TravelStream™ news feed for member peyton on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/peyton en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:15:28 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peyton/2/1212286200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peyton/2/1212286200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peyton/2/1212286200/tpod.html Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:15:28 -0400 Greece 2008

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Seattle, Washington, United States

Wondrous machinations of fate or conscience? BA upgraded me to the wide seats for the last leg. Landing in Seattle 20-minutes early to find Meagan waiting at the top of the escalator. My own Penelope.Voyage over. Mission accomplished.
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London, England, United Kingdom

Dinner last night outdoors on the rooftop restaurant watching sunset over Athens and the lights bathing the Acropolis less than a mile away. A Cecil B. DeMille final scene. Metro to the airport this morning at 5.30. British Airways on time to Heathrow and here I am until 6.20 tonight. Sipping a Guinness and finishing Kingsley Amis The Devils.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peyton/2/1212164220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peyton/2/1212164220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peyton/2/1212164220/tpod.html Fri, 30 May 2008 05:18:49 -0400 Greece 2008

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Athens, Greece

A few minutes before 8 am and I'm among  a small handful of people waiting to buy a ticket to mount the Acropolis. It's still reasonable cool, though only in the shade. The gate swings wide and our small herd plods north and up, winding our way through olive groves and stunted pine. In a few minutes, I'm approaching the Theater of Dionysus and am looking forward to seeing some hot, all-Greek action. But, the place is disappointingly empty and it looks like it's been closed for sometime. Further along, we pass the Roman theater, which has a modern stage and orchestra pit beneath the brick arches. "That's exactly where Yanni did his concert," Helen tells Troy, who obligingly snaps a commemorative photo. Indeed, in the still morning air and glare of the sun, the great man's presence is palpable.At last, I'm standing at the great gates, towering marble columns which, like the Parthenon above, are cob-webbed with scaffolding. An enormous crane tilts it's long arm skyward. So much for all that hype about Greek architecture. 3000 years and they haven't even finished it yet. Why, we could throw up something like this in a year and have 70% of the retail space leased.I picked a good time to visit, just ahead of the crowds which steadily increase over the 90 minutes or so I wander around the site. The construction has been going on for 15 years now and really a matter of trying to undo the damage caused by the reconstruction done in the 19th century. Nothing compared to the trouble they went to to drag all this marble to the top thousands of years ago.From the walls, Athens spreads out like a milky, white blanket below and you can see the distant harbor at Piraeus from here and ferries skimming off toward the islands like water striders. I pick up a marble pebble and drop it into my pack, realizing full well that if everyone did this the Acropolis would be back down to sea level in a jiffy. Hopefully, the government scatters fresh marble pebbles here daily to keep the efforts of people like me in check.When I've had as much antiquity as I can bear, I return through the now dense crowds and tour groups in matching shirts and hats and walk back a kilometer or so to Syntegma Square in the already punishing heat, where I drink my weight in ice water and iced coffee in the shade of the cafe where I spent part of my first afternoon on May 2.
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Chania, Greece

