Naxos

This last week, the muses have entered me and I have this great idea for a project, and I've been working really hard on it. When it comes time to decide to go to Naxos or not, I finally decide to go. I almost stayed to work on my project, but I got some good footage for the film portion of my sculpture while I was there.

SATURDAY- On the boat I met with Ben to talk about my project so instead we talked about nothing to do with it. Then we were alarmed by the short little ferry ride. Immediately after getting off the ferry we go straight to the archeological museum before they close. We hang out there and see some more old stuff and then go to get some eats. Ate deliciously, decided I'd eat out for lunch and for dinner have some of the pizza that I had in my backpack. After lunch, we had a little time to wander around, and I did so by myself. Then it was time to go see the hotel. Another beautiful place with a pool. I think it's about nap time, but I jump in the pool instead and come out refreshed. I taught some of the kids the old see-how-long-you-can-stand-on-a-raft game. I win. Always.

Soon, Ben, Amanda, and I go to the supermarket, and each pick out a bottle of wine. We go back to the balcony outside my room and have class. The course was titled "pool-side chats". It was a sub-class, an extra-curricular we joked. Then everyone wanted to go out to the Mexican place for dinner. So I grabbed a couple slices and joined them, and had a drink while they ate. Then we went to a part of the island that was separate from the rest. It's sort of a peninsula, I guess. This is where the temple of Apollo was. The huge door to the temple still exists. It's really huge and powerful.

We sat down on the rocks and had a good time there for quite awhile. Then we decided to go find Charlie because it was his birthday. We went to this fancy place, and I felt grungy and out of place. I decided to wish him a happy birthday and get some healthy sleep (teamed up with massive intakes of vitamin c) instead of spend more money on drinks. I stayed up late the night before working on my project and I am starting to feel a little cold coming on, but I'll battle it to the death.

I woke up after some solid hours of good sleep and we ventured inland on a bus we had for the day. Naxos is incredibly beautiful. We went to one town where we were the only tourists and saw Greeks getting to hang out in there own element, until we came through and made the setting change. We grabbed some brunch, walked around, and soon enough jumped back on the bus. We went to this old temple on a beautiful hillside next. Then to another town where this liquor is made called Kitron. It's the only island that makes it, so we went to the distillery and the lady showed us the machines that they've been using since the 1800's and a lot of people bought a bottle. Then we went to this other hill to see some Kuros. Kuros are these huge ancient sculptures. We just learned a little about them in art theory class.

Back to the port town. Back to Paros. Back to my project. Went to the studio for a couple of hours and then hit the hay ready for another week of classes.

OH! DON'T LET ME FORGET ABOUT FRIDAY- Friday, before we went to Naxos on Saturday and after philosophy "class" I met up with Uanakos and he took me to go snorkling for octopus. We went outside of the town of Pounda and snorkled in the sea between Paros and Antiparos. I watched him grab and octopus out of its hole. It was an intense 45 seconds of wrestling it out of its rock. "Then to kill it, you bite right between its eyes." I watched him kill it. He caught about 4 or 5 and then brought them back to the land. After you catch them, you need to slam them against a rock, each one eighty times. This is so they are tender later. Then you have to slide them across the rock for minutes and minutes and everything gets all foamy because of the skin. The tentacles get smaller and begin to curl up and you know they're good to go. So we left after a good couple hours.

Santorini-Weekend of Sept. 26th.

This week was spent in my studio classes with critiques. I think they went really well, and in interrelated media class they stemmed great conversations. No class Friday, time to go to Santorini!

Santorini was beautiful. It's an island (or series of islands, i think 3), that comes out of the sea and almost touches the sky. The coast is very small because huge cliffs go straight down into the water. The towns that we visited hang on the edge of the cliffs making for spectacular views, and "Greece moments". It's about halfway between Athens and Crete. And Crete is halfway between Athens and Egypt. So lots of history in this area.

