Our first taste of Greece was when we arrived in Athens. Athens is an unusual city in that it is home to beautiful ancient ruins surrounded by streets packed with hurried cars and motorbikes, walls and shops plagued with graffiti, and tourists roaming the sidewalks. This couldn’t be more of a contrast to what was in store for us on the island of Ikaria.
Warm smiles. Clear water. Delicious foods. Natural beauty. Quiet. Brilliant stars. Charm.
Ikaria had more surprises and secrets to offer than I imagined. Our time in the village of Nas on the island of Ikaria provided many opportunities to learn about the life and culture of the island, many of which we hope you read in our blog. But what made the experience truly special was the people. The people we met along the way – truly strangers to us—made us feel welcome, connected, happy, inspired, and grateful. By their example, we learned to not live by the clock, put down our cell phones, reflect on our relationships, and found permission to relax and simply enjoy. Ikarians showed happiness and contentment, evidenced by constant smiles, laughter, and socialization with family and friends. They embraced life, exuded it! They knew their purpose and set out each day to accomplish it.
Returning home, I think each of us carry a piece of the island—its beauty, people and lifestyle. Having the opportunity to travel to Ikaria (something not even many Greeks are able to do), I hope we all feel compelled to share our experience with our family, friends, and communities, helping them to achieve happiness and health unlike what they have previously known. Thank you, Ikaria, for opening our eyes and giving us gifts to help change the world.
Stephanie Woodcox
What originally seemed so far away when we first started planning this adventure a year ago has now come to an end. We have arrived home after a long flight, so happy to see our families, but with a touch of nostalgia for our time in Ikaria. We take with us memories of a lifetime, friendships that we will cherish, and knowledge we hope to bring to our communities to help improve lives. We will never forget this wonderful opportunity.
We took in our last sites and sounds of the city today as we met with faculty and students at the University of Athens Department of Nursing. Our team heard about the history of nursing education, the health care system, nursing programs, clinical structures, health economics, and care for older people in the community. I found it interesting that Queen Olga founded the first school of nurses who were called “Evangelismos” and at the time it was the third nursing school in the world.
Many nurses in Greece today are having difficulty finding jobs and leave after graduation for more opportunities in other countries, unlike the USA where there is a great need for nurses. One similarity between Greece and the USA is that we both spend too much money to treat diseases when many could be avoided by taking preventive measures such as eating a better diet and increasing physical activity. Another similarity among both countries is that we are seeing an increase in our population that is over 65 years old and with that comes different opportunities and challenges in how we can add life to years, not only years to life!
Here in Ikaria it is “Spring Forward” and the time has changed one hour. Today is a big change for us as well, as we have to say goodbye to Thea, our new-found friends and Ikaria. We all are looking forward to seeing our family and friends at home and sharing our experiences. It’s bittersweet.
The day started out lazily; morning walks up the mountain, a last minute run down the road or walks to the beach; all to the sounds of the waves, the smell of fresh air, and the bells on the sheep. We packed, took pictures and had a quick brunch of yogurt, spinach and cheese pies before we got on our bus for the ride back to the airport.
Reflecting on our journey, we each have new ways we plan to incorporate what we experienced into our personal life. A passion to pass onto others the benefits of this Ikarian lifestyle is another piece of this journey. Food, herbs, community, and slowing down so as not to miss what is right in front of you.
Can we practice and use what we learned and do better at going with the flow, eat more fresh foods and introduce others to this lifestyle in our communities? I think we can.
Today started with an animated bus ride to Cristos Rahes to celebrate Greece’s independence from Turkey. Upon arrival, we watched a parade of children marching down the street. The children were dressed alike in their school uniforms. The parade ended at the church and the children went in and sat in chairs with their teachers standing behind them. The remaining adults filled in the remaining spaces. The liturgy was read and candles were lit.
While waiting for the main festivities to begin in the afternoon, we enjoyed a traditional Greek treat, loukoumades, from a street vendor. Loukoumades is like a fried donut sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with honey or chocolate. Our whole team has a new favorite treat!
The celebration continued on to the community center as we experienced the Greek culture through dancing, music, food, and wine. The local soccer team provided and served the meal in order to raise money for the team. It was obvious how joyous the people were spending their holiday in tradition. All the generations were familiar with the traditional dances and music and very patient with us as we participated. Definitely a workout.
