Valerie's Voice – Musings on Life

Santorini, Greece

“Santorini is famous for its dramatic volcanic caldera, iconic cliffside villages of whitewashed buildings and blue-domed churches, and breathtaking Aegean sunsets.” (Google) And we got to spend four nights on this romantic island.

Upon arrival at the airport in Santorini, our pre-arranged driver transferred us to our resort in the city of Oia (locally pronounced Ee-ah) in the north, away from the cruise ship docks in Fira. He dropped us at the parking lot which was several hundred yards from the resort’s office, so a strong, young employee from the resort met us with a dolly.

The hotel employee pulling our luggage on a dolly.

He loaded our heavy luggage (there were four of us) and pulled and pushed the dolly to the resort. It was impressive. These are narrow, uneven brick lanes, going both uphill and down…and down…and down. I’m not sure I could have carried my own luggage if I had to.

Our hotel – our room on left. photo by gb.

We checked in to our lovely room…with a view, and a balcony… with a hot tub.

As on the other islands, the resort and hotels, houses and most buildings on the island are painted white…some with blue trim. Churches have blue domes. The buildings are cubical and some cave-like, to imitate the original cave homes on the volcanic island. We were told that in order to confuse the pirates all the homes were painted white and the small lanes created a maze.

The volcano erupted about 1600 BC and created a caldera (a large, cauldron-shaped depression that forms from the explosion or collapse of the center of a volcano). The island of Santorini is one part of the edge of this caldera and therefore is a crescent shape. Thousands of years ago this caldera filled with water… the most exquisite crystal- clear blue water I’ve ever seen ~ the Aegean Sea which flows into the Mediterranean.

The resort we stayed at was built into a hillside and, as I mentioned, has a lot of steps. This is not a place for those who cannot handle steps or have balance issues.

The narrow, inlaid, bumpy rock sidewalks.

From the office of our hotel to our room there are about 75-80 steps (I lost count). We walked up them every time we left the resort. Our friend’s room was about 15 steps further down from our room. And the swimming pool and breakfast buffet and restaurant was down further still. The streets are a labyrinth… you needed to pay attention to where you were going. We used our phone’s GPS system often.

Santorini is an amazing place. On this magnificent island we had four days to play. Besides enjoying our balconies and the pool and the restaurant, we left daily for different activities.

For our first day, the activity we planned was a 6 mile hike from the town of Fira to where we were staying in Oia, but it was misty (the only day it rained on our trip), so we just relaxed and delayed our hike until the next morning.

On our hike…this way to Oia. photo by dh.

The next day we decided to shorten the hike to 4 miles or so; we hired a driver to take us to our selected hiking starting point and hiked the trail along the edge of the Caldera. It was very picturesque.

Looking back at the shape of the caldera we were waling along.

Several people were hiking this popular and spectacular trail. We learned about the hike from our son and his wife who walked the trail a few years ago.

There were stunning views of the sea, and many varieties of wildflowers along the way.

That afternoon we went horseback riding. It was a short ride down to the beach, but it was fun, and a new and different activity for us.

My horse’s name was Georgia. photo by gb.

One day we sailed around the other islands in the caldera, on a 45’ catamaran.

There was only one other couple for our four-hour time slot, so it felt like a personal tour. They crew served us a delicious grilled fish lunch. The boat stopped in two different areas where we were able to jump in and swim. The water was cold!!

Swimming in 64* water! Burr! photo by gb.

We all enjoyed sitting in front of the catamaran to watch the world go by.

While on Santorini, we had a delicious meal at the restaurant in our hotel. It was a wonderful place, but what made it so special was first, the seating arrangement…always outside…facing west because Santorini is noted for their gorgeous sunsets.

The Aspa Restaurant, in our hotel. photo by waitress.

And second, we mentioned to our tour director on the cruise ship that we were staying at this resort in Santorini and he told us it is owned by one of his best friends, and he would give him a call. When we checked-in they told us we were gifted with a complimentary dinner at the restaurant. What a fun surprise.

Amoudi Bay. A popular fishing port, nestled below our hotel. I love colors of the night on this pier.

The hotel(s) lite up at night looked lovely too.

