I'm blaming it on Disney

The fascination started the summer between junior high and high school; 

1964; decades ago.

The island off the New Jersey coast where I spent every summer 

had 2 movie theaters; one on each end of the island.

The one on the southern end was about 10 blocks from our house.

Movies were shown in the evenings at 5, 7, 9 and 11pm every day.

The movies usually ran for 1 week, 

2 weeks if it was blockbuster.

My friend, Arlinda (a ’local’ girl lucky enough to live on the island year round) 

and I would walk to the ‘show’ whenever there was a PG film; 

tearing ourselves away from the beach on sunny days 

and escaping porches and canasta with older relatives on rainy ones.

We would see the 5pm show – 

and, if we liked the movie, we’d sneak back in via the side door 

(thanks to her cousin, the usher) 

and stay for the 7, 9 and 11pm runs as well. 

Our families knew if we weren’t home by 7:30pm, 

that we’d be home near midnight. 

What can I say? Times were simpler back then.

We’d walk home along the beach front, 

reworking dialogue, plot points and critiquing our favorite scenes and actors.

Using our method, 

there were certain movies in which we could immerse ourselves 

20 times a week.

Walk Don’t Run (with Cary Grant, Jim Hutton and Samantha Eggar), 

Come Fly with Me (Dolores Hart and Hugh O’Brien), 

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (George Peppard and Audrey Hepburn), 

Pillow Talk, Send me no Flowers, The Thrill of It all, with Doris Day, 

The Parent Trap (the original version) 

and the Tammy series (Tammy tell me true, Tammy and the Bachelor, with Debbie Reynolds) … 

all immediately spring to mind.

There was one however, The Moonspinners,  

(a Walt Disney Studio film starring Hayley Mills and Peter McEnery) 

which was set on the Greek islands of Crete and Mykonos;

a film that planted the desire of seeing those places in my heart; 

a desire that’s never left as I’ve aged 

and traveled to other beautiful locales around the world.

 

I decided to give myself the gift of the Greek Islands for my recent 70^th birthday – 

and was not disappointed in any way.

 Prepare yourself … 

if white washed buildings, beautiful flowers and foliage, 

charming houses/churches set against a stunning blue sky, 

surrounded by the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Aegean and Mediterranean 

aren’t your cup of tea, you might want to check back in about a month.

 That’s probably about as long as it will take me to post all my pictures – 

and I won’t even be posting all 1000 images I took.

You’re welcome.

I’m just back from a 2+ week trip to Greece, 

beginning and ending in Athens, 

with several days each on Mykonos, Paros, Santorini and Crete 

as well as a day trip to Delos.

Each island was different; with its own particular charm and character. 

All beautiful.

It was a terrific birthday celebration – decades in the making.

Some things are worth waiting for.