As it turns out, it will be mainly a writing trip with three readings of my novels lined up in Athens at the Canadian Institute, Athens Centre and readings to two classes at the American Community School. I have read for these venues before and really look forward to returning.
My two-volume novel SHADOW OF THE LION
Reading at the ACC in 2015
My first stop after arriving in Athens on September 22 will be NAXOS where I plan to spend three days lounging on my favorite beach at my favorite campsite, Maragas Camping.
The bed-tents at Maragas Camping
Maragas Beach
Lounging on a beach chair.
Beach Tarverna, Plaka Beach
the walkway across to the Portada at Naxos port.
Next I'm going to Crete. I intended to go last year and had to cancel my plans. This time I'm going for three days to visit Knossos archaeological site and a few historic locations around Iraklion. I will also be visiting with my American professor writer/mentor friend Jack Dempsey who writes about the Minoans.
Iraklion harbor
A visit to the grave of writer Nikos Kazanzakis.
KNOSSOS
MINOAN WALL FRESCOES.
After my visit to Crete I will return to Athens and later go to Salamina to visit my friend. Whenever I'm there we have many adventures seeking out archaeological sites that many people don't know about. We've been to the site where they were looking for a monument to Ajax, hero of the Troy Wars; Ajax's acropolis, the Cave of Euripides and several other sites. I wonder what exciting finds we'll see this year!
The final week in Greece will be exciting because I've been offered a free two-day stay GLAMPING in a Yurt, near Kalamata in exchange for writing a story about it. So look at this blog space in a few weeks and you'll see what it's like to go glamor-camping in a yurt!