Taking a short break

So it's been hot hot hot lately, and I've been depressed and irritable. I have a hard time sleeping at the best of times, and now with this awful heat, I hardly sleep a wink. As you can guess, I'm quite bad company lately.

Last week-end the latest heat-wave culminated, reaching as high as 41 and 42 degrees Celsius in Athens. Being forewarned by the weather forecast and having had a better proposition that sitting sweltering in the hell-hole that is Athens in the summer, I left the city.

Friday, right after work, I rushed to Piraeus - the port of Athens - and got the boat to the near by island of Kythnos, where a friend was holidaying. Taking the boat to an island is so much of a familiar summer ritual. It's one of the slowest, most boring and yet most calming ways to travel. This time my trip was only three hours long, but I have frequently taken twelve hour long boat journeys (sleeping on the deck of a boat is a marvelous experience) and one memorable time - never to be repeated - I took a never-ending impossible twenty-six hour boat journey!

I have visited Kythnos many times, so it's a very familiar island full of old memories. The small apartment my friend rents the whole year round so she can visit anytime, has the view of her favourite beach, and was the location of many of our teenaged high-jinks.



Like many greek islands, Kythnos has blue blue seas and bare bare hills.



And most of the photos you take end up looking like post-cards.



As you can see, I don't have much to say for myself and am copping out by posting photos instead.

I only stayed the weekend - having to be back to work on Monday - but it was certainly better than nothing! And now, the little trip is over and I'm back in Athens counting down the days till my summer holiday (two more weeks!).