I wake with the Mickey Mouse Club's "Talent Roundup" song playing incessantly in my head. From which cinder of my ouzo-soaked brain did <i>this leak from, I wonder. Bring along Mary, Bob and JoeAsk anybody that you knowWe're going to have a great big showJoin the talent roundup!Round 'em up, bring 'em inEverybody's sure to winStep right up, here we goOh, what a rodeo!Why is it that something like this will pop unaided into your consciousness while it is hopeless to remember in which watering hole you might have left the book you were reading last night?Shift to a cafe on the shady and so far cool side of the harbor for&nbsp; pot of tea and a read, eschewing the accompanying biscuit. The soundtrack in this shot is a melange of bouzouki and tambourine over the cafe speakers, the clop of hooves on the cobbles as the tourist carriages trot into position, the farting of motorbikes, the conversations in Greek, German, and GodKnowsWhat, the horns of delivery trucks inching through the crowds long the wharf, stacked with cases of bottled water and beer. An old man in white shirt and black pants&nbsp;sits alone at a table over coffee watching the morning pass by, the smoke from his cigarette rising in a slender grey column in the still, sultry air.The air is thick with cigarette smoke, even in this outdoor watering hole. Everyone in Greece smokes, though only while they are awake. There are ashtrays on all the restaurant tables; even seen them in some of the WCs. This is my first time on the continent that I haven't been smoking, myself. Tempting as it is at times, I know that draggin' dragon for what it is now.Almost two hours later, the heat of the day is already oppressive in the sun and I scuttle along from one pocket of shade to another, stopping back in my room for a medicinal shot of cool ouzo which softens the glare of the midday streets. Down the quay, Lou Reed sings "Walk on the Wild Side" from a dim bar. Another 100 yards along and it's Brubeck diving into "Take 5."Unable to face the prospect of an 8-hour layover at Heathrow on Saturday, I have reserved a room for the day at the Hilton at Terminal 4. Going into the city would really be a goose chase, adding in travel time and airport security and changing money. It's an unnecessarily lavish expense at 150 pounds sterling, but if BA actually gets me to London on time, I think I will deserve it.I'm feeling a little guilty being here another day in Chania without venturing off to other island locales, my itinerary forever stamped with missed opportunities. But while I have only 4 days left in Greece, I'm unable to overcome with the&nbsp;lassitude and&nbsp;inertia that seem to come with a trip winding down. Denied the pleasures of a good meal for the moment, I'm determined to pass the day without purpose; an interregnum before the series of departure scenes begin; a spy in the waterfront cafes, practicing the role of a jaded and dissolute traveler in a foreign port. As long as the ouzo and plumbing&nbsp;hold out.
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Athens, Attica, Greece

I'm sure there is far more to see in the birthplace of Zeus, but&nbsp; today's flight ends back in the city of Athena. It begins with heat. Into the 80s by 9 and climbing above 90 by midday. I'm showered, packed and caught up on e-mail&nbsp;and decide to tempt fate with an omelet and croissant, my first solid food in over 48 hours. I read a bit in a cafe, but even in the shade it's a bit too much and with an hour and a half left before my taxi, I slip back up to the air-conditioned gloom of room 7 at The Dodgy.I meet the cab in the square and we roll slowly through the clogged streets of Chania to the airport road where I spend another comfortably air-conditioned hour before we take off. On the plane, omelet, croissant&nbsp;and I still a single entity, we leave the coast and&nbsp;bank north into a sky bluer than the sea below. This cretin has left the labyrinth.On the ground, out of the plane and onto the Metro. It's packed by the time we reach Syntegma Square, but a cheaper and quicker bet at rush hour. From the square, it's only a few blocks back to the Elektra Palace where I get the same room, 702, that I left May 3rd, enjoy a cool shower and a couple of miraculously refreshing gin and tonics in the lobby bar.
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Chania, Greece

Chania ... shit; I'm still only in Chania ... Been here almost a&nbsp;week now... waiting for a mission... getting softer; every minute I stay in this room, I get weaker, and every minute Charlie squats in the bush, he gets stronger. Each time I look around, the walls move in a little tighter.The all clear on the GI parasite was sounded too early. Sneak attack after dinner Monday kept me pinned down, sleepless. Went to ground yesterday eating nothing, drinking only water, gin, raki and ouzo. Staying out of the sun and the heat. Sleeping like a dog. Cowering in my room at The Dodgy like a denizen of The Chelsea. Red-eyed, unshaven and scaring the chambermaid when she came in to leave fresh towels. Now it's Wednesday morning around 8 and I at least look like a tourist again. Might stick to the water and alcohol diet another day. The Thin Man was never sick a day in his life.
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Chania, Crete, Greece

