Nostalgia

Islanders are travelers. They have been travelling for so long, it’s a part of their DNA. Captains, mechanics, traders, explorers and fishermen, travel under the protection Saint Nicholas or Poseidon in the past, with the dream of returning safe to their loved ones, loaded with stories and goods.

There are few island families that throughout their history, have not been tested with long periods of absences. From the epic Odysseus, to every single one of a -really- long line of islanders that decided to leave home in search of something; sea men and their families had to be patient and strong, learning to live in the time gaps between a goodbye and a welcome. Travelling brought islanders to the world; it brought them life, but not without the pain of the longing to return home.

My grandfather was an electrician in the navy and my dad worked as a mercantile marine mechanic for many years in his life; so, like many seamen ‘s kids, I grew up with ugly far east vases and cool marine stories, enriched with nautical terms and a language that makes Nikos Kavadias’ poems feel comforting familiar. In many of those stories, nostalgia was a starting point for every journey back home.

It’s exactly that feeling, homesickness, that drove me to write this post after all this time. Christos and I started aeganpan as an escape, but I just realized, that this blog makes me feel at home too. I really missed posting here where I feel so at ease that I can take my time off it, in discovery of new things; having the confidence that somehow, I will find my way back to the blog. All the stories shared here, are a fusion of home and travel, that just like island life, are naturally merged: from Gely’s saganaki and my uncle’s chickpeas recipes, to sailing, or going on fishing trips, or sneaking in island homes, yards and kitchens, aegeanpan can be many things; among these, a happy return.

photos by christos drazos

words by maria alipranti