Welcomes and goodbyes

At the island ports

Island people standing at the port saying welcome and goodbye to their loved ones: an image so familiar and as old as time. Ports know everything; because ports have seen everything; Boats that come loaded with people’s eagerness and expectations. Boats that are leaving, carrying the burden of so many goodbyes. You can see both sadness and joy in the eyes of the people with luggage; Ports are the places of contrary emotions.

The welcomes are full of questions and chitchat. They are usually followed by one of the most pleasant things that someone can experience in life: the welcome lunch. Aegean welcome lunches can be unforgettable… They bring back to your memory flavors and aromas that make you feel nostalgic and in the same time they set the tone for the days to come. Welcomes are all about sharing; the sharing of common time; the sharing of feelings; the sharing of experiences.

Goodbyes are another story. If the sharing of the welcoming was deep, they can be intense. And intense goodbyes are silent: a big hug and a smile can be enough. Goodbyes are the secret art of reading between the lines.

The people that stand at the port watching the ferries leave, will go back to their lives trying to re-invent a daily routine that is not connected with the feeling that something is missing. The people that stand on the ferryboat deck watching the island lights disappear from the horizon will go back to their lives trying to create a plan that will permit them to come back.

words by maria alipranti

photography by christos drazos