The Passport Stamp Was the Souvenir
I was chatting online with a friend. Let’s call her Suzan. She lives in Switzerland and may be coming to Greece, so I said, “When they stamp your passport, let me know…
Stories Archive
Stories, observations, and absurdities from Greece and beyond.
169 published stories
The Scarlet Ν
In Greece, there is a famous letter you see on the back of cars. Ν. Not “N” exactly. Ν. Greek capital ni. It stands for: νέος οδηγός(neos odigos) Translation: new driver. Beginner.…
The System Is Down. Have Some Gavros.
From noon to noon. Just another day in my homeland. It began with a notification from Airbnb. Upcoming charge. Rental in Athens. A place I had set up for a friend. X…
There Is Always Another Village
Greece has thousands of villages with fewer than 500 people. Thousands. My search suggested somewhere between 7,000 and 7,500. For a country roughly the size of Florida, that number feels insane. For…
When Your Greek Last Name Becomes a Business Plan
We spent a couple of days in Methoni, which is what you do when you live in Kalamata and suddenly remember there is an actual castle by the sea just sitting there,…
The Husband My Wife Met Again in Greece
After our younger son left for college, Karen and I looked at each other across the quiet house and had the conversation many parents have when the last child leaves. Now what?…