| | You can't go home Thomas Wolfe wrote You Can’t Go Home Again in 1940, a bittersweet novel about a young man from the Carolinas who figuratively “outgrows” his family, his hometown and, to a large extent, its people. Tourists and expatriates who visit or live in foreign places often establish relationships to villages, cities and whole countries which are idealized and sometimes reflect their own happy circumstances during a visit or longer stay. Then, when they return years later, everything seems changed, usually for the worse. They question their own judgment or are hurt that places which they had endowed with their own imagination had become lost to them. Fifteen years ago my wife and I went to Greece; it was my first visit and her second after a long absence. We found that except for restaurateurs, tourists did not seem to be particularly welcome on the mainland, and after visiting key sites in Athens, we booked ourselves on a ferry to Patmos, our first “Island.” The ferry was quite small and passengers were able to sit on the deck, the lounges being substantially empty. With a gentle swell, the legendary Aegean Sea bore us to Patmos while we tried to identify islands and shore lines in the distance. The trip took the better part of a day and we arrived in Patmos late in the evening. Since the arrival of the ferry was important for the local economy, all the lights in town seemed to be on and we had many offers for different kinds of lodging. We had decided in advance that three smallish hotels were suitable prospects, one of which we spotted soon after we had left the ferrry while wheeling our suitcases along the dock. To get to the hotel from the street, we had to pass through an arbor of bougainvillae leading to a courtyard in which a fountain was playing. The office was empty but our arrival had been noticed and a man appeared and we exchanged greetings. We requested a double room and were handed a key and wished a good rest. When we proffered our passports, we were told that it was late at night and the formalities could wait until breakfast. The room seemed clean and comfortable and we closed the wooden shutters and slept soundly. In the morning we opened the shutters and were surprised by bougainvillae which had climbed up to our small balcony in great profusion. The deep red colours of the blossoms were overwhelming; a beginning of a day on a very high note. The breakfast was good and the price of the room entirely reasonable. We stayed several days, swam and explored the island on foot and with the help of a single bus line. It was also the beginning of sampling the red wines produced on several Islands. The Patmos experience affected our attitude towards the Islands, and we were generally well treated. We also saw Rodos, Kalymnos and Santorini (Thyra) on our way to the western part of Crete. In Heraklion we visited the unforgettable evidence of the pre-Grecian Minoan civilization. Later we took a bus to Chania where we intended to rent a car and stay for the rest of our vacation. Clearly one of us had to remain at the terminal with our luggage and the other had to scout the travel agencies for accommodation. My wife enthusiastically volunteered for the search assignment. After finding many agencies closed for lunch, she fell into the hands of an agent who had lived in a Montreal suburb which we knew quite well. The woman was also planning to marry a man fom the Chania area and her potential mother-in-law rented to tourists. These coincidences led to our moving into a converted windmill right on the beach. It was the most memorable place I had ever stayed in, (and there has been no shortage of remarkable and attractive ones for comparison). The rest of our stay in that part of Crete was very rewarding including a visit to Chania, its archeological museum, a hike down the famous Samaria Gorge (all gently downhill) and the German war cemetery created by a special treaty between Greece and the then Bonn government. The Cretans had resisted the invasion valiantly and very many of the Nazi paratroopers never made it home. The fact that many of the fallen were 18 and 19-year-olds made the place one of great poignancy. Nearly fifteen years later I returned to the Islands with a friend and former colleague. The Islands were physically unchanged and as beautiful as before. There was no evidence that there had been any demolition of old buildings or the intrusion of new construction where it might harm the architectural ambience. However, the changes that greeted me were unwelcome. The ferries had become enormous with the most minimal open deck space. Some of the towns we visited were absolutely jammed in spite of the fact that it was after the first week of September. No one was unfriendly, but there was a pervasive tourist fatigue reflecting overpopulation in part from cruise ships which had disgorged hundreds of passengers in addition to the ones who had come to stay longer. The “feel” of the voyage was very different from what it was the first time. What can one do not to lose the paradise in the mind? One man who died a number of years ago, and who was a mountain climber, hiker and friend of old fashioned Turkish farmers bought a donkey and hiked in and over the Bolkar mountain range. Dux Schneider documented the life he found, including that of a tribe of nomads who followed their herds, in a book called Bolkar, again in print. The rest of us have to be less direct. 
One recommendation is to spend a respectable amount of time in Crete. It is an island with a fascinating history that includes long periods of occupation by the Venetians and Turks. It also has a “life” other than tourism, including a thriving and large agricultural sector. The beaches are great and there is much to see. If I were going again, I would avoid Mykonos because it becomes too crowded. For those who have not been there, I would consider Rodos, a “must.” It too can be crowded, but it is simply a too fascinating and well-preserved part of the Graeco-Roman world to miss. But even there, staying in the new town instead of “within the walls” reduces the crowd scene and the walk from one place to the other is not a problem. Also, one can drive to Lindos or take a tour to it and get a taste of an island that was once an important naval power. We enjoyed Naxos probably because it too has a significant hinterland. An island which I could recommend highly is Syros, whose capital enjoyed a period of great prosperity during the 19th century. The really ancient part of Ermoupolis blends, but does not clash, with the more recent architecture. A new experience was the better part of a day spent on Delos, a major archeological site from which all visitors must leave around 5:30 p.m. To understand the ruins of this important shrine to Appollo, a guide is required. In Greece tourist guides are licensed and must undergo years of education. They are mostly very smart women who not only know their business, but also enjoy answering questions. Lastly, while guidebooks are a great help, travelers who have your general outlook and tastes and who know the Islands are the best source of information. Talk to them! | | |
