Leaving Grece

I'm in Patras, 2 hours away from leaving Greece. For Now. I want to cry, but am trying hard not to. I'm thinking about the positive things: I'm going to visit Willy. On the train here, I was making notes about all the quirks and quarks of Greek life from my perspective. When I get home, I will write them up on my blog. Not right now there are just too many.

Last night's crossing, from Heracklion to Pireaus was pretty rough. It was also quite unique because the police were escorting a bunch of criminals/prisoners, and we were all in the same room. I was thinking: "what if one trries to escape?", "what if I flirted with one of them?" , "what if I flirted with one of them and tried to help them escape?" You know me, letting my imagination wonder to pass the time.

Thanks to every wise ass (like you R the Bruce) who comments. I enjoy them all! I feel like I'm not just writing to dead space, that someone out there is reading. Wether or not they enjoy is their problem; I do like to know that there is more out there. Right Hal?

On the train today, I had a great conversation with a man named Kostas (not the one from Kalabaka) He's a recovering alcoholic. I can only try to imagine how hard that is, particularly in Greece! He spent two years in England so his English was pretty good. It was fun, we had interesting talks about different things. One that has been pestering me the most is: "Why is it that only tourists go to those special sites in the cities that we live in?" I've been to the Citadel only a hand ful of times, only with people who are visiting Halifax. I've never been to the Dingle. How many go to Peggy's Cove without someone from away? You know make a day of it. He lives in Korinthos, has never been to the site. He lives so close to Meteora, Delphi, etc. and he's never been. I've never thought of going on the Bluenose. Never been to the Ovens. Yet I've been to the Vatican, The Acropolis, Venice and Delphi. Why are we more likely to visit those far off places than those in our back yard? Is it because i's exotic? Is it because we become imune? Do we just assume that one day I will make it there; I'm so close, that I have to get there eventually? I have put it in my itinerary to visit a musuem in Halifax a week. On Free tuesdays of course. But just because they are there and I should take advantage of it!
Yesterday, I visited the Archaeology musueum Of Crete. It's all Minoan/Cretan artifacts. It was interesting;particularly with the pottery paintings. seeing the influence of the landscape in what they drew, and later on, when the mainland started having an influence. There were some really interesting pieces too. Like the Serpent Goddesses, The Bull Vessel, ... There was also jewellry. Ever since my mother has started collecting jewellry, I have started to notice things more and more. I have a better appreciation for it, and now wear the odd piece. Anyhow. The gold is so thin and fine, it looks like it will break if you blow on it. People wore it though. The museum has also recently acquired the King Minas ring. What a piece for my mother's collection!
I was in Monastraki early this morning, bumming around with a couple of hours to kill and men had blankets on the ground and were selling their old stuff. I haggled with one guy: a rhinestone brooch (some of the stones are faded but all are intact, an oyster? shell surrounded by silver to turn it into a case, a silver evil eye charm, and a Canadian quarter from 1909 for 13 Euro. The case itself I'm sure is worth more than that. He also threw in a ring and a charm that I don't think are real silver. Guess what you are getting when you get home mom?
My status as the Goddess of Tripping still remains unchallenged; if there is a crack, ledge, anything really, I will find it. It's always bigger when I'm in a big crowd of course. I try to laugh it off.
The other day I was walking to visit with Iro and Dennis one last time, when as I was passing by a building with a big yard and fence, a woman started sraying the ledge with a high powered hose. One side of me got soaked. I made a squeak, she stopped, looked at me (I could tell she was trying not to laugh), I put my hands together and clapped. "Bravo!" I said. She and another worker both started laughing as well. Iro told me later a Greek women would have started cursing her out. I see no use: she was doing her job, I didn't get hurt.
I guess I will write again when I am in Amalfi!