Lost my way but not Lost!
By Helen Grubner. Filed in Uncategorized |
Tall ship in harbour, Spetses Island
Returned to Bar Spetsa last night – only for one 5 star Metaxa and one 500ml bottle of water this time – reason being I had plans to be up early this morning to go on a very long walk – all mapped out where I would go. Met Paddy and Wendy – you guessed – from Ireland, like minded souls who love to walk and have been visiting Spetses for many years. By Greek standards, back to my room early just after 2300 hours with a view to setting off early this morning.
On the road by 0720 hours – walked by Taverna O Lazaros, now I know exactly where it is must make a point of eating there (read about it in the Lonely Planet Guide before I left home). A tall ship moored in the harbour this morning – I’m told they are infrequent visitors here – in today’s haze it was all very magical.
Thought I would easily find the road but oh no – having already realised I had left without changing very low batteries in the camera and with a left knee trying to tell me something about my age fast approaching 60 – if that all wasn’t enough, I lost my way – not Lost, just the way! There is a difference. From roads, to paths, to donkey tracks and even on no tracks, I managed to walk quite a considerable distance in the hills, at one point I now know I was only 100 metres below the main road I had meant to take in the first instance. A walk that did not go to plan, nonetheless, enjoyable.
Something which always seems to fascinate visitors to Greece are the roadside shrines, where a candle flickers, a colour picture of a Saint stares back and the top is crowned with a cross. Sometimes built as a remembrance for a traffic accident victim but often built by a survivor of a potentially tragic accident or, to publicly thank a Saint for a benefit, not to commemorate a tragedy.
From the hills I came down to walk along the harbour side, passed a fisherman beating a rather large octopus against the wall to tenderise it. Economou Mansion, built in 1851 by the famous Captain Michail Economou – now offering upmarket accommodation. And, in front of the Poseidonion Grand Hotel – the monument to Laskarina Bouboulina – born 11 May 1771, died 22 May 1825 – the Greek heroine of the War of Independence in 1821.
This afternoon I met up with Costas again for lunch – having not closed the Bar until 0515 hours this morning, he then went home for rest and I went back to my room to perform the daily ritual of updating my website. It is only 26 kilometres around the island so you will know it is true – I only lost my way, I was not Lost!