To spend the day in the night

September 5, 2007

So after leaving the cruise ship, the three of us left the ship and found a train to Athens together. We all separated in Athens, I gave them each a kiss on the cheek – and that was that…I was on my own. Now for trying to find a place to sleep. Mara had tipped me off on a place earlier on the phone – so I tried to find it – finding nothing but really awesome clothing stores which had just closed – and a sun that was setting much too quickly. I finally found a Hotel – which wanted 80 Euros for a small room, with not even a window. I tried to talk him down, I used every tactic I could think of, but he would not budge…He recommended a street to go down to find another hotel. I left saying “I’m going to tell my father about you.” I tried to find this street that the man said, but could not – then I follwed my intuition about a street and actually found the exact hotel Mara had told me about – I love when things like this happen – because it converts all of the frustration and wasted time into a reward. I got a dormitory room for 15 euros – awesome. I took a shower which I have been anticipating for 3 days and got dressed beautifully. Within 3 minutes of using my intuition and stepping not 20 meters away from the hotel, I found food better than grandmother makes and I’m sitting here now.

I’m sitting with the reflected light of a Greek church bathing my table. There are a handful of lean cats walking around sipping water from a leaky sprinkler. A bar is playing its music near by and occasionally I see a couple walk passed the street – they both look, showing interest in the restaurant – then the man takes his woman’s hand and pushes forward like a caveman through the snow – while the woman turns her head back watching the subject of her curiosity slip by.

I walked into a jewelry shop and spent a couple hours talking with the shop owner who is impassioned with stories of the past and gemology. We’re going out to Coffee now and I really enjoy his company.

Coffee turned into a apricot juice at a cool bar playing great American Indie rock (but way too loud). We then took a stroll down the street and we realized that it was 4:30 in the morning. How did time go so quickly? I told him that I have to catch a train in a few hours – we just decided to stay awake all night. He brought me to a bakery that had just baked these big ring shaped doughnuts and breads – he bought them for me for my breakfast and train ride. Then he showed me all around Athens telling me about the historical sites. By the way – Greek ruins look their best under the moonlight with the stars behind them. We walked and walked until the sun showed its face and then he drove me back to my hotel and waited for me to pack my things, then drove me to the train station. I don't think i've ever stayed awake all night like this - walking. It was a beautiful memory and I'll think of this when I think of Greece.