A New Day

I am not a morning person. Yet, one of the things I really like about traveling is being out early in the day to watch the city wake up. It's feeling the morning sun splash on my face as it begins to rise above buildings. That same sunshine pours into windows being dressed to entice today's passers-by, like in the bakery pictured above. It's the hum coming from the delivery trucks making their way through and around traffic to supply the day's goods. To my Greek ear, the absence of honking is conspicuous. People wish each other well for the day. And here--especially here--it's the smell of fresh baked croissants, tartes tatin, eclairs, madeleines...the list goes on. And for me, it's gingerly clutching a freshly baked baguette still a little warm from the oven. To protect its bulbous ends from morning commuters and street-sweepers, I keep a firm hold on its slender middle, trying not to crack its crunchy and flaky exterior.

Smiling, I make my way through the alleys, the narrow streets, the bikes and mopeds. While bright red geraniums reach out from their iron-protected balcony boxes above, I dart around the rivers of water that stream along the curbs below. I delight in this ritual.

I stop to look around. One by one from their tall stacks, tables and chairs are being set for the day. Steel gates are slowly disappearing to show their colorful storefronts. I peer over my other shoulder. An eyebrow rises. Each street ends with another building redirecting it to wind in a new direction, encouraging exploration. What else is there to see, hear, smell nearby? My grin expresses my satisfaction, my curiosity takes hold, and off I go.

More to come...