Halcyon Days
After a dreadful winter, summer has finally arrived. Apart from the schizophrenic weather Windsorites have become accustomed to — the blazing heat interrupted by unexpected cold fronts — the warmth of the sun continues to be present and steady. Everyone around me is enthusiastic about the endless possibilities for fun and gathering during this peak season. While work has slowed down and the days border on sluggish, I can’t help but think this melancholic undercurrent I awaken to daily must be a symptom of Halcyon Days.
Language has always fascinated me. From singular words to gorgeous, evocative phrases, language has been the portal to my unbridled imagination. Whether mesmerized by the lyrics of a new song or struck by a novel’s clever wordsmith, I love the ability to slowly and meticulously unfold the meaning behind the inscription. So, when I stumbled across the term “Halcyon Days” in Victoria Hislop’s novel Cartes Postales From Greece, I immediately began to reflect upon its meaning and surprising hold on my mind.
According to ChatGPT, Cartes Postales from Greece is part novel, part travelogue, and part love letter to Greece.
The story begins with Ellie, a woman in London whose life has become stagnant and unhappy. She starts receiving beautiful postcards from Greece, each signed only with the initial “A” and apparently intended for someone else. The postcards captivate her with images of Greek islands, villages, landscapes, and everyday life. When they suddenly stop arriving, she becomes determined to visit Greece herself.
Just before she leaves, she receives a notebook written by the mysterious “A.” The notebook tells the story of a heartbroken man traveling across Greece after a personal loss. As he journeys through places such as Delphi, Meteora, Ikaria, and Crete, he encounters people whose stories reveal Greek history, myths, traditions, struggles, and resilience. Ellie follows her own path through Greece while reading his account.
I did not discover Hislop’s novel by chance. Upon reflection, a series of events would lead me to this work. More than a year ago, I was introduced to an upcoming artist in Greece by the name of Marina Spanou, and her indie, soulful vibe. The lyrics in her songs caught my attention as they encapsulated love, loss, and the journey of life. Her two most notable songs, Taxidi and Cartes Postale, express the relationship between travel and romantic longing. I travel to Greece annually, and often experience melancholic longing, so I instantly took to her music.
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A few months ago, scrolling through Greece’s Netflix, otherwise known as Ertflix, I came across a miniseries by the name of Cartes Postales from Greece. I then discovered that this series was based on a novel written by British novelist and philhellene (a person who loves Greece, its culture, history, and people), Victoria Hislop. While I had never read any of her previous novels set in Greece, many years ago, I watched one of the greatest Greek telenovelas to grace television: The Island (To Nisi). So, when I encountered Cartes Postales From Greece, I figured it was an opportunity to both watch the series and read her novel.
While reading the novel, I came across the term “Halcyon Days”. For people born in Greece, like my cousin, or those currently living in Greece, the term αλκυονίδες μέρες (alkyonides meres) is familiar. It refers to a warm, sunny, calm-weather period that sometimes occurs in the middle of winter, typically in December, January, or February. Meteorologists and the public regularly use the phrase when discussing winter weather. The root of this term however can be found in Greek mythology. According to myth, Alcyone, the daughter of Aeolus, was transformed into a kingfisher bird (the halcyon). The gods granted her a period each winter when the seas would become calm so she could nest safely. Therefore, ancient Greeks believed that around the winter solstice there was a brief spell of unusually calm, mild weather over the Aegean Sea and surrounding waters referred to as “halcyon days”. Although I have never lived in Greece, I have been blessed to swim in the Aegean and experience the warmth of Greece’s Mediterranean coastline. This indescribable feeling that fills my soul every summer never grows old.
In English, however, the phrase Halcyon Days is less literal and not at all mythological. It is purely metaphorical. “Halcyon days” refer to a period of calm, peace, happiness, or prosperity — often remembered nostalgically as an idealized time in the past. In relation to Hislop’s novel and adapted series, the mysterious ‘A’ travels throughout Greece and sends a series of postcards to his now former lover, who unexpectedly ends their long-term relationship a day after he arrives in Greece and awaits her arrival. Filled with grief and longing, he decides to stay in Greece and connect with the culture of his family while he travels through various regions ranging from picturesque villages to the spectacular islands Greece is known for.
Today, I write indoors although the summer has arrived and the balmy weather is summoning me to leave the house. And yet, I feel mildly numb. I understand that the darkness and bitter cold of January have passed, and the warmth of June is not a brief period interrupted by Halcyon Days. We are now steadily surrounded by a spell of calm, warm, and sunny days on an endless loop. However, the unwavering feeling of calm, peace, and happiness remain nostalgic memories of an idealized time in my past. Halcyon Days, reminding me of better times.
In 2022, I rode my bike alone on Riverside Drive. The sun was beginning to set, and I stopped to take a quick break. A few feet away from me, I observed a couple who were balancing their drinks and foldup chairs as they scanned the riverfront for an ideal spot to enjoy their visit. I was entranced by this couple, whose presence seemed peaceful and effortless in their engagement. Once they staked the perfect space, they sat down, took out their drinks, and watched the sunset in silence. Unbeknownst to them, I took a picture of their private moment as it represented to me what romantic love could look like.
Four years later, I still stare at that photograph every so often as I reflect on my own Halcyon Days.