After visiting the House of Honey, we headed further up the mountain to the village of Rahes, where we enjoyed some free time to look around their shops and eat. Many of the stores appeared to sell mostly locally produced products, though there were certain types of clothing and magazines that were very similar those in America (but in Greek). For lunch we had Greek pizza, which is similar to American, and included tomato sauce, cheese, peppers, bacon, and ham. There was no menu—just one type of pizza. This also appeared to be a popular gathering location for the young people in the area.
Next, we went further up the mountain to Afianes Winery, which is in the village of Profitis Ilias. We learned about the history of wine making in Ikaria and how it is done today on a tour given by the son of the proprietor. The oldest grape that they have in Ikaria is the Fokiano grape. Ikaria’s terrain produces a high acidity in the wine which increases the amount of anti-oxidants in the wine. This helps heart health, blood circulation, and the digestive system. They believe this has contributed to the longevity of the Ikarians. He also showed us the stone presses that they use to extract the juice from the grapes as well as the barrels and stones used for fermentation. Also on the winery property is an old home that was used to hide from pirates hundreds of years ago. Of course, we couldn’t leave before enjoying a tasting of their wines!
Today was our first full day in Ikaria. It was a beautiful sunny day. On our way to breakfast we met a 90 year old man who had come down the hill to tend to his sheep. He comes down the hill twice a day to tend to them. We had the chance to visit with him and asked him what he believed is the secret to a long life. He replied, “The clean air and marriage.” He said if he wasn’t married he would be dead.
On our way down the mountain, we met Thea’s uncle who let us help him feed his goats. He then invited us to his home. The people of Ikaria are very social and are always ready to entertain. He and his wife quickly began preparing to serve us a snack of fresh bread, goat cheese (that she had made), goat meat, and wine (that he had made). We were very moved by their hospitality. They were both in their eighties and have been together since she was 15.
To cap the night off, we met with a local doctor and his wife. While Ikarians have similar ailments and chronic diseases as Americans, they occur at a much lower rate. They prefer to try to treat their sickness and illness with natural remedies as opposed to prescriptions. The doctor told us the secrets to aging are to laugh often, dance often, fall in love, not to have stress and not to eat too much.
After taking a 60 minute flight from Athens to the island of Ikaria, we were greeted with a huge smile and hug from our island hostess, Thea Parikos. Thea lives on the island with her family (husband and 2 sons) and runs a small inn with five rooms. On the way to Thea’s inn, we stopped in the village of Faros for an authentic island (and beachside!) lunch. Lunch included grilled sardines, smelt, greens, beets and fresh homemade bread with olive oil, and wine. Each food item provided an aroma of freshness and pleasant taste of our liking. It was as if the vegetables themselves welcomed us to the soil they were planted on.
Soon we learned that this welcome also extended throughout the people of the island as we met with the family of a local older adult during dinner. As we met with the family we learned how they viewed the importance of family, culture of the island, and being active as a key component of healthy aging. We really enjoyed hearing their perspective and are excited to learn more.
If you’re going to go on a tour of ancient Athens, as we did today, be sure to have an archaeologist as your tour guide. Her name was Antigone and the depth and breadth of her knowledge was astounding. She could point out architectural tricks used by the designers of the Parthenon at the Acropolis to make it look larger than it truly was and then highlight archaeological finds of the site when we toured the new Museum of the Acropolis. We became fans of the Goddess Athena and the temple Nike dedicated to her.
It was at the Ancient Agora where we were shown the site where a government of, for and by the people-a true democracy-was born. Our guide reminded us where the Olympic games originated (Olympia, Greece) and then capped the day by snapping our photo as we posed on the winners’ podium in the 70,000-seat capacity Panathenaic Stadium.
This spectacular marble track and field site was built originally in the fourth century BC and then rebuilt for the Olympic Games’ rebirth in the late 1800s. My respect for Greece and the contributions they made to civilization was heightened due to our guide and her love and knowledge of her country’s history.
It was my first international and red-eye flight, as it was for most of us. We connected through Zurich, which allowed us a chance to stop by some of the stores in the airport – the chocolate was especially delicious. Seeing the Alps peeking through the clouds as we flew over was breathtaking. So much beauty!!! Even though I was worried about the 6 hour time change, the adjustment hasn’t been bad.
Our hotel is located right in the heart of Athens with a view of the Acropolis. After a bit of time to relax, we went to dinner at God’s Restaurant for a traditional (read: HUGE) dinner of Greek salad, moussaka, spinach pie, dollmas, wine and Greek donuts with honey. The people are so friendly and hospitable! I’m so excited for the rest of our journey 🙂