Saturday 29 September 2018

Gramophone Museum at Sweet Home Hotel, Athens


Panayiotis has an impressive collection of gramophones, some of which are on site at the central Sweet Home hotel. He showed me his hotel basement museum, and played me a stunning 1920's or early 30's 78rpm rebetiko record, with incredible sound quality. The hotel is highly recommended, It's where my daughter also stayed when she ran the Athens marathon.









A Wet Day in Athens: At the Benaki Museum; Joan Leigh Fermor and much more









Hydra (above)

Ballerina and Dancing Bear:





Some highlights from the Benaki's permanent collection: a miscellany 
of personal favourites and images of Greek cultural and historical significance

















Wisdom of the Verger (Zagori, Greece); Τα σοφά λόγια ενός νεωκόρου



When we were cut off on the Aegean island of Hydra because of the extreme weather conditions and gale-force winds,  no-one was able to tell us when the next catamaran would be able to make it across from Piraeus to transport us back to the mainland.




Anxious, stranded people were praying that they would reach Piraeus in safety, without yet another day's delay - and without suffering from seasickness on the rough, swelling seas.

I was reminded of what Lakis  the church verger. sexton or sacristan (o νεωκόρος), had once said in a Greek mountain village, when asked what time the service would finish:

"I know when things start, but I never know when they will finish".

Wise words! The story of our lives...




Ρώτησα τον νεωκόρο της ενορίας μας τι ώρα τελειώνει η λειτουργία, με σοφία μου απάντησε:

«Ξέρω τi ώρα θα αρχίσει η λειτουργία, όμως ποτέ δεν ξέρω πότε κάτι τελειώνει.» 

Σοφά λόγια.

Friday 28 September 2018

Thursday 27 September 2018

Hydra, Greece, from Stockton University, New Jersey



Talented actors and actresses on Hydra:
Thanks for the great and illuminating performances,
for bringing to life well-chosen selections
from the works of George Johnston and Charmian Clift, Henry Miller and others!

Congratulations to all the performers:

Megan Coates, Angel Cordero, Alexandria Dobbin, Shilo Previti,
Tatayania Ashley Robinson, Mike Simons, Jamie Walters, Dylan Carr.







Kalo Taxidi - once the wind drops and we can get off the island!

Sorry I don't have more photos. I didn't always have a camera with me. 

The group included some student-veterans.

Stockton University has imaginative programmes for student-veterans