I went to the Internet place I visited yesterday but they were closed. Discouraged I wandered back to Plateia (square) Kanigos. I don’t know how to pronounce it in Greek and certainly can’t read it in Greek. I had a card for another web café but everything in the flyer was in Greek letters except the words Web Café. I tried to translate the letters and I got tzvrtz which didn’t help. I showed the flyer to a guy in the plaza and he directed me. They charged only marginally more than the other place (1600 versus 1500 drachma per hour) so I sat down. Hotmail was hopeless and they finally set me up on their e-mail. I don’t know what it will do for replies but it sure sent stuff out fast.

When I finished e-mailing I chatted with one of the owners Sid. He’s from Vancouver, Canada and came here to open a fast food restaurant. That didn’t work out and now he’s in the Internet café business. He says he has a lot of trouble with his partners who aren’t very up to date. We talked computers for a while. He urged me to skip the intervening islands and go directly to Crete. He said there would be Internet access there and that the climate would be better. He invited me to stop for coffee when I get back. So now I have an official friend in Athens, even if he’s not Greek.

I’m having dinner at Goody’s, a fast food place on Plateia Kaningos. Typing on my computer has not drawn any stares that I’m aware of. While in line I met a fellow from Bangladesh. He had such an Indian-sounding accent that asked if he were from India as a way to start a conversation. He had dark brown skin but very Caucasian features. He said he was from Bangladesh so I told him my story about the plucky little fellow I met in the Army in Germany. He was a scrawny fellow not at all attractive but had managed to make his way to the U. S. and join the Army. He was then getting military training in electronics so that he could go back to his country and make a good living. You’ve got admire that pluck in a man in his early twenties. The restaurant has an upstairs dining room and I have a super view of the square which is actually a triangle. It’s a busy area with a few trees and lots of kiosks, pay phones and people. I think a lot of students catch the bus here. This immediate area is an important student area and has a plethora of computer stores. I’m sure I’ve never seen so many in one place. It’s dark now and the Christmas lights are on all over town. I feel safe walking around at night, or early evening. Lots of people, including many women traveling alone pass on the sidewalks. That’s a good sign to me.

I had a lovely walk home. It’s quite far and the guide book recommends a bus but I’ve walked in many times easily. I came through Syntagma square which was packed with holiday color and cheer. Masses of cheery people milled around the base of the huge "tree" of lights. Tall office buildings covered with neon signs surround the square and they like the phone poles and everything else holds Christmas decorations. A half dozen or more balloon sellers and lots of Santas dispersed through the crowd. Vendors sold popcorn, cotton candy, lottery tickets, chestnuts and knickknacks. I love the expressions on the faces other the mother and child in this picture of Santa who sold rides on a miniature pony. The scene could hardly have been more festive. The striking thing about crowds like this in Greece is the absence of malice. Men don’t leer at the women and drunks or derelicts are as rare as open space.

I took the long way home walking down the long pedestrian mall on Ermou. Then I cut through the portion of Plaka that runs right up against the Acropolis. I don’t know a more romantic place anywhere than where I walked tonight. The tiny streets wind between old stucco buildings with tall narrow windows framed by real wood. Porches hold restaurants with vine-covered trellises. Gentle lighting makes each place different and all inviting. The roar of the cars and motorcycles doesn’t reach here and the sound of an accordion playing Greek music pulled me up one street. The street felt deserted though couples and small groups passed every few minutes. It felt pleasant not cold and I can’t imagine how one would choose one of those restaurants. It would be like having all the flavors of ice cream in Harris Teeter and only being able to eat one.

I passed the same restaurant where I ate this morning and my "friend" was still there. He must work a very long day. His job is to stand there and try to convince people to at least take a look inside. It has to be especially hard this time of year when so few people walk the streets. I talked to one lady at a souvenir shop. She said it was a lot better in the summer when business was good and the weather was warm. I didn’t tell her that I thought it much more romantic with just a few people. I stopped and asked my friend about soccer. He told me about a game tomorrow in Piraeus and told me how to get there by subway. It sounds cheap, easy and fun. Who knows maybe I'll go. I came home to a warm room, a first since I arrived in Greece. I think they shut the heat off around ten but its nice now and by then I’ll be tucked in and hopefully able to sleep well.

