Shout Out To My Foodies

I have been here in Greece for a little under a month now and I have failed to mention my favorite part of this beautiful country... THE FOOD!!!!! Oh my, oh my, oh God!!!! Everywhere you turn there is something to eat. The markets of Athens were seemingly unchanged for the last 3000 years. The meat market, or rather, city block of goats, pigs, chickens and sides of beef hanging in free air, a river of blood beneath your shoes, men screaming, "Marry me Marry me!!! Beautiful girl!!!", pinching my cheek, fingers slick with animal fat and blood, would make the USDA have a fucking stroke! All you have to do is point at what kind and show with you hands how much and with terrifying speed and grace , CHOP, SLAM, BAG, DONE, lamb chops and rosemary for dinner. Just out side the scent of fresh baked bread, citrus fruit and the sea combine inside your soul to the point of pure extacy. The cheese market oh, the Cheese, let me say it again, CCCHHEEESSSEEE, oh the chesse!!! Everyday, without the least bit of shame, I watch my feta belly grow. I never dreamed that there so many different kinds of feta: goat, cow, sheep, creamy, brittle, sour, sweet, the list could go on for days and that is just the feta!! Last night I had a four year old piece of Mizithra from the city of Delphi: salty, dry, crumbling goodness. I was also lucky enough to taste olives from the same region, harvested from a 400 year-old tree; vibrate purple busting with the aroma and flavor of the earth, filling your mouth the purest oil this land has to offer. Each and everytime I eat; eggs, bread, cured meats, cheese, I shout out, unable to stop myself, "I LOVE THIS COUNRTY!". Every bite of food I taste with my eyes, lips, taste buds, but most of all, my soul. With every meal I can taste the earth, the richness of the soil that feeds all that I eat. At almost every meal with friends I say, "You will make me fat!" only to hear in return," Good, it gives you life!"; I don't think I could ask for a better answer. I would rather have a belly bulging with freshest feta and richest olive oil than live all my days skinny and lacking life!!! To all of my foodies out there, and you know who you are, be jealous, be sooo jealous!!!!

Archaic Creative Knowledge

“Along with this recollection there came to me, for the first time, the conviction that there are archaic psychic components which have entered the individual psyche without any direct line of tradition… the creative impulse being one.” Carl G. Jung

We all share some kind of link to the people that have walked this earth before our time. There is some ruminate of their lives that hangs around in this one. The way we feel we “know” things that we have no reason for knowing is a perfect example of this connection. Here, in Greece, I have felt that I somehow know the stories of the Gods before I read them, that there is some archaic knowledge that I have inside me, some connection to the past. The monomyth is the only was for me to understand this shared knowledge.

The idea that there is an archetype that all stories fall into is so present here. Each myth has some part that has transcended years of history and magnitudes of cultural tradition to reach each of us in its own way. The stories of the Greek Gods are mirrored in many Christian stories written, sometimes, thousands of years apart. The story of Noah and the great flood directly follows the story of Zeus’ wrathful decision to have Poseidon flood the earth. In the story of Zeus, he keeps two humans alive in a wooden chest that floats the sea for many days until he feel pity for them and tells Poseidon to make the waters recede. The Greek pantheon of Gods also mirrors many Hindu Gods. In each the Gods take many shapes, each having a multitude of avatars. Both share the sometimes confusing nature of changing names and powers. The Goddess’ Kali and Athena both change names and powers with their moods and circumstances, changing from Gods of creation to Gods of destruction.

The creative impulse to tell myths is one every culture around the world shares. Each myth mirrors another, back and forth throughout all of time. With this kind of knowledge being shared through story it is no wonder we all share more than just what lies right in front of us, we share ideas, we share each of our own stories through the greater collective mind. There is an archaic knowledge we tap into every time we use our creative minds. Through story, sculpture, painting, music and all art forms, we share a piece of ourselves with the future and the past connection all times and culture through one net of creation.

Rainy days, Oly mind!

