Photos you may enjoy - Greece

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Back in Canada ... Reflections

It has been 10 days since I returned to Kingston - it seems that nothing much has changed here but I feel that I have! The dust began to settle after one week back home - the jet lag was not nice. I have been reflecting on my journey ... the places I have seen, all the experiences I have had, the beautiful museums and architecture I have seen, the tasty food I have eaten (and prepared at Yoga Plus) and the internal journey that one takes whenever one travels. It doesn't really matter if it is far afield or an experience in one's own town or country ... there is something about stretching outside of one's comfort zone, taking a risk, accepting the challenge ... that changes one's perspective on oneself and the world we live in.

As I reflect on the journey I have just returned from, I would have to say that the most memorable moments were spent meeting new people - that has always been my passion and reason for my journey - meeting others and enjoying the interaction. From the Europeans - many of them fellow Yogis - at Yoga Plus, to other travellers at hotels, restaurants and in various modes of transportation, to residents especially in Turkey and Greece, who made me feel so welcome and enjoyed sharing their recipes, jokes, language tips and tricks and in many cases, offered rooms in their small pensions and hotels with great pride. These are my most vivid memories along with the scenery of Greece and Turkey ... so mountainous, usually quite close to water ... the roads at times trecherous ... and the olive groves, cacti and bougainvalia (bright pink and purple) as well as household geraniums everywhere. And the sounds of the animals in the country hills, muezzin calling Muslims to prayer, roar of the diesel engines of cars and buses (NOT nice) and vendors attempting to sell us something - anything - (as one clever vender in the covered market in Istanbul said "let me sell you something you don't need; I'm very good at it!).

This is just the tip of the iceberg for my memories ... more to follow.

Visiting Berlin

Berlin has been everything I had dreamed it would be ... the last two days have been spent exploring, talking with people here about the life especially since the Wall came down ... took a one hour boat trip along the River Spree yesterday which pointed all the main sights ... food has been incredible especially the simplicity and at times downright meat laden meals of Ukraine and Poland ... a great variety of delcious food here. I love the architecture and the history of this city and I have been enjoying the cleanliness, designs and everything working aspect of life here ... after Turkey and Greece and Eastern Europe it is a welcome change. Those fine details begin to make a difference after many days on the road! After the diesel fumes and insanity of the roads in the above countries, Berlin is a dream ... the fumes are much less because there are exhaust restrictions throughout the main areas and believe it or not, jay walkers are fined just like they are driving their own cars ... hence no one walks on a red light! Thez can lose their driving license if they abuse the law too manz times. This really shocked us after the free for all in Turkey and Greece ... where absolutely anything goes! And pedestrians have no rights ... it is nerve racking at the verz least.

By this time however I am pretty ready to return home ... was not sure I would say that toward the end of this exceptional journey but it is time ... I am weary of dragging my suitcase, looking for and settling into different hotels ... looking for modest and nutritious food etc etc. I need to recharge my batteries at home ... So this afternoon off to London Gatwick, overnite in a Yotel room at Gatwick and then back to Canada tomorrow. Lucky me that my all grown up son will pick us up ... More to follow ...

Updates on the travelling road show ...

Thats what it is at this point ... Ukraine was a mix of old and new and grey and dilapitated ... then Poland proved to be even more eclectic. The transfer between the Ukraine and Poland ... by ancient, rickety bus was ... how can I describe it ... it was so sad and complicated and anger provoking that it ultimately became laughable. We spent two days in each place ... Lviv in Ukraine and Premsyl, Poland in fertive attempts to track down Wallys paternal roots ... finding this was apropos to a needle in a haystack ... however Wally did get some sense of gratification when he noticed some familiar looking buildings near a graveyard where Wallys grandfather is possibly laid to rest.

I found it incredibly stressful throughout the 4 to 5 days in these two countries ... the weather, the cold and rain, the grey days, the lack of openness and excitement on the part of the people ... they were kind but it was hard to communicate with anyone because of so little English. Wally, thank goodness, fumbled around with his Ukranian and we somehow managed ... but it was often pretty funny to say the least ... asking for honey for our tea by extending our arms and buzzing like bees for example. Funny memories.

