Day 7 Delos & Mykonos

Wow what a day.

Have you ever had a day when you fulfil a vow you made to a Goddess? I did today when I visited the sacred island of Delos, the birth place of Artemis, goddess of the moon and her twin brother Apollo.

The energy in the ground of that place was intense. The stone streets glittered with silver and gold. Ancient ruins were crumbling. The first place you walk into is the slave market, thenot the gossip square where everyone gathered to see who was there and what they were wearing.

A guide showed us around for a while pointing out where the main things were and feeding her favorite cat. She was the epitome of the crazy Greek cat lady.

After walking down passed the line of guardian lions I did a little yoga in the quiet Grove that was where Leto gave birth to her twins. No one else went in there, I suppose because there weren't any ruins, just shrubs and some dragonflies. The energy is still giving me goose bumps.

From there I walked up to the museum that has some of the statues, mosaics and trinkets that were found there. Amazing.

I found a spot near the ruins of the temple to do yoga. There weren't many people around. The power and energy from the sun was more intense than I have experienced before. When I finished, I looked down into my phone and the sun created a halo behind my head, turning my wild hair gold

Oh no! I've turned into a crazy Greek cat lady - I'm feeding a cat fish for dinner under my table!

Everything is still rocking from my ferry ride to the islands today. I vomited 5 times on the way over. The sea was rough. It's so windy here. Thankfully the wind had calmed down by the time i  came back and the rocking boat sent me to sleep, not to Chuck up.

After amazing Delos I went to Mykonos. The view was extraordinarill beautiful with the blue water and boats in the harbour with the white houses on the hill and windmills in the distance.

But for a party island! There were no people! It was totally dead! I'd call it relaxing. It was extremely windy . Maybe the party goers were inside. I don't know. But is was still a fantastic island.

When I got back I rushed up the hill to do a yoga class. Karmic pay back, I was the only one in the class. I'm going to go back to spend the morning doing 4 different classes.

Good night. I'm exhausted. And sunburnt.

Day 6 Paros Island

I finally get it!

I enjoyed a yummy dinner last night when I found a table at last amongst the hundreds of restaurants that are all booked out.

Then, today, when I went out to get a quad bike they didn't have any. I finally found one but I didn't want to rent it for €50 as by then I had spent €65 euros on pair of fabulous sandals!

I had stuffed vine leaves and souvlaki with red wine for lunch and bingo! I realized what all these people are doing here!

You will think I am stupid, but I felt like I was missing something.

I came to Greece because I wanted to experience another culture but there is no culture here - there are only tourists on holiday.

They are here to take a summer break from their normal lives. Like we would go up the coast to relax on a beach or maybe to Bali or Thailand - Europeans come to the Greek Islands.

Well now I don't feel guilty for wanting to nap on my big wide bed with the Mediteranean air blowing in through my door.  I'm going to relax doing whatever I want. I don't even have to do yoga if I don't want to.

I brought a young writer from Singleton's book with me - Blair, The Same Daughter by April Klasen. I'm going to spend the afternoon reading.

Caio :-)

I got bit hungry before dinner and went out for ice cream but ended up having a chocolate crepe so now it's 11pm and I'm out for dinner. The place is still packed with people eating and wandering around.

A motorcycle burglar alarm went off and started up the cicadas in the gum trees. They have gone back to sleep now. Eucalyptus, olive trees and grapes are all that grow in this climate. There mustn't have been much shade before they discovered our gum trees.

It's really wierd seeming to be the only single person amongst all these groups of people. I'm almost a little bit jealous.
But I'm not. I'm just not into this tourist scene. I'm a traveller. Not a tourist.

Honestly, Newcastle has better beaches. Maybe not better sandals, but we have the best coast line. I really just don't get this place.

There is something that is hard to explain unless you understand.  People think they are separate from each other unless they are aware that we are really all connected. These masses of people they are all connecting separately with each other.  And then there is me. I feel completely separate. I don't understand a word that is being spoken around me, and its not Greek, its French and Italian and Spanish. It's just a resonating hum of sound and yet I know that everyone, every cat every tree and cicada (they are chirping again) are an integral part of a whole and nothing is separate at all.

They are connected to their friends yet they think they are separate from everything else. I am separate from all of them but I know I am part of one big whole. But I still feel separate - that must be ego feeling.

Anyway. Ommm. My Sangria is here. I'll probably feel much more linked in after a glass or two. Salute!

Day 5 Santorini

This morning when I was asked how my day was yesterday, I replied 'ordinary', but then as I described what I did yesterday we realized that as far as ordinary days go it was pretty extraordinary!

It was a little bit spoiled by a judgmental stranger on facebook insulting me for riding a donkey up the cliff. She's probably fat, then I would feel sorry for the donkey.

