We live in a technological age and because of this feel somehow superior to those that have gone before. Massive machinery or miniscule microchips make our lives easier, relieved of the burden of physical labor. But if we were willing to put shoulder to stone or muscle to lines would we be able to accomplish the same feats? Towering beauty can be seen in the columns of Didyma and the sails of our elegant vessel. Ingenuity and muscle power created them both.
Billowing clouds have been the hallmark of the Aegean Sea. This morning, as in mornings past, the sun struggled with mountains of moisture rising in mounds and pillows. It painted them shades of pastel pinks and blues before the sky claimed its cerulean cloak. Twin lighthouses marked the entrance to the harbor of Didim, outside of which the Sea Cloud lounged for the morning.
Although one must use imagination to reconstruct the missing pieces of the Temple of Apollo in ancient Didyma, the standing columns and intricate carvings left little doubt of the skill possessed by workers thousands of years ago. How did they raise those massive stones? Who had the foresight to score the central section of each building block as well as insert “ties” to interlock each cylinder as the column grew to 19 meters high? How was each pillar carved so perfectly into 21 straight and equal flutings? On and on the questions flew from one of us to another. There were no computer patterns to guide the plan, no tall cranes to lift. There were no power tools to rough out blocks or chip and carve. The immensity and beauty left us awed.
We dash from place to place in the air, on the ground and at sea, our momentum provided by motors and machines. At least most of the time we do. The Sea Cloud gives us a peek into the world of yesterday and lets us feel the power of the wind in the sails. Our crew provides the muscle power, working as a well-trained team. From the decks we get a sense of what it means to go to sea and it forces us to go more slowly. From sea level in a Zodiac, a four masted barque in full sail is definitely a thing of beauty. We have been spoiled here for the week. We head home pampered and rested but in the back of our minds we wonder just how these marvelous creations came to be.
