Jonesing (and Prayers) for Greece

I've been having some serious hankerings...

And they don't just come as small wisps or threads of a daydream.

They come hard.

And transport me...

as if Scotty just beamed every molecule of me 

from where I am to where I want to be. 

I can be in the middle of my day

and suddenly I am there, here on my favorite walk in Nafplion.

I can smell the dry wild herbs on the warm air

and taste the tzatzkiki of any restaurant in town. 

I'm walking along the alleyways of the Old Town

or perusing books in the Odyssey Gift Shop on the square. 

This walk is one of our favorites. 

The water is never-ending along one side

and on the other, a steep wall of chalky, orange-streaked cliffs

with the occasional wild tuft of bright magenta bougainvillea. 

I know it's been too long since I've been there

 when I find myself transported several times a day

...all week long. 

Hoping for a quick trip before the holidays begin

but it hinges on so many other things coming together in just the right way:

jobs, the health of loved ones, perfect timing.

I just keep picturing all the things I love and miss

and myself walking among them! 

For more pics of this and another favorite walk,

Click Here.

Both the Northern and Southern Peloponnese have been suffering from 

severe flash floods this past week

all the way from Thessaloniki to Sparta and now Kalamata and Lakonia.

Haven't heard anything about our little town

but the weather report for Nafplion 

was calling for thunderstorms this last weekend. 

Hoping our roof fix holds up! 

Prayers for the souls who have lost their lives this week 

and for those dealing with the aftermath and possibly more to come. 

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)