A sunset view from our balcony. photo by gb.

It was a splurge for us to stay on this magical island for four nights, but it was memorable, and we all felt it was worth it.

Santorini is a wonderful place to view sunsets.

“We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.” Katie Thurmes

The Cruise, Part II

We woke up to another beautiful day in Greece, at a port in Rhodes.

Before our trip we had prearranged a 4+ mile hike along the sea with a tour company. They picked us up at the dock and drove us several miles away to the start of a trail along the rocky coast.

Chapels are everywhere. This was St. Agatha chapel located at the beginning of our hike on Rhodes.

We had a wonderful guide, and the views of the sea were stunning.

It took several hours, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Photo by our guide, Marguerite. Apparently this photo was added to her company’s website.

Photo by our guide, Marguerite. Beach in this photo is Agatha Beach.

We stopped at Limni Beach to swim in the cool, refreshing, clear waters.

Swimming in the Mediterranean. photo by dh

Anthony Quinn Bay ~ made famous because of the 1961 movie *Guns of Navarone* he starred in.

The next day we disembarked on the isle of Crete where we went to a local family organic farm where they grow olive trees and grapes. We tasted the wine and had some cheese and bread and tomatoes while watching traditional Greek dancers performed for us. It was delightful.

We also had a chance to dance with the dancers at the end. It was fun.

The last stop on our cruise was Santorini. We opted to stay onboard because the next day we would fly to Santorini for a four-night stay on our own. It was very pleasant to be on the ship with so many passengers disembarked. We had the hot tub to ourselves and a nice relaxing experience.

The cruise went quickly. We had a lovely dinner on board, on our last night.

A super-sweet flower arrangement tucked away in the corner of the winery.

"And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, 
your hair messy 
and your eyes sparkling." 
Shanti

The Cruise, Part I

Our time in Greece was marvelous. It was divided into three parts. Five nights in Athens, a four-night cruise through the isles, and four nights on the island of Santorini. I couldn’t decide where to begin writing about our adventures. I decided to start with my favorites, instead of chronological order. But then, I couldn’t determine between the four-night cruise or the four-night stay on the island of Santorini…I decided to start with the cruise.

I love being on the water and was happy to be on the Celestial Discovery, a smaller ship (1200 passenger) cruising the Mediterranean Sea and stopping at a couple of the 1,200 islands in Greece. We had a delightful tour director who took good care of us. We disembarked on a four islands: Mykonos, Patmos, Rhoades, Crete, and also disembarked at a stop in Ephesus, Turkey.

Besides seeing the scenic, small, cubical white-washed buildings (some with blue trim and all with no peaked roofs) and the narrow alley ways between houses on the islands and the picturesque scene of these buildings enveloping the hillsides up from the water, each island was unique in its own way.

Our first stop was not an island, but we sailed to Turkey, to visit Ephesus. The incredible ruins of this town where Apostle Paul, and other Biblical personalities walked the streets, 2,000 years ago, was incredible to see. The ancient city of Ephesus’ excavated remains go back several centuries.

“The Library of Celsus is the most iconic structure in Ephesus — and one of the most beautiful ancient libraries ever built. Completed in the 2nd century A.D., it once held over 12,000 scrolls…” quote off internet

At one time Ephesus was a massive economic and intellectual hub of the Roman Empire, and a center for early Christianity. It amazes me that so many of these ruins are intact today…and that we can meander through them and envision all the activity they represent.

The Temple of Hadrian was built in the 2nd century AD (before 138 AD) to honor Emperor Hadrian’s visits to the city.

Later, that same day , we sailed to Patmos where the apostle John was exiled from Ephesus, and where John had his visions described in the Bible’s book of Revelation. Researchers are confident the cave ~ The Cave of the Apocalypse ~ where we visited, is indeed where John actually received his divine visions. It is said the crack in the rock wall above (we looked up) is believed to be the spot where God’s voice echoed, symbolizing the Holy Trinity (3 fissures in the rock). This site, as is Ephesus, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a landmark or area formally recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as possessing “Outstanding Universal Value”)

The chapel attached to the cave. No pictures were allowed inside.

