When a Mortal Encountered the Greek gods
June Samaras
By Funke Aboyade, 01.22.2007
(From Lagos, Nigeria)
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=68630
Sunday, Christmas Eve
Arrive Athens in the evening. Driving into the city centre, the cab
driver informs us that the country's population is 10 million, of
which roughly half that number lives in Athens.
Its Christmas Eve and the streets of the Greek capital are all lit up
with festive Christmas lights and dazzling decorations. As we check
into our hotel located under the shadow of the spectacular Acropolis
and enter our rooms my daughter speaks in serious, urgent tones,
"Mummy, wait! Can you smell anything?"
"No" I answer, rather alarmed by her tone. She stands stock still and
pauses for dramatic effect. Now I'm really worried. She sniffs
dramatically and pretends to be looking for something. By now I'm
beside myself with worry; then,
"My friend said to sniff for carbon monoxide gas when we get to our hotel1"
before dissolving into peals of laughter at her own macabre joke and
my anxious look.
Its a reference to the tragic incident that claimed the lives of two
British children in their holiday chalet on the Greek Island of Corfu
just weeks earlier.
Her brother takes one look at my face and cracks up. They exchange
high fives and enjoy a good laugh at my expense. First day of a week
long holiday in Athens with two boisterous teenagers; what have I let
myself in for?!
Monday, Christmas Day
We take a walk in the Plaka, the quiet, old residential part of the
city where our hotel is located. A few quaint shops and vendors
selling traditional Greek items are open for business. My children
shriek as I choose from a variety of fridge magnets.
"Mummy, there's no space on that poor fridge and you promised not to
buy any more"
"Big deal" I reply unrepentantly "so I lied, sue me!" as I select six.
I've been collecting fridge magnets for two years, buying from every
country visited.
OK, so maybe I've gone a little overboard in the sheer number bought
from each country.
Its a hobby gone out of control. Ah well, tough!
As I pay I catch sight of some book marks, each depicting the famous
Greek philosophers and poets and some of their well known sayings.
"Theres one you should get" I tell my son,"look, by Homer, he says "
"Too much sleep can be distressing! "He pretends not to hear, but I
get a couple anyway. Homer is the greatest of the epic poets; he wrote
the two great masterpieces the Iliad and the Odyssey. Tradition holds
him to have been blind.
We walk down to Syntagma Square in the city centre. The entire 5
million-strong population seems to have had the same idea. The Square
is bubbling with life and activity, and I've never seen so many Santas
and (wooden) reindeers in one location! One of them sneakily lights up
a cigarette as we pass. Naughty Santa!
Going down Ermou Street, the main shopping area, we stop by at a Greek
restaurant for Christmas lunch. Many restaurants are open for
business. Apparently, Athenians love to eat out on Christmas Day,
actually on all days! The children (who love their food!) had before
arriving Athens fretted about starving on Christmas Day in a country
we'd never been. I point out that their fears are unfounded after all.
A couple of hours later, thoroughly stuffed, we manage to waddle back
to the hotel for a nap. At night, we venture out again and settle this
time for an American chain restaurant where the only hard choice I
face is whether or not to order a divine dessert named
"Death by Chocolate" I win the battle, I pass. But only because I'm too full.
Tuesday, Boxing Day
Everywhere is still pretty much shut down so we walk around and find
ourselves at the National Gardens, a breathtaking, lush paradise of
beautiful and rare flowers, trees, bushes and ponds, right in the
heart of the city!
Nothing much to do so we eat, rest and eat again. We learn that
restaurants don't open early for dinner as Greeks eat late. 7.00pm is
considered early, 9.00pm is more like it. We kill time, exploring side
streets and darting into little stores bursting with enchanting items.
I slyly select two more fridge magnets and am stopped in my tracks by
two exasperated voices,
"Mummy! Listen to the voice of reason!" Undeterred, I pay for them anyway.