Rainy day on the island, makes me feel at home. I am on the island of Mykonos. It is about a 6 hour ferry ride from Athens through the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean sea. Lola and I are staying at a great family run hotel called The Lefteris, the owner Costis is amazing, he has been checking up on us every day and making sure we are safe and sound. He has a degree in philosophy of art, perfect person for me to know! The island is so slow, all the stores are closed and the streets are empty. Everywhere you look there are signs for Rolex and Cartier, hard to imagine that in the summer this is the party town of Greece. It is so nice to be out of Athens. I looooved it but it was a bit too much for my slow paced Oly mind to grasp. Lola and I going to the small museum here that Costis recommended. hopefully the rain lets up tomorrow and we can hit the streets on our scooters and see the rest of this beautiful place!
I am working on a map of Greece that I will post soon so you all can put a place to a name! More to come soon!!!!!

Apollo and Artemis… Lars and I

Here on the island of Mykonos, dotted with the picturesque blue and white buildings of the Greek Isles, I look across the Mediterranean to the tiny island of Delos. On the island of Delos, the birthplace of Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis, the children of the God Zeus and the Titaness Leto, sits one of the many sacred archeological sites in Greece. The only inhabitants are the gods themselves. The island holds a temple dedicated to the brother-sister duo that are know for their love and protectiveness toward each other. Here, in Greece, the bond of a brother and sister is one not to be tampered with or taken lightly. This bond is something god-like, unbreakable by any circumstance. Every restaurant, travel agency, hotel and bar is either owned or operated by sibling and cousins. The family is of utmost impotence in daily Greek life. On the streets, in the cafes and everywhere you turn you see brothers and sisters laughing and fighting, loving and sharing life. The family unit is much like the pantheon of Greek Gods, a mess of drama and rivalry held together by love and overwhelming protectiveness.

Almost all of the stories of Apollo and Artemis are about how they protect and love each other. In one, Artemis is fighting off two brothers trying to rape her. Just in the nick of time Apollo sends a deer between the two brothers. The brothers shoot for the deer, miss, and accidentally kill each other. In another Artemis and Apollo team up to kill the giant Tityus after trying to rape their mother, Leto. Many stories tell of the brother-sister duo avenging their mother’s honor by killing off any being trying to bring harm upon her. Defending family honor is the responsibility of every sibling in Greece. If any man is rude or inappropriate to a Greek women, he better be ready for the wrath of her brothers. It goes for any women, if you break a boy’s heart you better know his sisters will hunt you down!

I see myself and my brother, Lars, mirrored in every story of Artemis and Apollo. Apollo is the god of youth, music and healing. Lars, my younger brother is a musician with one of the biggest hearts I have ever encountered. He has always been concerned with the well being of others, stopping his own life to care for those around him, healing them with his music and kind words. Lars, without a second thought, has many times offered to kill the men that have broken my heart. He would gladly but himself in danger to protect my honor and safety just as Apollo would for his sister, Artemis. Artemis, the goddess of wild animals and the hunt reminds me of my own love for the wildness of nature. I have lived most of my adult life in the wilderness of Idaho and Montana hiking and fly-fishing their great mountains and rivers. As a team, Artemis and Apollo and Lars and I, have taken on the world, protecting our families and each other. The myths of family ties of the gods and the myths of my family ties are one in the same; love and protection rule the family here and on Mt. Olympus.

PS: Lolas blog is.... www.medicineandmythology.wordpress.com

and her Fliker is....http://www.flickr.com/photos/medicineandmythology

And my Flicker, that has been taking WAY too long to upload is...www.flikr.com/photos/andreaerpenbach