I loved my donkey ride. It made me laugh and laugh. I teach that making others happy makes you happy so that must be a very happy donkey. And if that is where those donkeys are in their karmic journey I am sure they are working of vast amounts of karmic debt.

Yesterday when I woke up there was a red orb hanging in the sky outside my window. I dashed ouside to feel the morning unfold practicing salute to the sun in the cool dawn air on the yoga deck. This morning I got up before the sun so I was ready to photograph it.

After a simple breakfast of watermelon, muslie with Greek yogurt and toast with strawberry jam (as my vegemite is in Rome) I had a Thai yoga massage.  It released all the tension in my body from the long flight. I loved it so much I had another one this morning. I'm putting it on my list to learn how to do. Santorini Holistic Massage, if you are ever here.

I walked all the way, in the heat up to Thira town to discover it's not very nice so I walked back again and stopped at a restaurant I picked out on the way.

The excellent waiter helped me choose traditional Greek food. I had lamb with festa and capsicum and chick pea salad with purple onion.  It was FABULOUS! I was stuffed. I had 2 beers too - Red Donkey beer 😊. They were so nice, they gave me my desert for free, a perfect little baklava.

When I got back to the hostel I relaxed and swam by the pool then I decided I was tired so I went to bed for my nap. I liked my little room. They only have one private room. The yoga teacher told me always yoga teachers stay in that room! I had to use a stool to climb up into the bed.

After I woke up it was time for yoga class as evening fell and the heat of the day subsided.

I was still full from my enormous lunch and didn't need any dinner. I met a lovely girl from Australia who didn't want to go out either so we spent the rest of the night talking.

The extraordinary stories of the people I meet never cease to amaze me. She had meningitis last December in Germany and nearly died. It left her deaf in one ear. Yet here she is travelling around the world and going back to study soon in Germany. She even said the words of one one of my favorite life mottos "you can't live your life in fear." 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

One of the Best Days in my Life

Santorini isn't like I expected. I am just one of the entire population that seems to be made up of tourists or people who cater to the holiday makers.

It is so dry, not a green blade of grass amongst the brown burnt sun charged stalks. The grape vines lie espaliated along the ground producing abundant wine. Water is sparse but wine is plentiful.

High brown cliffs rise up out of the blue sea. The sky above is pale, a haze hangs heavily, I suspect from volcanic ash.

The atmosphere of the place is resonant of India to me. It seems to be sliding back into 3rd world status with the same indolence accompanied by manic bustle. 

I am on a cruise boat headed towards a volcanic island and hot springs...

Wow what a day! An hours tough climb in 30° heat, scaling the side of a volcano, Nea Kameni the crunching pumice under foot, hot to the touch. I encouraged myself all the way back down with the thought of a beer when I reached the ship.

Then we sailed to a swimming spot where I dived off the side of the ship into cool water. I had made a new friend by now, Manar from Syria but living in the US with her diplomatic and studious husband who had stayed behind to review a book.

As we swam further from the boat the water temperature rose till we were swimming in a warm mud bath. The mud stained me slightly orange the rest of day.

The ship called us back with its siren and we sailed onto another part of the island and docked for lunch. I am always so fortunate in companions, Manar and I enjoyed a sea food lunch, at Thirassia. With

great conversation, sharing the common interest of yoga, followed by an amazing swim. I say amazing because I have never swum in water that looked as azure under the water as I swam in there.  

At the next stop I said good bye to my new friend, her tour was over but I continued up the side of a cliff on a donkey to the town of Oia. I did a small amount of tourist shopping (a t-shirt and fridge magnet for my collection from around the world) as I walked to the place where we would watch the sunset.

Somehow there was one unreserved table up the top of the restaurant apparently waiting just for me. I had a spectacular dinner and view of the sun as it turned into a red orb and was swallowed by the sea, sharing the experience with the patrons at the other two tables. A young lady in a long red dress and flowing blond hair looked like a Greek goddess as she leaned out over the wall.

To finish off the night I got the last seat on the bus sitting right up the front to watch the lights and life at night as we wound our long way back along narrow streets. 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

Day 3 Santorini

All is right with the world again. I can reconnect with my phone & I'm drinking a coffee - the first of the day and it's after 6pm!

It was a travel day today. Rome to Santorini, one of the Greek Islands.

I left some stuff i didn't need at the hostel to make my baggage lighter including my carry-on bag (accidentally forgot it) but neaya, I figured I can live without vegemite for a while. Then I remembered it had my phone charger - and spare charger - (such good planning to put them both in same bag) but I've bought another one so all's good.

I left about 8:45am and had a pretty bus drive to the airport. I eventually arrived at the hostel in Santorini about 5pm.

At first I thought it was quiet here but as I walked towards the town the traffic is crazy. I think I should join the craziness one day and hire a moped so I can see the island. 

I've switched from coffee to Sangria.

