Peloponnese

The Peloponnese dangles by a thread to the mainland of Greece, yet it is the site of much of the greatest history and mythology. We drove along the south coast of Attica, crossed the isthmus over to the Land of Pelops, and then drove mostly the coast along its east side to the complex of Epidavros, its healing center and theatre.

Looking back toward Attica; we stopped in a small resort

town for a cafe that had wifi and finally got our European

maps re-installed to the satnav; that was scary!

The Corinth Canal bisects the isthmus; begun by the

Romans, it would have been one of their most monumental

achievements; finished by modern-day Greeks; postcards

usually show a cruise ship being towed through it

Marine farming on the north side of the

Peloponnese

Islands in the Aegean

Marathon: the Race

The marathon race is a modern invention, dating to the 1890s, the first being run from, you guessed it, Marathon, to Athens. It subsequently became part of the modern Olympics, and much, much more.

At the Marathon stadium, kilometer marker 40, the

beginning of the modern-day Marathon/Athens marathon
race

Commemorative mosaic thing

The official starting line

Me, demonstrating proper starting form

Signage on the km marker

Outside the Center for the Promotion of the

Marathon Race; last year was the 2500th

anniversary of the run--alas, like everything

else in Marathon, it was closed

We followed the km markers for the Athens Classic

Marathon Course some distance into Athens, but then,

after provisioning at the Carrefours, had to take the toll-way;

never did find the finish line...

Marathon: the Battle

We spent Wednesday morning getting the Grey Wanderer ship shape and Bristol fashion, and, after the missing luggage arrived after lunch, we boldly set forth for Marathon. More boldly than usual in that, when we loaded the USA maps onto our satnav, we inadvertently erased our European maps. Accordingly we also boldly set forth to find a McDonald's or some other wifi source. Anyhow, we spent some time in the winter necropolis of Marathon, looking for a suitable souvenir for my sister Carole, the marathon runner. Five hardware stores were open, a couple kiosks and the like, but the place was really dead. We took in the Athens Marathon sites in town, then headed out to see the Marathon Battle Trophy and the Tumulus of fallen Athenians.

The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, when an estimated 20,000 Persians landed, intent on punishing the Athenians for supporting the revolts at Miletus and elsewhere in Asia Minor. It was the Greeks' first Persian War. The two armies glowered at each other for six days, then, spotting a weakness, the 10,000 Athenians attacked the disorganized Persians and routed them. According to Herodotus (we read), 6,400 Persians were killed to 192 Athenians. The rest of the Persians sailed back home. Miltiades, the Greek commander, sent a runner back to Athens to convey the news--thus our modern marathon race--40 km. Unfortunately, he died of exhaustion. Apparently no one even got his name. Some kind of immortality!

Pretty good signage

Reconstructed battle trophy; the site, mentioned by both Plato 
and Aristophanes, was found by an American archaeologist



The Tumulus, on the plain of Marathon, with a mountain back-drop

The Persians no doubt regarded all this as a reconnaissance in force. They came back a few years later with perhaps the largest army assembled in antiquity, sacked and burned Athens and much of the rest of Greece, but finally had to give up and go away after setbacks at sea and on the land. War is as much about communication and supply as about battles.

Anyhow, we camped at the parking lot by the Tumulus; another night of jet-lag adjustment. And still no wifi nor TomTom.

Evoiko Sea Center

We stored our rig for two months at the Evoiko Sea Center, a dry marina near Chalkouti, up from  Athens, http://www.evoikoseacenter.gr/. The Marinos family were wonderful looking after us and our rig, lending tools, giving directions, providing transportation. Their clientele is almost entirely yachts and big power-boats, but they can accommodate RVs, affordably and with care. The facilities include toilets and showers and a cafe, and the site is within walking distance of public transportation and the town. It is certainly the most scenic storage imaginable. And they are great people. (But beware: the GPS coordinates given on the website are for a buoy out in the bay!).

Avast!

Return to Greece

We flew the Friendly Skies of Continental from San Fran to Nerk, and then to Munchen. 18 hours in the air. Everything was fine until Munich and Star Alliance Partner Lufthansa. The flight was delayed, understandably...bad weather. But when we finally got to Athens, a) a major piece of luggage was missing, and b) Athens public transit workers were on strike for the day. World travelers learn to cope with such things. Interestingly, we have probably done 40 flights in the past 2 and a half years, all over Asia, the Pacific, North America, Europe, etc., with no luggage mishap whatever. The missing piece turned up the next day and reached us in good order. Frankly, the strike was no surprise...it is merely routine in Greece these days. The taxi to the bus "station" was 40 euros, but the bus ride out to Chalkouti , a private bus service, fifty miles or so, was only 10. We got to the Evoiko Sea Center, where the Grey Wanderer had been stored, just before dark, and, before crashing, managed to unpack most everything.

On to California

A couple of mere fifteen-hour driving days and we were back to Rebecca and Jeremy's in Menlo Park, visiting, shopping, doing a few chores (ask me about my glass repairs!), and then packing up for our return to Greece. Things are moving along in expectant parent-land, and the expectant grand-parents are very, very proud!

The drive from Dallas to Menlo Park was uneventful--no stampedes, no UFO sightings, 
no gunfire; actually, the wind farms in SE California were about the most interesting sight; 
I think this community should be re-dubbed "Thousand Windmills"

The family that surfs together...



She-who-is-yet-to-be-named's beginning wardrobe



Duo Does Dallas

We got to Pat and Jim's house just before dark, the last 30 or so miles gawking at how Dallas has grown in the past 16 years...and all we saw was just the far north. Pat and Jim were our back-door neighbors and wonderful friends during our Dallas years, 1983-1996, and we have managed to stay in touch over the years. We enjoyed two days and two nights with them--including the Super Bowl--and Pat's great cooking too; and Jim's great scotch.

Not pictured department: Pat and Jim (I'm still awaiting Jim's photos of the four of us); and Ruth and Vernon Morgan, whom we visited Sunday afternoon. Ruth was my boss at SMU; she was provost there, and the best boss I ever had. She retired in 1992 but has stayed quite active as a scholar and civic leader; she will be leading Dallas' redistricting effort this year. She and Vernon are also very active world travelers...way ahead of us, and much to be emulated.

Our old house on Kevin Drive, pretty much gone to seed,

but the rest of the neighborhood looks great



Part of Vicki's library at Lakehill, where we visited Monday

afternoon; we spent several hours just driving around old

haunts; more gawking





Susie and Tony; Susie was one of Vicki's

Lakehill colleagues; they took us to one of

the better beer emporiums I have seen,
world-wide, out on Lake Ray Hubbard



Turkey Night with Tawana and Wes

As the awful weather continued--we didn't get out until Saturday--Vicki gave Tawana a respite from cooking and provided a Turkish dinner we had been planning for some time. It was also a Turkish costume party. (They are about the only people we know who can really get into this...).

Tawana and Vicki going native

Me and Wes (in my traditional baggy pants)

The repast

Ottoman meatballs, rice with raisins and pine nuts, tomato cucumber salad with 
pomegranate dressing, flat bread with yogurt and garlic and cucumber (note the 
hookah table decoration), etc.



Me serving the tea

Earlier in the week, Tawana working on...

A baby bonnet and hankie...

Departure Saturday, after five most enjoyable days and nights with some of our most 
favorite and welcoming friends; the drive to Dallas was tolerable, if slow; alas,

Fayetteville was hit by an even worse storm a week later

Iced-in in Fayetteville

We left balmy Knoxville early Monday morning and drove determinedly west toward darkening skies and dropping temperatures, arriving at Tawana and Wes' house in Fayetteville just before the blizzard hit. Fortunately, Fayetteville was on the good side of the storm's track, and we saw little snow but much freezing rain, high wind, and frigid temperatures. Consequently, we are iced-in in Fayetteville, with little prospect of a thaw until Friday or even later. We are fortunate to have gotten here before the storm hit. And there are scarcely two better people to be stranded with than fellow world travelers Tawana and Wes, our Bliss Drive neighbors in Tallahassee in 1968. They have even consented to watch a few of our 135G of travel pix. Despite the ice everywhere, there is still electricity in Fayetteville. Dallas, where we are headed next, is currently on rolling black-outs, 12 minutes on, 48 minutes off. The only bad thing here is that Tawana is such a fantastic cook that Vicki and I will not be able to fit into any of our clothes by the time we get back on the road.

Iced-in

View from the deck

In Tawana's Sewing Cave

Stacey and the Boys

Eleven more hours of driving and we were in Knoxville--not exactly on the way west, but I had never seen niece Stacey's sons James and Jason, ages eight and four. We had a very good day together, doing weekend sorts of things. It's amazing how quickly little kids will warm up to you. I am not sure they really understand our exact familial relationship, but I am now known to them as Uncle Mark the Great. Stacey's a great mom.

James and his Tinker Toy edifice; we were

not sure how well he'd take to a non-electronic

toy, but he is really into building things

Jason on his Smart Cycle

An ingenious device...not only wears down a 4 year old's

abundant energy but teaches alphabet and reading skills....

James, Stacey and Jason

Tallahassee Memories

Our first stop was with college friends Ken and Susan, in Tallahassee, where we were undergraduates in the 60s. On the way to their beautiful home in the northeast of town, we spent an hour or so walking around the FSU campus, some of which we recognized, and visiting other "familiar" haunts. It was gratifying to find so many of the old places; gratifying that so many of them were still there. We see Ken and Susan every decade or so and always wish our visits were longer and more often.

The former Gold House, where Vicki and Susan were room-mates in 1967-68

The duplex I rented in 1967-68, on El Rancho (we called it El Kabong), now 
"Campus Drive"

The former Sweet Shop, a local near-campus eatery

The "new" Bill's Bookstore; my philosophy and religion book 
purchases in the late 60s probably provided much of the 
financing for the new building

The "new" Westcott Hall, FSU's Old Main; the original burned down in about 
1968, us watching from nearly this very spot

Longmire Hall, where I spent many hours as a student work/study assistant and 
religion minor (the philosophy department has moved, evidently)

153 Bliss Drive, Alumni Village (FSU's "married student housing" in the 60s); 
our first joint address (well, after 527 Whalley Ave., New Haven, the summer 
before; but that's another story)



Tallahassee Lassie; Vicki stands before our apartment, #9; it was thoroughly Spartan, 
and absolutely all we could afford...

Susan and Ken

Re-Positioning Road Trip

The Saturn we bought in Florida needs to be in California for use next April (we'll be in Europe in February and March) and in the following fall and winter. So...road trip!...again, we're moving a vehicle cross-country, visiting friends and family along the way, just like last year, but in reverse. Last year it was Menlo Park to Capitol Hill, via Fayetteville and Indianapolis, in late March. This year, it's St. Cloud to Menlo Park, via Tallahassee, Knoxville, Fayetteville, Dallas, and points south, in late January/early February. Just by way of explanation.

Adieu, St. Cloud; and Thanks, Marie and Norm!

On Friday the 28th, we bid adieu and many thanks to our hosts Marie and Norm, and to Bob and Beth, who also were visiting. Our weeks with Marie and Norm were pleasant and productive, as always, permitting us some R&R as well as opportunities to re-equip, repair, reorganize, etc. The weather was wonderful. The high point, for me anyway, was the Saturday Vicki, Marie, and I went to the annual Tampa RV show, to reconnoiter our next rig (for full-timing in North America after 2011). We saw quite a number of interesting RVs and RV products, but nothing that really appealed. At least we have another whole year to ponder and look.

At the Tampa RV show

Interesting, yes, but I don't think it meets our fuel efficiency, 
off-pavement, and boondocking requirements

"Scotland the Brave" Florida-style

Other divertissements

We're not quite ready for the survivalist rig; nor for the "mindset" underlying 
it ("ignorance-set"?)

Keeping Saturn in Saturnalia*

With the various changes in our family and travel plans--birth of a grand-daughter in April, a wedding in August, California grand-parenting in the fall and spring of 2011-2012 (and two more trips to Europe)--we decided it was time to invest in some inexpensive state-side transportation. So, when sister Carole mentioned she and Jim were thinking of a new car, I asked them to hang on to their low-mileage 1999 Saturn and to sell it to us when we returned to the States in December. We consummated the deal just before Christmas (thus keeping Saturn in Saturnalia) and are now again a two-car family, one per continent. Anyhow, thanks, Carole and Jim.

Our new wheels, after modest preventative repairs at the
estimable Joe's Auto Service of St. Cloud; already en route 
across the country

*look it up