Athens, Athena and Me

"When Zeus swallowed his wife Metis she had been about to give birth to a child. Shortly afterwards Zeus was tortured by an intolerable headache. To cure him Hephaestus - split open his skull with a bronze axe and from the gaping wound, shouting a triumphant cry of victory, sprang Athena - fully armed and brandishing a sharp javelin. At the sight, all the Immortals were struck with astonishment and filled with awe. Great Olympus was profoundly shaken by the dash and impetuosity of the bright-eyed Goddess. The earth echoed with a terrible sound, the sea trembled and its dark waves rose. . . " (www.goddess-athena.org)
Here in the city named in her honor, Athena rules from high atop the Acropolis. Her Parthenon is the center of every view in Athens. Athena is everywhere here, not only in the hundreds of sculptures throughout the city but also in every Greek woman I see. The Athenian women are warriors, goddesses, fully armed and ready for battle. They walk with heads held high, voices steady and booming, showing no fear of any man or beast. Women, young and old, own this city. The men here might be the heads but the women are the necks, and the head moves in which ever way the neck tells it to. They all seem to be, just as Athena, born fully grown, ready to take on the world. Girls no more than 7 years old sit alone on the streets, playing music with no fear of the outside world. Old women bearing canes and crooked backs weave in and out of the hundreds of market goers, shouting orders over the crowds. The men here, young and old, see the goddess in them all and respect her with the fear she deserves.
I also feel the goddess Athena in the streets and in myself. Being born fully grown and ready for battle is something I'm sure my mother will will say embodies me perfectly. I have been ready to take on the world from the time I was born. When my father tells the story of my birth he makes a point to say that I came out bright-eyed and without tears, crying, or fear, ready to be a fighter in this world. I have always seen myself as "grown-up". My first memory is of running away from my mother at the age of 2. I remember vividly saying to myself, "I don't need Mom, I am going out on my own". I left her at the shopping mall and found a home of my own under a rack of dresses. I was "missing" for well over an hour, my panicked mother doing everything she could to find me while I sat peacefully in my new home under that rack of dresses in the middle of Bellvue Square. I feel the connection to the power of Athena. Her warrior attitude is something I carry with me everyday and feel has given me the fearless face to take on the world. I have traveled all my life with this feeling, not knowing exactly where it came from, but here in the city which bares her name, I have found my inner Athena.

Athens and Andi

Alright, here we go! I am officially in Athens!!! 40 hours, 2 epic plane rides, 10 hours in Amsterdam, one good nights sleep and here we are! The city is amazing and the people are epic! We have made friends at every turn, Im sure it helps that we are two ladies who look a bit lost at every turn. Everyone has been more than helpful! Vaios, a beautiful man from Athens, helped us find our bus, talked to the driver, made sure he stopped at our hotel, offered to walk us to the door and has invited us to dinner tomorrow night. I feel that we are off to a pretty amazing start!
I have been reading Carl Jung's, "Memories, Dreams, Reflections" today. In the first few pages he speaks of his memories of travel and the people he has met along the way, "...all memory of outer events has faded, and perhaps these 'outer' experiences were never so very essential anyhow, or were so only in that they coincided with phases of my inner development." He speaks of the parts of memories that stay with us, the feelings, the senses, the meaning behind the faces we see, the energies and interconnectedness we see from inside. I feel that these faces and places will fade in my mind but the feeling I have now will be a part of my inner being, growing and changing for all time. Being a part of this culture, this city, this moment is all the proof I need to know that the collective unconsciousness, is and always has been, a part of my inner world. An inner world that reflects and projects the same story all of us follow, the one myth that we all know, each our own, yet so individual that sometimes we forget that it is the one truth in this life, the string that connects us all, the story of me, the story of you; It is OUR myth, together and alone, one and many, each linked in this translucent web we all hang in. My myth is yours to read, but also yours to create, follow and live.

Amsterdam..1 pm to the city, 4 am to me...

Ahhh, Amsterdam, beauty, sex, bikes, more bikes and more sex! This city is amazing! 10 hour layover, what to do...? Visit the Sex Museum!!! The history of sex from the ancient world to now. The best 4€ I have ever spent!! Lola and I are enjoying Dutch cheese and the sights, headed to catch a flight to Athens this evening... More to come once I get my euro legs on!!

Pre-Travel Jitters

Here is my call to adventure, 24 hours until take off, one bag, 5 books and a sack of broken charcoal and pastels. 5 countries, 10 weeks, 2 bunnies and the world at our feet!!! I will be posting from my iPhone so please excuse the small type-o's from the auto correct! Stay tuned for more to come, aero port entry tomorrow, Amsterdam here I come!!!