The End of the Myth
This blog entry about the events of Monday, September 13, 2004 was originally posted on September 14, 2006.
DAY 20: “Good morning! Are you leaving today?” Mamma of the Dolphins restaurant in Naxos Town greeted me. She saw that I had my big bag with me.
“Yes.” For brunch she served me my last fill of grilled octopus, prepared from one of the tentacles hanging on the banister outside. Her son Giorgo served me a free coffee and old man Gregory gave me some free wine. It was sad; I was about to leave the family I had come to learn about through daily observation.
“Where are you going? Santorini?” Gregory asked.
“No, Athens. I’m going home.”
Before sending me off to the ferry port, the grandfather-type wished me luck, kissing me goodbye on both cheeks in a respectful family way, like the tough guys do on The Sopranos. “[Good journey,]” he said. “Take a card, so you can remember Gregory!”
“I’ll see you soon.”
MY LAST DAY in Greece involved a lot of moving around. An uneventful seven-hour ferry ride (picture above) took me back to the bustling industrial port of Piraeus, just outside of Athens. I was greeted, to my dismay, by the stench of industry and the hustle and bustle of big city life — a huge change from the quiet tiny hamlet of Town X. A half hour Metro train ride took me back to the central Monstiraki and Plaka areas, where it was just as I had left it two weeks before. Restaurant hosts called out for customers, and the street hawkers went around trying to sell bootleg DVDs and these weird noisemakers that made these annoying, springy cricket sounds. I chilled out for a while at a restaurant with Greek meatballs and live music from the plaza, and did some blogging at a wi-fi enabled bar nearby, where locals were busy watching a soccer game.
A midnight bus ride through modern Athens brought me to the airport, and it was there that I spent my last night in Greece, sleeping on a chair with my bags. I thought I was the only one who’d think to do something like that, but the terminal was littered with many people sleeping on benches and on the floor; it was near impossible to find a good place to camp out.
The airport got a little busier around four in the morning, and I woke up to check the boards and find my check-in counter. Alitalia had me checked-in by 4:30, and on a plane by 6:30. I flew off to Munich via Rome, leaving Greece and all its people and monuments behind, at least for the time being.
GREECE’S TOURISM SLOGAN plays off the country’s well-known mythology: “Live your own myth… in Greece.” I’d like to think that I did live my own myth in Greece, if only for two short weeks. There are way too many islands in Greece to see in one’s lifetime, let alone all the mountain regions of the Macedonian mainland, but at least I got a taste of the spectrum of Greek culture and life. I saw for myself what Greece has to offer to the world in today’s age — not just a rich history that everyone in the Western World seems forced to learn about in school.
These past thirteen entries chronicle this myth I’ve lived through, which with some thanks to Cliff Notes, I’ve been able to draw parallels to The Odyssey and other stories of Greek mythology. I’ve walked through temples of Athena and the Minotaur, and I’ve searched for Atlantis. I’ve met a one-i’d Cyclops, a bunch of Lotus-Eaters, and a legendary man in a tiny island town. I experienced things from the ultra-touristy to the path less taken, and above all, I’ve eaten a lot of really great food. (Man, am I going on a diet when I get home.)
Unlike my adventure to Timbuktu which became more of a continual story as the days progressed, my day-to-day escapades in Greece were pretty random — but that’s okay because Odysseus’ adventures in The Odyssey were also a pretty random series of episodes. If I am to continue drawing parallels to Homer’s epic, I should probably end my myth by going home and killing a bunch of suitors trying to claim my throne, but due to a lack of suitors or any throne, I’ll just have to go and try to kill my liver instead — next stop: Oktoberfest.
Next entry: Beer Team, Assemble!
Previous entry: Bag of Winds
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.
Comments for “The End of the Myth”
GREETINGS FROM MUNICH!!! It’s the quiet before the storm; soon, it will
be pouring beer.Here’s the last two of the Greece entries; I wanted to get them up and
conclude “The Wanderings of Trinideus” before the Beerfest that awaits.
I know you’ll understand if/when I’m late on the next couple of entries.Until the next time I’m sober…
Posted by Erik TGT
AAh, the beerfest. Enjoy. Looks like I got to this blog, just in time.
Cheers.Posted by Dusty
I went to the opening day of Oktoberfest in Munich back in 1993. I’ll
never forget returning from the bathroom to find that my travelling
companion had vomited in her large mug of beer. I’ll never forget
because of course I took a picture of it.Ah, good times…
Posted by Jeff on 09/14 at 10:53 PM
<http://www.blogger.com/profile/05087591227757317086>
Ausgezeichnet! Sounds like Greece was a great time…the pics look a lot
like Turkey; same blue skies, beautiful water, and awesome ruins.
Someday we’ll get there too.Enjoy Germany! Toast all those of us who’d rather be there for the fest!
Posted by Dave and Melody on 09/15 at 01:16 AM
If run into a tall hillbilly from missouri under the tent, that’d be
Geronimo. His squaw Michelle should be nearby. Drink up ET, I would say
bring some back, but since you can’t even bring saliva on a plane
anymore (THANKS terrorists & governments, nice work!) I’ll settle for
your drunken drivel on the written page, er, screen.Posted by Chez Lounge
ERIK TGT: AR10 starts on Sunday night. Is your DVR set?
Posted by markyt on 09/15 at 05:49 PM
I should know this, but…why is it called Oktoberfest if it starts in
September?Posted by Dan 3 on 09/15 at 08:00 PM
GREETINGS FROM OKTOBERFEST… Man, am I hungover…
As expected, you’re probably not going to get any entries until Monday
—but I’m taking notes, etc. to capture it all (at least what I
remember of it).CHEZ LOUNGE: I can’t even find my own people, let alone someone I don’t
know… the beer tents are HUGE, and there are 16 of them.MARKYT: No… can you set it? I’ll settle for a VHS…
DAN3: Supposedly because the weather is just nicer.
Posted by Erik TGT
erik what day do you leave germany?
Posted by scott on 09/17 at 02:10 AM
ERIK TGT - DVR is set
WHEAT - If you need a ride back, I’ll be at Erik’s with a car, just take
the E to the 6 up to Erik’s…Posted by markyt on 09/17 at 02:12 AM
hi erik, loved munich when I was there last year, but didn’t stay for
oktoberfest, one stein of beer a day is enough for me. Plus I got carpal
tunnell with those steins! Have a weisbier for me, or one of the abbey
brewed ones.Posted by Mila Tan
TWO WORDS: HUNG OVER.
The past three days has been amazing; I’ll be writing and posting about
them as soon as I can—I have long flights and layovers ahead. STAY TUNED!In the meantime, you can simulate what I’ve just been through by
drinking about 10 liters of beer—perhaps even more—and then, going
on a roller coaster…Okay, this is probably my last transmission before the end—I gotta go
wake my friends up before we all miss our flights…
SCOTT: I’m leaving today… one more day of this and I will most likely die.MARKYT: T is landing at EWR.
MILA TAN: Oh, I think I had plenty enough to cover having one for you…
Posted by Erik TGT
awesome pictures from Greece - thanks for showing us/me the not SOO
touristy side of Greece. I will get there.Posted by tallgirl