Like Odysseus returning to Ithaca, I returned to Illinois from my odyssey across four Greek islands. But on my journey, Zeus and Poseidon bestowed their favors: abundant sunshine, calm seas and encounters with generous folk.
On Rhodes, the island of the sun god Helios, my host met me at the gates to the medieval walled city. We had an instant rapport as she led us through the cobblestone maze of vendors and tourists to a quiet lane and a set of apartments owned by her parents. At an impromptu morning tea, her mom and grandmother welcomed me like family.
On a day trip to Symi, named for a nymph Poseidon fancied, I arrived by boat. The harbor came into view like a watercolor of pastel-painted houses stacked up the hillside. Another short stay was on Kos, the birthplace of Hippocrates. I bypassed the souvenir shops and wandered to the ruins of the agora, the ancient marketplace.
Most of my trip was spent on Kalymnos, known as Kalydnos in "The Iliad" and said to be named for the son of the gods Gaia and Uranus. What drew me there was a writing workshop focused on author Charmian Clift, who made her own odyssey to Kalymnos in the 1950s.
For centuries, writers, artists, musicians and travelers of all sorts, including those in armchairs, have been wooed to these ancient lands in hopes of meeting their muse.
I'm Paula Garrett, and that's my perspective.
Find out more about Charmian Clift's workshop here and sample Paula's journal from it here.
Copy Edited by Eryn Lent
