We arrived early to watch daybreak over Turkey from a Grecian island called, Chios. Looking across the Mediterranea, the Turkish flag was visible from our hotel balcony. We had come for the scuba diving, but the water was VERY cold, gear was leaking and there wasn’t much to see. They had also forgotten our reservation for diving, and we had to wait for the Divemaster. 4 hours later we hit the water expecting 3 dives, the last of which would be a night dive. The water was so cold we only got through the second dive before we asked to drive back. The way back was an hour-long drive through winding mountains and steep cliffs of northern Chios. But at least the wine and Ouzo here were enjoyable. The featured photo is the view from my room at noon.

Stopping off at the beach, the crowd was a mix of families and party-goers. Later we found out that we had arrived on a national holiday, which closed all the stores, filled all the restaurants and the beaches.

A walk around the small island surprised us with color and life. This cat was enjoying the dining area before the restaurant opened for dinner.

All the dogs and cats of the island were laid out in some shade watching the spectacle of tourists rummage about. I recall the image of a small dog laying on the hood of a car, and another on the roof. Both dogs sleeping, not even looking up as we walked inches by them on the narrow streets.