Thank You Aunt Helen!
Buckle up. The following intro is wordy, but I promise it will eventually get to the topic at hand.
Moving through life we come to intersections where our lives rub up to greatness. Of course while it is actually happening, we are frequently clueless.
My father was a wonderful man. He had a long career as a police officer. A job he loved. But, for much of my childhood he worked nights (or "dogwatch"). So he'd arrive home and go to bed right as I left for school. That meant we didn't have a normal father / son relationship until I hit the age of about 13 when he could bid for day shifts.
So when I was young my routine was to come home from elementary school, eat dinner, chat up mom and then ask to go "next door".
It wasn't to play games or watch TV with neighbor kids. No I went to visit Mr. and Mrs. Hackshaw. They were an extraordinarily well educated, yet childless, couple. And, in retrospect, heaven knows why they put up with me. But they were so much fun to be around and Aubrey became a surrogate dad.
Aubrey was from the West Indies and owned that elegant "Cola Nut" accent (sorry for those that have no clue). His prized possession was his big console "Hi-Fi".
Sometimes Aubrey and I would chat or play games, other times we'd just watch television. But my favorite activity was when he'd sit on the floor and deejay Harry Belafonte LP's. He'd sing and clap his hands and this (very uptight) six year old white kid would get up and dance to the Banana Boat Song or Matilda. Dancing in that clumsy way only 5 or 6 years olds can.
DAY-O!
Alvessie cooked me plantains and made guava jelly. OMG!
It was a turbulent time in America and when the Watt's riots hit (which confused a small kid), Alvessie took the time to gently explain what was happening in a way a small kid could understand. And, her honesty and insight frequently provided me a logical alternative to some of what I heard at home.
Being around the Hackshaw's taught me that once you come to love people, it becomes hard to hate the "thems" of the world. Such an important lesson.
Years later I came to fully realize how respected they were in Oakland's African American Community. I also discovered that many of the guests I met walking around at their cocktail parties (me looking at kneecaps) were famous sports stars, musicians (Count Basie's Orchestra!) and at least two Presidential cabinet members.....
But that's another story.
Another intersection with greatness involved my own family. I've always adored my Aunt Helen and Uncle Ken. Like the Hackshaw's, only later in life did I fully realize the greatness of their lives. When Uncle Ken passed away last October he was the oldest living member of the NFL. In fact, although drafted by the Pittsburgh Steeler's, he opted to play his two professional NFL seasons for the brand new SF 49'ers at Kezar (think Dirty Harry).
Mom's sister, Ken's beloved wife of 75+ years (Aunt Helen), was all business. She ran her family like a corporation. Her authoritative voice left no doubt what was going to happen as she dispensed wisdom in a completely matter-of-fact manner.
But that's also another story.
So why do I bring all this up? Well its about learning to trust greatness.
You see during one of my chats with Aunt Helen (who had seemingly traveled everywhere) I asked her to list her favorite places on earth. Without hesitation she said French Polynesia and Santorini.
In that moment, those places took their place on my must see destinations list.
So fast forward to May 2022. After our departure from Athens our first stop (thanks to Aunt Helen) was the island caldera of Santorini.
Our AirBNB host Antonis met us at the airport where he piled all our luggage in his zippy little all electric Fiat. That allowed us to follow him to his MyBozer Twins (his two lovely AirBNB units). As there are no street signs or addresses on Santorini. Apple Maps is worthless. You have to follow someone.
Till the moment we picked our Volkswagen UP! I had never heard of one. But it became our 3 cylinder freedom machine (complete with a very forgiving clutch).
Antonis proved to be human joy with a heartbeat. He loves life, people, and his adorable adopted pit bull Bella.
He delivered a fresh tray of different warm Greek pastries to us every morning of our stay.
Good Morning from Antonis!
Our first planned activity was a glorious evening walking tour of the hilltop town of Oía with Jean Sébastien.
