30 Years and Counting--Our Anniversary on Spetses

 Επετειος Γ'αμος 30 Χρονια

We arrived here on the island of Spetses on Sunday night, a speck of an island in the eastern Peloponnese on the Saronic Gulf. This is a place of many memories, my grandmother's birthplace (b. 1899), and the place of our wedding in 1992.

We caravaned--our big kids and partners in one car, Ann, Nia, and me in another--through a long diagnonal of the Peloponnese--southwest to northeast. We parked our buggies on the mainland and crossed the channel in the ancient, belching car ferry.

This is my 40th or 50th (I've lost count) trip to this special place, which I first visited in 1979. Met by dear friends from Athens, we now have a group of twelve souls--at the beach, in the taverna, around the cafeneion tables and the sweet shop. We have enjoyed so many memorable and hearty meals late into the night.

Greeks truly know how to live and we are taking every advantage of our good fortune.

Here are images from the past two days. Tonight we will celebrate our anniversary (the 5th of July) with yet another big meal. Then we will go our separate ways--the three of us back to southern Messenia, the big kids to Athens.

Soon enough we will be on way back to a sleepy village in Maine--with cooler nights, shorter days, and far fewer late nights.

The grand Poseidon Hotel

Sunset on Spetses

Walkway mosaics

Best man, best woman, good friends--το κουμπαροι

A fanstastic late night meal at Πατραλής

Lucia, Nia, and Manny--our pride and joy

Me and my bride--poised for the next 30 years

The kids are all wet

Swimming into the Belikiris ocean cave

Lunch at Aghia Anagiri beach

No vehicular traffic--scooters or horse carriages

Leaders of the pack

Hiking down to the cave, where you skin turns an eerie blue

Follow the signs, or the worn path

Supper on ice