12/20/98

Hi, what a great day it’s been. I got up a little earlier this morning after my best night’s rest yet. Right now I’m in my cabin on the ferry shipKantia. We haven’t left yet but I feel rocking from time to time as they are loading huge 18-wheeler trucks down in the hold where my bike is. My cabin has a bath with shower and four beds. Two others have dropped off bags. I hope they don’t snore or smoke in here. I think it has been a long time since I’ve slept in a room with strangers. Happily I have a top bunk. There’s a nice little table here with an electrical plug so I was able to develop the pictures I took earlier today and take seven more before the sun set.

My room last night in addition to being warm was quite large and attractive. It had a tiny balcony and attractive old French doors to the lobby. When you came in off the street you climbed one flight of stairs where the reception desk was. The people never sit behind that desk but sit with friends and smoke rapidly in an adjoining room. From there you take a winding wooden stairway up to the next floor where I slept. Unlike the first hotel this one allowed you to close off the whole bath and have room to change and dress. I did that after my morning run which was sublime. I ran through the National Garden and took a few laps around the Olympic stadium dodging Japanese tourists. From there I came back by the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Arch of Hadrian. Bright sun made it especially nice. I told the lady I wanted to stay another night and then went out to look for some breakfast. I happened to pass a tourist agent and asked him about a ferry to Crete. He said it left at seven tonight. That suits me really well since it gives me all day to get there. I felt bad because I had told the lady I wanted to stay another night. Then I thought it was still within check-out time and she probably wouldn’t mind. First I had my favorite breakfast: juice and bread. I bought a loaf of bread kind of like French bread but different and a big box of orange juice. I took it down to the plaza in front of the Athens cathedral and ate on a bench in the sun.

Then I packed up, loaded my bike and headed out to see if I could find the road to Piraeus. I hit monstrous traffic. Cars, motorcycles and pedestrians choked the road but with a bike smile I pushed on. What a trip! After a while traffic thinned out and speeded up. Most of the signs for Piraeus were in Greek and it was quite a while before I could identify them. Basically I just followed my sense of direction. Soon I got into an immense traffic jam. We had arrived at the edge of Piraeus in an area where rug merchants had set up sales on both sides of the roads. Dark looking men, who appeared to be Arab (maybe Persian) offered an array of beautiful and brightly covered rugs.

Soon after that we came into the port area and if possible the traffic got worse. As many as 50 huge ships lined the harbor. Most appear to be ocean going ferries like the Kantia. Well, I’m here now what do I do? "Just go to Piraeus" and buy a ticket they say. Well, it’s a big busy place and just where do I go? I knew that the government sets the rate so I was less fearful of getting treated than I might have been. I know that different places sell tickets for different lines, how do I know which one is best? Well, I just pulled into a place and asked if she could sell me a ticket to Crete. "Cret ah?" she asked. I thought "oh oh" she doesn’t speak English. She didn’t know much but we got it done. She wanted to sell me a deck seat for 5,000, I guess she thought I looked like a low rent guy. Well, I wanted a cabin and told her. That pushed the price up to 9,000, adding 4,000 the same cost as the room last night. What a deal! I tried to send  a post card from Piraeus but couldn’t find one. In Plaka a plethora of cards beckoned from all sides, but in the port city I saw nary a one. I did find a good fruit stand and bought some healthy snacks.  Paula frequently reminds me that she doesn't just want pictures of scenery; she wants pictures with me in.  So, I'm forever asking strangers to take a picture of me. It's a harmless, nonthreatening way to approach people and I get to talk to folks that way.  I also enjoy watching their reactions.  They almost never turn me down though a camera clearly makes some uneasy. Most seem to take it very seriously.

A wide quay runs between the street and the water. At first I was hesitant to ride there because any place else I’ve been they don’t let you that close to the ships. I soon realized that no one cared and rode all over taking pictures and enjoying the variety of large vessels tied up. All the scenery and a lack of traffic made for a great ride. Then I rode up some big hills thinking I’d get a view of the harbor and all the ships. Well, I did a lot of climbing but when I got there all I could see was buildings. I guess there was another hill between me and the harbor. It was still a nice ride. In the end I biked twenty-six miles today after a 3-mile run this morning. I bet I’ll sleep now.

9:10 Hi again. I took a break at eight to watch the ship leave. It was a wonderful feeling as we passed out through the lights and other ships. When we headed off into the dark I had the same feeling I did leaving New York with the plane left the friendly warm lights behind. This time it was less dramatic as we could see lights off the port side and still can. I sat out for what seemed like an hour just enjoying the serenity of the sail through the dark. I sure wish you could have been there with me. It was worth the whole trip just to sit and watch the lights recede. That reminds me that I am lucky to have a warm day and one with smooth seas. I heard numerous stories of the ferries not running because of rough seas. I also don’t want to find out if I get sea sick. So far the movement of the ship is almost undetectable.

