Put on our đ· masks and headed for a few days in the Cyclades, a dense collection of islands occupying the central part of the Aegean Sea. Worldwide, people know about Mykonos, the âparty islandâ, and some even think itâs a country đ …we wonât judge that (Mykonos is one of the many islands in Greece, 227 inhabited but 6,000 exist). There are many âmust visitâ isles that are gathered around the windy Cyclades of the Aegean.
Last year I wrote about Naxos island đŽ but this post is about an isle whose history of marble sculpture production made it famous, becoming an international trading post during the Middle Ages and beyond â Tinos island.
Tinos is a place that people visit for both itâs religious and touristic attraction as it is also directly across from the mythical Mykonos ! Itâs also a place of artisans and those who learn how to sculpt marble. You can get there by boat/ship only and itâs worth the trip.
This year it was all different, the lines to the Evangelistria (Virgin Mary) monastery were not as long, the stores were less crowded (sure, we did some shopping with masks on!), we SAVED money because there were no nightclubs or expensive bars open ….we slowed down. TIME.
Time to enjoy the silence and count the ships coming in the port, or to do some mindful eating and enjoy an amazing lunch with artichoke cheese pie, their signature âMaistrali saladâ, main course Kalamari with fava beans and salad greens ….Oh! And that lovely custard type dessert …all with the restaurantâs exquisite detail to safety. Even our utensils were wrapped and our table and chairs disinfected!
The video âTimeâ by Julius Sevilla says it best. A great REFRAME to make each day count. Donât complain, donât just dwell on what âdidnât happen, or didnât work outâ or the fact that youâre angry đ and holding grudges and regretting is not good use of your time.
Just think of the people who were away from that particular place at a particular time that a building came down (recent âatomic bombâ type destruction in Beirut or local floods, fires, and other disasters), those who lent a hand, those who have lost and grieve, but this why we try to PREVENT disaster by precaution and becoming more health literate as individuals as governments or societies LEARN from mistakes of communication, procedure, etc. As one of my teacher said when we had an eye-opening experience âdawn breaks on marble head!â…. Obviously it takes a while for health messages to penetrate. Keep on enjoying your summer and be safe!