It was meaningful to me to be there in this cave on Patmos. Our guide told wonderful stories. The one I remember is that after the ruler who sent John to exile at Patmos died, John returned to Ephesus as an old man. In church, when the congregation asked him for a word, he would simply say “Love one another.”

When his disciples grew weary of hearing the same phrase and asked why he always repeated it, John replied: “Because it is the Lord’s command, and if this only is done, it is enough.” Amen. I enjoyed hearing that story.

Back on the ship, we sailed during the night, to Rhodes…(to be continued.)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”     John 13:34-35

The Necklace

As an outreach to the community our church puts on annual Bike Rally. This is the fourth year. We have bicycle technicians to help make small repairs to bikes, a bicycle washing station, free food, an obstacle course for kids, and more. It’s a big draw to the Hispanic community that lives near by the church, but it’s open to anyone in the community, and word is getting out. It’s always a great event and Gary and I planned to help again this year.

I usually like to be at the food table…grillers are grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, and I, along with others, are helping keep the buns and condiments, chips and cookies, lemonade and water all refreshed. (I was busy so very few photos..)

This year a women donated a huge double layer cake that we needed to help serve. While doing this I noticed a woman in line with a beautiful necklace and I complimented her on it. She spoke some English. I learned she is from Mexico and is visitng family here. She comes to Northfield a few times a year. Almost immediately, after I told her I liked her necklace, she took it off and gave it to me. She wanted me to have the necklace since I liked it. She said, “that is what we do.”

We continued our conversation for another 30-40 minutes, exchanging emails at the end. Our pastor’s wife speaks fluent Spanish and was standing nearby so I asked her to do a little interpreting to make sure I understood this woman wanted to gift me her necklace. All was good…that was her intent, and she wants to continue to communicate via email.

What a fun serendipity.

What a kind gesture.

What a good lesson.

What a delightful new friend.

Brand Farms Tulip Festival

On a beautiful spring day in Minnesota I ventured out to the Brand Farms in Farmington, Minnesota for its tulip festival debut. Having planted over 160,000 Dutch tulip bulbs last fall, the Brands opened up their tulip field this spring for the public to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

According to their website “Brand Farms is a family dairy farm originally purchased in 1957 by German immigrants, Anton and Marie Brand, and has been passed down through four generations. Aaron Brand is the fourth generation who farms with his father, John. His grandfather, Richard, was born in 1932 and still has a daily presence on the farm.”

As I drove down the dusty dirt road I approached the farm an hour after it opened and was surprised – the parking lot was overflowing and cars were parked everywhere.

Word is out, and the tulips are up, and the festival is in full swing (it opened May 2 and runs through May 24).

I waited in line to board the tractor-pulled wagon that takes you out to the tulip field. It’s the only way you can get there (and there is a charge).

As we approached the field, there was a pop of exquisite colors and it reminded me of the aerial photos you see of the Netherland’s tulip fields (well… on a significantly smaller scale!)

On this day, many of the tulips were in full bloom. There were a few that have not opened yet, but I got an excellent first impression. A few interesting oddities were placed among the tulips for photo ops.

My favorite was a grand piano amongst the tulips. There were a couple of clawfoot bathtubs too. There was a variety of activities to keep the visiting kiddos engaged. One food truck was open this day, but I believe more food trucks are there on the weekends.

As I was taking photos of the many striking colors of tulips I was reminded of a time when a friend called me and told me she was standing in the flower shop wanting to buy me a bouquet of tulips.

She decided to call and ask me what color I wanted…and I said white. She was surprised, and said she was glad she called to ask because she would never have chosen white.

I have always liked white flowers. There were rows of spectacular white tulips at the tulip festival.

But while I stood looking at the tulips, I wondered…if I could pick a bouquet from this field which color would I choose? I decided I wanted one of every color…they were all so glorious.

It was a lovely morning at the first annual tulip festival at the Brand Farms. I’m glad annual is in the name. I’d bet they will add more tulips each year.

It continues to amaze me how there are so many variety of flowers…and then with each variety such an array of colors.

The CAT Museum

It’s not a kitty cat museum, but an art museum. After reading my blog post on our visit to the Chihuly art glass museum in St. Petersburg FL, a friend invited us to join them to see a modern art museum with Chihuly glass in Shoreview, Minnesota.

