The daughter and I did a roundabout trip to Greece. Flights are sometimes cheaper in different cities and it happened that Bologna had cheap flights to Athens. It would have been better to pay the extra and go from Naples but you live and learn. We flew to Bologna, then got the train from the airport, walked a long way in the summer heat to our Air BnB, had to eat out that night and then get a taxi to the airport the next day to get the no frills flight. We took all day to get to Athens with a layover in Rome. We lived and we learnt.
We met my bae at a gorgeous apartment in a an old shattered looking building. She's Greek and she shines in Australia but in her country of origin, she positively sparkles. We dressed up for the evening in celebration of months apart. We had souvlaki and boiled horta, a green vegetable that we become obsessed with. All Greeks are out for the evening it seems, high heeled, sparkling with rhinestones and jewels, big glorious hair and the men sleak and chic. The night is warm and we're catching up on months of news.
My bae is the woman I have lived next to for thirty three years, she has lived all her life in the house next door and my late husband knew her as a baby. We weren't that close before my husband's death but when the lights in her salon kept on blinking just after his funeral (we assumed it was his ghostly self making his presence known) and more so when I went for a hair cut (she's also the best hairdresser/counsellor around), we became bosom buddies as was the old expression and now it's been replaced with 'bae' - before anyone else. We prop each other up with wine and food or a listening ear when we start to dissemble.
The daughter has had enough socialising and heads off to bed but the night for us older, more mature women, is but young and we go out for cocktails at a really cool shabby chic type bar. We have Limoncello Spritz's and discuss life and how we're handling or rather not handling our issues. I've run away for a year, she's run away for ten days.
The next day we explored Athens, wandering past amazing shoe, jewellery and clothes boutiques. We find a beautiful old church which makes you want to become religious and buy some rosary beads. I smell the honeyed wax of the candles and the walls seem impregnated with frankincense and myrrh. Old ladies drift in and out, clothed in black, rosary beads in hand, as do the men.
Then we meet up with the daughter at a restaurant where we had eaten at a few years previously. Another chic but shabby place, with retro paraphernalia and the best food. I let bae order (big mistake to let a Greek order, the food just kept coming), surprisingly we ate it all. Moist zucchini fritters; succulent octopus, an eggplant dip and horta - our staple food now. We eat, drink and are merry and every time we ask for the bill, more food arrives - free! A chocolate slice with biscuits, watermelon and then liquor. No wonder Greece went broke, they're too generous.
Then bae unpacked her hairdressing equipment and the daughter and I were restyled. Products just kept coming out of that bag, even ammonia got through customs. I can imagine if she had been stopped in Athens they would have looked in her bag and understood a woman's need to travel with beautifying products. In Australia, on the other hand, you probably would have been delayed and questioned. We were given new streaks and a new 'do' for both of us, these were her gifts.
We dressed up and headed up to a restaurant that overlooked the Acropolis. We dined on succulent fried zuchini slices in breadcrumbs; halloumi in crispy phyllo with tomato jam; a creamy soft cheese dip; olives; a salad of the sweetest squashed tomatoes, fetta, olives, oregano and a wholemeal bread soaked in olive oil; lots of wine and again, upon asking for the bill, free extras. A moon drifted into view over the Acropolis as we walked back home from the Plaka.
It was that night that the partner and I parted company, we were living separate lives and it wasn't sustainable. I drank more than I should have that night. I was single - again. What better place to drown a few sorrows and be bolstered by my 'bae'.
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