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July 6, 2009
Running out of wishes
Greece comes alive at night. Because it's so warm during the day, people come out to dance and dine after the sun sets. And at the outdoor cafes, even late into the night—especially on the islands—no one is rushing.
One night, we were anchored off the shore of a small island and I woke up just two hours after I fell asleep. Enamored as I am with Greece after dark, I decided to walk up to the bow of the boat, and I found myself under this unbelievable sky. I have never seen so many shooting stars in my life—and as I watched them fall I could hear the water lapping gently against the sides of the boat and the goats roaming around on the island, the little bells around their necks lazily clanging.
I thought about my sleeping family down below, and I decided I had to get them up. Edward wasn’t having it, but Charlotte and Alan brought their blankets and came to sit with me. There were so many shooting stars, we ran out of wishes … and then we crawled back down to bed.
It was a magical night. We were actually in Greece that year for the 2004 Summer Olympics—but this was the best part of my trip.
Have you ever found an unexpected moment to be more memorable than something you’ve looked forward to for a lifetime? Email me at:
harriet@oattravel.com
I’ll be focusing on South Asia next in Harriet’s Corner—including the mystical Himalayan kingdom of Nepal and the dazzling sights and sounds of India.
Harriet Lewis