As stated in my last post it seems a shame to leave the Greek islands right now. I really don’t have to rush home but for whatever reason I feel like that is what I need to do. This morning I boarded a ferry from Amorgos to Pireaus (Athens). I’ll spend the night in Athens then fly to London where I’ll have a couple of days to transition before for the flight back to Houston. One thing for sure is that I’ve had a great trip and will be leaving on a high note. Upon my return I will have been gone for a little over 5 weeks that has passed incredibly fast.
For my last day in the Amorgos I spent my time swimming off the small rocky beaches of Agia Anna and stared at the sea from a small taverna perched above. It’s a spectacular place to swim and somewhat of a pilgrimage site for the French who are drawn there by the movie, “The Big Blue”. The water is serenely clear, clean, and of course, Blue. If you haven’t seen the movie I highly recommend it.
The previous day I hiked up a valley from Aigiali upon old donkey paths to traverse a steep mountain on trail to a small chapel sat upon a fiercely windy saddle. I would have liked to continue up to a mountain summit but it was wickedly windy. I returned to Aigiali mostly retracing my steps with a variation to visit a couple of more white washed blue trimmed chapels that seems to be scattered all over the Greek Islands.
Back in Aigiali wanted to swim at beach while waiting to catch a return bus to Katapola. I asked a young French couple if they could watch my stuff while I swam. Theft seems to be unheard on the small Islands but it’s when you get too comfortable that stuff disappears. After swimming I returned the favor while the French couple went for a swim. When they returned I struck up a conversation with the woman who is from Lyon. She was very nice and chatty. The boyfriend was from Paris. He was quiet and not particularly friendly. I then got the impression he wasn’t too happy with the easy conversation I was having with his girlfriend. Trust me; it was nothing more than simple conversation. Oh those silly Parisians, or, maybe I just got the wrong impression.
My final evening in Amorgos had me debating whether to extend my time on the Islands or not. I tried to make a few calls over skype but couldn’t get a good connection. I just wanted to see what changing tickets would cost, options, etc… I couldn’t really get anywhere with that but in the process I decided to stick with my original plans to head home and bought a ferry ticket back to Athens at about 10 pm. Sometimes it’s best to stick with an original plan when indecisiveness blurs clear thinking.
Once I boarded the ferry and arrived back in Athens I started to feel like going home. I then began to think about other things I’d like to do when I get back. I’m missing the guitar and I’ve got a pile of work inventory I’d really like to clean up, liquidate. I’ve got money in reserve for another trip so I might consider traveling again in the fall. For the time being my cup feels full. When I arrive home I’m sure I’ll have a tired yet satisfied feeling. Needless to say I am definitely returning to Greece! The only thing I’m not looking forward is the jet lag that comes with an 8 hour time difference.
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