The Turks took 22 years to wage a successful siege against Iraklion. The city repels mine in less than 4 hours. The plan is to take in the recommended Archaeological Museum, known for its collection of Minoan artifacts unearthed at nearby Knossos and then explore the Venetian fortifications near the mouth of the old harbor. The museum is closed for renovations, offering just a small gallery in an adjoining building with less on display than I found in Fira. By the time I reach the Venetian fort it's closed for the afternoon.It's fiercely hot by now and I'm beginning to feel light-headed. I find a cafe in the shade and sip an iced coffee and water. It's a half hour until the next bus back to Chania. I decide to fold my tent.I ask directions to the harbor from a woman in the square. "You go down this street. Turn left. And you will see."Off I go. Moments later I her a whistling behind me. A guy is gesturing off to my right. "Harbor?" He nods and points in the opposite direction from what the woman had told me. I thank him and head off that way and stop. Given two opposing sets of directions, I trust my instincts in case they serve me well for the first time. I wait until the last Samaritan has time to disappear and then retrace my original steps. Rounding the corner he is there again. He seems disappointed, walks back up to me and again points off to the right. "Bus?" He nods then starts walking in front of me. I follow him back to the square and he points down a flight of steps that does indeed lead directly to the bus station. To be fair, the woman's directions did end with the possibly cryptic "and you will see." A camel passing through the eye of a needle? A sultan's harem? The error of my ways, more likely.I'm tired and hot and beginning to feel a little out of sorts but the bus arrives a few minutes later and I slide into a seat and begin to enjoy the air-conditioning.20 minutes up into the hills above Iraklion, I realize two things. 1) There is no bathroom at the rear of the bus.2) I am about to be sick.Thinking quickly, I empty the contents of my stomach into my shoulder bag.At least I wasn't at a job interview or on a first date, but it occurs to me that there really is no ideal time to be physically ill in front of other people and especially ones who cannot readily escape. Do I turn to my fellow passengers with a smile of relief? Do I raise my eyes and shrug as if to say, "Where the hell did THAT come from?" Instead, I turn as much of my back to the aisle as I can, rest my head against the window and pretend to sleep for the next two hours, deciding it would be better if everyone thought I were dead, which I earnestly wish I were.The ride was a horrific blur. Two hours can seem forever when carrying what I have stashed in my luggage. Certainly no time to strike up a conversation.Finally, we pull into the station in Chania and I'm out of the bus like a shot. Once more in the streets in the afternoon heat, I suddenly realize I'm still a long way from my room at the Hotel Dodgy. I cower briefly in a dead end alley, wondering if I might need to lie down. But I catch a second wind and soldier on back to the harbor and up to my room. I close the shutters and windows and crank up the air. While the room cools, I take a quick inventory of salvageable belongings and climb into bed.Something very old, very evil and diabolical enough to make the devil blush has now taken possession of my entire GI tract. From whence it came, or what its infernal intent might be, I do not know, but I am ready to almost anything short of voting Republican to speed its exit. I lie there from 6.30 until well after midnight. Sleep comes fitfully and by morning, I'm ready to make another, somewhat tentative, sortie out into the streets of Chania.
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Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Or Iraklion or Iraklio, among other English spellings I've seen.The greatest recent achievement of my life was the mastering of the air conditioner remote last night. After some dedicated experimentation, cool air was flowing into my room. I shut the double-pane windows and between that and the&nbsp;hum of the fan, I slept from 11 to 7. No Greek and Albania street chorus could wrestle me from the arms of Morpheus.I take a shower -- with the shampoo and soap I bought, sparing the dish detergent -- and hurry downstairs to try to sneak out before breakfast. I hear the girl stirring in the kitchen, but duck through the door into the shop, where my bag hooks on a tall rack of jewelry and almost lands on the floor. I ease it back into place and step out into the street.It's roughly 20 euros for a return ticket to Iraklion - a bargain for a 5-hour Sunday spin. The main road punches east along the north shore of the island, The White Mountains are grey against the blue skies to my right and the beaches to my left alternate between sweeps of white sand and lava moonscape.&nbsp;The landscape shows off its violent origins like a prizefighter. Muscular, arid hills covered with scrub pine and&nbsp;the suede of dry grass. The peaks of the mountains still hold patches of&nbsp;dusty snow. Pink and yellow flowers crowd the side of the road.&nbsp;We pass the NATO base just out of town and continue east, passing through Rethymnon an hour later and arriving at Iraklion around 11.30. It's a short walk from the bust station to the Venetian center. I have a late breakfast of meatballs and yogurt with a mug of Mythos under leafy shade in a cafe in the square&nbsp;beside the Byzantine church of Ayios Titos and plan my next move.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peyton/2/1211592060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peyton/2/1211592060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/peyton/2/1211592060/tpod.html Sat, 24 May 2008 03:46:01 -0400 Greece 2008