Jean Sébastien
We learned the history of the island along with the volcanic legacy of the crescent shaped caldera that forms Santorini and its bay.
Oía and Fira are the islands two big towns. Both cling to the steep cliffs of the caldera. Both offer iconic guest rooms created from caves.
Jean Sébastien, however, alerted us to the seismically unstable "Red Zone" on which some of Santorini's hotels and guest lodgings reside.
If you plan to visit Santorini ask if your lodgings are in the red zone. If they are, stay somewhere else. The last cataclysmic earthquake was July 7, 1956 and experts believe they are due for another. When it arrives a lot of lovely white structures will tumble down Santorini's steep cliffs into the sea.
Oía is the quiet and romantic "honeymoon" town. Fira is the boisterous party town. Happily our AirBNB was not in either. It was just down the hill from Oía nestled in some wonderfully quiet vineyards. We enjoyed views of the ocean and the donkey that arrived every morning to graze just outside our window.
Our Morning Visitor
While in Athens we asked Ms. Kochilas for some recommendations on places to eat on Santorini. Top of her list was the Sigalis Winery. Which turned out to be literally a few steps from our AirBNB.
Truly Joss!
So here are some photos of our time on Santorini.
The hilltowns of Oía and Fira are hopelessly picturesque. The white "paint" is actually a limestone slurry applied annually to seal the buildings, reflect heat, and keep mosquitos away. Some say the domes were painted blue to thumb their nose to the Ottoman occupiers as it made the whole city into a Greek Flag.
Jean Sébastien warned us to avoid Red Beach (where deadly rock slides are a high probability). He also advised against white swim attire as some beaches release sulfur leaving unfortunate swimmers with potentially embarrassing (and permanent) yellow stains.
Many Caves Come With Private Pools and Spas
Our visit included my 66th birthday. So when the day came Antonis booked lunch reservations at Fratzeskos on the beach in Perissa. The fish was caught that morning. I had a fresh grilled Scorpionfish. It was sublime. Dorothy introduced us to taramasalata (a meze made from the salted roe mixed with olive oil, lemon juice and a starchy base of bread or potatoes). It was wonderful.
Perusing the Menu at Fratzeskos
Scorpionfish
One of the more popular activities on the island is the 7 KM ridge hike from Fira to Oía. It is well marked and offers spectacular views. Take lots of water.
Looking From Fira to Oía
Sadly our time on Santorini finally came to an end. We turned in our UP! at the airport, said our goodbyes to Antonis (and Bella) and shuttled to the port to catch a high speed SeaJets ferry for the 90 minute crossing to Heraklion Crete.
On Our Way to Crete
Thank you Aunt Helen!
Roadboy's Travels © 2022
2 comments:
Just read your June 12, 2022 post about the Hackshaws. I was Googling for info about them because they played a critical role in my childhood, making it possible for my family to move from a two-bedroom cottage below Oakland's E. 14th St to a three-bedroom, where I no longer had to sleep in a crib between my brothers' beds at age six because of de facto segregation. A few years later, they facilitated our move to Sequoyah Hills. Back in the late 1950s, when I first visited their office with my parents, I remember being fascinated by Mr. Hackshaw's accent. I'd never heard what sounded to me like a "British" accent issue from the mouth of a Black person before! I was also impressed my Mrs. Hackshaws dress and demeanor. My parents had several friends who were business women, one was even a realtor. But I never saw them in "office drag," so Mrs. H. made quite an impression on me.
Dear califgrll,
Thank you so much for your comment. I loved our story. It confirmed even more how wonderful these two humans were.
I've googled them a few times. One time I came across a tribune article about Alvessie's work integrating the YWCA in Oakland. What a dynamo!
Growing up in a white privilege and fairly bigoted household, I've come to realize that their efforts embracing me into their lives permanently reframed my perspective and outlook on my entire life. They were consummate proof that it is indeed "better to light a candle, than to curse darkness".
I also mentioned Aubrey in my Belafonte's return to Lake Tahoe post.
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