Just before 9/11 our families traversed the Ionian seas following the trail of the legendary Odysseus, gone for ten years from wife Penelope and their dog.
Of course the better name for the travels was “Chasing Ulysses” which is the Roman and not the Greek god, chosen by my dear brother of course.
After not seeing them for years (storage), I framed three long photos (film not digital) the other day and they look gorgeous in our entryway. One from Corfu, one from Zakynthos and the third from Lefkada. My dad would be proud.
On every island I picked up a sarong or two for $2 apiece. Having gone to a Catholic college I figured there would be a dress code at this monastery in Corfu. We hired a bus to take us all there and I sneaked about ten sarongs into my backpack for the day trip.
When I saw the monk at a table by the door I told all the gals what to do. He was checking to see if we had the appropriate clothing to enter. I didn’t want any problems so I whipped out the sarongs. You, with the tank top, cover your arms. You cover your head. You, with the shorty shorts, make this into a skirt.
We got by without a hitch and gave the monestery small donations as a thank-you for our visit.
These photos, 3×10 vertical, are from another age, pre-9/11. I put them in albums before I even got home as we watched CNN for days. Our worlds have changed since then. Nearly two weeks after I cried in front of the LAX customs agent and after a look at my passport he simply said, Welcome Home. Yes, I cried some more en route to my next gate.
All I know is that the Italians were wonderful to me as I attended services with the Consulate staff and held hands with 500 in the Piazza Signoria for the symbolic ringing of the bell. Neighbors obliged by banging on our door at 4:10 in the afternoon and calling CNN! CNN! Workers were there and we all huddled in the den watching CNN.
And the Greeks whose boat we’d been on for the past ten days called to ask if our families were OK. My brother was about to go into the north tower for a meeting about ten minutes before it blew up. Luckily the person he was meeting cancelled it beforehand.
Two lessons learned. Always keep an eye out for danger, and make certain ladies have their arms and legs covered in a church. Dee
Greece pre-9/11
Cooking with Dee 