It all began when Gerard Cafesjian started collecting artwork when he was young. He became a prominent businessman and philanthropist and believed that art should be accessible and personal. His approach to collecting was to focus on what he loved rather than just famous names or price tags.

The outside of the CAT Museum is blue glass.

“Mr. Cafesjian instilled in his family a spirit of generosity and a love of art. When he passed away in 2013 [at age 88] his vast collection was brought together as the Cafesjian Art Trust (CAT). Embracing his legacy as a collector and as a champion of the arts, his daughter Kathie created a free museum in Shoreview, Minnesota to serve as a dynamic hub of created inspiration and contemporary art. The CAT Museum opened in October 2022…” (quote from CAT Museum website).

The Cafesjion’s have a big heart. This piece titled Purple Heart, by Tommy Tanggara, was hanging behind the reception desk as you enter.

We learned that his daughter Kathie continues the philanthropic support by covering busing charges for school children so they can come to tour the CAT Museum. The cost of busing is one of the holdbacks for field-trips. This is a wonderful gift.

There is a room for children to make art. I liked this fun piece hanging in the children’s area. No name or credit.

Our docent talked about six pieces of art that morning. Of course, art is your own interpretation, especially modern art. I sometimes have trouble understanding modern art, so I appreciated her suggestions about each piece. There was the obligatory mostly all-white painting in most modern art museums (she didn’t talk about that one), which I never get…but there were other pieces I appreciated.

Instantly recognizable Chilhuly glass chandelier in the lobby of the CAT.

In the entrance there is a signature Chihuly glass chandelier, and there was a Chihuly glass ceiling that was originally from Chihuly’s home in Naples, Florida. I’ve seen Chihuly glass ceilings before, but this museum invited you to lay on the carpeted floor and look up. We did.

Chihuly’s glass ceiling, from his home in Naples, FL.

Other than seeing Chihuly, my favorite piece was made with glass beads, Puzzles Circles and Patterns. The artist, Thando Ntobela, is from South Africa, where beading “has been a source of creative expression in Africa for centuries, yet it largely remains unrecognized and under-celebrated in art exhibitions and galleries. An art form associated with women…”. (quote from the artist’s plaque)

Puzzles Circles and Patterns, made by Thando Ntobela.

On each artist’s plaque there was a QR code to listen to the artist. This was the only one I listened to, but it was fun to hear Thando Ntobela explain how beading makes her happy, and when she feels sad she beads to make her feel happy again. She wants her work to make others happy. Her piece did make me happy.

There were a three more favorites…one glass piece, and two landscape scenes, but very different from each other. One titled Eruptor (I missed taking a photo of the artist plaque so I can’t credit the artist) of bike paths and mountains in the SW, and the other piece entitled Monument Valley, by Jin Jeong.

Eruptor…landscape of mountains and bicycle paths in SW United States.

Monument Valley, painted by Jin Jeong…oil on linen, with some linen at the top left unpainted.

A beautiful green glass art piece, called Emerald, crafted by Vladimir Prochazka.

After our time at the museum, we planned to go to a nearby French bakery for lunch. As we entered, we all commented on how the display case, full of pastries, was its own little art museum…so many beautifully crafted pastries. It was hard to choose which one to order.

More edible works of art. Just a few examples.

This was a fun outing. I hope to get back to the CAT museum this fall when there will be a new exhibition.

There were a few artworks outside the CAT Museum..

Earth Day

Earth Day was born in 1970 on my husband’s (Gary) birthday ~ April 22. We both remember the first Earth Day. I’m glad we’re still celebrating it, and I’m glad we’re still celebrating my husband’s birthday. HA!

For his birthday, we picked up trash along Highway 60 in Faribault, Minnesota. This clean-up is a bi-annual task the Faribault Flyers Bike & Ski Club does for the community. We are a part of the bike club so we volunteered to help.

This sign is along Highway 60, near Faribault.

This year’s clean up date happened to fall on Earth Day, and Gary’s birthday. Little did anyone expect that the temperature would climb to 90* in April! It was sunny, windy and hot. And there we were in the middle of the afternoon picking up trash in the ditches. It was hard work, but we survived and the group met at a Mexican restaurant for dinner afterward.

