an alley of aegina island

After walking around Athens, I took an hour and half trip of a middle sized ferry that would go to Aegina island from Athens. Maybe or maybe not, it is the second nearest island from its capital city among quasi-star dust like Greece islands, and of course, like many, once had its ancient polis, which is now symbolized by its well known temple of Aphaia. Actually, I did not go to see this temple, or other famous spots in the island, or even did not enjoy its beautiful beach near the harbor.

I kept walking through alleys, back-alleys of Aegina town, just looking small, family owned shops or stores, some of which would sell its specialties, including green pistachios. In front of a small house, the old lady put a long brown desk and placed dozens of small packs of pistachios on it. Whenever people, who looked like tourists, passed by, she said "please" several times with a faint voice.

When walking around Athens, I was surprised how modern the capital city has been with its still quasi-brand new subways, or well-constructed main road to the famous Acropolis. The modern heritages of the Olympic game of 7 years ago might be still shining. In here, at the middle of small ally of Aegina town, I smelled the flavor of roasted pistachios and maybe atmosphere of old Athens, which may be at least before the Olympic.

Here was Aegina town, Greece.

at athens internatinal airport

At Athens international airport, I saw a group of high school students near one of departing gates, maybe, coming from U.K. Two male teachers in their middle-age accompanied them, and managed and led this total of about 30 boys-and-girls all together.

These students were literally so different.
An obliging girl with dark brown hair was giving a shoulder-massage to the boy with short curly blond, who were sitting before her and closed his eyes with fully relaxing. Then, they switched their roles.
A little bit fat boy was carrying a ukulele and found an empty seat in the middle of boys-group.
There was one class-mate-couple, and the girl leaned on the boy who was the only student having a thin mustache.
Two fashionable, bad-guy-like boys were having sandwiches at the cafe, and besides them, a teacher in short pants talked with them with laughing each other.
A little bit fat girl accidentally kicked her friend's baggage while walking through the students, and said "wow" comically, two times, instead of saying "sorry". The girl, whose baggage was kicked, also kicked this fat girl's butt in reprisal. The boy who sitting beside her laughed for a while.

Seeing these, I just wondered if we, my colleagues and I in our office, are also so different and have so various characters like these students.
Maybe not. In our company, we all may seem to be same, because we are all in business suit, because we are doing same business, which we chose for living.

Here was Athens international airport. For a while, I remembered many of my high school class mates. We were so different at the time.

from mdina to the port in the morning

In the morning, I was at the top of the hill of the ancient city, Mdina, and overlooking the faraway port-town, Sliema, where then I would try to reach by walking. It was a nice winter day. Sometimes, a little bit chilly and strong winds carried a bunch of white and gray clouds in the water-blue sky.

The day before this quasi-sunny day was a heavy rainy day. So, walking down a far long slope from Mdina or in English I can say "Imdina" to the port, I found some large puddles covering the entire roads. Sometimes, I walked through the center of the puddle with my old new-balance shoes. Sometimes, I had to climb up the road-side stone fence in order to avoid the muddy water. From the fence, I saw two or three small white butterflies already waking up (still in winter) and looking for some flowers.

Old and yellow buses passed me several times with lazy speeds. A small truck putting a small lamb in its back carrying-platform also passed me. At the time, the lamb bleated or baaed with a small but clear voice. And this lamb bleating made me feel the extent of this small island. At the end, it was about 20 km walking.

Finally, here was Sliema, port town of Malta.

m&s in malta

It was a rainy day in Valletta, and the rain itself made the entire Malta island a little bit chilly. I was walking around the historical grand master's palace without an umbrella, and finally rushing and looking for any buildings with the eaves to hide myself.

Unfortunately, there was no eaves around here, but I found the familiar logo, which I used to see in London or even at Grafton Street in Dublin. It was M&S, in short, Marks and Spencer, a famous franchise retail store in U.K. Of course, without hesitation, I went into the store, because the rain was gradually quickening, and also I found the store-map that showed that the cafe was on the ground floor.

At the cafe, I said, hi, to the staff, and ask if this cafe had a hot tea, especially earl grey tea, the best drink to warm my body on such a chilly rainy day. The staff, a young boy, said to me, yes of course, but said that I had to pay for it in advance at the checkout counter.
O.K. it was easy.
Then, I took the ticket and brought it to the boy, and he immediately gave me a hot earl grey.
I knew that all our conversations were in English, and I was in M&S and took a nice, hot earl grey. It was that moment when I felt that this country had a certain history rooted in U.K.

Here was Valletta, Malta.