Moon Petal

This is the island where Jason married Media, and the people who live here are the divine offspring of an encounter between Poseidon and Kerkyra, the daughter of the sea-god Asopus. Myths and legends are everywhere here, and they get into all the cracks and corners, and make for a very enchanted place. This is a crossroads between old and new worlds, then, where there might be a blend of the atmosphere of the fresh sea, as well as the old stories washing up on shore, and working their way into a nap tucked inside a hotel in Corfu . Greece is often called the cradle, and it’s a lovely place to sleep and dream.

Waking moments are every bit as exquisite, because island life is hard to turn away from, and it invites a kind of mutual beckoning, between the human and the mythic, the present and the eternal. It only seems right that a singer like Vicky Leandros would have roots here. For any muse, a root needs to be in a place where the line between legend and quotidian becomes blurred, in order to sing as a proper muse should, and she’s had a career that logically moves in many worlds, many directions, all at once.

It moves now, more forcefully than ever, after a comeback in the last decade that re-established her place in the world’s court of divine muses. Until the 70s, she was one-named, Vicky , and the Leandros gave her the weight of a rather distinguished past. As is proper for one born into a land where the citizens are related to gods, her relationships with her forebears are complex and had to exist on multiple continents.

Her music has to live in several languages, Greek, German, English and French among these, and her projects continue to take new turns, surprising audiences with their scope and direction, and she often finds her way back home. Everyone does.

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In Austin, there’s a movement by the locals called ‘Keeping Austin Weird’, apparently, there’s another movement wanting to gentrify the city, I do hope Austin stays just as it is. It was my 2nd day in this city and I had a wonderful, interesting and hilarious experiences.

I started out the day at the Sunset Valley Farmers Market; it’s located on the Western part of Austin and close to Hill Country and also close to the industrial, rural side of Austin. I took a few missed turns, before I happened upon a giant football stadium, I was surprised it was only a high school stadium and not a professional stadium. Texas really does take its football seriously, the parking lot of this football stadium is were the Farmers Market is located. There were about 30 to 40 pop-up tents, honestly, I would have thought the market to be bigger.

As I approached, I noted how unusual and yet refreshing it was to see all kinds of people there, yuppies, hippies, goths, senior citizens and everyone in between all mingling and enjoying each others company, and they were all happy and laughing. I would bet if these people met anywhere else, they wouldn’t be so open and friendly, but I guess that’s one quality a good Farmers Market has, it brings people with different points of view about life together; a small eclectic community.

The Sunset Valley Farmers Market had an overwhelming supply of local produce, and all of it was picked that morning. I saw a few grass fed lamb, chicken, beef and bison, but by the time I arrived, most of the meat was sold-out, not that I’d bring any beef back with me to my hotel in Austin, but I bet the meat would have been very tasty when cooked. It was really great to talk to all the vendors. They all were there own producers, there was no middleman there, so each vendor could tell me exactly how they made there products or how farmings been this season. The only thing missing at the market was actual cooked food, something to eat, like a sandwich or soup. So, seeing all this fresh un-cooked produce made me very hungry. I had to leave an find a restaurant quick.

I found this great little sandwich shop across the street and ordered the grilled cheese with bacon, onion and a bag of chips on the side. What was the best part, was my sandwich had all the products sold at the market! Wonderful!

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I really miss the 90s and I’m not afraid or ashamed to say it. I grew up in Seattle, Washington, go Mariners, and was just turning twenty when the 90s began. I played a little guitar and wanted to form a rock band and there were quite a few musicians with the same idea in town at the time. Seattle always had a local music scene, but there was something in the air in the 90s and we all felt it, like a feeling a storm before it hits or smelling the rain before it starts. The very late 80s and early into the 90s were pre-storm and being from Seattle, I love rain, and those moments before it begins. And actually, I would have to say that for me, it was those early years, before the grunge movement really took off. Oh, well that’s misspoken. Seattle was always grunge, as far as I could tell and in relation to its arts and music scenes. It goes with the geography. But there seemed to be an actual categorical movement that came about and we all just went with it. It was hip and so were we.

Nirvana was cool. They wanted to distance themselves from grunge as soon as grunge became famous. That’s natural, but honestly, they were always grunge. I saw Kurt Cobain a few times in clubs during those early days. He was cool, and kind of quiet. After they became famous I saw him once or twice and he just never seemed comfortable with the attention. But at the same time he seemed to crave it. I don’t know, those are just my humble observations and I never knew him or anything so it doesn’t matter. Pearl Jam was great. They seemed to play well together right from the start. I saw them perform in the early days too. Eddie Vedder was a natural front man and seemed destined for rock greatness. So, it was cool when a few of the bands really took off and all of the hotels, resorts and inns in Seattle were filled with tourists who were suddenly wearing flannel and drinking coffee and smoking. It was funny back then. I haven’t played in years, but I always remember those days and love the 90s.

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