This text will have to go backwards as I can't seem to move the layout of the pictures. This is the view coming into Pireus, the port of Athens in the early morning. The glorious light transformed what looked like a not particularly lovely city. The difference in beauty between the Greek cities and towns is amazing. The area where Geoffrey lives on Lesvos is delightful, while the capital Mylitene is terribly unkempt - rubbish and broken footpaths everywhere. The port of Chios which the ferry stopped at looked delightful and it is not even a tourist area. I can see no rhyme or reason to the care or neglect that people have towards their city. The ferries are enormous. On the left of the photo below are some of the 30 ton semi-trailers that were waithing to be loaded onto our ferry. At least one of the these ferries goes between Lesvos and Athens each evening and in high summer it is totally packed. I was told people will be sleeping on the floor on any free area. I had a cabin which I shared with another woman, who was returning to Athens where she lives. She was particularly stressed about the Greek economic condition and very worried about her future. She was jewelry maker by trade and presently is out of work. He husband is a lorry driver. Her son still at school.

Here is one lorry backing in. Along with the semi-trailers went cars, vans, trucks and even a father pushing in his 3 year old tricycle - trust me all in the same area. While it looked choatic, the ferried berthed, loaded and left the port with the hour. Workplace health and safety seemed non existant but all was efficiently done.

My biggest concern in the actual travelling of this trip was getting from the Port to the railway with my luggage. I thought there would be hassles but it was not to be as a wonderful woman came to my rescue at the port and took me all the way to the train platform for the airport and found out just when the direct train would be. She was lovely, kind, gentle - and is in charge of customs for the isalnd of Chios. She is finding the job difficult, even overwhelming, at present as they are intercepting about four boat loads of refugees each day. This puts the Australian situation into perspective when one realises that Chios in only one of the islands close to Turkey.

Now to the Greek sheep. They are ugly but each has a birth certificate - which they would need as no parent would want to be acccuses of producing an offspring. Each farmer has about 25 to 50 sheep which he milks. In fact the sheep are primarily for the production of cheese. Meat on the island is not good, the wool is thrown away after shearing. Geoffrey reckons that if the CSIRO could produce a merino that was good for milking the economy of Greece would be transformed. But the farmers must be making something as many of them drive Toyota Hilux-es. They go out very early about 5-6 am to milk and some also milk in the evening. Usually the farm gates and milking sheds look as though they were built by Steptoe and Son but that seems to be changing. New concrete built sheds with solar panels can be seen but still nothing ostentatious. This is not a showy society.

Having been there for the week I can see why Geoffrey is happy there. The people are kind and gracious. I found the interaction between the men particularly interesting. In the bank one day I watched the manager, a teller and a customer having an extended conversation. The gestures were so gracious, there was real emotional interaction and concern. But the other aspect I noticed amongst this people was that they were very direct. If they needed to they told you straight but without aggression.

I went to the services in the village church on a couple of afternoons. At the Vigil of Ascension there were about 14 women who exuded approval that I had turned up. After it Geoffrey and I were invited into a home for coffee by one of the women and we got shown all the wedding and grandchildren photos. Geoffrey is not the best translator. He can speak the language well of course but just doesn't realise that he needs to say in English what was said for those who don't.