight being handed out.. our sea legs ready for the land. We've arrived to Kusadasi, a port city of Turkey on our way to Ephesus.

Local men stood off to the side completely stopped their work to watch us walk off the boat. I felt like circus animals come off a loading cart.. ‘the circus has come to town ladies and gentlemen’. Immediately I felt the eyes on us, especially on ‘my girls’. So innocent are they.

‘Turkish delight. Lady you want Turkish Delight? I am Turkish Delight. Where do you come from? I like your eyes. No be afraid of me. I not be scary people.’ And so it went on like this. The girls in my group giggled.. timid yet boldly responding to the calls. Are we so starved for verbal appraise? How I remember being charmed and flattered by such comments, and if I’m honest.. still feel the lure but know better now.

Again I steer clear of the marked paths and veer off down the side streets. It must seem the locals recognize I’m ‘one of them- fresh off the boat’. Yet I sense their confusion in why I’d be wandering down these unpaved trash filled streets- ‘does she know she’s wandered too far off?’ I tend to always walk as if I know where I’m going, even if I don’t. Dirt streets.. open meat markets are grounds for dogs searching for food.. men searching for women. Yes we are in the meat market now.

island of roses

Our ship docked for the day at the island of Rhodes ‘Roses’. The morning was spent exploring the far part of the island in Lindos and the rest of the day in the old city of Rhodes. One of the enjoyable parts of the day is when the touring comes to a cease and the group is let loose to enjoy the rest of the day as they like.

As I’ve mentioned before, the first thing I do when I enter a new city- I explore. After taking care of things for the rest of the day and the following, I could now have my time to do as I please. Immediately I started off away from the hoards of tourists having disembarked with. Apparently we were the first cruise ship in of the season so the locals where armed and ready for us to spend our money, ‘you like? Have a look. Only 2 euros. Handmade’, they call out at us as we pass by. But rather than spend money.. I spent time wandering these empty winding streets, each corner offering some new around the corner. Wandering these streets, I felt like I was wandering through a maze yet rather than trying to find my way out.. I was trying to find my way in. Passing home with door half way open, as if only to give me a glimpse of the life so different from that of the southern hills I was brought up surrounded by. I spotted children playing soccer in the open squares.. women setting out pots of flowers.. men sitting in cafes smoking and discussing. No open fields here. Just the open sea.. and an island of stone roses..

That's so crazy?!

The group I’m with has been wonderful. We’ve already covered some ground in the just the few days we’ve been together.. Philippi, Kavala, Veria, Verginia and Thessaloniki. Traveling south through the heart of mainland Greece, we are now in route to Athens. Yet at the moment we aren’t making much leeway as we are stuck in incoming traffic to the city. Those sitting up front are getting a kick out of the ‘crazy’ driving. Motorcycles weave between cars, a smart car attempts to makes his way through and what was once 4 lanes is now … hmmmm 3.. 5.. oh wow, we just passed a bus broken down in the middle of it all along with another car which has been hit. Now we have a glimpse of how much traffic lays ahead of us. We are going to be here awhile.

Listening to the comments around me about the way they drive, the amount of unfinished buildings.. I recall the other comments I’ve heard expressed from this group over the past few days: ‘eww they don’t have seats on their toilets, that’s gross!’ ‘do you think they have to-go boxes?’ ‘ the cars are so small here!’ ‘why is nothing open on Monday? (Lent)’ why does everyone smoke here?’ ‘why does everyone wear such dark colors?’ ‘why can’t you flush toilet paper?’ ‘that’s so strange!’ ‘that’s so crazy!’ yes.. this is why you travel. To understand the rest of the world does not work like you are use to. What may be strange to you is normal to them. What you may think as going without, they don’t know any different other than they’ve always gone without and know no other way. It’s not that their cars are small, it is that ours are big. You have to change the way you think- understand the difference in mentalities. It’s not that they are crazy drivers.. but this is how they do things. It seemingly works. What I also find interesting in these tours, in doing them for several years now is how parents teach their children to not do or to do certain things, respect this and that.. yet the exact thing they scold them for (be quiet, make do without, stop talking and listen, don’t wander off from the group) is exactly what the adults then turn around and do themselves. They don’t live out what they ask of their kids. Constantly I see this. It’s a bit frustrating to see this happen. Parents wander off while a local guide is giving information, they decide they don’t want to eat with the rest of the group and have a ‘better meal’. I am learning a lot just by watching these interexchanges within these groups. It is all an example to me! Now I’m not saying this is the way it is with all the groups, with all the adults but I see it enough to obviously write about it. It’s no wonder these kids gets so confused!

Uncharted waters.