I also looked off the stern and saw a fierce white froth kicked up by the screws powered by giant diesel engines. It reminded me of the time we stopped on the bike trail and I climbed over the rocks taking pictures of Paula sitting by the waterfall.

I had dinner in the self-service dining room. They had a food line much like Casa Robert (the FMU dining hall) and the food was delicious and reasonable. I got a huge plate of cold spinach and another plate full of roast chicken and potatoes with bread and water for just under 2,000. It would cost that or more at a restaurant on the land. Fortunately they had a nonsmoking section. That’s rare here and I viewed the big crowd in there as a good sign. So now I’m stuffed. Combine that with the exercise and the gentle rocking of the ship and I probably won’t get a lot of reading done.

12/21/98 9:45 a.m.

Iraklio, Crete
The trip last night stayed smooth and no one smoked in our cabin. I went to bed first but the others came in by ten. I still have trouble sleeping at night. I want to sleep in the morning when I should be up and at ‘em. Our cabin was so warm that I took another shower before going to bed. I usually go two days here because of the cold and being all alone. However, I couldn’t pass up the chance to take a shower on board ship. Besides they provided soap and towels. The towel said ANEK Lines on it and was just the right size for travel. I wanted to steal it but wouldn’t even consider it. I feel that people taking advantage of that sort of thing may be why other places don’t have it. We pulled into the New Harbor here just before seven a.m. Darkness still covered the city but the quay bustled with activity. Another ship had just landed so taxis, pedestrians, cars, trucks and the proverbial motorcycles milled about in every direction. In the middle of that one lone fellow on a bike emerged from the hold of the giant ANEK ship Kantia.

The name itself is an interesting story. When I bought my ticket I asked the woman to write the name of the ship on a piece of paper for me. She wrote Candia and also pointed to the ticket where the name of the shop was written Kantia. Now that’s close but it could be two different ships and then I’d be in a pickle. Most everywhere it seemed to say Kantia. However, when I went back at daylight to take a picture I noticed that it said Kantia on the stern and Candia on the bow. I later figured out that its one of those rare words where all the Greek letters look like ours, no theta, gamma or lambda to make it obvious that the word is Greek. So Kantia is the ship name in Greek letters and Candia in English.

I pedaled around town passing a harbor full of picturesque wooden fishing boats and lots of Venetian armaments. As the dawn arrived I developed a real affection for this town. In the distance enormous mountains covered with snow became apparent. It’s cool but not as cold as my first days in Athens. The sun is shinning and I can’t wait to explore the city.

Finding a room comes first and I decided to go by the tourist center to ask which ones were open. I thought that would save some time as many close in the winter. A very nice young man, who spoke good English, gave me a list of hotels in town and explained that he could not recommend one. He assured me they were all open. Well, I use the list from my book and the first three I checked had closed for the winter. The fourth place a tried, Hotel Lena offered me a room for 5,000 drachma. Basically I consider anything under seven good as that’s what I paid at the first place. 5,000 figures out to roughly $18 so I’m very happy. It could hardly be nicer or cleaner. Beautiful marble floors gleam and the large room has a high ceiling and bright white walls. The bath is much nicer than mine at home.

Well, I went to the visitor center again and asked about Internet. They sent me to one place where I could see all the machines but a 11 a.m. on Monday it was closed—not a good sign. Then I found a funky little place. It’s some sort of student hang-out with a huge message board covered with notes on one wall. Nearly all the table are full and a palpable buzz of conversation fills the air. A friendly young woman explained the procedure. They are all busy now but you pay 500 for one hour (versus 1500 in Athens) and then come back at 1:30. That works for me. I’ll have to use Hotmail so if the web is slow I may not get many messages off. I’ll just do the best I can.

12/21/98

In contrast to my sessions in Athens, things went really well with Hotmail this time. I had plenty of time to send all I wanted. It may have been the time of day. Before I logged on about seven or eight here which is mid-day where you are and morning in California. This way the entire U. S. would be off the net so I may stick to that time. Of course, I prefer to do an indoor thing like that after hours.

After the e-mail I went for a walk along the water front and took some pictures of the brightly colored boats. I passed the Rocca al Mare, a Venetian fortress on the Old Harbor jetty. I liked the texture of the carefully hew rocks that had been sitting there for so long. The Venetians built this and other fortresses all around the city between 1462 and 1562. They ruled Crete for a while between the Byzantines and the Turks. Their rule wasn’t long in the history of the island, which has been inhabited since before the Minoans took over in 3000 BC. However, during their 400 years the Venetians left ornate fortresses and buildings. When they ruled Crete they made Iraklio the capital but called it Candia. That makes a neat name for a ship traveling back and forth from Athens to Iraklio.

