Five or six days have passed, and the days on Ios have blurred together in the way island days tend to do. I will try to put the pieces back in order.

On the ferry over I met two Swedish travellers, Kishden and Maria, who were easy company from the start. We all decided to stay at Far Out, the campsite where Ana was staying, and I ended up in a bungalow that became more crowded than planned but pleasantly inexpensive.

The days were mostly beach, pool, reading, the same music over and over, and travellers from everywhere. One evening I arranged to meet people at Sunrise Bar, accidentally went to Sunset Bar instead, and still somehow found a group to spend the evening with. That is hostel travel for you: even the wrong bar can work out for a few hours.

I spent a lot of time with Ana, which made leaving more difficult than expected. On my last day I went into town, bought ferry and bus tickets, found a pillow and pillowcase, and made a small handmade gift. It took far longer than expected, but it felt right: a little impractical, a little sentimental, and possible because I had the time.

When it was time to leave, I almost boarded the bus without saying a proper goodbye. Then I realized I would regret that, stepped back, and waited by the gate. A few minutes later Ana came running out, joined me on the bus to the port, and saw me off. It felt almost like a movie, in that odd travel way where real life seems a little staged.

From there I slept most of the ferry ride to Athens, caught a bus to Patras, checked email, and found coffee. Italy comes next, then Pisa or Florence, then Switzerland. A lot of travelling, but luckily I can sleep almost anywhere.