Finally yesterday, just in time for both of us to leave Poland ... we attempted to catch a 12 hour train journey through Poland into Germany, to Berlin ... which ended up through again a comedy of errors in Poland, to be an all night, slow train which ended in Berlin this morning after nearly 24 hours of listening to the noisy drunken Poles and the wind whistling through the cracks in the train. Arriving in Berlin was like stepping into another world ... we felt like we had just got off the boat! A couple of country bumpkins but still speaking .. sort of. Then we realized the hotel we had booked from Poland and then cancelled from Warsaw ... had indeed been charged to our card ... so we had approximatelz 4 hours in this lovely hotel room ... with breakfast ... approx Euros 100or US $ 140 ... hmmm ... worth every Polish zlotty.

We have another hotel room now ... near this one ... for the next two nites and then on to London ... on Monday to fly back to Toronto on Tues am.

More news as it happens, love to all, look forward to seeing you soon.

One more day in Turkey ...

Our flight to Lviv, Ukraine was cancelled unexpectedly by Turkish Airlines this morning so we have another day at an airport hotel, the Marriott, very posh by comparison to previous lodgings. Just had some tea and backlava (yummy Turkish dessert laden with honey) ... as well as a relaxing sauna and swim. Speaking of relaxing water experiences, I have had two visits to the hamam ... Turkish Baths ... where I have been pummelled by large men and women, usually three massages and lots of hot hot water, even a very luxurious shampoo by one attendant in Istanbul. Also visited a hot spring water pool near Izmir ... place called Cesme on the Aegean Sea ... had the best massage there and lovely Turkish tea afterward. The food and drinks have been wonderful here ... there is always a lovely cup of chai/Turkish tea wherever we go ... as well as very strong coffee. I am wondering what the food in Ukraine will be like because I have heard it is primarily meat based ... hmmm. I'm getting excited about Lviv because it is a designated UNESCO world heritage city and promises to be very beautiful and quaint, we are staying right near the centre. More news soon, happy fall and early winter to all!

Exploring Istanbul

It has been a whirlwind week in Istanbul ... so much to see ... mosques, bazaars, spice markets, the world's largest covered market, Topkapi Palace and the museums and harems to tour along with all the gardens. I LOVE this city ... it is alive with people, noise, smells, surrounded by water like the islands I love. This City in particular has a particular blend of East and West ... took a ferry to the Asia side of the city the other day, they are quick and easy ... today also took the metro which again is easy to navigate. Meeting the wonderful Turks is so easy, they try to sell us everything from a shoe shine to a shave to food/drinks/sweets ... I am thankful Wally is taking lots and lots of pictures to document our travels in/around Istanbul and throughout Turkey. But, a little sadly, tomorrow we are flying to Lviv in the Ukraine ... it will be another fascinating experience Im sure. More to follow ... hello to all...

Travelling in Turkey

Hello all ... it seems like I have been in Turkey for quite a while now and loving every single moment ... the sights and the sounds and the tastes. The people continue to be absolutely kind and could not be warmer or friendlier ... from Marmaris on the Aegean Sea Wally and I travelled up to Izmir and surroundings. We rented a car,I did not drive as I am such a chicken ... the roads, the mountains which seem never ending and the chances they all take on the roads, not for me. Anyway having a car, much like in Greece, allowed us to get off the beaten track, go for some hot baths and massages one day, walk on the beach another (it was totally empty and pretty rough and to be honest, getting colder and colder every day). We had the car for a week so there were adventures in hotels, people we met ... travellers and hosts ... archeological sights, a wonderful remote lake called Lake Bafa where we pretty much slept and ate with the animals and families as there were very few tourists there. Then we decided to fly to a well known tourist area in Turkey, Cappadochia, a fairy tale wonderland where we hiked and ooed and awed for 5 days. Unfortunately I got food poisoning ... the joys of travelling and eating in restaurants, some rather questionable at best ... and was flat out for nearly 2 days. But Wally made some new friends, Aussies who entertained him for those days. Then we were back onward and upward, literally, today and flew to Istanbul. Today has been spent orienting ourselves to the city, the weather is cooler, much cooler now and I am in jeans, hiking boots, all my warm things including sweat shirt and fleece, which I am glad I have! I wondered why I carted these things around all summer and early fall, now I know. So far Istanbul looks magical, like all of Turkey with the sights, the bazaars and the people. Just stocked up on bottled water and chocolate baclava! More news soon, planning to see Blue Mosque and Aghia Sophia tomorrow and of course, the mighty shopping. How to choose what to buy?

