Even after all those years of Latin at school including a year translating chunks of the Aeneid about all those bothersome Greeks bearing destructive gifts; the years spent with Greek philosophy and literature -- the epics of Homer, the tragedies, myths and legends -- I've never managed to get to Greece!
And neither has Richard
.
Turkey, yes. All those places with Greek connections -- Ephesus, Troy, Pergamum -- but never Greece itself.
But here we are -- at last.
And both of us are processing last week's Florida experience at a very serious time in America's history from this classical epic and possibly tragic, viewpoint.
We're staying in a small hotel recommended by Lofty, former colleague from St George's In Ascot.
And what a great place it is to contemplate life, the universe and everything, far from the madding crowds of the main tourist spots.
The accommodation is not quite Spartan but pleasantly simple.
It's a friendly intimate hotel with the rooms all opening on to the pool and glorious view over the caldera
.
Luckily we landed here with a largish American yoga group so It's been a welcome centre of calm, apart from a surprising outburst from one of the yoga ladies, claiming that Hillary Clinton was a whore (for sticking with Bill) and also a Lesbian ... .
Not sure if she quite gets yoga.
So, what with the other claims I'd heard lately, that she was a murderer, secretly terribly sick, and totally corrupt -- uttered with such vehemence and certainty, despite total of lack of evidence -- we withdrew for a couple of days to focus on the views, the museums and our books, trying to see the big picture.
A local waitress here in Megalachori bemoaned the fact that Santorini has only two attractions -- a volcano and spectacular sunsets.
I'd dispute that since the architecture and prehistory are PRETTY impressive too
.
But all of these are part of the big picture here anyway.
And that picture is all about earth, water, air and fire.
It's about the past, and this leads us to ponder the future.
It's a place of endings --
Catastrophic volcanic eruptions destroying marvellous civilisations,
Fiery sunsets on the horizon beyond the caldera.
And a place of beginnings --
New land and new civilisations emerging from the ash, pumice and molten rock,
Clear blue skies with each new dawn.
The big picture is pretty well hard to avoid in Santorini.
Here the cycles of life and death, human frailty at the mercy of Earth's unpredictable elements -- volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis -- are so evident
.
But so is human resilience -- rebuilding on the ashes. Just look at this thriving island today.
Very briefly, my thinking is this.
Civilisations grow, mature and either decay, collapsing under the weight of their own over-reach, or are destroyed by some catastrophic event -- invasion, climate change, volcanic explosion.
Sunrise, daytime, sunset.
Night.
I look at America right now, and fear it's reached such a crisis point.
Without some adults in charge, the bright orange, furious volcano is about to erupt -- and so the night begins.
Warning tremors have been around for a few decades now, but the pressure is building.
We'll know soon enough if it's a false alarm
.
Here's hoping.
Will all this play out as a tragedy or a comedy?
An epic or a dystopian nightmare?
A catastrophe or merely a mild tremor?
Still, like the inhabitants of Akrotini, alerted by seismic signs, I'm mentally (and physically, to be sure) packing my bags and heading for less tumultuous lands.
But to end on a cheerful note -- this is a magical place, and right now I'm going to enjoy our last sunset here, watch the world keep turning, enjoy the peace.
And perhaps listen to a bit of good music.
The wonderful Moody Blues Hit the spot with this song --another oldie but goodie well worth a listen.
Balm for the soul.
The Sunset.
https://vimeo.com/32753045
Santorini Sunset
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Megalochori, New Jersey, Greece
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