Arriving into Thessaloniki’s airport, I now see why this is such a difficult city to fly into. As we taxied to the gate, I found myself searching for the actual airport. After being the such airports as Dallas… Kennedy … Frankfurt, I was amazed to see such a small outpost when I did see the little building.. ‘so THIS is why such few flights come and go from this place…’ Joining the rest of the flight on our shuttle bus to (the 7th for the day?) the terminal, I noted that I was once again an outsider and felt the side-way glances my way.

Gathering my luggage, I went in search for a city bus. Oh wait.. that’s right, there are none today as guess what.. a strike. My favorite! Oh wait and the taxi’s aren’t running either.. great. Being in a new city.. in a language that not only could I not grasp but not even distinguish.. I told myself ‘think kyle.. what are your options’. So.. basically, I approached a stranger and asked for a ride. This goes against EVERYTHING you are told not to do when you are a kid. But what was I left with but to rely on those around me?

Thankfully, I found a man who was willing to take me to town as my hotel was in the center of the city. On the way, we picked up several other people. It was everything in me not to be a little anxious but just be cool and not assume the worst. A new landscape flew by me and, twenty minutes later, I was in front of my hotel. Ok. I work for a ministry. A non profit organization. We don’t stay in hotels that leave much to write home about but when I stepped through the revolving doors into the lobby of the Hotel Capsis.. massive chandeliers hung above a spacious marble lobby, fresh flowers graced each table and well- dressed men greeting me with polished smiles. I actually stepped back outside and looked at the sign to make sure I was in the right place! And to my relief.. I was ☺

After 30 hours of travel.. I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and shut the world off. I fought sleep for a shower and exploring. Before doing so, I watched the sunset over the port of Thessaloniki from my balcony. I have to remind myself to find moments to stop and feel the silence.

Setting out to wander the city, I had no sense of where to even go. So I started to walk. There is something exilerating about exploring uncharted waters, all that is unknown and unfamiliar to me. I had no preconceived ideas as to what this part of the country was like therefore I welcomed the newness of this experience. After awhile, I came to an area of darkened side streets. Again, I went against what your taught as a child- don’t go wandering down darkened deserted streets alone. Yet it served me right as after a few moments of only hearing my foot steps, soon I saw lights draping across the streets as if to welcome me as if to say ‘we have something for you.’ The streets then gave way to a square surrounded by restaurants/cafes. And if you listened close enough, you could here that these streets whispered of the Orient of it’s past. Later I discovered this was the old Egyptian markets and later home to the Turkish Bazaar. Today is serves as a wonderful enclave of restaurants and cafes. I had hit the jackpot. Now I had to decide which one of these would win me over. After exploring a little, inspecting a several menus I made my decision.

Entering this little restaurant, I immediately felt the warmth of the environment. The painted walls mimicked the frescos I recall of that I’d seen in Pompeii, candles set on each table served as little beacons and contemporary Greek music played on low, setting the scene for my night. The past thirty hours of travels washed away the moment I sat down and I welcomed the night that lay before.

Dinner was something I savored: hearty bread with thyme and honeyed goat cheese spread, lightly fried zucchini and feta cakes served with a yogurt sauce, grilled pork in a white wine rosemary infused reduction sauce along with pureed potatoes. While enjoying this wonderful meal, I found that I was surrounded by Bulgarians, Slavs, Turks, Romanians and Greeks. Again I received my share of not only side way glances but an interest as to ‘where do you come from?’ You see this city is the gateway to the Balkans and a direct link to Istanbul… Constantinople. The interchange of cultures here is vibrant and much different than that which I experienced in Athens. Such history has this city known! Life is meant to be shared, savored and experienced. How we settle.. limit ourselves. Cut the rope that ties you to your harbor and let yourself explore these uncharted waters. What is your faith if you never allow for it?

Climbing into bed that night, I was excited for the week that lay ahead. Closing my eyes I could smell the sea drifting through the balcony doors which soon carried me to sleep.

Calendari Restaurant • 1 Oplopiou & Katouni Str. • Ladadika. Thessaloniki
Hotel Capsis • 18 Monastiriou Str. • Thessaloniki

Glimpses

Thirty hours have pasted since I left Dallas.. in that time, I’ve passed through five airports, taken 4 planes, taxis, shuttles, monorails, and am currently Greece bound on a flight which takes me far above a part of Europe I’ve yet to discover- The Balkans. The capitan just announced that we were somewhere over Serbia.. then Bulgaria. In addition to expressing his plea for all of us to stand by Olympic Airlines in their fight to continue to fly throughout Europe. This was said in Greek, German and finally English.

We are now circling Macedonia.

