Chania, Crete. Day 1 1/2

On the thirty-five-minute flight from Athens to Chania, the young and pretty flight attendant pushes the refreshments trolley down the aisle. When she gets to my row, she leans over and holds out a bottle of water and a snack. We have been travelling for nearly twenty-four hours — exactly twenty-four by the time we check into our hotel about an hour later.

“No, nothing, thank you,” I mumble, nearly delirious with fatigue.

She makes a pouty face and, instead of moving on, withdraws the bottle but holds out a Cretan fruit bar.

“For later,” she insists.

I take it. A moment later, still clutching the fruit bar, I’ve nodded off.

The next morning, at the hotel breakfast buffet, a middle-aged woman is refilling the fruit platter for guests and notices me standing nearby with my plate. She chooses the largest strawberry from the platter, marches over and presents it to me with a smile.

* * *

A few days before leaving on this trip, I was having coffee with my dear friend Peter, and we were discussing the Greek word φῐλοξενῐ́ᾱ (filoxenia). He remarked that there is no English translation to such a beautiful idea.

“Well, there’s ‘hospitality,'” I said. “It pretty much means the same thing.”

But, no, he was right. It is a beautiful word, for it literally means love for a stranger. Love for the one who arrives from far away, who may already be missing home, who is anxious among new people, fearful perhaps.

I am lucky, because I am only half a stranger and don’t need reassurance. But I have been away, and do need reminding.

I will always regret not accepting the bottle of water from the girl on the plane.

We drove yesterday to Palaiochora (ancient land) on the opposite side of the island, which faces the Lybian Sea. While Shari sketched, I wandered around its nearly empty harbour. This beautiful beachy place will be thick with humanity in a couple of months. I will be posting more photos on my website (spyrorondos.com) soon.

14 thoughts on “Chania, Crete. Day 1 1/2”

  4. Ahh, Spyro mou, how lucky you are to experience Crete before all the tourists arrive. And Easter too ! … I just put orfana gemista in the oven, one of my Cretan grandmother’s favourites.

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    1. I know we’re lucky. I don’t take this for granted. Terrific coincidence with the “orfana.” We sought out your Cretan grandmother’s home town, first chance we got. Highly inconclusive, otherwise I would have sent you pictures. More to come in person.

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  5. Oh….the fortunate among us who can celebrate Easter/spring on Greece’s largest island.

    Oh….the yummy Cretan food, kaltsounia, dakos, gamopilafo, lihnarakia,……

    Oh….the lively music and proud dances.

    Oh….the welcoming, openhearted Cretans.

    Enjoy it all, while we enjoy vicariously through your write ups.

    Olga

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    1. As I said to your brother, we know we’re lucky and don’t take it for granted. It is a magical place crowded with wonderful people who are not magical. They are the best version of human.

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  6. I love these interactions. I’d like to learn that Greek word.

    I love the pics. Is there a story about the two waiters? I hope so.

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    2. I’ll pronounce the Greek word to you when I see you. (I could record it, I suppose, and send it by email. But that would be weird, and also trying too hard.) Nothing much about the waiters, just their unflagging instinct to please, which is pretty universal here. When I raised my camera to take their photo, they saw me at once, inched closer together and struck that fantastic pose.

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  7. I just realized that I still have your cookbook. Hope you’re not missing it for Passover. I can try to return it to you this week or next. Let me know. Cheers JSS

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

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    1. Hi, Jean. Did you read my post? We’ve been in Crete for a week and will be here for another two weeks. So we missed Passover but will not miss Greek Easter. And we will definitely not miss the book. Next time. All the best! (More posts coming from here, but I’m a bit slow. No time to write!)

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  8. And just like that I learned the root of so many words starting with “Filo” and “Xenos” while enjoying amazing pictures as usual. Enjoy your time over there! Hope to see you when you’re back!

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