Mid November, weekend trip to Turkey. Flying above the Aegean on the short flight to Istanbul (1.10 mins); you get to think about home. And the passion we should feel for being alive in this treasure-trove of unique beauty. (The red-line on the GoogleEarth shot above shows the flight-line, a simple diagnal skip over one of the world's most outstanding natural and cultural wonders).
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| Immediately east of Athens Airport. The city of Rafina with its small harbour and the Rafina stream river-mouth. Mount Penteli above the coastline of Eastern Attika. Rafina is where my wife grew up; and from here my family would take the ferry across to Euboea; and in this sprawling coast we spend our summers and our weekends. |
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| North of Rafina, in the Eubean Gulf, is Marathon. Now Schinias-Marathon National Park. This is were many of us local naturalists have studied a lot of nature. It is a real getaway from the urban sprawl. |
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| The southern Euboean Gulf and Euboea (on the Right). Paradise next to Athens. The islands are a Kayaker's dream, the waters are clear and full of life; even Seals and Dolphins swim so close to Athens. |
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| The southern tip of Euboea, the Karystia. My country. My mother's family was from here. This is my personal paradise. Looking south over the foothills of Mount Ochi. |
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| The wild coastlines of Cape Kafireas on Euboea. I have walked every hill here as a youth. To the south, Andros and the Cyclades. |
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| Eressos and Sigri in the Northeast Aegean, on Lesvos. Land of Sappho. An "otherworld" for Aegean natural history; vulcanic, elegant and Asian. |
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| The strait between Lesvos and the Troad, Aeolian Anatolia. Land of Stratis Myribilis, Theophrastus at Assos (in Aeolia across the straits). |
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| Mitilini and the narrow lagoon-like bay of Yera. Anatolia on the Left. Seat of the University of the Aegean. Aristotle praised the Island's lagoons and studied nature here. And so many non-muslims fled across to find refuge here from Anatolia in the 1920's. |
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| Ayvalik (Aivali). My mother's grandfather was from here (He moved to Euboea). So many Greek people consider this a part of their heritage. |
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| Akcay near Ayvalik. And the Aeolian Anatolia in the background. Elias Venezis wrote about this landscape in "Land of Aeolia". Vast and mysterious but also familiar.... |
