Merry Matala

Greece is lovely this time of year, with the days getting shorter and the temperatures slightly cooler. The beaches are still packed with well -browned Europeans in a startling array of shapes and sizes and most of the hotels are fully booked each night. I've heard French, German, Italian, Russian, and a few others I couldn't quite identify. Our first clients arrive tomorrow so I'm enjoying a last evening to myself watching the sun set into the ocean.

My role for these two trips is mainly as support and massage therapist. The first trip will serve to get me familiar with the itinerary and rhythm of travel, and I'll probably get to paddle nearly every day. The second trip, with 17 people, will involve much more logistical, behind the scenes work. One of my biggest challenges will be staying up past 9:30, which is usually my bed time but here is when most folks head to dinner. Night owl, I am not.

As you can imagine things in Greece work a little differently. You get your check for dinner when they're good and ready to give it to you, and it's bad form to turn down the frequently offered shots of raki, the local liquor. Renting a van or booking multiple hotel rooms often involves tracking down just the right person to talk to, who may or may not speak English, could be in England or off taking a nap, or who may forgo your reservation entirely if something better comes along. Part of the magic of these trips is that the clients have no idea how much really goes into them.