On the road in Turkey

Arrived here a week or so ago - spent some time in Marmaris just getting our bearings after the 10 hour ferry from Rhodes - found a lovely 4 star hotel which was pretty much empty - the Turkish people have been absolutely wonderful to us - nothıng but helpful and kınd. Perhaps partly because this ıs off season they have the time to spend talking with us. After Marmaris we travelled by bus to Izmir where we stayed at a very small and rather dodgy hotel near the centre of town. It was wild and crazy in that part of town - memories of Pakistan. Now we have found an absolutely beautiful part of Turkey called Cesme - right on the coast wıth small towns and villages - sleepy and quiet and quite reasonably priced. Today we are drıvıng further south to an archeological site and staying overnite in a little mountain town known for their fruit wines. The last week has been unusually rainy but now there is sun and mid 20 temps. I absolutely love Turkey so far - almost as much as Greece - excuse the poor typing - the Turkish keyboard is very different and I make lots of mistakes - more news soon. Love to all.

Sadly, leaving Crete for Rhodes

Well, two days ago we left Crete/Kriti, my home for the last 3 months, I feel part of my soul is in Greece, especially Crete. So many extraordinary events over the last 3 months ... working hard, swimming, yoga, meeting so many wonderful people, the air and the sea and the food of Crete, very special. After a couple of weeks spent at the beach side community of Palleahora on a remote southern coast of Crete, Wally and I travelled to the north of the island, Chania and then Heraklion to hop a supposedly high speed ferry to Rhodes. We arrived at the ferry at 5.00 am and stood around til 7.00 am in the dark with other passengers awaiting the ferry which finally turned up closer to 7.30. It was a windy crossing, stopping at two lovely little islands on the way, we arrived in Rhodes approximately 4 hours late, have been exploring this beautiful walled, UNESCO site, town for the last two days, how beautiful it is. I am so grateful to be here, the rain and the humidity and all, I love it. Just had a latte and gyro in a little cafe, we are heading back to our hotel, the 7 Palms, for a rest and out for the evening, probably more exploring in the old walled city tonite. I am so tempted by the jewellery here, may break down and purchase a little memento of my journey. We have been looking at possible long stays on Crete, perhaps next winter, it is quiet and untouristy in the winter, we will see. Off to Turkey/Marmaris tomorrow evening by high speed catamaran. It is so great to be near/on the water, the history, the people and the food, always the wondeful healthy Med'n food! More news soon .... B.xxx

My retreat in Astrikas, Crete

Back in Chania now after a lovely week in the hills of northwest Crete ... what a gorgeous isolated little village for a yoga retreat ... the instructor from Scotland/London was Amy ... a super knowledgeable, compassionate teacher who has been instructing for many years and lead the six of us in a series of wonderful classes, approximately 3 hours each day, morning and evening. We had our meals in a nearby taverna under a beautiful magnolia tree ... cooked by the lovely owner of the taverna with fresh, organic, local ingredients. The surrounding countryside was laden with olive groves, the smell was often overwhelming ... this has been an extremely dry summer and the olive trees are heavy with fruit demanding to be picked, which they will be by migrant workers in mid-October.

I was so excited at the retreat because when I arrived at the hotel I was led to my own room with a large balcony overlooking the mountains and hills spotted with farms and olive groves, the sounds were only of animals ... roosters, sheep, birds ... often pretty noisy. We visited various villages close by, walking up and down the lovely hills, the weather is wonderful, hot during the day and cooler at nite, perfect for travel. We practised yoga in an outdoor studio in the morning and the late afternoon, we also had a pool to sunbathe and swim during the day, a perfect time was had by all!

Now back to Chania, awaiting Wally's arrival tomorrow nite, then we begin our travels together, I have found a little studio apartment for us in old town Chania. More news to follow ...

