Flying Back

I always try to sit by the window.

I feel I am looking at a Disney version of a housing development. But it is stunning. This is between Corfu and Athens.

A close up.

Maybe not that important, but I recognized the road Antonis would take from Athens to Patra. Where he would take the ferry to Italy.

The western coast of Italy

Over the alps, and

Over Long Island.

9 minutes to go, 29 miles to go, 4,904 miles done.

I feel these images are rather mundane.
That supports the premise that being there is better than the "coming back".

It has been a great trip and a lot of fun doing the blog.
I will be "going back".

Ta Leme

We are Close to The End of "Greece Two" (stay tuned for Greece Three)

This post includes the last two days on the road

One day in Thessalonkiki, a day on the road returning.

The last  post will be my day "in the air".

Maria's cousin has a constant candle burning at her reliquary.

We went downtown to the Phototraphy Museum, the second reason for making the trip. A family visit, the best photo museum in Greece.

Antonis at the entrance poster

We both agreed, how can you have an historical exhibit without any titles, descriptions, explanations, contextual presentation?

Outside of that, it was stunning.

We went on to the home of Antonis and Maria's long time friends for lunch.

The son is a budding ichthyologist with a youthful perspective on decoration.

Back at Maria's cousin's home after a long day.

The next morning we said goodbye, to return to Corfu.

The tour buses are something else

A Greek version of southern California?

Antonis managed to be the first to load on the ferry.

 And this is a medium sized ferry.

We are leaving Igoumensita. You can see the car in the lower corner.

Many islands have been abandoned, gasoline motors let the fisherman return to the mainland.

Welcome Back! I missed you.

Ta Leme - tomorrow I fly out.

Starting the Closurse of" Greece Two" 5/31 and 6/1

It has been a long time since i wrote on the Blog.

However, believe it or not, I am on the road and have a bit of time to start brining it all together.

I start with one of my favorite trees. Close to the school and on the way to the Old Fort and the show on it's closing day, 5/31.

We took down the show, but before we did we documented it.

Going for a last walk in the twilight

The shop window of a very serious photographer on the island.

The next day, June 1st we left on the ferry for the mainland and Thessaloniki, a major port town on the East side of Greece.

On the left is the enclosed hydrofoil boat that goes to Bulgaria. Taking it, you can go to some 700 BCE ruins that are being excavated. Next year.

The New Fort, 1571. Modified in the 1800's by the British.

The Old Fort on the left, 1541, built by the Venetians. Antonius and Maria's house is behind the white building to the left of the awning cafe.

Coming into Igoumensita on the mainland you can see the new highway going up into the mountains.

You can see the highway cut into the landscape at the bottom of the image, the cloud on top of the mountain.......

After getting into the mid thirties I lost count of the number of tunnels.

Antonius and Maria walking past the food center at the rest stop.

When we arrived in Thessaloniki Maria's cousin had prepared a serious afternoon snack.

Even more food on the table.

We drove down to the waterfront for an evening walk.

Eating out is happening everywhere.

A "snap" of an evening wedding getting documented.

I am going to close now. You can see that we are all full. Dish after dish after dish.

Ta Leme

Two Outings

When I got up in the morn I did some exposure tests

Then Antonis and I went to start documenting the show.

Eleni, Maria's friend, offered a trip to a popular "view" and a beach beneath it.

While waiting for her to pick us up I made some snaps looking down at the beach right here.

Turning around, a nice garden inside an apartment building entrance.

 We drove across the island. Some of the olive groves are 500 years old. 

I mentioned before, the African dust comes with strong winds and you always have to clean your windshields and windows.

We are walking through the village to the view

The light is intense.

Not all views are perfect. NOTICE the islands in the distance.

Almost there

Benches for watching the sunset.

And the view

Mathraki, in the distance is about 8 miles away.
Turning around 180 degrees the beach we will be going to is to the left.

You can see the house we saw from the hill.

It is visually romantic.

Later
One of Antonis's friends and colleagues from the university invited us to his home in a small village for dinner. He is a historian. His wife is in the consular service and is currently serving in Jerusalem.

In an older hill village when the homes were built hundreds of years ago, long before cars, the streets are not wide.

Antonis had to park temporarily in order to let the car get past. You can see the sun is low.

The view from Theodosis's patio.

The Old Fort and the older part of Kerkyra are about seven miles away. The mainland lies in the far distance.

Dinner starts with pasta. Theodosis is sharing his view of the current Greek crisis.

A joke

Serving the main course

Theodosis

And saying goodnight, a wonderful meal and evening

Ta Leme