The last day on the cruise had a full day’s schedule for us. The plan was to go to Crete and Santorini. Both islands were nothing short of spectacular, but Crete superseded any expectation I may have had. When I say Crete was my favorite and the prettiest island I visited, I do not want it to seem like the others were not worth the time, because they absolutely were. Crete left me feeling different, and I just do not know how to explain the sensation. I initially had my doubts about the excursion I had signed up for during the morning stay on Crete. One of our tour directors had talked it up as being the best experiences the cruise offered. I kept thinking what did I just sign up for? I do not drink, and this excursion was about going to a private winery. Going into this, I told myself surely there will be more to this day than sitting around a table and watching people sample wines. I was in for an awakening that day and proven wrong about my preconceived ideas. The bus dropped us off at the bottom of the driveway. As we gathered at the opening of the property, I could already see the character that had been preserved for generations. An older gentleman greeted us with open arms and welcomed us to his family’s winery. The morning sun’s dazzling rays made the hillside sparkle. And with that, an overflowing sensation of peace came over me. The man held my undivided attention as he spoke. He was a thoughtful storyteller in his native tongue. His love for family came through as he spoke highly of his late father. The term agape love was how he described the way people should love and be loved by. Derived from the ancient Greek language, agape love means “the highest form of love [and] charity” and “the love of God for man and man for God.” This day on Crete just happened to be a Sunday. As the message of love and humbleness was being spoken before me, I could also hear a countryside Greek Orthodox church off into the distance holding a service. It felt as though we had been to church and been refreshed with a reminder of how we should treat, respect, and love others. He invited us into the family home that has since been converted into the winery. Inside, we sat down for light morning refreshments and traditional Greek dancing. During some of the songs, we were invited to join in on the fun. It was great fun dancing with the dancers and other travelers. I was far from being swift on my feet, but no one really cared. The memories far outweigh my coordination, or lack thereof. Sadly, our stay at the winery on the countryside of Crete had to come to an end. I enjoyed seeing a different lifestyle and meeting such a humble man with a profound life story. Those are the treasured moments that will forever stay in my heart. I could have stayed and talked to that man for hours. I could tell he had such wisdom and life lessons to share. People with a kind and humble heart like his are special and hard to come by these days. I was going to make good use of the remaining time I had back on the cruise before disembarking the next day. Between Crete and Santorini, there were a few hours, so I decided to splurge on getting my first massage. It was well worth it, and it helped me procrastinate packing. I was having too much fun to hurry along the fate of leaving. After my massage came the time to venture out to Santorini. A cable car took us to the town, we stopped for frozen Greek yogurt and took some photos. We saw what we wanted to see, and decided to cut the stay a tad short to come back to the ship to finish packing before dinner. It was bittersweet having our last dinner on the cruise. To put a final topper on the entire experience, I saw the last Cirque show after dinner. I feel like I did it all on the cruise and enjoyed every minute of island and ship life. Throughout the rest of the day and still after returning home, I think about the man who told his compelling life story with tears in his eyes. It made me realize how precious the people we cross paths with are, and what kind of an impact they leave. The Cretan way is to welcome travelers out of the goodness of your heart, expecting nothing in return. He certainly did that. Traveling brings messages of hope and goodness from dear people, and those words will ring through my mind and heart for as long as I live. We came as strangers but left as family. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2017
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