Just keep your eyes straight ahead, mate!

In my reading about Greece, I have come across an interesting statistic: per person, the average Greek citizen consumes 63 pounds of cheese and 7 gallons of olive oil per year. That's a little more than one pound of cheese per week! But I can see how it could happen. Try as I might to order something different, every single meal I somehow end up with what I suspect to be the principle culprit, a Greek salad. My Greek language acquisition is so atrocious, I don't blame the poor Taberna waitstaff. For all I know, they hear me saying, 'Blahblah toothpick blahblah doorknob blahblah wheelbarrow blahblah bring me a Greek salad and don't be stingy with the olive oil or feta!' In addition to the fresh tomatoes, purple onion, bell pepper, cucumber, and handful of Kalamata olives thrown in, last night's salad had about half a cup of fresh olive oil and a slab of feta the size of your average heart monitor. I had to ask for two extra slices of toasted peasant bread to sop it all up.

After leaving Delphi yesterday, I took an unintentionally scenic drive through the Peloponnese countryside, eventually arriving at Olympia, the site of the first Olympics, dating back to 1,162 B.C. It absolutely astounds me that there has been civilizations around that long. When I was in Athens, I visited the National Archeological Museum and saw some intact Cycladic sculptures dating back to >2,500 B.C. I'm not sure what it is that makes the idea of humans existing (and sculpting) more than 4,000 years ago so amazing to me. Perhaps I am just that narcissistic. Anyway, Olympia was fantastic, as was Delphi. I'll have more than enough pictures to keep you engaged, should you want to see them. But I'll tell ya, seeing all these ancient sites, is just gonna ruin future visits to those new-kids-on-the-block-by-comparison Aztec and Maya temples in Mexico. Here's a shot of the Temple of Athena in Delphi. The Oracle did her thing in the less-photogenic Temple of Apollo, just up the hill.


I mentioned taking a scenic route to Kardamyli yesterday. One of the more useful things I brought with me is a GPS I picked up before this trip. I planned to do some driving in both Greece and Turkey, and knew I would need a little help navigating. It has been a lifesaver, if not entertaining at times. For example, while on my way to my current base, Mr. Garmin routed me through Kalamata. Yup, same as the olive. [I had always assumed Kalamata was in Italy, but turns out to be in Greece.] I had planned to at least stop there and take a picture, but Mr. Garmin convinced me otherwise. To keep myself entertained, I've changed the GPS voice to have an Australian accent, a generally pleasant lilt reminding me of fun times, knives, and having shrimp with Barbie. Now, you and I pronounce Kalamata as kah-lah-MAH-tah. Alex the Aussie pronounces it as "calamitous". After my visit with the Oracle the day before, I thought it prudent to avoid bad omens. Here's me having both an espresso doppio and French press this morning in Kardamyli.


I don't think I've made a point to say how beautiful Greece is, from the city to the coast. Of course, when I'm on vacation in unfamiliar locations, I find even the local laundromat exotic. This afternoon I had lunch in the village of Themales, while sitting in a courtyard shaded by grapevines. Currently, I writing this blog entry seated in the shade of an old olive tree, watching as the sun sets into the turquoise Messinian Gulf. Although it had not occurred to me before sitting down, I now recall European women frequently swim topless. It seems that is also the case at this beach. So let's tally the score: free alcohol on the plane, topless women at the beach, and unlimited romantic settings. If they didn't have espresso machines on every corner, I might think I was on the wrong vacation.


Thanks for reading, friends. It's great to read your comments, too. As an introvert, I convince myself into thinking I can never get enough "alone time". However, drop me in a country in which the locals and I share just enough common language to negotiate the price of postcards, and it leaves me alone with my thoughts for days at a time...a scenario those who know me best would say still requires supervision. I miss you, friends.

Location:Mani Peninsula, Greece