I have a confession to make, during the last two weeks French Husband, my Belle-Mere (Mother in Law), Alice and I went on a Mediterranean cruise. Which in itself is not a confession, the confession is that I cheated and wrote my blog posts in advance and had them posted automatically. I did not take my laptop, nor my camera, instead I opt-ed for my cell phone to take photos and used it three or four times to post to Facebook. In the last ten years I cannot recall such a break. It was much needed and felt divine to be disconnected. Overall I did not go online more than ten minutes during the last two weeks.
The sea,
the stars,
the different countries and places,
the food,
the company
gave direction.
Most likely the next few days I will post about our cruise. We started in Marseille, went to Savona Italy where we met by chance an elderly man name Claudio and had lunch together. Then we went to Naples I headed straight to the santon/nativity streets and also had a baba rhum, the next stop was Kalamata where I asked the first Greek person I saw where could I have the best Greek yogurt, disappointment was nowhere to be found. So far it sounds like I followed my tastebuds around Europe… I did. After we sailed to Nafplio, the ship arrived early which meant we had two days to explore, after we went to Volos, grabbed a taxi to see the Meteora monastery… breathtaking. We sailed on to Athens where I tried to meet up with a blog reader Julia, but unfortunately we did not meet. It goes without saying what we saw… We had a few days at sea, the vast Mediterranean gently rolling us along where sea and sky are one, our last stop before home was Sicily.
Saturated color follows me when I close my eyes.
Naples.
How much weight did I gain?
Go ahead guess.
Feast I did, and now famine will have to be my calling.
French Husband and I celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary on the cruise. Though the cruise was more about French Husband being with his mom. What a trooper she is! At eighty-six she walked, climbed, and danced alongside of us from morning pass midnight. Unbelievable appetite and she didn't gain a pound. My mother in law's stamina is incredible… many times I said to myself, "If I cannot do more than she can now, I will never be able to do so when I am seventy, let alone eighty-six."
Alice had her doubts about cruising, she felt a tad bit seasick at first and then the cruise life took over… She didn't gain a pound either, nor did French Husband, and they all ate as much or more than me!
Anyway we were a motley crew of happy well being.
Some of the steps my mother in law walked…
We took a tender to shore in Greece from the main ship. When we left the ship the sea was calm, but when we came back, what an adventure! But that story is for another day. My mother in law laughed the entire way as if it was a joy ride.
Orange trees lined the streets, but they were not edible.
A walk along the dock at twilight.
And then far out at sea we had a phone call…
Our friend, Thierry tried to take his life.
The empty shock, the utter feeling of helplessness, sadness.
We saw him today, many prayers are needed. Healing will be long from the monster called Bipolarism that is destroying his life.
Our cruise was one of many waves.
Prayers said at each and every church.
I lite candles for Thierry and Annie, side by side.
Annie was Greek.
My thoughts held her close. I imagined talking to her, asking her about recipes, places, myth and the soil that keeps us grounded to the soul.
I felt her hand as I walked among the ruins, by the icons in the churches, and while I ate desserts that I never heard of.
I could so see her sitting on her chair by the kitchen table, leaning towards me in delight, asking me what I thought about this and that.
I miss her beyond anything I can say.
Light reflecting on the ruins of the Parthenon.
Nothing remains the same and yet…
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