Photography

A Dogs’ Life/Η ζωή ενός σκύλου

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dogtext2Unfortunately, stray cats and dogs are common sight all over Greece. These photographs were taken on a mountain just west of Athens. During the drive through the mountain I noticed many dogs, some like the ones pictured above, that didn’t look like they really belonged there; they were most likely abandoned by their owners.  These strays seemed so foreign to this environment in comparison to the other dogs there that were a lot more wild than these friendlier ones. On the positive side, there have been some changes made in the past few years by Greeks. The mentality is a lot different, as people have become more sensitive towards animals and there are more cat and dog owners than ever. However, the financial crisis has been a major set back for those who want to help the animals and the government isn’t doing enough as other issues take precedent over the stray animal population.

Click here to see the people who are taking action and you can adopt a pet if you want 🙂

https://www.facebook.com/Greek-strays-up-for-adoption-217166981719549/timeline/

Turtle Power!/Η Δύναμη της Χελώνας

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turtletext2‘Slow but steady wins the race.’ A quote from my favourite childhood fable ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ by ancient Greek storyteller Aesop. In the fable, the humble slow-moving tortoise wins the race when the arrogant fast-moving hare seemed like he was sure to win. This is a great moral lesson in humility, something that is missing in our modern times.

Above Attiki/Πανω απο την Αττικη

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A view of the Atikki landscape from the west of Athens. The first major storms have arrived, so this isn’t the view today. Maybε tomorrow the sun will make a comeback.

Η θέα της Αθήνας από τα δυτικά της . Οι πρώτες μεγάλες καταιγίδες έχουν φτάσει, οπότε αυτη δεν είναι σημερινή  θέα. Ίσως αύριο ο ήλιος θα κάνει μια επιστροφή.

Ancient Healing
Inside the temple
Inside the Abaton
The ancient stadium
At the museum in at Epidavros
Aesclipius Greek God of medicine
Artemis Goddess of the hunt

The site of Aesculapius at Epidaurus in Peloponnese was the most important healing center in the ancient Greek and Roman world. The site’s beautiful nature and the therapeutic springs attracted many people from afar and were thought be helpful in healing the patients of their ailments.  There were many temples that were considered  masterpieces and where medicine was practiced. One of the temples was dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, and another was dedicated to Aesclipius, the Greek god of medicine. The temples since that time have been devastated by many earthquakes and invaders so like Ancient Olympia there are only a few columns still standing. However, the ancient Epidaurus theatre just a few feet away and is in great condition, so it is still a great place to visit.  I would have love to have seen how it was originally it must have been an incredible place to visit.

The Magic of Epidaurus/Η Μαγεια της Επιδαυρου
Epidavros theatre

It was my first time at Epidaurus theatre, and I was awe-struck by this massive theatre that seats up to 13,000 people. It was built in 350 B.C by Polykleitos and it was dedicated to Asclepius the god of healing and t is the best preserved ancient theatre in Greece. It’s in an isolated region of the country side of Argolid for good reason. This place was a sanctuary for the sick from all over who arrived here to get closer to nature and to be healed by the natural surroundings. They stayed at the nearby temples just few metres from the theatre where they could exercise, relax and consult the priests. The reason for the theatre being here was because it was thought that the sick people would be healed by watching the tragedies as it would be a very cathartic and therapeutic experience for them. Also, the theatre is famous for its great acoustics and many tourists like to stand in the middle of the stage and clap or talk loud. The noise can be heard all the up to the last row of seats.  Ancient theatre is still performed here and many famous actors and actresses have performed at this sacred spot.