Hydra Island

So in my college days, money was pretty tight.  We wanted to go to a Greek island and therefore we chose the one which was the closest to Athens and which costs the least amount of money to get to on the ferry.  The island was Hydra.  It had wonderful beaches, restaurants and there were absolutely no cars.  The only means of transportation were boats, feet, and donkeys.One night we became lost on the winding cobble stone streets in the total darkness, hearing the sounds of donkeys but not being able to see them. I had totally fallen in love with Greece after only a few days in the country.  I sensed my boyfriend didn't feel the same way and I vowed to come back someday with someone who would appreciate it the way I did. At that time I had no idea why I felt such a connection to Greece. But I loved the sky and the water and the people.

Athens and the Acropolis

We took a boat from Brindisi, Italy to Greece. We did sight seeing in Athens where I  learned about the  Elgin Marbles or as the Greeks would say the Acropolis Marbles. Greece was ruled by the Ottoman Empire for four hundred years until 1825. .In 1801,  Lord Elgin, the British ambassodor to the Ottoman Empire marveled at the beauty of the  Parthenon and thought the marble sculptures should be displayed in England. So he asked the ruling Sultan who gave him permission to take them away.  I was very intrigued with this story and the violation of the ruins that belonged to the Greek people.  Today there is still controversy regarding where the Elgin Marbles should be displayed. My thoughts about the Europeans carting away Greek treasure became the basis of my story Echoes in the Mist.