There are a plethora of quaint villages in Greece. Tiny balconies filled with colorful flowers overlooking narrow, cobbled streets. Beautiful. Peaceful. Greek.
At the end of one of these picturesque streets in a village in northern Greece is an open area used as a parking lot-something that rarely exists in these villages. I used it every day as long as I could find a spot. There are no marked spaces and there is barely any rhyme or reason and certainly no strategy of the parking ‘layout.’ Three vehicles take up the space for five. Five vehicles squeezed into a space for four with no chance to enter your vehicle if you are not one of the outer cars.
There is a tree in the corner of the space beyond which is a big drop to the valley below. There are no fences or barriers to demarcate the edge as ‘dangerous’ or ‘big hole stay away.’ The tree was huge. I think it was dead but completely covered in a lush green ivy like foliage. I never really noticed it or never really paid attention to it but knew it was always ‘just there.’
Spring and summer brings construction equipment to rip up the tiny streets. The reason is unclear. Holes appear in the streets exposing cables and pipes below. The parking lot fills with equipment every night, reducing the already limited space. The days turn into weeks and whatever the construction project is, continues into the parking area dumping load after load of excavated soil. A new road appears behind some of the tiny houses thus reducing the parking area even further because now there must be access open to the road.
One day the equipment is gone. Piles of dirt, rubbish and sand remain in random spots. I continue my routine back and forth; park and walk to my house. Walk from my house to the car.
One afternoon after parking as I started to walk away I stop. In the middle of the lot. I stop and turn slowly to the tree. Gone. I walk towards the spot and over the edge see a large branch sticking out of a pile of dirt and rocks. Remnants of green ivy like foliage turning brown. I am sad. Why did they have to push it over the edge? What harm was it doing? It was not taking up any extra space it was already on the edge. A marker. Protector of the lot. I slowly walked away. Bye Bye Big Tree.