Eventually I wandered back up to Plateia Eleftherias where I found a pizza shop, Restaurante Napoli, looking out over the square. The pizza was okay and probably would have been good if it had some tomato sauce on it. Still, I’m not complaining and the view was super. While there I chatted with an older couple from California. They were the first tourists I’ve seen to talk to since I got here. I think I’ve passed a couple or two at a distance. After dinner I walked back down the pedestrian way lined with shops. I stopped to look at one window and drew the attention of an elderly man from the store. He asked if I were British which I took as a compliment given my casual dress. He seemed intrigued at my being here in the winter. He thought maybe I was working on the island or had a sabbatical. I asked him about the road to Phaestos as a long way to get to Rethymno. He seemed to think that was a good idea though he thought that all the roads had too many cars. In another pedestrian way a few butcher shops have pigs, goats, chickens and rabbits hanging there with no fur or insides but with their heads still attached.

Though tired, I couldn’t resist a few back alleys on the way and passed a little shop seemingly off from everything. Probably by coming another way you could access it from Eleftherias. Anyway I stopped to peek at a few items after all I want to buy some gifts at some point. The lady was quite friendly. Generally the merchants are quick to approach anyone stopping to look or they even try to get you to stop. Some clearly just want to sell you something. Others, like the older gentleman, like to meet people from away. My being from South Carolina excited her because her father lived in Charleston for thirty years. This lady and I chatted for a while and she said I ought to stay at her sons’ hotel if I get to Hania. She gave me a brochure and proudly showed me their pictures. When I get there I think I’ll give a call, and if its close to my range stay and tell them I met their mother. She said she usually closes in the winter but had opened for a week before Christmas. Then she will close and travel. I asked where and she said all over. Last year she went to Mexico. I told her that was wonderful and that my mother had just gone to Scotland. I said she was 73 and in very good health. I said she plays tennis, bowls and fishes. The lady got quite animated as she said in a mixture of broken English and gestures: if you stay active you stay young if you lay around you get old. She told me that she is sixty-two, swims in the summer and does and exercise regimen every day. She said first she takes care of her health, then she worries about coming to work and making money.,

12/22/98 6:36

The heat finally came on last night and it has stayed on. I like it here; I may stay a couple extra days. They actually made my bed today, the first place to do that. I slept a little better last night though my body still wants a short nap about the time I should be going to sleep for the night. This morning I had breakfast by the Morosini fountain. I may send along a picture of it. I guess they turn the water off in the winter because it doesn’t look like much now. Built by the Venetians life has revolved around it for a long time. I had a spinach pie and coffee at the same place I did yesterday. The girl seemed much different I guess because the owner was there. I think she does better with him not around.

After eating I loaded extra clothes and water on my bike an headed inland. I had to go right through the middle of town and a swarm of car, motorcycle and pedestrian traffic. Motorists honk and menace but they have to be on alert so that probably makes it reasonably safe. I followed signs to Knossos most of them using our letters but got to where I could recognize those that didn’t. The road climbed and climbed and climbed some more. I also faced a head wind so it was slow going. The sun shone most of the time and that made it fun. I crested the top of a hill and suddenly the city gave way to a big green valley with hillsides dotted with olive trees. At first I thought I was just guessing about their being olive trees but then remembered that I planted a Russian Olive this summer and the leaves matched. The road soon became windy and moderately traveled. In no time I arrived at the Palace of Knossos, Crete’s most famous tourist attraction.

For 1500 drachma I could stay as long as I wanted. I loved the entry through a long trellis with a big, thick gnarled flowering vine all over it. I want to call it bougainvillea but it is probably something else. I wandered the almost deserted ruins under a bright sun with temperatures near sixty but with a stiff breeze. Finally a few others appeared on the scene. I saw the California couple that I met last night. I took a picture of them and they took one of me. They also travel a lot at Christmas. She was a school teacher and he had a business where he could take off then. They’ve been doing this for 17 years; can you imagine the places they’ve seen? Later I got a man from Belgium, traveling with his family, to take a picture for Paula. Later I saw a Japanese woman taking a picture of her husband and asked if she would like me to take their picture. She happily agreed and then he took one of me. I had fun telling them I had been in Japan and speaking a few words of Japanese. They were headed the U. S. soon but didn’t know if they would see South Carolina. I later saw a Greek woman trying to set a camera up to take a timer picture of she and her guy and asked if I could take the picture for them. They were standing in the shade and I persuaded them to step a foot forward so that they will show up in the picture. I didn’t ask them for one of me as I had enough by then.

