I came to Amorgos for the first time in the 80’s.
Back then the trip to the island was an adventure.
Amorgos was an island of the “barren line”.
Undesired people, opposing the system, were sent to serve on those “barren” islands.
There was a boat once a week or even ten days and it would take something like two days to reach the island.
The other option was to catch a fishermen boat. That would take at least a week.
There were no ports, the way they are now, and disembarking was done with small wooden boats, since big boats couldn’t dock.
I was a pharmacy student back then and being a romantic I joined the fishermen. We made our way down south, hunting sword fish (plenty at that time).
Listening to Mahler, painting, writing poetry, trying to discover the meaning of life I set foot on the island on a cold windy morning after being at sea for more than a week.
It was an immediate strong bond.
Dolphins, turtles, rays, huge groupers and so many stories.
Earthquakes that caused villages collapse into the sea, pirates and their territories, the war, wrecks, beekeeper stories, fishermen stories, the olive trees and olive oil.
Hard work on this rocky windy dry land and no communication with the ‘outside world’.
I came because one of my beloved writers, Nikos Kazantzakis, wrote here a book I adored.
I understood why. I was alive inspired and in love.
I left Greece mid 80’s in search of adventure. Did all kind of things, four continents and 3 daughters.
Lumberjack, pilot, cook, parashooter, art school , bartender, taxi driver in New York ,car transport , masonry, writer, standup comedy, father.. and ,and, and ..diving.
Never stopped, never really finished anything.
Had 2 kids and have been gone already for like 20 years when i decided to go “home”.
I drove by car from Belgium with my youngest daughter Sophia back, back to Greece.
