Meteora and Crete -- snowflakes and sunshine

Good evening, friends and family,

Early this morning, I arrived back from a quick tour of one of the most loveliest places I've ever been -- the island of Crete. I only got the chance to visit a few towns -- Xania, Rethymno, and Iraklio -- but even just for a few days I could feel the hospitable, tranquil atmosphere that causes so many people to come to the island for vacation and to stay for the rest of their lives!

Once again, I got the opportunity to stay with the most marvelous CSers -- Greg and Anne, from Belgium/France, and Dimitris, from France/Greece. Greg and Anne moved to Crete about 4 or 5 years ago, after deciding it was their paradise. They shared a little taste of their village, Kampani, with me, sharing a meal and great conversation at a local Cretean taverna -- we had a special baked feta, spicy cheese dip, roasted potatoes, delicious lamb, roasted pork chops, a salad, wine... a TON of food, but perfect for a night out with new friends! They also had 4 of the cutest cats I could ever play with, so needless to say, I was happy!

I met the first CSers after wandering around the most beautiful town in Crete (according to the opinion of many), Xania. The old town is centered around an old Venetian harbor, with beautiful architecture and tiny cobblestone streets winding in and out of each other. The day was gorgeous, sunshine and a light breeze, and I got the opportunity to arrive in town before the sun came up and wander the streets with no other people on them. I watched the sunrise from the headland that separated the old town from the new resorts that have grown over the past few years, and made friends with a small pack of 3 dogs who proceeded to escort me for the remainder of the day. It was peaceful, to wander aimlessly through narrow alleys and to sit on the port wall, out near the lighthouse. Just what I needed!

One small road in Xania

Overlooking Xania

Lovers by the lighthouse

Boats -- I love boats

One of my many self-portraits, highlighting my NEW handcrafted hat and my NEW nose ring -- I made it myself (the hat, not the sparkle)!

Old boat and old Venetian harbor

The harbor

Tree on the headland where I watched the sunrise

Sunrise over the new part of the town

New part of town, prior to sunrise

Minaret and flowers -- a little blurry, but beautiful (I think)

Small sailing ships, at night

After staying one night with Greg and Anne, I took the bus to Rethymno for a few hours -- another old Venetian town along the north coast of the island. It was also beautiful, and a good place for the picnic of hard cheese and olives I had packed before leaving Xania. Moving on to Iraklion, I stayed with Dimitris, a friend of Greg/Anne's who was half Greek and half French. We shared a lovely evening and most of the next day, laughing at each other's attempts to remember half-learned languages and telling our own personal adventure stories. Departing on the night ferry back to Athens, I decided that I want to visit again, and see the natural beauties of the island, and so I may return this summer if my traveling time allows it!

Harbor in Reythmno

Part of the fortress in Reythmno

As many of you know, before going to Crete I spent 2 days in the north of Greece, visiting Meteora. This is a place unlike any other -- the guidebooks say that it feels both ancient and like the backdrop for the next best-selling science fiction movie --and I agree. Meteora is/are huge rocks jutting up from an otherwise flat landscape. Shaped by the movement of techtonic plates, the erosion over millenia by rain, and (perhaps) the hands of the Gods and Goddesses, nuns and monks many centuries ago decided to build monastaries on the top of these natural monuments. I have no idea how they got them up there, but many remain to be explored by the public and to serve as places of worship and retreat for those religious people who still live in them.

It snowed the entire day I explored the monataries. This meant I could not actually see the huge rocks until I slipped and slid my way to their bases, but it also leant an etherial, other-world view to the landscape around me. Shrouded by the clouds, looking through eyelashes covered by snowflakes, my memory of Meteora almost seems more like a dream than like somewhere I visited.

A view of Meteora from town before the snows

One monastary

Bell Tower of a monastary I visited

A nunnery I visited

Drop-off to nowhere, stairs to heaven

Overlooking the valley where the towns were

Another picture from the overlook

Cool rocks

Other cool rocks

I was dropped off at the top of the string of monastaries by yet another CSer that I had spent the night before with, Mike. I wandered downhill, stopping at the open monastaries, and marveling at how beautiful the snow was -- remember, I haven't seen snow like this in almost a year (last winter was very mild in PA). After visiting the closest monastary to town, I started the chilly walk the 2 KM to the near town, to take a bus the next 2KM to the town where my train would leave from later that evening. However, as I was walking along the road, a car stopped and two men whom I had photographed earlier at one of the rocks asked if I wanted a ride. We ended up having coffee in the next town, and talking about our travels -- they were from Israel, my next destination, and we had a lot in common -- a great twist of fate!