The city centre is pulsing with life as diners turn out in droves
heading for their favourite restaurants and we return to our hotel
shortly before midnight. The Acropolis, site of four of the greatest
masterpieces of classical Greek civilisation, sitting high on the hill
above Athens is a sensational, stunning sight at night.
Wednesday, December 27
We wake up nice and early for our trip to the Greek Islands of Hydra,
Poros and Aegina, just three out of some 1,400 Greek Islands. We set
sail shortly after 8.00am by ferry from Piraeus Port, Greece's
principal commercial port, and arrive Hydra after two interesting
hours of entertainment by a live band and folk dancing we all take
part in. The Island is so quaint and serene and life is definitely on
the slow pace here. The streets are narrow and cobbled, too narrow for
a motor vehicle, just wide enough for donkeys and cart pushers! Wow!
The houses are built into the mountains and the shutters are down.
It's like the entire village has been caught in a time warp and its
not the 21st Century's either.
The only people about are tourists like us, from our ferry, Georgis. I
stop to admire and price some jewellery made of semi precious stones
which the old man selling assures are all real.
"No bargaining.,"e says firmly, "Not even for my own sister, its one price!"
I persist. 'We don't lie here' he says rather crossly 'like they do
maybe in Egypt!�
Oh oh looks like he has issues with Egyptians.
"Where are you from?" he asks in a more conciliatory manner
"You speak good English, no not even English, American!�"
I end up buying a nice jade necklace.
Moseying along the waterfront we, that is to say, I, spot some
interesting fridge magnetsI justify my purchase piously, seeking
understanding "You know these ones are different, its not as if I
already have them" M I know I'm whining. Unimpressed, the terrorists
shake their heads, throw in looks of pity for good measure and wander
off.
Lose track of the children, but catch up with them later by tracing
the source of the unmistakable noisy arguments filtering through the
serene tranquility. They fight at least five times a day, usually
over, in my view - nothing. "look here, don't disturb the silence of
this village with your Naija noise!" I admonish.
'Its true sha ' my daughter agrees 'this island is so quiet and small!
I'm sure everybody knows everybody else. You know that serial murderer
who was killing prostitutes in England? Well, here they'd have known
straightaway who it was! The Police would have come up to his house
riding on their donkeys, knocked on the door and carried him off!�'
We walk by the quayside in time to embark for our voyage to Poros. A
charming island too, its bigger andactually has roads, cars and motor
bikes! We stop to watch a man reel in an octopus and then calmly
proceed to stick a knife in it as it wriggles. We're totally grossed
out! Poor Octopus is going to end up as someone's supper.
Back on board, the band serenades us: Que Sara Sara, Guantanamera, A
ya ya yai and throws in a few Christmas carols, Petite Papa Noel. It
even plays Fur Elise with a Spanish slant! We are served a three
course lunch which we (the only blacks on board) find unappealing -
uncooked leaves we don't recognise and some raw looking salmon. Yuk!
Everyone else tucks in; they actually look like they're e.n.j.o.y.i.n.g it!
We dock at Aegina, surrounded by the Peloponnesian mountains.
Population 7,000. The houses are neo-classical style. Aegina, the
first capital of modern Greece after its liberation from 400 years
rule by the Ottoman Empire, is famous for its classical and Byzantine
period architecture and also for its pistachio nuts. Its a very green
island and we drive past an undulating stretch of olive, almond and
pistachio trees. We learn from the tour guide that St. Nicktarius, the
island's patron saint, introduced the pistachio tree from Syria and
each tree produces 25 to 30 Kg of pistachio nuts.
Aegina consists of 28 villages with picturesque white houses and
colourful shutters. The Saronic Gulf is the largest of them and is
famous for the Athenian victory against the Persians in the 4th
Century BC. The roads are steep, winding and narrow as we pass the
famous Cathedral of St. Nicktarius, reputed to be the most beautiful
Church in the Balkan Peninsula.nThe guide tells us there are 365
chapels, one for each day of the year, built into the hills and dating
from the medieval period. We pass the village of Mesagros famous for
its ceramics and where, in 525 BC the first silver coin was minted -
the first coin in the history of the ancient world and of Europe.