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Chania, Greece

Re the last in the string? How and why? Mr. Schultz, tear down your wall. (I haven't checked if they are serving the Pike Place blend.)My room is roughly three stories above the gift shop overlooking what becomes a busy alley of shoppers pawing the usual along a cobbled street. The shop across from my window offers African masks, slingshots and carved wooden penises. Talk about one-stop shopping.But, Chania is a refreshing change from Santorini. Yes, there are crowds of out of towners like me, but at least they aren't served up in gouts via a cable car system and I have seen no organized tours. An e-mail from Vidya's friend Heather reveals they've left Chania for Mykonos, so we've missed that connection.At 9 near the Venetian fort, I see a ceremony commemorating the Battle of Crete, which happened this month in 1941. It was the first assault via paratroop as the Germans descended on this island. It was also the first time Enigma decryptions allowed an Allied response. Near the Greek Navy and Army honor guard, a row of octogenarians and nonagenarians in Allied uniforms were on hand for handshakes from officials and the flags of Britain, Australia and New Zealand were raised over the fort.Judging by the conversations I hear in the streets, the Germans are still landing.I spend the day wandering through the Venetian maze of the old harbor, out along the outer harbor and the length of the breakwater out to the lighthouse, stopping frequently for iced coffees and the occasional beer and finishing a third of Maugham's "Cakes and Ale." It's refreshing to spend the day at sea level.Interesting to see the differences between Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split and Chania -- all Venetian ports, but each a unique variation. Foot-polished marble streets, peaked arsenals and fortifications similar, yet each adapted to their sites in different ways. Venice may have been its century's answer to the Dutch East India Company (or the Mafia), but they were no Starbucks when it came to architecture.The street along the wharf is unfortunately wide enough to accommodate the ubiquitous parade of horse &amp; buggy rides (because tourists need to ride in carriages in every city in the world and will do so someday on the moon) and here, in the interests of hygiene and aesthetics, they hang a sling beneath the horse's ass and the carriage to separate the street value from the GNP.Only service vehicles ply the streets here in the old quarter, but scooters are as ubiquitous as street urchins playing "Never on Sunday" on their squeeze boxes.I find a table in an upmarket eatery called Safran,&nbsp;around the corner from the 17th c. Mosque of the Janissaries, a welcome break from taverna fare. Chicken with morels in cognac sauce and medallions of pork stuffed with a creamed cheese and sun dried tomatoes with a good Cretan syrah.&nbsp;I watch the sun drop behind the White Mountains, still flecked with snow, and the inner harbor, while scooters weave around and between the townspeople and tourists sharing a warm May evening in a town that's been settled since the Neolithic era, and where the spires of cathedrals share the skyline with minarets.My waiter pours me a glass of the island's rakia (grappa, by any other name)&nbsp;flavored with honey, the perfect ending to the best meal I've had in sometime.&nbsp; &nbsp;
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Chania, Crete, Greece

Escaped the gravitational pull of Athens early this morning. A minor boarding pass mix up has me scrambling back through the terminal to the sales and check-in desk while my plane is boarding, but by the time I have things in order and return to the gate, they have a small car waiting for me to whisk me out to the plane. Somehow I beat the bus and climb onto an empty plane. Very surreal sitting in an empty aircraft with the flight attendants. Soon the bus arrives, the plane fills and we land in Chania around 6.30. 15 hours later than I'd planned. Crete is around 200 km from Athens and it's been a 20-hour voyage.Taller mountains here than anywhere else so far, rising up behind the medium-sized city. The old Venetian port quarter where I'm staying is a crowded jumble of 16th - 17th century buildings stacked along the small crescent of the harbor. The streets are almost empty when the cab drops me off in the square. The Doge Hotel is up a couple of blocks from the embankment on a street too narrow for traffic (a first, I think, in this country, where all streets have been too narrow for traffic but hold plenty regardless). No one answers my knock and I carry my bags back to the wharf where I find a cafe serving breakfast and enjoy my first actual meal since breakfast yesterday. A second knock on the hotel door at 8.30&nbsp;is answered by&nbsp;a young woman who doesn't speak English, but ushers me through a small jewelry and gift shop into the reception area and hands me a key to my room, 5 flights up some dark stairs&nbsp;overlooking the narrow street. Shafts of morning sun filter through the closed shutters.
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