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Greece, the cradle of Western civilization, the origin
of the drama and history and philosophy, the birthplace of democracy...
etc, etc. It hard to imagine what civilized life would be like today
without the influence of ancient Greece. The Greeks did indeed invent
drama, and amphitheaters to perform it in. They also invented the Olympic
Games. Pythagoras formulated the theories in geometry. And who hasn’t
studied the logic of Aristotle. Ancient Greece created a style of architecture
that was the model for the state capitols and the White House. Doctors
still take the Hippocratic Oath. Children learn about the characters
from the fables of Aesop. And Greek myths (Apollo, Hercules, Homer,
Odysseus, the Trojan War, ... etc, etc.), have become so interwoven
with our civilized consciousness that we sometimes forget where they
came from. And then there’s the Greek language... metropolitan,
aristocratic, philanthropy, gymnastics, pornography, ... etc.
Cyclades Islands
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Jun
11 - 21 |
 CYCLADES
("circular islands") are called the Aegean islands around
the sacred isle of Delos, Greece’s spiritual
center in classical times. The circle begins at Sifnos and closes at
Andros, going through islands such as, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini.
This was the birthplace of one of the Mediterranean's most important
civilization, one which took its name from the islands: the Cycladic
civilization (3000 - 1000 BC).
What I have love most about the Greek islands is their simplicity.
The whitewashed houses, the unpretentious cuisine, the sharp light
that endows even the most ordinary objects with extraordinary beauty;
a tin can planted with geraniums, a crumbling earthenware pot, a cluster
of cafe tables. And then there's the sea. More than just a body of
deep-blue water, Greece's Aegean is the embodiment of thousands of
years of history and legend. Immersing yourself in the same waters
that buoyed Ulysses is a visceral link to the ancient gods and heroes
who remain such a potent part of the contemporary landscape. I will
have to return to these places and visit the other islands, its well
known beaches full of sun worshippers and goddesses. The honey-sweet,
nut crushed baklava, the grilled squid and oktapodi.....
Saronic Gulf Islands
June 23 - I took a three-island day cruise to the
Saronic Gulf Islands of Aegina, Poros, and Hydra islands. Lying only
half an hour by ferry from Piraeas, the islands are sometimes treated
as an extension of the mainland, or suburbs of Athens.
Archaeological Sites 
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