So, on the ferry en route to Santorini, I wake up from a nap and leave my nook that I've been hanging out for most of the trip to go walk around the boat. I come across a wild bunch. It's Ben, Moshe, Sarah (our teachers/leaders) along with Amanda, Annie, Ty, Libby, and Caitlin sitting at a table full of empty and half empty beer bottles. They are laughing it up and having a great time. I wipe the tired off my face and have a seat with them, then they throw drinks at me. Really, a beer someone got nice and warm but decided not to finish.

Sarah, Ben, and Moshe having gotten drunk on the boat made for great entertainment. We depart the ferry and Ben's drunkeness calls for a new method of head-counting. We pile in some busses and then wind up the cliffs. The road up these cliffs is amazing. I decide if I ever want to die or if I go insane I will come back here with my skateboard. We drive to the town of Fira, where our hotel is for the next few days. A really beautiful hotel. The teachers want us to meet up before we leave for a brief meeting, so I kill a little time with them before the meeting. Ben offers me a beer, and me and Moshe jump onto a roof. In the meeting they same some things that are really "profound"

and then we go as group into the town so Sarah can give us some orientation. Then we're set loose to wander around but we have to meet back at the hotel to go to dinner at 7:30. I wander around alone, taking it all in, exploring, and seeing beautiful things. I go back early and converse with Ben a bit and we go to dinner. Apparently July I'm supposed to go to Annie's cabin in Northern Wisconsin with Sarah. I told Sarah she should come to A Day in Rock City. But I couldn't put the experience into words to sell it very well.

After sitting around at dinner for way too long, we all start to get antsy and then we head out. People want to go out and we stop in this one club, but it's still very early and it's not very pumpin'. Things don't get rolling in Greece until after midnight, because that's how late most shops stay open. It's weird to see kids running around and playing at midnight. But you gotta love the idea behind siesta. Wake up early (relatively), then get in some morning, take a nap in the afternoon and then go back at it at nighttime. Anyway, so the club is kind of bust, we get our free shots of fruity ouzo but then are too cheap to be ripped off to buy a drink. Heck 'spense. So me, Phil, and Ty walk around after we realize there's no such thing as a cheap pub here. Eventually we meet back up with some people outside a jewelry shop and then it starts to rain as we head back to the hotel. We sit around the pool, go on a juice excursion, and share some laughs.

I roomed with Andrew and Ty that night. And I talk in my sleep and apparently Ty punches the wall in his, so Andrew, while spooning Kara, had to listen to that all night.

My mental alarm clock wakes me up at the perfect time. I get some free breakfast and then go on a boat trip. I had to make a decision. We had the option of paying some extra euros to go on a pirate ship to different places, or we could go on a hike, or we could not do either of those. I splurged on the ship trip. Dodging all sorts of donkey shit, we climb down the 500 stairs, (which doesn't sound like a lot, but it really is) down to the water and catch our ship.

First we go to the volcan island. Santorini is shaped like a crescent, once almost a full circle, and the volcano is smack in the middle of it. We dock and hike up to the top.

It's not a lava kind of volcano, but is still active. We hang out and take some great pictures, but soon have to trek downward to make it to the ship. Next stop: ocean hot springs. We jump into the cold (relatively) ocean water off of the pirate ship and then swim to an area where the amazing blue water turns into a brown, sulphurous, and warm water. We bask in it's warmth, but then have to swim back through the cold water to get back to the ship. Then we go to another island for lunch. Stay for a bit and then head back to the main island, but a different town called Oia. Cliff diving happens.

And the coolest bookstore in the world exists there. A few of us get a cheap dinner and eventually catch the bus back to Fira. Saturday night at the Paradise Bar. We get the party started and soon the dance floor is pumpin'. Even those of us in the group who you wouldn't expect to ever see out at a bar come out and play. It was a fun night, last thing that happened was a 5 am yoga and spanikopita session.

Sunday we went to the archeological museum which was pretty cool. Old stuff, ya know? Then a group goes to a beautiful place for lunch but Ben and I decide not to eat there (heck 'spense) and go get something cheaper. Yum! I got some falafel, which doesn't exist on Paros. And then Ben and I had a lengthy conversation talking about art, language, etc. We head back to the hotel where we depart from and I take a quick dip in the pool.