Heading North in a Tiny Car

Drive to Northern Greece:

Nicola and I drive 8 hours north. This time, using Nic’s GPS, we get out of Athens with no problem. Pass agricultural land, farms that remind me of Central CA, then into a rugged coastline toward Mnt. Olympus. Through the town of Litochoro, on the way up the mountain, it smells sweet like vanilla—like my Sierras. We pass a string of restaurants, downtown square, valley off in the distance, and somewhere inside the clouds hides Mnt. Olympus. We drive our tiny car (and Nic finally figures out how to stay on the right hand side!) up the mountain into the thick, white sky. Gorgeous greens, sharp cliffs—but still no Olympus. We’re running out of time. Eventually the road turns to dirt, complete with ! signs to warn us of the hairy drive.

We decide there will be no mountain of the gods for our human eyes, but ever still felt in presence.