What a day!

The clouds had lifted a bit this morning but it still felt like a steambath when we headed to Aegiali to pick up Gabi. She had agreed to make the hike from Langada to Tholaria with me. This is my favourite walk/hike on the island.

We arrived in Langada at 10am and were immediately greeted by several friends from past visits. John stayed to share mountain tea with Vangelis, a Naturopath and Herbalist, while Gabi and I started the trek down through Strombos and up to Tholaria. We passed olive trees full of fruit, waiting for a good rainfall to fatten the olives. Enroute we had three minutes of rain that helped to cool our overheated bodies. In Tholaria we gulped cold drinks to rehydrate.

Next we drove back to Langada for a book swap with Michael Ann. I had finally finished SLAP, the book that I brought on this trip, and was reluctant to pay 15 euros for a new book. She was more than happy to have new reading material. Now I had to decide between Joan Didion's "Slouching towards Bethlehem" or Jonathan Harr's "A Civil Action". Both are non-fiction books.

Michael Ann (Mikey), John & Gabi

By the time we finished our book exchange, over coffee, everyone agreed that it was time to share a lunch. It was 2:30pm!! It was another one of those Greek experiences with many small dishes of delicious food on the table and never ending conversation.

When we finally arrived back in Chora, there was an invitation for dinner back in Tholaria at 8pm!!  Without hesitation we made the winding half hour drive again after dark, skirting sleeping goats, to join our friends. Another groaning table of food and more conversation on Judaism, Islam and the Mormon faith. Questions about  the situation in Bountiful surfaced. Mormons and Jehovahs regularly visit Amorgos, hoping to convert some of the island's Greek Orthodox residents.

Most of the goats had moved off the road by the time we drove slowly home. The air was very warm with the promise of rain tomorrow.