A Few Things About Greece

We leave Greece day after tomorrow. Even though I'm more than ready to go home, there are some things that I will miss about being here.

The lifestyle of a small island...

Patmos is one of the most unique places I have ever been. Besides the mountainous landscape there is the way of life there. In one word, it's laid-back (OK maybe 2 words). There are periods of time when cruise ships come in and the port turns into a tourist destination for a few hours. But the ships leave with their visitors and the island turns into a peaceful community of locals and a few longer term vacationers (mainly from Europe). After 3 years, this has become one of my favorite places. I now know people there who I can visit nearly any time. I have now visited one of the smallest islands as well as one of the largest islands in the Aegean Sea. In this case, bigger ain't necessarily better.

Double Status ice cream bars...

These things are awesome! They are vanilla ice cream covered in a thick layer of chocolate, covered in a layer of caramel, followed by another thick layer of chocolate. Sound good?

Real feta cheese...

Yes, more food. I can get feta back home but its just not the same. It's great with olives and cucumbers or baked with layers of dough into a pie. Here is it made of goat's or sheep's milk, so the taste is different from cow's milk cheese that I can get back home. Besides, at home it is more of a luxury, here it is a staple.

Seeing historical sites...

Whether the sites are historical (like the Acropolis) or traditional (like the Cave of the Apocalypse), they all have their own special significance. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to see places like ancient Corinth, the Acropolis in Athens, the cliff monasteries of Meteora, and Samos (home to Pythagoras of the Pythagorean theorem and Epicurius).

Examining manuscripts...

This is why I go for weeks on end. There is something special about looking through a copy of the Scriptures that was penned over a thousand years ago that is hard to describe. There is a sense of being privileged to do so, a sense of adventure in seeing the different styles of Greek writing and determining what is written, and a personal connection with history by holding it in my hands.