Leaving Aghios Pavlos and Yoga Plus

This morning was hectic, left Yoga Plus early (after quite a few hugs and kisses from the owners of the centre, Pierre and Radha and my new friends here including the two cooks I worked with over the last 8 weeks)... 0830 for Spili by taxi. Had a lovely evening out last nite with five new friends ... both guests and coworkers ... it was a perfect nearly full moon nite, we sat way up on the hill at a taverna overlooking the rocky bay of Aghios Pavlos eating flavourful Greek vegetarian food. What a memorable nite, it was quickly followed by our favourite Baklava, a sweet, honey laden dessert. This morning came far too early, the taxi ride through the mountains and a lovely cafe au lait at a small outdoor (of course, everything is here as it is still very hot, around 30-35 degrees C during the day) ... then the bus to the north coast, Rethymno and on to Chania, arriving midday. I had some referrals for hotels and am staying in the old city ... traces of Turkish and Venetian pasts ... in a little hotel owned by Nelli. During a visit to a small cafe down the lane from my hotel, I met a Greek older man who has lived/worked in Canada, has offered to help me find an apartment for the week when Wally and I are here from the 28th to early October ... should be interesting. It's lovely here, I am enjoying the husstle and busstle ... for how long??? When will I yearn for the quiet of the beach and hidden southern coves?

The winds of change

Hello all, it has been a while, today is my day off, planning to leave here next week for a one week retreat in the northwest of Crete. Learned about it at a perfect time as I had decided I was ready to leave this beautiful Aghios Pavlos bay with its crystal clear waters, dynamic yoga and physically demanding work, to see more of Crete. Wally will join me at the end of the week and we will begin our travels together ... first to see more of Crete, especially the south and west, then to Rhodes and Turkey and up to the Ukraine.

It has been a great two month experience here, I have learned a ton MORE about myself, my yoga practice has been strengthened greatly, now doing self practice each morning, as well as having had a major shift in my confidence around the preparation of good, hearty vegetarian cooking. It is all good and I am now ready to move on.

The weather is lovely now, hot during the day, we are still swimming each day and sunbathing ... but cooler at nite and I have a blanket at the ready but we sleep in our three bed room that I share with two lovely Scottish lasses, open each nite to allow for fresh air and sound of the waves ... I love it here but it is starting to become a little claustrophobic and I am ready to begin my travels again.

More news after my week long retreat in west Crete ... see the website for Free Spirit holidays in the UK for more info.

Life in the quiet lane at Yoga Plus

Well things have definitely settled down now that September is here ... fewer guests, less work, today is my day off, practised challenging Ashtanga yoga at 6.30 for 1.5 hours, I'm getting stronger and stronger! And I need to be ... life in the kitchen of a retreat centre is demanding to say the least ... all that chopping, standing on ceramic floors ... lifting/carrying/washing/shelving large pots ... and then the multi tasking of ensuring everything is out by lunch or dinner time. The food is wonderful, all fresh and local from the Island of Crete ... vegetables are plentiful as is the fruit selection ... we make a wide variety of gain/vegetable/bean salads as well as lovely thick, rich soups, desserts (cakes of all types, puddings with chocolate sauces, flapjacks (must be a British or Scottish thing because it's more like a granola bar to me) ... some favourites are the millet salads mixed with dill and other fresh herbs, pizzas with Greek feta cheese and potato or beets ... mmmmm ... we pretty much live outside here ... it is still pretty hot ... around 25 Degrees Celsius, cooler at night. Still swimming every day and walking ... as well as having massages from our resident masseuse, Lily. Guests are much more laid back and commited to their yoga practises this time of year, the summer holidaymakers and families have returned home.

All in all, much more relaxed, we can breathe a little more and enjoy the lovely scenary, sunsets are magnificent, walking is much more pleasant ....more to follow.

B.xxx

Settling into life in Agios Pavlos, Greece.

Well it has been more than three weeks now and life has settled down into more of a routine. I would not say I have "mastered" the kitchen thing but at least I now know what is expected, the daily stresses of serving up a vegetarian/vegan/macrobiotic meal for 60 to 65 holiday makers from all over Europe. This is the busiest time in Greece ... most of Europe is on holiday for the month of August. There are people from Scandinavia, Holland, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, one American of 84 who has been coming for more than 20 years and teaches Tai Chi and of course some Brits, Scots and Irish. I am getting used to managing portions and menus when I am cooking or assisting the other two professional cooks, learning a ton from the basics like how to cut an onion properly (that instruction took 20 minutes the other day when it was not too busy) to today learning to make a vanilla pudding with chocolate syrup from scratch. O, and last week on my shift, with a new assistant, the oven broke down, just stopped in the middle of an 8 hour morning shift, the cake was spoiled and the menu quickly changed to one I could manage on the hob. I served a lovely cooling melon for dessert, all was well, even the little Swedish children were happy.