I was at a wine bar & cafe called Graffiti. I chatted with an Aussie couple from Adelaide who have come over for a friend's birthday party. We agreed that it very nice of our friends to make us come to celebrate special events with them in fabulous places.

The most fun I had ... aha there was just a pussy cat at my window... was in the shop buying a sim card. Having won over their seriousness with some of my intentionally stupid jokes, he tried on the blue hat I bought to wear on the cruise I'm going on tomorrow to the volcanoe in the bay, hot springs and beautiful beaches at sunset.

I practiced yoga on the yoga deck as the sky grew darker and the lights of the town came on. There were even fireworks in the distance. It felt a bit special.

I was too tired to go back out to get dinner - I keep waking up at 4am. I lived on a couple of chocolate bars, chips and a small bowl of peanuts with the sangria since breakfast. I was still full from my Roman dinners!

It's after 6am. Time for a nap. 

Good night xoxo

Day 2 Rome

It is so great to wake up whenever I like with no alarm. I admit, so far the Alter ego has taken over and I have only done essential yoga, legs up the wall.

The day was perfectly blue and very hot. I wore very little out shopping, my favorite piccolo (tiny) French lace top. It raised some eyebrows. 

Before I went out I managed to get stuck in the lift and when I got out I pulled the handle off my door. It was a slapstick moment that would only happen to me! Haha so funny. The boys I asked to help were from Poland or somewhere and didn't know a word of English. Wiwa came to my rescue.

I have bought out most of the shops in Rome by now. Make up, new bag (it's blue) and more shoes (soooooo comfortable) today. 

I had a chat to a sweet old couple from Ireland who asked me the way to the Trevi Fountain and walked along my favorite cool & leafy street eating a gelato. 

If only Singleton had left our trees along John street, we would have had a street like that in another hundred years or so. 

The best hotels are along this street & my hostel is around the corner, in the safest spot, between the huge American Embassy building and the FBI on the corner under my window. I have to be a bit careful when I'm deciding which outfit to wear, the plain clothed guards may be glancing up at my window.

Exhausted from shopping, my afternoon nap extended till after 8pm! I had to jump up and get ready to go for dinner. Wiwa had slept-in too, so that was ok.

One of her friends picked us up and we drove a way out of the center of the city. We were 4 girls and one Italian boy who didn't know English which was handy at times. I would say the night was kind of Wiwa's unofficial hens night. 

Tartaruga is the best word I learnt from my Italian app. It was the star word of the night. Tartaruga is turtle and another word for your tummy. Either way - if you are full your tummy is the top of the turtle shell but if you have six pac abs you have the underside of the tortoise shell. From now on there will be no more ab exercises - we will have exercises for tartaruga.

We had a delicious dinner, they had bistecca  (steak) but I had my favorite tonno  (tuna) pizza. Sarah loves pizza.

We also had wine. Life is different when I'm not the yoga teacher. Then we went to Brazil. 

Brazil is a bar set amongst the graffiti of Rome that serves extra potent cocktails and good music. Graffiti is the art form of the common people I see in all the places around the world.

It is different to have friends who live in the city. It is my fourth visit and I am no longer the tourist! And I know what Tartaruga is!

I'm off to Greece now. Caio.
Sarah :-)

Day 1 Rome

I arrived in Rome on the same day as I met Wiwa 5 years ago! Isn't that an amazing cosmic universal coincindence!? 

We went out to celebrate our anniversary last night with dinner at Trastevere.

A young man called Vincent  from USA came too and shouted us dinner, what a nice guy. His only brother was a victim of America - he'd been shot and killed in a car jacking. He had a smashed up leg from a work accident that's pretty much mended now. He was a wonderful positive person, getting on with life.

I wore fabulous orange high cork wedges out. It's a jolly good thing I have flexible ankles cause I rolled over on the cobbles at least 8 times. I'm going back to flats tomorrow.  I don't like shoes all together, I'm so used to bare feet

I had a great afternoon of shopping yesterday! New dresses, shoes and swimming costume. I'll have a whole new wardrobe of Italian dresses for summer. 

I may have to buy a new handbag, my Guess one seems to have flown its last flight, it's worn out, sad face :-(

The butterfly painting for Wiwa got here safely. I only left it somewhere once - outside of customs before I came through in Sydney so they had to escort me all the way back through to get it. 

And now Rome is full of butterflies! - not real ones, pictures and dresses and stuck on walls, though I suppose it's one of those things that you notice because they are already in your mind.

Wiwa has given me the best room at the hostel. It's very comfortable and I like the wall paper, it has flowers and little foxes. There is a picture of butterflies above my bed.

It's so great being here with her. She is very impressed with my Italian skills. 

Oh and yoga pose of the day was viparita karani- legs up the wall, for my swollen feet.

Namaste

Sarah

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.