A Bubble off center

Enough about the mainland of Greece; 

the islands are why I went and why I would go back.

There are 6,000 islands in the territory of Greece; 

227 of those are inhabited.

I saw 5. 

Each island was different.
Each had its own character and ‘look’.

Each one was special in its own right.

Santorini and Mykonos are the quintessential islands; 

the ones conjured up in your minds eye when you hear “Greek Isles”; 

ancient windmills, 

white washed buildings with smooth rounded walls, 

colorful trim, 

beautiful flowering vines draping over balcony railings 

and narrow, ancient twisting roads and paths, 

wending their way haphazardly  through town.

They’re charming, picturesque 

and you’d be forgiven if you think you’re on the set of a movie.

And, for me, that was exactly the problem.

It didn’t have a high reality factor.

I don’t need gritty, urban decay or seedy

but staying amidst so much wealth, whiteness and money makes me uncomfortable.

(And, yes, the overwhelming ‘whiteness’ factor 

applies to the architecture as well as the racial makeup of the tourists.)

How anyone ever looked at the cliffs above the sea and thought 

“I know; let’s put all our shops and fanciest places to live up there” 

is beyond me.

It clearly kept the islanders safe from a sneak invasion by enemies 

and they won’t be facing Venice’s fate with rising sea levels, but still …

The trip to the top was tricky enough in a minivan; 

I can’t imagine how difficult it was on foot or riding on donkeys.

I laughingly decided that, in the original Greek, 

Santorini must be translated as “people with money shopping on cliffs”.

Don’t get me wrong.

I loved both these islands. 

 They were part mystical, 

part magical 

and totally the islands I’ve been picturing since I was in junior high.

Yet, the realist in me, 

the one who made her way through the world, at work and as a single parent, 

got tired of rounding every corner, 

expecting to see an entourage of the Kardashians.

 I realized when I got home 

that the reason I took so many pictures of 'real' people on these two islands, 
most elderly,

(although who am I kidding to call them 'elderly',

they were probably my age) 

was as an antidote to the wealth and youth that were so omnipresent.

Luckily for me, 

all the native Greeks I spoke to were engaging, gracious 

and willing to let me capture them.

I could have spoken to them for hours.

But more about them in the next post.