The Acropolis And Me--Spring '65

Can * nois * seur ( Kan' us sur' ), n. one competent to render critical judgement on the qualities and merits of cannabis.


Heads Up; Re Leaf, at 1284 Mission Street @ 9th, is currently stocking a superior Bubba Kush and equally well-raised Chem Dawg at relatively moderate prices.

Jack Herer is back at Medithrive, at 1933 Mission Street @ 15th, along with an arresting--and previously untasted-- Sativa named Sunset Boulevard, that cruises as smoothly as a limo on its way to a private party at an underground club. Also moderately priced, leaving enough to tip the driver.


The Acropolis And Me--Spring '65

The train from Florence took 10 hours to reach Brindisi. i arrived too late to get a hotel room and had to leave my bags at the station and wander the deserted town in search of coffee and a bun. Finally at the magic hour of 11am, i rented a room, took a shower, and fell asleep, having already booked passage on the overnight car ferry to Piraeus. The upside was i had use of the room until departure time.
Brindisi had little to offer in terms of character, its main function being the shuttling of cars and tourists to Greece. i had booked a chair ( a luxury as i discovered ) , which afforded me a place to nap on the overnight voyage.
Boarding a ship is always an event. Walking about i made the acquaintance of two London girls who sang She's Got A ticket To Ride in perfect harmony, and an upper class English dude who was driving his Jag along the Italian (kept it in second all the way ) Riviera, and who, during the night trip to Piraeus, hit on me. i had wondered why he was so rude to the London lasses...We docked in the a.m., and it was raining hard as i took the bus alone to Athens.
The Turkish freighter bound for Beirut didn't leave for four days so i had some time to admire the wonders of Ancient Greece. The scene in Athens was comprised of 3 key elements. A: The cafe in front of American Express Office. B: La Placa, which is a series of stairways, terraces, and tavernas. And C: The Acropolis. i circled them all at least five times a day. Finally i hit on a young Australian lady named Sandy who, in the course of our brief flirtation, introduced me to some hippies living below the Acropolis. One of them, a lady named Diane, told me her lover "plays the usual fabulous Flamenco guitar".
Herewith my own entries at the time: "Athens--narrow, gritty city...down home these Greeks and not much into anything besides singing Never on Sunday in Tavernas...saw all the sights."
i turned on an Australian pilgrim named Mark for the first time. He was intrigued and full of questions. During coffee at the American Express cafe he asked me how i knew who was a believer in the herb, (remember this was still '65 ). You just know, i replied. i looked around the cafe and spotted two dudes a few tables away. They had the vibe. i pointed them out to Mark saying, "i would bet anything that they'll be on that boat" ( meaning mine ), and sure enough they were...


Recommended Reading: Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett