Best Trip Ever

Okay.
What do i say here?
What even is happening?
Night after night the world is opening to us like a flower.
(well. except last night which was living Hell, on the endless bus - 12 hours from Izmir to Istanbul, then finally, with the lights on through the exhausting suburbs of Istanbul which last night I thought was misery on earth and tonight i think is the most exotic and perfect-for-me place maybe ever...)
Where was I?
I was on the beautiful island of Chios, and memories of it - untarnished with any miserable misundersandings or unfulfillments, wash over me most kindly... what a gem of living we've had! And now... I should sleep. Tomorrow will be a full day. We have been offered a trusting guide through the scarier places of Istanbul...
Perhaps also we will go to Troy.
I don't know.
Today, when I woke, I'd never seen the Cistern of Istanbul - 366 Roman columns underground, yet above water with koi swimming thereabouts in the half-dark- utterly dreamlike -- the columns reflected, suggesting other worlds, almost real, right there.... or the Blue mosque about which i now have a story.... for later.
okay. must sleep.
more soon.
all this diaring not to slight staggering Greece. just here not quite so far from electronics.

big love to all.............the travelling Peg.

A Vıctory

Donit know what else to call ıt all. An exceptıonalö consıstently adventuresome and rıch experıenceç
Here we are back ın Izmır - what a huge and most foreıgn-feelıng cıty. Sılly us - after 80 collectıve years of travellıng we stıll make mıstakes lıke assumıng traıns wıll run on Sundayç oopsıe. So. the founder and I are now awaıtıng an endless bus rıde to ıstanbulö havıng left the frere on a lovely beach ın Cesmeç Orıgınally we had hoped to ferry to ıstanbul from Chıosö but that ıs only possıble on wednesdayç Good thıng I am ın the mıddle of a great book - anythıng wıll help that keeps my mınd of the horrıfyıng freeways...

So anywayö back on thıs crazy keyboardö... one lıttle mınute to just get ın a lıttle noteç What a memorable tıme we had on the rugged lıttle specıal ısland of Chıosç. Such fantastıc new frıends we,ve made.
Most notablyö --huge thanks ıf you read thıs lıttle blogu to indispensible Mıtzı. Leıla. Marıa. Elenı. the beautıful Demos. Also. (here ö = a comma)The mayorö Panaotisö Katarınaö Evisö Evaö Sam and Ryan and Demetrıus. Thanks to yannı and anna for beıng such lıvely travel companıonsç And to all those who came to our readıngs ın the grove whether we got to speak wıth you or not. Exhausted as ı amö ı wısh we could do ıt agaın...

Love to All.
Deep Apprecıatıons and Gratıtude for showıng us and sharıng wıth us beautıfulö gentle and stırrıng hours.

-Laüra
Please feel ınvıted to share your thoughts here wıth us. Safe travels to all..

The Latest from Chios

It would be nearly impossible to fully describe the magic that was the Iliad Reading held here on Chios but we can always try. The night was full of reavealing moments for everyone who came, with the greatest overall impression being the enthusiasm of the Greek people for reading the work aloud and to each other and to an assembled congregation of mixed ages. A unique opportunity for the Greek readers, they made the most of it and delighted in bringing the Iliad alive to an engaged and entranced audience. An impassioned player of ancient Greek music provided a truly stunning ambience which helped to produce a reading of the highest caliber. Each person that left the event shared the feeling that they had been affected positively by the public reading and that there was no way to truly compare this new experience with previous exposure to cultural events. A magnificent evening and a deep tribute to founder Kathryn's efforts to bring the works of Homer to audiences throughout the world, but especially to the one on this island, the birthplace of the great Bard. Many thanks to all who participated and helped to produce and sponsor the event. A truly joyous, unique, magnificent evening.

Tonight's the Night!

Everything is gorgeous and ready to go!
The day is beautiful, clear and calm. The moon will come up over the Aegean at midnight and find us all together, 90% islanders, then taking a break having some food and resuming for the duration of the sweet, summer evening.

Here's wishing us all luck!! - TROH

News from Xios...

Hello Any and All who might be reading this -

Here I am at the internet cafe by the bay of Chios (where I have been for much of the month!) now waiting for various ferries to bring various friends, family and co-workers to us. Now it all begins and my sometimes odd, largely solitary month promises to become something quite social - indeed our friends won't even have time to drop their bags as we are off to an evening with the Chian Federation of North America and Canada, then tomorrow our second press conference.

I meant to write after the first but have scarcely had the time. At that press conference the mayor of Homeropolis (yes... Homeropolis) said that he wanted to make an annual festival out of our event and use it as a reason to restore the grove of Cybele.

Stunning stuff.

Laura and I have had a few very busy and productive days working with the INVALUABLE Mitzi in the offices of the Di Pe The Theater. We have scarcely had time to even work as suddenly people are literally pouring in - wonderful, warm and very compelling people all!

Through the agency of the Consul General of Greece to San Francisco, a certain Mr. Nick Pries gave us the keys to his house in the old, ( very old! ) mountain town of Aghios Georgios Sicousis ( Saint George of the Figs). That is where we all are situated. It is a rugged moutnain landscape, pretty bare, and from the balcony one can watch the evening lights of Cesme, Turkey l ighting up. The Northern Aegean stretches up high beyond what one would consider the natural horizon. It is a peachy color at night. And now the moon is full.

The town has a group of regulars, all men, who sit for hours together in front of the church and across from the cafe. They comment on all the goings-on and seem concerned about whether I can successfully manoevre a U-turn right in front of them! ( We have a small and efficient stick-shift Hynundai. I love it because it has Stop, Go, Brake, Turn on the Lights and Honk. That is the way cars should be!!) They tell me Kalisperaq! (Good Evening!) and I say the same.

The town is sort of a medieval wreck, with broken stairs from time immemorial going to broken arches from a long lost time. Motorcycles roar past on the teensy street, and their sounds ricochet all over the ruins. It is hot and clear in the day and clear and dreamy at night.

All is going amazingly well about the reading of the Iliad, mostly in Greek, this Friday. Over 80 people have signed up; we have had press releases and gorgeous posters and beautiful little post-card invitations available. There is another press conference tomorrow at Deskalopetra, the famous "Rock of the Teacher" ---the teacher being Homer of course, who, legend has it, taught "the Homeridae" ( sons????nephews???) here about 2700 or more years ago. The "rock" is huge, and has a clearly sculpted seat on it. It , then , is enclosed in the very very old
Phrygian Sanctuary of Cybele ( in Greek, Ky-bell-ee).

We wish you were here with us.

Kathryn