European Travel Photo Blog #2

Marathon & Poros

“So much of who we are, is where we have been.”

– William Langewiesche

Well, hello there, dear friends…I hope this blog finds you well! 

And here we are again…more weeks have tumbled by with nary a peep from your bohemian blogger. My apologies for yet another lengthy delay in sending out a travel photo blog…but better late than never, as they say 🙂

After Athens, Emily & I headed to the town of Marathon. This is where the famous Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, when the vastly outnumbered Athenians defeated the Persian armies on the beach of Marathon (40 kilometers from Athens). Legend has it that a Greek messenger, Pheidippides, was then sent to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated. The poor guy apparently ran the entire way, delivered the news…then dropped dead. This is the origin of the marathon race.

And on a cheerier note, this is what our lovely lunch in Marathon looked like:

In fact, that’s what the vast majority of my lunches in Greece looked like 🙂

We actually stayed just outside of Marathon at a gorgeous villa with a group of friends. Thanks to my dear friend, Dawn Setter, Emily & I managed to swing an invite for a week’s stay…and let me tell you, this villa was swanky! It was huge…which is a good thing because there were fifteen people staying there!

Here are a few pics:

And this was the Marathon beach we swam at…wow!!

If you are wondering where all the people pics are (since there were 15 of us staying at the villa!), I have no idea! The only thing I think of is that when we socialized over cocktails & dinner, I never had my phone with me…and it was a looonnnggg trek back up to our bedroom in the bell tower 🙂

After the villa, Emily & I headed to the island of Poros, near Athens (not be confused with Paros, near Naxos!):

Poros is a lovely little island that is very popular for Athenians…as it nice & close to pop over for a visit. Since we were there in the shoulder season, things were clearly winding down (literally…they were taking down the beach umbrellas while we were there) – which meant it was nice & quiet! Perfect for writing 🙂

Here are a few snaps of pretty little Poros:

And a few more on the food & booze front…

That’s it for now! Again, my apologies for being so behind on posting these travel blogs. I kinda forgot how much WORK traveling is, in and of itself…juggling all the logistics of getting from A to B to C and figuring out the new lay of the land, every four to five days. Plus seeing what there is to see, and doing what there is to do, in any given place. Plus trying to stay on top of the writing (which I’m not…but I am managing to write/work 2 to 3 hours a day, 3 to 4 days a week, so that will have to do).

But having said that, what I am losing in terms of productivity, I am gaining in terms of insight & perspective. Seeing all these beautiful places – and learning the history and meeting new people – has been incredibly inspiring…and I think in the long run, this experience will do my many writing projects a world of good!

Till next time, take care & be well 🙂

Much love from your bohemian blogger (who is in Salzburg, Austria at the time of posting this blog about Greece! And let me tell you, I am BEYOND excited for my Sound of Music tour…I shall report back!)

“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.”

– Mary Davis

Maryanne Pope is the author of “A Widow’s Awakening.” She also writes screenplays, playscripts and blogs. She is the CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and a co-founder of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. To receive Maryanne’s blog, “Weekly Words of Wisdom,” please subscribe here.