According to Greek mythology, the god Zeus, the most powerful of the
12 Olympian gods and the only one regarded as truly omnipotent, fell
in love with a very beautiful goddess, Aegina. His wife, Hera, was
(naturally!) very jealous so he hid his current flame on the island of
Aegina where they had a son who became the first king. Their son named
the island after his mother. His father, Zeus, turned all the ants
into human beings so his son could choose a wife.
By now, we are doing 90 degree turns on the steep winding roads, high
up in the mountains, we dare not look down at the Bay of Santa Maria,
ne careless turn by the driver and its all over! I note that my
daughter, looking terrified, is clutching the edge of her seat.
"Hey, look at that, it�s a loooong fall !" She shuts her eyes and
begins to pray, poor thing. OK, maybe I was a little mean.
We arrive the Temple of Aphaia. Finally, my first Greek ruin! The
temple has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It looks
just like those Greek temples one has always seen on TV! We are so
excited! Built 500 BC and dedicated to the mermaid goddess Aphaia, it
is steeped - just like the entire country - in civilisation, history
and culture.
In short order we're back on the tour bus, heading for the Cathedral
of St. Nicktarius which we'd passed earlier. In the village, all the
girls are named Nicktaria and the boys, Nicktarius. I wonder if that's
not a tad too boring? But hey, if it works for them, why not, what's
my own?!
The Church's architecture is pure Byzantine style. 97% of Greeks
belong to the Greek Orthodox Church and are devout Church-going
Christians, and on the Island of Aegina alone, there are 400 Chapels
and 22 Churches. Idly, I wonder if that beats the number of Churches
springing up everywhere back home.
We wander around the Church awestruck by its sheer beauty, its ceiling
frescos, stained windows and general ambience. The patron saint's tomb
is located right inside. We head back for the port where we buy - what
else? - pistachio ice cream and embark for our return journey.
Arriving Piraeus Port shortly after 7.00pm we board the coach for the
transfer to Athens.
Thursday, December 28
Rise early again for another tour, this time by road to Delphi, via
Levadia and Arachova. Delphi is the ancient sanctuary of the god
Apollo. Apollo is the god of harmony, order, reason, light, music and
song. Considered one of the most majestic and handsome of gods on
Olympus, he delighted in a good many romantic dalliances with nymphs
and mortal maidens alike (sounds like a player to me). In ancient
times, the temple of Apollo was an oracle.
Our coach driver is called, wait for it, Socrates! We learn from the
tour guide that Athens is the oldest capital in Europe named after the
goddess of wisdom, Athena. Its a 190Km, three hour drive to Delphi. We
pass by the road leading to Thessaloniki, the second largest city in
Greece.
The guide points out the crossroads where Oedipus killed his father as
predicted by the oracle. Not done, he married his own mother and had
children with her, just like the oracle predicted. And from there came
the term, Oedipus complex. Wow, poor chap, what a burden to carry
through life!
We drive through Arachova, famous for its bright, multi coloured, hand
woven carpets as well as its cheese. Its very mountainous and is some
900m above sea level. Its mountains are snow-capped and the village
organises yearly games for its old men who are reputed to be strong.
The houses are built right into the mountains at amazing angles and
the streets are extremely narrow and winding and one can actually
touch the houses if one reaches out through the window! It takes some
ingenious driving to get the coach through.
We drive past the famous Castalia Spring where bathing in its icy
waters was considered an act of purification, arriving Delphi minutes
later. Delphi was considered the centre of the world. According to
Greek mythology Zeus, curious about the exact location of the earth�s
centre, released two eagles from Mount Olympus. They flew in opposite
directions and met at Delphi. Hardly rocket science, but curiosity
satisfied!
We begin with the Archaeological Museum. My head starts to swim from
all the BC, BC that we�re inundated with. 1500BC, 600BC, everything
BC. Every artifact in the museum dates back well before Christ.
