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
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
posted by Kathryn Hohlwein at 7:46 AM
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