Novel-making material

fotostef(77)

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Nafplio is a small seaside town near Athens, the capital of Greece and a favourite destination among the Athenians! The proximity and easy access, the very well preserved old town under the shadow of the impressive medieval castle, as well as the beaches in the town and around it, make it ideal for a short escape. Even schools bring their students for a day trip, very often. I remember at least two times that I visited it that way, during my school years!

But even after school when it was time to serve my military service, it was at the camp of Nafplio that I was called to go in. I remember very well that first day of my service. I came with the train, made a nice morning walk among the lovely streets of the old town, I had a lavish brunch at one of the touristic places that were open and took a taxi to the camp around noon, to start a new chapter of my life!

I spent there the first 100 days of my military service (yes, I was counting them) and I have to admit that it wasn't so bad, on the contrary! The rather loose discipline that was imposed to us in combination to my natural tendency to break the rules, led me to countless nights roaming around the town and catching its vibe in a way that I could never have done as a tourist.

What didn't happen those 100 days was to meet the woman of my life although she was there the whole time :)

It is not a secret that my partner in life is @traisto and Nafplio is her home town. So when I was there trying to make the most out of an obligation to my country, she was a school girl preparing herself for her academic years and her debut into adulthood. As we found out later, we were going to the same places, we may have even seat next to each other drinking a cup of coffee but it wasn't until 10 years later that we actually met and started our common life!

Now here I am again, rambling about old stories that came to my mind as I saw that old train. The train connection has stopped working for years and those vagons have been left as a reminder of a previous era. The dirty windows are now the canvas that young lovers use to testimony their eternal love, while some filthy stickers inform us that the place is under surveillance. A rather miserable end for a means of transport that is made of novel-making material!