As I struggle to stay awake, I’m beyond tired. The woman next to me must be in her 60’s but looked much older. Moments ago I took out a Health magazine and laid it in the seat between us to remind myself to put it back in my bag. The woman next to me then snatched it up and began flipping through its’ pages. At first I was a little taken by her action then realized she was curious.. I watched her as she looked at the article on ‘ staying fit and young in your 30’s, 40’s and 50’s’. She was catching glimpses of a lifestyle much different than that of hers..

The plane is circling over Greece now. I can see the coast before me. Looks like an announcement was just made.. something has happened. Those who speak Greek have responded by throwing up their arms and voicing their annoyance at yet another delay in our landing… ahh, but we’ll get there. We are much closer than I was a day ago..

My tour schedule.

Here is where I will be for the next several months:

January 8th- 18th: England. France
February 4th- 18th: Greece. New York City
March 1st- 30th: Greece. Turkey
April 11th-26th: New York City
May 1st- 5th: Nashville (photograph a wedding)
May 14th- 31st: Italy. Austria. Czech Republic. Germany
June 1st- July 3rd: Italy (possibly Croatia. Slovenia)

Bright Lights. Big City

“ There are times when one could wish that the good Lord would start all over again with Creation and straighten a few things out that didn’t turn out so well the first time. He wouldn’t have to look very hard- He would choose New York City, because everything that is assembled there is just like Noah’s Ark: all cultures and all races. It is not only the buildings and skyscrapers, the towers and parks that give NYC its face- it is the people. The United Nations is located on the East River and that’s perfectly logical. But the fact, one can see the United Nations at the anytime on the subway where the world’s people are united on a space of 430 sq ft. It is the people that make NYC more colorful than the brightest lights in Time Square. New York is rich- and at the same time, incredibly poor. New York is both filthy and clean. New York is at the same time decadent and decent, beautiful and ugly. That’s not even contradictory. The city is like a human being with all its emotions and moods, full and sorrow. That is the true charm of New York City. It is the most human city on this planet- with all the attendant merits and shortcomings.”

Each time I arrive back into New York City, I feel as though I’ve never left. I imagine it much like a fish being let back into a stream, immediately back with all the others… in the flow of things.

Entering Manhattan from Jersey, I find that there is a thick blanket of snow covering the city. For a moment, it is as I’m walking through a Stegliz or Coburn photograph. These are those kind of moments that stand out in your mind.. decades from now when you look out the window and see the first snow of winter, you remember walking through Manhattan’s Central Park, the stillness that snow brings with it.

In the morning, I will meet with my sweet friends for brunch. Along with me will come a girl who I am training to lead tours here in the city. She’s never experienced brunch in the city.. so, we are remedying this!

Brunch:
Elephant and Castle • Greenwich Ave and 7th Ave (the Village)
Doma • Perry Street and W 4th Street (the Village) • serves great coffee and French toast
Home • Cornelia Street & Bleeker Street (the Village) • cozy atmosphere, feel good food
Good Eats • 483 Amsterdam Ave & 83rd St (Upper West Side)
Westville • 210 W 10th and Bleeker (the Village)
Clinton Street Bakery • Clinton Street and Houston (Lower East Side) get the scrambled eggs over homemade biscuits topped with tomato puree- amazing!
The Hungarian Bakery • Amsterdam Ave & W 111th St

Tomorrow my NYC tour begins!

window seat

The sun is beginning to set. As the plane begins to gain air, ascending above the islands, thus the sun begins its descent. For a moment, I can’t distinguish between the sea and the sun- they’ve made a perfect marriage of the moment. Flying over a large island, I take this to be Crete. Did I just spend over a week in Greece?! As much as Italy has grown deep roots within me, I may just have a new favorite. Where Italy lacks, Greece more than makes up for. I’ve come to accept Italians for ‘that’s the way they are’ but as of late, the apathy and vocal opinions of Bush grow tiresome. What a welcome treat it was to be in a country where consistently you were greeted with a genuine warm smile- you felt welcomed, not an inconvenience.

I interrupt my own thoughts to mention that there is an incredible show going outside my window. The horizon line has turned the color of - never have I quite seen the sky a deep red such as I’m experiencing now.

In a short while, Rome will be my place of rest. For only a night will I call it ‘home’ before making the long stretch back stateside. Reflecting over the past week, words can not express the joy this sweet group brought me. Their excitement and willingness, their flexibility and laid back attitude not to mention their attentiveness and desire to understand, left an impression on me. As frustrating as traveling can be, how incredible has this week been!

Restaurants:
Aleska’s Tabepna • mnisikleous 2 • Plaka. Athens
Grill House • aischylou 14-16 • Psiri Square. Athens