Our first year, four years ago, we picked up a lot more trash…so we assume our work is making a difference over the years. However, we placed multiple yellow bags, full of trash, on the side of Highway 60 to be picked up by the highway department.

There were several trout lilies surviving in the ditch.

There was one snafu. Gary and I started at one end of a section, and two others started at the other end so we would meet up in the middle. Along the way I took a photo of trout lilies in the ditch, blooming in spite of the trash.

I also took photos of animal bones in skeleton form. We have a retired vet in our group so he identified it as a deer (from my photo). We had no idea deer had such fierce looking teeth.

When we met the other two in the middle of our section someone asked me for the time. I went to retrieve my cellphone out of my pocket and lo and behold, it was not there! Sigh.

It must have fallen out while bending over for trash. So, Gary and I started retracing our steps. Fortunately, Gary had my cell phone on his “Find My” app on his phone…so it pinged when we were close. Even though we were in the vicinity, it was still hard to find, but after about 20 minutes we did find my phone in the ditch, and all is well.

Whew… I did not want to find my phone in the ditch among the trash next year!

Santa Barbara Vibes

We had a wonderful time in California visiting our son and his family. I understand why people love the weather there. We flew back to a “turtle-paced” spring in Minnesota, and it has been difficult to readjust to the cold.

During our flight to Santa Barbara, I was captivated by the cloud formations outside the plane windows. I wanted to jump out of the plane and fall into their puffy softness.

Fluffy clouds outside the window of the plane.

On our first day, there were some lingering, beautiful clouds at sunset, but they eventually blew away and we had sunshine and blue skies for the rest of our trip. So much for more cloud pictures.

Beautiful cloud art over the Pacific Ocean.

Our days were full of activity, and our evenings were relaxing. Some evenings we sat around the firepit gazing at the stars,

and other evenings we walked along the ocean to watch the harbor light up. The reflections of the boat lights on the still, calm water were truly enchanting. I enjoyed taking pictures of the harbor.

Walking towards the Santa Barbara harbor at dusk.

Boats and lights reflecting on the calm water at dusk.

A lighted palm tree. It looks really awesome in person…not so much in the picture.

One day we went on a whale-watching excursion hoping to see, and take pictures of, migrating Gray and Humpback whales, but alas – we did not see any.

Much to our surprise, Condor Express gave us a “whale-check” coupon for a future excursion. We will plan to use it the next time we’re in Santa Barbara.

Although we didn’t see any whales, we really enjoyed our three-hour cruise on the water.

Looking towards the coast from our boat.

We enjoyed seeing flowers blooming everywhere, but I didn’t focus on taking pictures of them. The fun, diving pelicans and iconic seagulls were everywhere too, but I only took these three bird pictures below:

The week flew by while we soaked up the sunshine and enjoyed quality time with family amidst the delightful charm of Santa Barbara.

Happy Spring Flowers

Spring flowers are a wonderful sight to see…. their vibrant, happy faces pop out through the winter’s leftover debris of dead grass, twigs and dirt, and really stand out. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses, scilla are all perky little reminders that spring is in the air.

Here’s a fun spring poem:

Daffydowndilly

"She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbour:
"Winter is dead." 

        - A.A. Milne from her book When We Were Very Young (1924)*

Often this time of year l buy some tulips to put in a vase to bring a little spring indoors. For several days the tulips stand perky and bright, and then the blooms open wider and their stems start to arch and bend and they take on a wild look.

I love it when that happens. It reminds me of the beautiful messiness of life.

Scilla siberica can be invasive. There is a lawn in Northfield covered in purple scilla…
It does look beautiful this time of year. 04/06/26

Spring is officially here in Minnesota, yet it usually takes longer to arrive than what the calendar says. But I’m ready for the colors of spring…tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses, scilla, forsythia…all signs of hope and rebirth.

* If you are in the U.S., you can generally post poems from A.A. Milne’s early collections—specifically When We Were Very Young (1924) and Now We Are Six (1927)—without infringement.

Happy Easter

Christ is risen.

He has risen indeed!

Alleluia!