Poseidon’s Trident and my journey to Byzantium
Article in Hellenic News of America by Aurelia
And therefore I have sailed the seas and come
to the holy city of Byzantium.
W.B. Yeats
Sailing to Byzantium
I don’t remember the exact date when I learned that my itinerary for my first journey to Northern Greece had been finalized, but I remember the season. Looking through the open, upstairs window, I saw a courtyard with lush green bonnets still covering the trees and the carpet of jade velvet on the ground; the air was warm and dry. August’s humid days were waning. I knew that when I returned in two months my view of the courtyard would not be the same. My eyes would see a palate of golden brown, bright yellow, and burnt orange and the air would be cool. My odyssey would be at an end; there would be a new season.
As it happened, nothing would be the same when I returned. How could it be? I had, indeed, “Sailed to Byzantium.” My voyage took me through the three peninsulas of Halkidiki– Kassandra, Sithonia, and Athos—extending like long fingers into the sea. Along the way, I was hosted by seven resort hotels. My destination was in the third finger resting in the sea surrounding the ancient monasteries of Mt. Athos in Halkidiki, Northern Greece…
Link: https://hellenicnews.com/poseidons-trident-and-my-journey-to-byzantium