The staff is now housed at a nearby hotel, it takes approximately 20 minutes of uphill walking to get to our little hotel, with its own taverna overlooking the entire lovely Bay where Yoga Plus is located, the beach, surrounding countryside, mountains, hillsides and wandering sheep and chickens. Lovely. I am sharing a room with a sweet little lass from Scotland, she parties most nights so I feel like I have the room to myself.

My routine is now centered on working either a morning shift starting at 6.30 or afternoon shift starting at 3.30 pm, both are 8 hours long and tough, on my feet all day and it is physically very demanding; swimming in the glorious cool Sea one or two times daily, the water is aquarmarine and crystal clear; walking to and from the yoga centre; yoga self practice, Ashtanga, each morning at 6.30 or 7.00 am depending on my shift for that day; sleeping/ resting/siesta each day; relaxing and socializing or reading at nearby tavernas overlooking the sea enjoying my book ... I'm now on my sixth since I arrived and you all know how much I enjoy reading ... there is a little library in the Yoga centre ... or journalling or just staring out to sea.

Life is good here, it is not easy for sure, the most demanding month is August ... the heat, the people as a number of Greeks are travelling around the island as well ... the demands of the guests and the food preparation and the challenges to sleeping well in the heat. It makes for a lively experience.

When I first arrived everything was so new and different, I wasn't sure I could manage but things are settling down now and I feel that this is a pretty special experience ... a wonderful time for self reflection and self awareness ... which I wanted.

The sun is shining, my shift is over, now up the hill ... it's steep ... off to have a siesta after a swim in the Sea.

Regards from hot and sunny Greece, Bea xxx

Life at Yoga Plus, Agios Pavlos, Greece

I am here ... arrived nearly two weeks ago now, life is very simple ... but challenging ... here. The yoga centre is very busy this time of year ... up to 60 guests at any one time. My job is kitchen assistant, which sounds wonderful but I realize now that I was somewhat naive about working in a professional kitchen ... it is very challenging, physically and mentally can be quite stressful. Coupled with the heat (the little air conditioner cannot cope with the heat of the oven and large fridges), the demands of the volume of food being prepared and often lack of appropriate ingredients ... well it can be quite stressful. But after my 6-7 hour shift each morning or evening ... one or the other, I can sleep, swim in the beautiful Sea just down the cliff from where I'm staying, relax in the nearby taverna or sit in a hammock and read.

So there is balance here ... everyone is extremely tired much of the time from the heat and demands of the work ... the staff come from mainly England, Ireland, or Germany. We have two professional cooks, one is from Edinburgh (Caroline who I mainly work with) and the second, Richard, is from London. They are very different, Richard is calm and confident and relaxed in the kitchen while Caroline is passionate, creative and often feels stressed out while working. I try to laugh, stay focused and do a good job. It is my first experience in a professional kitchen and has been a real eye opener to all the demands.

The life here is quite beautiful ... the sea right outside the yoga centre, down the steep cliff, quite a small bay with dramatic steep cliffs surrounding it. This time of year the beach is quite crowded with Greeks and Europeans on holiday. I'm staying in a little hotel/taverna next door to the yoga centre because all the rooms are occupied by guests. I will move up the mountain to another little hotel for the next 4 weeks and then back down to the yoga centre when things quiet down in September. August will be crazy busy with guests and the workload will be demanding.

All in all, things are quite good, I am meeting a variety of guests from Europe, especially Scandinavia, France, Holland, Germany, and there is an American man who teachers Tai Chi which I attended two days ago. Unfortunately I sustained a little Tai Chi injury in my left thigh ... who would have guessed? It is fine now, the yoga here is very challenging, we sweat all the toxins out, I have taken a break, for the time being from coffee, so by the time I leave will be detoxed completely!