"What is it?" I say rather petulantly, "I'm tired of these Greeks and
their civilization ojare! If I hear BC again or anything about how
great and wonderful Hellenic civilisation is I shall scream! BC ko, BC
ni!"
"Mom" my son is in stitches, "stop player hating!�\"
The guide proudly points out statues from the Roman period, dating
back 2nd Century BC through the 4th Century AD. "They say Greece was
conquered by the Romans, but Rome was conquered by Greek civilisation
and culture!" she declares proudly.
From the museum, we go to the Temple of Apollo, also a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. Its surprisingly warm high up in the mountains and the
sky is a startling deep blue colour.
'You see, that shows Apollo is around!" says our guide with the sense of humour.
It feels surreal being finally at the Temple, after years of seeing it
in books, magazines and on TV. And to think it dates as far back as
the 7th Century BC, twice rebuilt by 330BC after destruction by fire
and earthquake. Its soon time to leave and we head for the local
hotel for lunch, then to Arachova, carpet heaven. Silk carpets, wool
carpets, silk and wool, hand woven, machine made, it's enough to make
one giddy trying to make a choice in the short time allotted.
All too soon its time to leave and we head back for the three hour
drive to Athens.
Back at the hotel we're too tired to go out for dinner so we settle
for the hotel�s restaurant before flopping into bed.
Friday, December 29
We go separate ways and I explore the city on my own. Walking past the
Greek Parliament, an imposing structure overlooking Syntagma Square, I
proceed to Kolonaki an exclusive shopping district which holds a lot
of promise. Later, I hop on a city tour bus and again, have to bow to
Hellenic civilization: Temple of Olympian Zeus; Panathinaikon Stadium,
built from marble and dating back to the 4th Century BC with the first
modern Olympics staged there in 1896; Adrian's Arch built to honour
the Roman Emperor Adrian in AD131 (At last! Something actually AFTER
the death of Christ!); the University and National Library, with
statues of the great thinkers, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, on and
on.
Link up with children later and we go out for dinner, as always ending
up on Ermou Street, always pulsating with action no matter how late.
Different street music bands . Red Indians, Street Orchestras, one man
bands; a guy with a big fat long slithering snake round his neck;
human statues with blue faces, purple faces, standing so still you
begin to doubt that they're real, much like the ones we have back
home; the ubiquitous balloon sellers, getting in everybody's way with
their helium filled balloons; street traders; food vendors, why, even
roasted corn sellers! The strains of a waltz I love, La Beau Bleu
Danube, filter through from a distance; we trace its direction and buy
a CD from the Old Town Band - the CD is aptly named, The Sounds of
Ermou Street.
Saturday, December 30
Leaving today but not before we've seen the Acropolis, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and the most important monument and symbol of Greek
civilisation. Its one of the most recognisable monuments in the world.
We pay the entrance fee, with one going in free (I love that word!)
and the other getting a student's discount (love that too!). The climb
is daunting and we have to keep stopping for short breaks. Finally, we
reach the imposing peak and look down on the city. It's breathtaking,
sensational, simply spectacular! Well worth the climb and thin
mountain air. I feel like I've just conquered Everest!
"Now, now mom, let's not get too carried away here!' says The Voice of
Reason. I turn to her and deadpan, 'Stop player hating! I'm a player
and youre hating me!'
We all burst out laughing. As we tour the Parthenon, the Theatre of
Dionysis and all the other monuments on the Acropolis, built
450-330BC, I declare I'm done with ruins.
'I never want to see another Greek temple again! You can't even turn
anywhere in this country without bumping into a temple, kilode! (what
is it!)"
Back at the hotel we pack, check out and leave for the airport after
an unforgettable week at a frenetic pace, in the land of the Olympian
gods and goddesses.
--------------------------------
June Samaras
KALAMOS BOOKS
(For Books about Greece)
2020 Old Station Rd
Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
Tel : 905-542-1877
E-mail : kalamo...@gmail.com
(or) kalam...@aol.com
www.kalamosbooks.com