And now I'm back in Athens, satisfied that I've gotten the chance to see more of Greece than just the capital, and looking forward to the next stage of my travels, which begin on Tuesday! I'm off to visit Ron, who Em and I met on our tour of Tibet, and he and I will travel around Israel for a week. Then it's Jordan, Egypt, and the east coast of Africa... I may return to Greece to work for a month this summer before coming home, but who knows -- the wind is at my back again, and I'm surrendering myself to wherever it takes me!

Talk to you all again soon -- thanks for keeping up with me!

Jess

Prose, Poetry, and Pics

Γειά σου, blog fanatics!

Welcome to the greatest show on earth -- no, not the circus -- my blog! In case you haven't been following recent news from Athens, a few exciting new developments have occurred in the past week YOU should be aware of (or, at least we think so, so we're gonna tell you).

1. As you know (or don't, because you haven't been faithful to your pledge to live vicariously through our blogging, but it's a new year so we're giving you a second chance), the world traveling (musical) duo of Jess and Em has come to a crossroads in our travels, and the two artists involved have decided to pursue solo careers (as all the best band members always do -- Justin Timberlake, anyone?)... Jess's harmonica playing is SURE to land her a record label, while Em's constant mumbled repetition of the entire 2 hour long Trapped in a Closet album is sure to land her... well, we're not sure yet, but somewhere, hopefully not the loony bin.

2. As a result of this decision, Em has started her very own blog to document the remainder of her Infinite Journey! We encourage you to continue to follow both of our travels, so check it out at ekirschner.blogspot.com.

3. Finally, as a result of #2, the writing in this blog is about to deteriorate rapidly, descending into lengthy rambling about various items that Em used to stop Jess from writing paragraphs about (or at least forced punctuation upon)... and will from this point forward be in 1st person (that person, in case you're lost, being Me, Jess).

So welcome to a new era in blogging and traveling, an era that promises to be defined by a abundance of photos, tangents of unprecedented length and breadth, and laments over the loss of peanut butter. Look at me -- I'm already lamenting, and I still have a jar and a half left.

This new era will officially begin on February second, when I ditch Athens for Tel Aviv! Athens has been a great home for the past 3 months, but I'm itching to be back on the road. After Israel comes Jordan and Egypt, and the entire east coast of Africa! Stay tuned as the adventure beings...

On to pics... below are some of my favorites from our recent trip to Delphi to see the Oracle! Additionally, below THAT are more of my Athens favorites, all aptly captioned for your viewing pleasure.

View from the top of the Delphi Historical Site

Delphi, including Agora, Gymnasium, etc

Athenian Stoa and Treasury, Delphi

Treasury, Delphi

The Oracle of Delphi reincarnated, perhaps?
When asked the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything, it answered:
Meow.
(what did you think it would say, silly?)

Tholos of the Temple of Athena, Delphi

Close-up of Tholos

World Travelers with Temple of Apollo Stoa, Delphi

Photo overlooking Athens basin and Lykavittos Hill

Even world travelers like to sit on benches

Monastiraki Square at night, near Jess's workplace

Me, lovin' life in Plaka, Athens

Filopappau Hill/Athens at night, Monument of the Muses in foreground

Another cool picture from atop the Acropolis: Carytadids, though not the real ones (Thanks to Britian) ;)

Ancient Agora, Gymnasium of the Giants

A picture worthy of nearly 7 months of world traveling, wouldn't you say?

Finally, a bit of poetry. My favorite poem from this trip has been "Song of the Open Road" by Walt Whitman. So many parts of it echo experiences and feelings that both Em and I have had thus far on the trip, and call to mind the mindset of a real traveler. I can only hope that one day you each get a piece of an experience like this, whether your travels are around the world, through the woods of your favorite forest, or in the lilting melody of your favorite music. I've wanted to select a few stanzas for your reading pleasure...but I can't seem to get them to copy correctly, so instead I'll give you this link: http://www.bartleby.com/142/82.html . Enjoy!

With love,
Jess

Pictures from Athens

Hello again, and Happy 2010!

While two posts in just under two weeks may seem a little ambitious, we have recently begun taking photos courtesy of cameras borrowed and brought by visitors, and have some pictures of Athens to share with you! Additionally, one of the two digital cameras coming our way has arrived via NYC and the other is coming soon -- so pictures will return to compliment this glorious journal (and Em's when it's launched) from this point forward. (Shout-outs to Jess's mom and Joe for the cameras -you both rock). Enjoy living vicariously through our viewfinders...

Athens, including Acropolis, from Lykavittos Hill

Acropolis

Parthenon, up close and personal

Odeon of Herodes Atticus (an old theatre)

Hadrian's Arch at night

Temple of Olympian Zeus

Temple of Olympian Zeus again

Athens post-riots, a few weeks ago: Resist

Graffiti, courtesy of SARNS

Best wishes to you and your loved ones for a new year full of happiness, fond memories, and a good dose of adventure. Love always,

WTs Jess and Em