Learning lots of new dishes using local Cretan ingredients ... this time of year the vegetables and fruits are plentiful, ripe and very tasty. I have never seen such bright red watermelon or deep green avocados. And we get lovely olive oil for cooking or using on our skin/hair.

I love swimming in the cool Sea ... I think it is the Libyan Sea, a part of the Mediterranean. The views are fantastic, there are beaches all around me and a short walk over the sand dunes to a nearly empty stretch of wild coastline for walking. The walking around here is challenging, it is extremely hot and dry and the roads twist and turn and wind but one does, believe it or not, get used to it. I will begin travelling further afield to little towns nearby in September when the number of guests drop and the heat drops a little.

This working holiday may cure me of my love of hot weather, my next digs will not have any A/C, only a little floor fan ... but perhaps I am now more acclimatized to the weather and I will be OK with just that.

Doing a lot of reading here, wonderful quiet time, am on my third book right now by a British author, Joanna Trollope, The Other Family ... a good read. Just finished Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake, another fantastic read.

More to follow ... the flight of the gypsy continues ...

The gypsy visits Rome ... after many years of absence

It was quite a whirlwind tour of Rome ... a dusty, dirty, noisy and extremely hot city ... full of cafes, piazzas, lively music and interesting people to watch... so much to see ... Elisabeth and I walked our little feet off over the three days that we were together. It was wonderful to see her (and Rome) after not having seen one another for five years ... or so.

The hotel that I booked online ... Hotel Medici (I liked the name, it sounded so Italian)... was typical Italian ... quite small, full of character, very nice really for a three star. There were two extremely small single beds for us ... bumpy and hard unfortunately ... we were too tired to care much. Breakfast was much more than we/I expected ... quite large with fruit, croissants and other baked items, juices and cereals. We were fortunate to have air conditioning and a fan to cool us down each afternoon for siesta and then each evening. The food throughout Rome was delicious, lots of lovely vegetables, pasta, bread and cheese. We tried a small variety of white and red wines as well ... and the coffee, one Euro (approx $1.40) for a cappuchino in a small bar ... for a seat it tripled in price. There were little fountains throughout the city for refilling water bottles ... life savers in the heat. People were wonderful, especially the people in the small bars that we would drop in to for coffees or juices, sometimes conversations are conducted with much more than words!

We chose to spend time just wandering around and enjoying the various sites but because Rome is such a huge city, it meant that at times we (or I, when Elisabeth left Rome to return to Stockholm), jumped into taxis or buses. They drive like maniacs (Wally would probably not agree with me!) and I always used my seat belt.

My last day in Rome wandering around, the shopping and even window shopping, was amazing, especially shoes and accessories, everything on sale this time of year, I wandered through a huge beautiful and very cool, park in the north of Rome ... spent the entire morning just walking and sitting enjoying the coolness. The most exciting piazza of all was called Piazza Popolo (I liked the name and description in my little guide book) ... a huge place with churches and columns and tons of history and large cafes (my last day so I splurged and sat in a cafe for my cappuchino) ... then wandered down the Via Veneto and other shopping streets, stopping in little churches to cool down (shoulders covered, always carried a scarf with me for this purpose) ... then had a lovely fish and salad dinner in a cafe near the hotel ... the next morning I was up at 0415 for taxi to the airport and on to Crete.

Leaving on a jet plane ...

Got packed up this morning, trying to travel light (for me); taking a little altar to help ground me on my journey, includes a little Om rock, lovely silk scarf, photo of Christopher as a little guy and some incense. This was recommended to me and I really like the idea. Photos are of me and my friends at a restaurant in Kingston, Pan Chancho and Lise (former colleague and dear friend) in my back garden the week before departure. Off to the airport tonite, Wally is my driver. More to follow ... I'm getting excited.

Introduction ...

Hello Friends ...

This is the first posting of a gypsy's journey ... I am taking my little smiling, rubbing his belly, Buddha with me in my heart ... he was purchased with a gift certificate given to me by my friends at KEYS when my lovely little Mom passed away in April 2009. I love to pass through my garden and rub his little belly and bald head, just to check in. Now I'm taking off, spreading my wings and will take him with me in my heart to give me courage and humour.