I found a sunny spot somewhat sheltered from the wind and wrote four postcards and made some notes in my journal. I loved the sense of sitting there and thinking of the hustle and bustle the place probably produced. The Minoans originally built it in 1900 BC and then rebuilt after an earthquake ruined it in 1700 BC. Fire destroyed it for good in 1400 so for three hundred years people used those stairs and theater seats were I sat. My big fat book, A Man in Full, tells the story of a rich, powerful man driven by insatiable greed. I tend to think poorly of people like that, and the book certainly shows that life style as one of futility. However, if people like that didn’t exist we’d never have such fabulous palaces. Life’s a conundrum.

Restoration of the ruins provides another conundrum. Sir Arthur Evans of Britain discovered the ruins about 1900 and spent 35 years and a million dollars of his own money to excavate and restore the site. Many have criticized his approach. After all do you leave it as you found it making it maximally authentic or do you carefully and accurately rebuild some of it to make it easy to appreciate? The gentleman from California had read many articles about it over the years and thought that Evans "hadn’t been very professional." I don’t have an opinion but enjoyed what I saw. My favorite part was the mural of the dolphins. It reminded me of walking on Sullivan’s island and biking on Hunting island with Paula.

From the palace I continued up the road away from Iraklio. Knowing I had come into a head wind and uphill I felt good knowing how easy it would be to get "home." I turned off and climbed a super narrow paved road. I hoped it wasn’t a driveway with some angry home owner at the top. Seeing no sign or gate and figuring I wasn’t very threatening on my bike I pushed on. The hill rose so rapidly that I feared being able to keep the front wheel down. I stopped at one point and took a nice picture of the valley and the ruins of Knossos. That road continued to climb through the olive trees and passed a couple of houses. Eventually it dropped equally steeply on the other side and reconnected me with the main road. I continued up for a while because I wanted to examine a bridge. It appeared huge but I couldn’t see anything crossing it. At one point the highway made about a 300 degree turn and went off to the left. I went under the bridge on another tiny little road. I passed a couple of guys unloading a truck who gave me a friendly wave. The bridge appeared old and I could see a fortress above it to the left. The sides of it had opening where it appears the builder left bricks out for adornment. Pigeons have made homes in those openings along the whole side of the 90-foot high bridge. My road continued on and then seemed to peter out by a charming little church. I didn’t take a picture as it was so hidden by trees that a photo probably wouldn’t have looked like much. I noticed another super steep road, more of a track behind the church. It really looked like a driveway but I tried it anyway. I soon passed a picnic area and trails leading down to the top of the bridge. I had climbed a lot and still the road rose steeply. At one point I had to dismount, not because I couldn’t pedal, but because I feared that the bike would flip because of the grade. Probably if I did it a few times I’d get over that. Maybe not. Anyway the road finally leveled out with a dynamite view of the valley, the Aegean sea and a glimpse of the city. By now grape vines shared the hillsides with the olive trees.

I dropped down past a couple of homes and back onto the main road. Another charming, little (I mean they are really small) church hid in the trees. I passed a gas station continued up the road. The curves and scenery just seemed to call me. I came to intersection and followed a sign to the left toward Skalini one kilometer. That little town sat high on the hill and to continue toward Mirtia I’d have to go down first so that seemed like a good place to turn around. After a good night’s rest in a warm room my persistent cough was better but still not gone. In the middle of the little town I passed a nondescript masonry building with a conveyor belt coming out the back dumping brownish stuff in a big pile. In the front I saw men unloading burlap bags full of something. I stopped and asked what they were doing. They all seemed friendly and dug up another guy who, with his few words of English got to be the hero. He explained that they were crushing olives to get the oil. I asked it was hard work and he said it was. I said it had been a hard ride up here. They wanted to know where I was headed on the bike and were amazed when I said Hania. I heard one fellow say something about podilato, the word for bicycle. I didn’t know the other words but the meaning was clear. From Skalini I followed a road, not on my map, back to Iraklio. I passed olive trees heavy with olives some green but most black. The amount growing on each tree amazed me. The trees can live 1,000 years. Zipping down the hill with a tail wind I just touched the brakes now and then and enjoyed the ride. I did stop to take a regular camera picture of another little church. Unlike the others it stood out in the open on a hill top under a fabulous blue sky with fabulous white clouds.

