TO ATTICA ~ Tinos (Notes)

5:45 pm: The Christina sails to Tinos (it apparently was Maria who persuaded Ari to do it), they stay only an hour and fifteen minutes.

The Christina's Stop at Tinos

Time: 5:45 PM, short visit of 1 hour and 15 minutes (this means they left at 7pm)

Why did Maria (Callas) persuade Ari (Onassis) to go?

Tinos is "The Lourdes of Greece", it may have been that Maria Callas (a devout woman, who is not behaving very devoutly by having an affair with a married man, while she is married herself, under both their respective spouse's noses, and in the past would have nothing to do with anyone who was divorced, and could not believe that Ari's wife, Tina, "A Greek Woman", would have an affair...) wanted to go, and there was time to go.

Maria Callas' Motivation for Tinos Trip

Possible Reasons:

Personal pilgrimage: Seeking spiritual guidance/blessing for her new life, involving:

• Leaving her husband.
• Shifting focus away from her career.
• Her relationship with Onassis.
• Possible, but less likely, she wanted to indulge her want for religion while also having an affair, which was against her previous morals.

Self-Centered: Unlikely to have considered the needs/feelings of others on the cruise.

Privacy: Not a privacy need, as the trip would be obvious to everyone on board.

The Devout Woman vs. The Adulteress: Callas’s past adherence to rigid moral codes, as highlighted by her previous disdain for divorcees, contrasts sharply with her current behavior. Her affair with the married Onassis, while still married herself, reveals a deep internal conflict and a seismic shift in her personal values as she wrestles with the demands of the heart and her own carefully constructed sense of self. Tinos, a place of pilgrimage and healing, becomes a symbolic space for Callas to reconcile these opposing forces within herself.

A Need for Blessings? The description of Tinos as "The Lourdes of Greece," suggests Callas's possible motivation for visiting. Perhaps, driven by a latent spiritual urge and religious sensibilities, she sought a blessing or absolution for her adulterous affair. Her behavior is that of a woman trying to reconcile a life she once knew with the one she now craves. The pilgrimage is not just a spiritual act, but also a deeply personal one, reflecting a desire for peace amidst the turmoil of her rapidly changing life.

The Sacrifice of Career: Callas was also beginning to contemplate giving up her career. The visit to Tinos could also be seen as a moment to seek guidance, or at least a sense of understanding, as she prepared to turn away from what had defined her for so long. The shift from a career-focused life to one centered on a relationship with Onassis was a dramatic move, and the solemn atmosphere of the holy site may have offered a space for reflection and perhaps reassurance.

Self-Absorbed Pilgrimage: Callas would, as part of her dramatic personality, have considered herself the main focus of the cruise, and not been concerned much with her fellow travelers. She was, by this point, becoming more self focused. This is an example of a pilgrimage made for purely personal reasons. This self-absorption highlights the stark contrast between her public image and private motivations. The visit was not about a shared holiday experience, but rather a solitary quest conducted in a public space.

What was the purpose of the trip to Tinos? 

Beyond simple sightseeing, Maria may have wished to pray at a holy place for her new life i.e. leaving her husband, the affects on her career (which she was starting to give up), and for her relationship with Onassis. Knowing Maria's behavior, she wasn't consideration of anyone else on the cruise. We can rule out the ship going there for any need for privacy, as everyone would have known about it. 

Was this a spontaneous decision?

Yes, it doesn't seem that Tinos was part of the original tour itinery. This impromptu visit, while seemingly spontaneous, was a deliberate and self-serving act, highlighting Callas's transformation from a woman of rigid principle to one captivated by passion and self-discovery, with scant regard for the emotional wreckage she was leaving in her wake. The short duration and the ship’s tight schedule underscore the fleeting and ultimately self-contained nature of her personal quest, further highlighting the sharp contrast between her public persona and her private motivations.

Was there a reason for the short duration?

The ship was on a schedule and was on its way back to Monte Carlo, where the original cruise had started. The other passengers would have had their own commitments. 

Who else, if anyone was on board The Christina?

Aside from Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis, there was

Athina "Tina" Onassis: Ari's wife. By this time the couple were estranged and were occupying separate cabins. Tina had been having an affair, and had once even bought her lover aboard, and introduced him to her children. This affair with Maria, seemed to be Ari's way of paying Tina back. 

Christina Onassis: Tina and Ari's daughter, nine years old. 

Alexander Onassis: Tina and Ari's son (and heir), eleven or twelve. 

Sir Winston Churchill: An elderly somewhat gruff statesman, hard of hearing, incapacitated by a couple of strokes, Ari genuinely cares for him and does not see him as part of his collection of the rich and famous. 

Lady Clementine Churchill: Elderly wife of Sir Winston. Straightlaced. Tina and Ari go to great lengths to avoid any hint of impropriatry infront of them. She like everyone else (aside from Sir Winston) know what is going on between Maria and Ari. She like the other women cannot stand Maria, and take Tina's side.

Diana Sandys: Daughter of Clementine & Winston. Currently going through a divorce, and is in shaky mental health (depressive). Quiet and keeps to herself, but Ari tries to include her as much as he can. She is terrified of her father.

Celia Sandys: Daughter of Diana, granddaughter of Winston & Clementine. Young adult. 

Noelle "Nonie" Browne: Wife of Anthony Browne. Young and fun loving, somehow has fallen into the position of Maria's confidante, seems to like her more than the other women. Her marriage to Anthony is secretly in trouble. 

Anthony Browne: Husband of Noelle "Nonie". ADC to Sir Winston. His marriage to Nonie is in trouble, and they will divorce.

Battista "Titta" Menenghini: Much older husband of Maria Callas. Known as "Titta". Initially the two were loving at the start of the cruise, but broke up half way through when Maria left him for Onassis, after Titta told her she would need to continue working. She discovered her money had been used to fund his family, who hated Maria. Tina called him "Menenghitis", as she found him repellant. He wore a clay based white coloring on the tips of his shoes, which would leave white stains on the ladies dresses as he tried to play footsie with them under the table. Spent most of the tour either seasick, in his cabin, isolated from everyone from Maria and Ari (both of whom spoke Italian). Later wrote a "tell all" book which contained exaggerations and outright lies about the cruise, which upset Anthony so much, he sued him. He also antagonised Maria by following her around everywhere, i.e. she would go swimming, and he would take a boat out to be with her.  

NOTES

- The relationships on board were quite complex and fraught with tension. Tina and Ari were estranged, Maria was having an affair with Ari, and Maria had just left her husband Titta.

- In conclusion, the trip to Tinos was a spontaneous detour driven by Maria's need for spiritual solace amid a tumultuous personal situation. The situation on the yacht was a powder keg of relationships, complicated by infidelity and disapproval. The short duration was simply due to the ship's schedule and the other passengers on board. 

- Contrasting Personalities: The juxtaposition of Maria's dramatic nature with the more traditional views of figures like Lady Churchill and the other women.

- Personal Turmoil: The passengers deal with divorces, strained marriages, changing relationships, and emotional struggles.