Yesterday, May 9 2016, we celebrated our 52nd wedding anniversary.  We did it quietly.  Almost incognito.  We had morning cafe in our local bar, a big lunch at our favourite trattoria in Florence, sweet little dinner at home.  We did some reminiscing and some planning for the future because we’re about to retire.  And while I was looking over some old photos of anniversaries past, I came upon the story of our 50th anniversary which we spent in Greece on the island of Santorini.  It was a grand way to celebrate 50 years together and it started off with a surprise visit…………

Donkey Visits our Apartment, Santorini, Greece                                                            

We woke up in Santorini, Greece, in the little village of Finikia. No cars, just donkeys. We wound up here at the end of a year-long sabbatical. We had never been to Greece and we knew this quite special event was going to happen and we kind of wanted to be alone. It is, after all, a bittersweet moment. We have grown up, grown older, grown a bit wiser together and it comes as a surprise to realise that 50 years have gone by.

But, back to this morning……

After our breakfast of yogurt, fresh fruit, spinach pie and hot coffee, I was making my way up the craggy stone steps to our apartment with thoughts of the wedding day preparations that took place on that day long ago. I remember them because I was a very calm and happy bride. I had no doubts at all. I knew Russ was the man I would spend my life with, so I was completely in the moment and enjoying it all. And there was a lot going on. Beautiful wedding gown hanging there just waiting for its moment to arrive, friends and family already arriving downstairs and chattering busily with my mom, while my father and I sat on my bed sharing the breakfast he had made for us. It was such a sweet and loving gesture that touched my heart and his. We laughed and cried together. We were both happy and yet aware of the significant day this would be in our lives.

Today though, as I reached the last step of the walkway to our apartment, I looked up and stopped dead in my tracks. I was face to face with a large brown donkey who was furiously chowing down within the wild chamomile patch contained in the walled garden outside our door. He didn’t even notice me such was his intense focus on the yellow blooms. I abandoned my wedding reverie and dashed inside to get the camera and immediately dashed outside again to lean over the porch wall to get some photos.

Shepherd and Winding Stone Path, Santorini, Greece

By the time I got out there, I could hear a voice softly shouting Greek commands and I looked below to the long and winding stairway and turned my camera on what I saw. A quintessentially Greek old-timer, sun-browned and lined face, blue beret on his head, rustic sweater zipped up against the morning chill, gnarly hand wielding a cane stick, was dashing up those stairs as if he were a teen.

Shepherd On the Run, Santorini, Greece                                                                                                                                                  

And when he reached our stone wall, he hopped over and gave chase to the donkey who had broken out into a true gallop upon the sight of this man.

Shepherd Hops the Wall, Santorini, Greece

They were both out of sight within seconds, and we were left laughing, full of wonder and curiousity, just like we were 50 years ago at this time!

Then

When you reach a 50th anniversary, there are so, so many things you can focus on, write about, remember.

Now

The “then” photo is a bit blurry (no digital cameras on the scene yet) but in our minds and hearts it’s just as clear as the “now” photo.  It’s likely that I’ll have more to say on the subject, but for this morning, I am ever so grateful we can stand here together in this very remote place and still find wonder and amusement in the life we share.