I rode past the ferry dock where the Candia had been replaced by a different ANEK lines ship. They each start out from Piraeus or Iraklio at 8 p.m. and arrive in the morning. Thus, they pass in the night and alternate. I came by the old harbor and all the boats as well as a string of tailgate merchants along the waterfront. They mostly sold potatoes or rugs but I saw one with fruit. I pedaled back up to Plateia Venizelou and the Morosini fountain. I sat on a bench in the sun and ate a slice of pizza and some more of that spinach pie washing it down with 100% orange juice. It felt good to relax after a neat ride and watch the people pass by. Both Plateia Venizelou and Eleftherias have maybe a hundred outdoor tables nearly all empty now. They’re expensive and probably mobbed in the summer. I go for self-serve and the free seat that most of them have. After my meal I went home thinking it would probably not be warm in my room. It was! I had a hot shower and a great nap. What luxury!

After my rest I decided to make the most of daylight and walk the streets for a while. It had rained while I napped and the streets were wet but it had stopped temporarily. I walked up one of the pedestrian malls past lots of little shops with expensive stuff the locals buy. On the way to find the shop where I met the old lady last night I passed a shop with lots of yarn in the window. I ducked in to see if they would have a needle and thread to sew on the patches I bought from the nice lady in Athens. I had thought about bringing a needle and thread but couldn’t think why I’d need one. I bought one last year in Maracay so that I could sew the Venezuela patch. I remember it being fun because the Chinese lady I bought it from was so friendly. I had the same good fortune here. I guess a fabric shop doesn’t see many tourists so I was a novelty. The older woman spoke no English but pointed to the younger one who did. I showed them my patch and we got the message across. The older woman (probably 40) took this assignment very seriously and brought out all kinds of needles. She offered me large ones but I took a "regular" sized one. Later I thought maybe I should have taken their advice as that is their trade but it worked out fine. She then had me pick out a spool of thread and had one the exact color of the blue in the Greek flag. All that cost me 200 drachma (72 cents), the price of a postcard stamp.

Continuing my errands, I found the lady’s shop and told her I wanted the T-shirt in the window for my girlfriend. I knew it was just what I’d wanted. It turned out to be the last one. I asked her if she had exercised that day and she said "everyday." As if to wonder how I could ask such a thing. She obviously didn’t mind at all. I told her my name and she said she was Catherine and her sons in Hania were Neek and Yan. That gave me my first chance to say hero poli or nice to meet you. She carefully wrapped up my purchase and wished me a happy Christmas. Then I went to find the post office so I could mail those post cards I wrote at Knossos. I didn’t expect it to be open at 4:30 but wanted to at least locate it. That turned out to be quite a challenge. If they had intended to hide it they could hardly have done better. Surprisingly it was open and there was not a line. Buying stamps in Venezuela had been an interesting ordeal and a great lesson in the silent suffering that defines life in some places. The one guy in front of me talked to the clerk so much I thought he’d pass out from not breathing. I’ve no idea what he said but when he finally left the clerk looked at another and shook her head. I got my stamps and went over to the counter to but them on. They provide nice little rollers to moisten them with. Here they sell you stamps they don’t put them on. I did a little wandering around and then it started to rain. I ducked into Goody’s, a fast food place, a bought my seat with a small ice cream cup for 450 drachma the same as a cup of coffee.

I then proceeded to sew the patches on my vest and backpack. The rain let up and I went by a Chinese place I had discovered last night. That’s usually one of my favorite places to eat when I travel, but I hadn’t seen one yet in Greece. They didn’t open until seven so I went home, typed a while and went for another walk. It started raining again so I went back for some chicken, bamboo shoots, Chinese mushrooms and rice. A year ago today I ate Chinese food in Juangriego, on Isla Marguerita in Venezuela. The food here was good but over-priced. It did hit the spot on a rainy night. Last year Shien Hing this year New China, what a life! I’ve still seen very few Americans or other tourists. I know we had a base called Iraklio and I saw jet fighters yesterday so there must be Americans in the area but I haven’t seen any. It’s nice not to have crowds of them but I’m a little lonely for a conversation that lasts more than five minutes.

So now it’s time to finish A Man in Full so I can trade it for something new and lighter. It’s ironic that an important theme of the book deals with the Stoic philosophers especially the Greek, Epictetus.NEXT CHAPTER  PREVIOUS CHAPTER