It would have been simpler just to fly directly to Spain from Australia, as that is why I came to Europe. A friend that I had met in Mexico will be studying Spanish in Seville in March, so I thought this would be a great time to visit Spain and connect with her again. So I went to google trips to find the cheapest flight from Australia to Europe. It turned out to be with Qatar airways through Doha to Athens. Well, that could be interesting. See a bit of Greece, take the ferry to Italy and explore a bit there, then on to Seville.

But now it all seems very complicated. Since I’m here, I must do this… should do this… I’m suffering from fear of missing out. If you’re in Greece, you should go to the islands. Oh no, you should explore some of the small towns and see the authentic Greece. But then there’s Italy. So many must sees. Rome, Florence, the Almafi coast. It all takes planning, checking bus schedules, booking hotels, planning which sights to see.

So I’ve come to Kalamata, on the Peloponnese south west of Athens, to think about what I really want to do. Being somewhere warm is my top priority. It turns out, according to Oli, that Kalamata is the warmest place on the Greek mainland. I met him this morning, after walking south from my apartment, through the vibrant downtown, the municipal railway park and finally to the brilliant waterfront. It is very much the off season here. I walked past so many restaurants with empty tables along the water, past fishermen repairing their nets, to a parking area along the beach. Several very interesting vehicles were parked there and one caught my eye. German license plate with a map of Africa on the side. The back door was open so I took that as an invitation to stop and chat with the man just inside the door.

Oli and his wife, Sabrina, (who was out somewhere doing laundry) spend the winter months travelling southern Europe and Morocco in their camper truck. They live in northern Germany. He’s retired and Sabrina, I believe, works online. They’re here in Kalamata for a few days, then they’re heading to a town west of here along the coast.

Interesting, laid-back lifestyle. They don’t seem to suffer from FOMO. But then they know, I guess, what they want. I’m not sure what I want.

I walk down the gravely beach. Three middle-aged women are wading out into the water. I hear them later as I’m sitting on the pebbly beach, looking for stones with holes in them. They’re out there, floating in the water, singing and laughing. Small children are here with their mothers, being astonished at what they find on the beach. A couple of old men (they’re probably younger than I am) are playing backgammon.

I find a cafe that has a view of the water, but is protected from the wind. Groups of people are drinking coffee, smoking, and chatting. I order a cappuccino. It comes, along with the standard glass of water. I write. And watch people. I order a smoothie, but the waiter says they don’t have smoothies as the fruit is out of season. So I order some kind of orange drink, as oranges are in season. There are orange trees everywhere.

Later in the evening I’m sitting in Luna Lounge. It’s 8:00. The place is bustling with young families with children, couples, groups of friends having a drink. I’m having a glass of wine and a snack. It’s too early for Greeks to eat. From what I read, they eat about 10.

So now, after a day of contemplation and a couple of glasses of wine, I know what I want to do. I’ll take a bus on Sunday to Patras, spend the night there, take the Monday evening ferry to Bari, Italy. Then I’ll decide what the next steps are. No need to plan everything right now. I’ll just take it a few days at a time!