The Epicurean Vagabonds: Our Origin Story
To see the world through the eyes of a traveler . . .
To see the world through the eyes of a traveler is to become part researcher, part voyeur and part voyager, always on your way to the “next destination.” Still, the traveler finds themselves infinitely more engaged than that of “the tourist,” who is like a mere gadfly, skimming the surface of culture wherever they may flit, only to feed and then move along, nourished but almost never enhanced.
To be a Vagabond is another breed of human altogether. This creature is nomadic by design, researched by nature, but spontaneous of heart and mind. To be an Epicurean is another sort of being entirely. What exactly do we mean by “Epicurean”? In our time, the word connotes a gourmand with a passion for the best and most decadent of cuisines and libations. We are indeed devoted foodies and wine-lovers, but as students of the ancient world, the actual philosophy of Epicureanism meant so much more than a luxurious meal. So what did it truly mean to be an Epicurean in the classical world of the Mediterranean?
Having studied the writings of Epicurus, Lucretius, and other Epicurean writers, we find a highly sophisticated system for appreciating life, living in the moment, and savoring the simple pleasures before our brief time on this planet is over. Horace’s “Carpe diem! Seize the day!” is one of the most famous Epicurean maxims.
Epicureans see the enjoyment of pleasure and the avoidance of pain to be the most natural and reasonable of motivations, while also recognizing that short-term over-indulgence can often result in long-term suffering. One must always be aware of the consequences of their actions. Thus rational moderation is an important key to seeking the good life (whilst not losing sight of such Wildean maxims as “Everything in moderation, including moderation” and “Nothing succeeds like excess”).
In fact, the garden of Epicurus in Athens simply promised fresh water and good bread to all visitors and potential students. Epicurus himself wrote a letter to a friend thanking him profusely for a pot of cheese and all the pleasure he would derive from it. This reminds us of Omar Khayyam’s praise of “a book of verse, a jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and Thou.” Throw in that pot of cheese and we’re ready for an Epicurean picnic!
To paraphrase one of our favorite Epicurean prayers:
Let us give thanks to Nature,
for making all that is necessary in life,
easy to obtain;
and all that is difficult to obtain –
unnecessary.
But what is taste? What is judgment? Are we some kind of arbiters? And, if so, what are our credentials? Sometimes, as one moves along a corridor of oft-forbidden destinations, one discovers the underbelly of culture and, occasionally, some kind of nomadic epiphany occurs to the vagabond that lets them know they are on the right track.
This track is elusive to the novice but not to the nomad and certainly not to the Epicurean. It’s hard-wired into their glandular memory, especially in tasty glands like the thymus, otherwise known as sweetbreads, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried. What we propose to you here is an observational celebration of the most extraordinary people, places, books, art, music, food, wine and cultures we have had the honor to experience together over the last 22 years.
Sipping Turkish coffee at a table in the Morića Han in Sarajevo (one of the last ornate Caravanserai along the ancient Silk Road) whilst digesting the words of the legendary Omar Khayyam inscribed upon its walls. Spending inordinate amounts of time at La Maison Roti in Montreal, stuffing one’s basket full of cuisse de lapin confit, stuffed perdrix with pomegranate, large hunks of Comté mamie and giant slices of Pâté en croûte à la pistache. Constructing a 24-hour layover in Madrid just so you can stand aesthetically arrested, tears streaming down your face at The Prado quincentenary exhibition of the works of Hieronymus Bosch. Or a Balkan respite along the Sara, inhaling unhealthy amounts of coal particles as one gobbles down some of the best Chinese dumplings post-Communist Belgrade has to offer. These things have no currency for the common tourist or even the casual traveler.
So, where to begin this voyage? Maybe it’s best to begin with why one chooses to leave and where one chooses to go. It can be very telling… the commencement, the intended destination and the subsequent arrival.
The day after the US presidential election of 2016, we started packing our belongings in preparation to leave the United States indefinitely. It wasn’t solely because of the election but it certainly informed our decision to depart from a nation we were never that fond of in the first place (we emigrated to Paris during the entire reign of George W). After 6 years living on a scarcely inhabited island in Washington State, we squeezed all our worldly possessions into a tight little storage unit and said farewell to our friends and family. On January 16th, 2017 we boarded a plane to Canada to spend 6 months in Montreal.
Now, as we sit on the balcony of our 7th floor apartment we’ve rented in Koukaki, one of our favorite neighborhoods of Athens, Greece, the sun is just setting and we are watching the lights of the Acropolis slowly illuminate our unobstructed view of the Parthenon. It’s January 18th, 2022 and it’s been five years and two days since we left the United States and we have not returned.
Since we departed we’ve lived in more than a dozen countries, visited another 25 and explored at least 300 cities and villages in all those locations. We’ve been roaming around the world with two laptops, a carry-on bag packed with all of our writing and two enormous suitcases filled with a couple of pairs of pants, a few dozen shirts, two wooden boxes of statues and icons for our makeshift altars, a handful of precious books, a priceless e-reader, two chef’s knives, a cutting board, a professional wine key (essential travel item), a cheese grater, a hand-held immersion blender, several tupperware filled with spices from everywhere we’ve ever been and a pair of shoes each.
Welcome to the origin story of two extravagant vagabonds, two inquisitive Epicureans, two Bohemian writers named Ryan and Ryan.
