Serifos

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"I was walking down to the Piraeus with Karena, daughter of Joe and Lydia, when we chanced upon a boat heading for Serifos, land of beaches and beer and Marci, adopted sister of Justin" ... Sorry, but whenever I set foot in Greece, I can't help but get chills up my spine thinking of Plato's depiction of Socrates in the Republic.

Greece, through all of it's economic woes, is still a magical land of friendly, happy, industrious and beautiful people, with a culture and history of which they can be most proud. On our friend, Marci's, small, untouristic island of Serifos, we can't walk 10 steps without another Greek villager greeting us with a friendly "Yassas" (Hi) or "Kalimera" (Good morning). Invariably, whenever we sit down for a meal, large or small, the waitress or owner of the taverna brings us something extra -- an appetizer, a dessert, another beer! Despite the reports of their monetary difficulties, from our perspective their economy appears vibrant, with an abundance of solar and wind energy, and immaculately maintained villages.



And did I mention the waters! The colors ranging from a light turquoise, to azure, to a dark blue, and clear as can be. We feel as though we are in some idyllic realm surrounded by pomegranates, roses, oleanders, bougainvilleas and lemon trees. Overlooking the Aegean Sea we see the old town all fresh white washed with blue shutters and doors and the blue dome of the village church, symbols and homages to faith and tradition staggered across the hillside. Our week on Serifos has been spent exploring one or more beautiful beaches with water temperature perfect for swimming and snorkeling every day, local tavernas every night, and generally hanging out with Marci and her coterie of friends, drinking beer, coffee and warming up my backgammon for the Turkish Coffee houses that await us.

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