Athens To England

Thursday July 11

To be honest my attitude kind of turned fowl by evening time in Paros. I walked in to a very old church to view some ancient frescoes but left because a holy place is not a place for a crappy mood. My mood didn’t improve much back at the hotel and a sore throat wasn’t helping so I called it day, put in the earplugs, and settled in for a lousy nights sleep.

A morning run usually helps to reset the mind-frame and today was no different as I ran up and down the waterfront. Cloudy skies were actually kind of a nice change as it took the edge off the sun’s intensity and kicked up a little breeze. I hadn’t seen a cloudy morning for over 3 weeks. Paros is ok. Definitely more relaxed than Santorini but far less impressive as far as natural beauty goes. The old town is fairly standard for these parts and hosts a typical busy waterfront lined with restaurants and shops.

After the run I showered, got my stuff together, turned in the key, and went to bakery that I noticed while running. Running is such a great way to suss out and get the lay of the land quickly.

The bakery was the kind you want to find. Although located along the touristy waterfront the prices are based on what locals normally pay and the products are good. Breads, pastries, pizzas etc. Lots of variety. A euro or two for a pastry. One and half euro for an excellent coffee. There were groups of older local people that appeared to be regulars sitting around the front tables. People were coming and going, locals and tourist. The place was doing a booming business. The staff, I assume was all family, came across as genuine and attentive.

Never underestimate the power of a good product with a fair price combined with honest hard work. Too many businesses in touristy areas focus more on trying to take advantage of visitors who they assume will never return anyway. Playing the local price / tourist price game is bullshit in my opinion as well as bad karma. There’s a lot of it going on in Greece. Sure, you may get away with it for awhile but in the long run people catch on. Why are some places busy all the time while a similar business next door is empty. Get it? A couple of Greeks have told me that Greeks are getting greedy. Sell a quality product for a little less and sell a lot more. In the end you come out way ahead because of greater sales numbers and repeat customers. Simple economics.

At this point I’ve had my fill and am happy to leave the islands. The ferry from Paros to Athens is a nice big ship. The ferry from Santorini to Paros was a smaller catamaran that stopped at every bump along the way. I always try to go for the big ship ferries if possible. They are a lot more comfortable and there’s plenty of room for everyone to spread out. You can go for a walk, check out the view from different angles and comfortably spend time outside. The catamarans tend to be kind of cramped and crowded with only a small deck on the back to get a little fresh air mixed with cigarette smoke and diesel exhaust. However, if you got to get somewhere quick the high speed direct cats are the way to go.

As I write this segment I’m on the ferry to Athens and the seas are kind of rough but the big boat is plowing through the swells with ease. Another reason to take a big ship.

Friday July 12

Breezed through Athens. Finding my way from the ferry port to the hotel I booked was easy via the Metro. The hotel was good but I slept poorly due to a sore throat. Just one night in Athens.

It was a long day of travel from Athens to London to a village in the English countryside where I met back up with my friend Debbie for a few days. The Friday train out of London to Peterborough was late and jammed packed. Why did I bother buying an overpriced ticket? There were no available seats, the station stiles were open, and no one checking tickets. I rode pressed up against a door in a foyer between coaches with no air con, no ventilation, and windows that could not be opened. Fortunately it was only a 45 min trip. I was wiped out when I arrived after 13+ hours of travel.

Tuesday July 16

The past four days passed very quickly. Deb’s father is doing well and we had time to more or less kick around. On Sunday Deb, her Dad, and myself went to a nice pub for a fabulous Sunday roast of lamb and vegetables. The food was of high quality, portions large and I’d have to say it was probably the best British Sunday roast I have ever had.

This morning I awoke to a clear blue sky and went for a run upon the trails of a nearby forest. The light was really nice and the forest greens were accentuated by it. I was wishing I had another week. I might have been able to a pay a ticket change fee depending on availability but it’s high season now and everything was already set for me to fly home tomorrow. So, that’s what I’m doing. There are things that need to be taken care of at home but I feel kind of split between two worlds at this moment. Sometimes I’m ready to go home when the time comes and sometimes I could go longer. This time I feel like I just need to take care of things at home so that’s why I’m returning now as planned.

The travel from Peterborough to London was easy today. Totally different from Friday. I was able to book a room at Heathrow Terminal four with hotel points I had earned with a credit card. It’s a really nice Holiday Inn Express but the cafe food is absolutely horrible. At least what I ordered. I can’t believe I paid 10 pounds for what I got and that I actually ate it. I’ll be sure to leave a poor review for the cafe but the room is excellent.