Greece in winter is so much different than what many of the world's tourists know. When the last flocks of tourists disappear in late September (or so) Greece changes. It becomes calmer. It brings out a slightly softer side. By the time and rains appear in November the skies have turned an amazing bright blue, often scattered with clouds. The places one visits are shrouded in a clear air, often accompanied by chilly breezes. It is in there that our returns to Greece find their wonder.
Of course time in Greece is always a chance to (re)visit friends and this was no exception. Stelio and his family, as always, were there to welcome us, to share meals and chatter and the little things that life is made of. And, as always, we decided that a road trip was in order. This one took us to one of our favorite parts of the country - the Peloponnese. We have been here many times before and what we typically find is calm and quiet spaces away from the bustle of things. We visited Nafplio, though, only to find it packed with the people who had waited two years to travel. It seemed like wall-to-wall people and, in a Covid concerned state, we took a few photos and made our way to other places. One spot was Tolo, where we love visiting even during the summer. In winter, of course, it stands almost entirely empty, with the wildness of the weather as a back drop, we sat there simply observing the sunset as it bright the coming night with it. Wild and amazing in so many ways. We made our way up a rocky outcrop and sat there observing the world around us, and took it in. Enough for another year which, as we would soon find out, would be filled with difficulties and loss.
But at this moment in time, as we sat there and marveled, we didn't know what was to come. We celebrated Christmas, shared stories with friends and family and did what one does in life. It was, by any measure, a pretty amazing trip.
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