Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Catch Up

Our travels did not often take us to Internet so when we had it I was all business. So I got very behind. But to briefly catch up:

Kevin and I continued down the west coast of Italy and stopped in San Marino, my haunt when a college student the summer I backpacked alone through Europe. I stayed there for 5 weeks painting and its an amazing site- the top of a mountain. Unfortunately once we took the bus up there we had rain and I was beat so it was a lovely dinner but not much touring.  The next morning we headed back down the mountain and took trains south to Bari, a bus to a ferry, an overnight ferry to Greece, a bus and two trains to FINALLY make it to Nafplio, Greece, our destination for a few weeks. Whew. The worse was not ponying up for a state room and trying to sleep in the airline chairs with the TV blasting all night. I felt quite tortured.

Nafplio was warm, lovely and fairly quiet as we were so off season. We stayed in a house in a village outside it and that was beautiful with everything we could want.. My son Z. joined us immediately as he was in Athens.  Dan and Stewart, Carly and Scott came a few days later.  We had a fabulous time together, made a Greek Thanksgiving feast with a gorgeous table (thanks to Stew) , fresh salads, beets, fish grilled, chicken kabobs, chocolate cake to die for, best baklava in the world- I could go on and on...these young folks can cook!  It was magical.  Much wine flowed! And the sun and warth were very healing.

But eating was still tenuous and I decided the emergency room  was worth trying again. I still had no word to go home from my brothers, but my heath was an increasing issue. That attempt failed so I made an appointment with an internist in Athens.  He found my upper and lower abdomen was indeed filled with liquid from an unknown source. Also something where I complained of pain he did not recognize so advised going back to the states for more tests.

So there it was- confirmation I was not crazy and just imagining I looked like a fishbowl and the call to home was to first address health, then mom.  It was at this time my brothers finally confirmed Mom was dying. God. They were hesitant tot tell her I was sick so now I will fly in tomorrow to get help and hope I see her in time, but I may not. It is sad, but I am trying to understand and accept this strange state of affairs. My colleague in the program, Brad, has come to Paris to see the program through the last week.

It may seem an inglorious end to a truly phenomenal journey. But you always work hard for the high points and I'm down with that.  I will wait the next part of these days and hope the universe keeps my spirit in one piece...will keep you "blogged" once I do finish this next step.


Thanks for reading my friends!

No comments:

Post a Comment