Insomniacs, Night Owls And Vampires
Aside from the dozen or so gods of the pagan Greeks, there was an extended family of lesser deities — nymphs, nereids, gorgons, minotaurs, centaurs, lamias, sirens; the snake-haired Medusa, winged Pegasus and three-headed dog Cerberus — and that probably only scratches the surface.
Modern Christian Greeks have their own superstitions. Many believe in the evil eye, and in the mystical power of various saints to cure sickness, bring good fortune, even help you find your car keys.
In the introduction to his book Mani, Patrick Leigh Fermor asserts that the people who live in that region of Greece cling to a belief in vampires.
I’m not sure If that extends to other Greeks but if it does, maybe it explains why they’re all such creatures of the night. This is a country where people go out late and stay out late. Eating dinner at 6 PM so you can get home by 8 is almost unheard of, which can come as a shock to most Americans.
After dark is when every platea, waterfront promenade and village kentro — almost deserted in the stifling heat of the afternoon — becomes a congested pedestrian thoroughfare, filled with young families out for a stroll, older couples holding hands, packs of flirting teenagers and young professionals released from work.
Ice cream shops suddenly can’t keep up with demand, and the whir of cappuccino machines blends with buzzing motor scooters, clinking glasses, iPhone ringtones and animated chit-chat.
Waiters bearing trays of drinks and plates of meze dodge traffic to serve customers at sidewalk tables across the road.
The vibe is contagious and after one or two nights, you fall into the routine just as naturally as if you’d been born into this culture of night owls. Suddenly you’re sitting down to lunch at 2 and not even leaving the beach until late afternoon because, hey, what’s the rush, dinner’s not until 9:30?
Maybe a stroll after your meal. A gelato. Or one last glass of wine before eyelids no longer defy gravity and you surrender to bed.
Nightime in Greece is quite possibly the best time of the day, as any self-respecting vampire would tell you.
