Sunday 18 September 2011

The Blue Grotto, Kastellorizo.

Sunday 18th September, 2011. I have organised a group to come for drinks tonight at 8.00pm. This will be the first time I will entertain. I'm glad to have the four extra chairs and the crockery set, now all unpacked and settled into their places. It took me a bit of searching in Athens to find the set I wanted. Now I notice it has the mark Chateau Valmont. I'll look it up and see if I can find out more about the company.

I've cooked spanakopita, prepared a plate of two large slabs of Turkish cheeses with grapes, local bakery poli- sporo bread, bean, garlic and lemon dip, and my favourite cocktail of the moment, Cointreau with champagne. The guests are:
the Germans: Bernt (near Munich), Sabrina, (Neuremberg), Frank and Heikou, (Hamburg).
Costa and Anne, Linda, a friend of Costa. Sculptor, New York, Marion, Bill and Linda, Basilis and Nick B. It is a great night. Everyone happy and laughing.

Tuesday 20th September,2011.
Frank, Heiko and I have organized a 9.00 am boat ride to the Blue Grotto with Giorgos of Little Paris Restaurant. A fine day with a hint of cloud cover. We breach the point then head off around the island coast passing vast slabs of red,white cliffs, sharp and jagged. A two masted sailing vessel passes us headed for the harbor. We wave. I look across at the island archipelago, rocks jutting out from this wondrous Mediterranean sea.

Giorgos cuts the motor and I see the cave opening. Oh! It is but a slit above the waterline. Surely we can't have room to enter. "Lie down, lie down". We do as instructed and glide into the hole in the rock, just.... As our eyes become accustomed to the light, we see a vast cathedral cave souring above us, the rock face worn with water, a semi circle, vast in height, lit by an iridescent blue body of water, bright and glowing. All is silence. We sit for a minute with just the lap, lap of the boat. It is truly magical.

We have our swim in the brightness, the cave slit brilliant with white light, the water blue- green and sparkling. We take our pictures as remembrance and head off back to the harbor.


No comments:

Post a Comment