A grove of olive trees on the island of Samos
T
he idea that the world is beautiful and to be taken seriously was born on Samos.
The German tourist's had started out early in the morning, hiking from the Aegean up the hill. The most adventurous made their own way, while the less able walked the path made by ancient shepards. Tired, they gathered in the grove and sat in the shade of the olive trees, making quite a sight.
No one said a word.
A photo-journalist would later say that the Germans sat there forever, but the pictures reveal a different story: their clothing was contemporary--hiking shorts, tank-tops, boots made in China worn with heavy wool socks turned down at the top. Plastic bottles of drinking water, compasses, maps, and a pile of floppy canvas hats designed to protect fair skin, can also be seen.
One of the Germans, a woman, broke the great silence by saying the bus they'd arranged to meet them on the main road was due in fifteen minutes, and if they didn't hurry they'd have to walk all the way back to the village where they were staying. As she was younger than most and a natural leader, the others gathered up their things and followed.
They left no trash, no bill of rights, no constitution, no newspaper, no stock market quotes, no birth certificates or death notices, so there's no trace of this ever happening other than a few pictures that might have been taken anywhere.
If you or I traveedl to the island of Samos, it would be our job to find the grove of olive trees and see it as a place where everything in the world could be started all over again.