A man walks his dog on the dock in the bay (on the Greek island of Crete).
Read MoreGreece
02-15-13 NSFW? (Reprise)
TS Eliot was wrong. Februrary, not April, is "the cruelest month." At least for me. Yes, the days are getting longer. Yes, the temperature ocassionally soars into the high 20s. But it is often in the heart of February that what I think is SAAD (seasonal affective disorder) hits me. And I lose my will to post new photos to this blog.So I'm posting old stuff. . . But, in the event that you haven't meticulously looked at all four years of my posts, you've probably never seen some of these. So maybe they're not old.
On A Mission
This is a Greek kitten, discovered on a back street on the island of Mykonos. He/she is oblivious to my camera and refused to stand still for the photo.
A Beautiful Cataclysm
Santorini is one of the most glamorous islands anywhere in the world. The glamor of its setting and of the white villas, hotels and restaurants perched on steep cliffs looking west over the Aegean sea are what attract tourists like me, my wife and my students, who were there in 2004 on a cruise of the the Greek islands.But there was little glamor in the volcanic eruption that blew away a large portion of the island in 1628 BC. Not only did it destroy a substantial part of the island (then called Thera) but it also created a tsunami wave as high at 100 feet that rolled across the island of Crete to the south, destroying the great pre-Greek civilization that developed there. In fact, this could be where the legend of Atlantis began.In this photo you can see the white washed buildings which are in some cases perched on precipitous cliffs. You can also see part of the crescent shaped harbor that lies where the volcano once rose out of the sea. For the ride up to the high city, one can choose a modern cable car or a time-tested conveyance: donkeys. We took donkeys up and the cable car down.Sadly, we only had a few short hours on the island before our cruise boat moved on. I hope you can stay longer.
Ian the Ex-Pat
We had driven off the "beaten path" while exploring the Greek island of Corfu a few years ago. As is often the case, we came to an intersection at a small village with one sign pointing south saying that our destination was that way. But there was another sign on the same pole pointing north to the same town.We were pondering this paradox when a man ambled over to our car. A helpful Greek? Does he speak English? My questions were answered when he said, in a clean British accent, "Lost?" And I said, "Kind of."His name was Ian and he had worked for a major British corporation. But he referred to himself as a British ex-patriot and now called this little town his home. He said he was enjoying the pace of the simple life and invited us to sample it by joining him for coffee at the small cafe along main street. I had my first ever "Greek coffee" and remember little of the conversation Deb and I had with Ian. I do remember the grit of the coffee and the silence of this place that Ian had found.When we left, Ian invited us to come back some day and stay at his apartment. But I don't remember the name of the town. And, even if I remembered it, I doubt that Greek road signs would get us there.
Under Construction
in Architecture, Travel
We are learning about Ancient Greece in my world history class this week and I thought it might be appropriate to show a snapshot I took of the Parthenon a few years ago. I have been to Athens a few times since 1998, and every time there have been cranes and scaffolds present. I'm guessing that maintaining a 2500 year old building isn't easy.Here's a bit of an "easter egg" for my AWH students: The first person who posts a thoughtful reply to today's blog gets the iPad tonight. Sorry Katie S but you don't qualify.
Pardon Me!
in Photography, Travel
This is not the kind of photo I generally post here. But today I will make an exception. What's wrong with the picture? Aside from breaking several aesthetic and technical rules of photography, it is a model shoot. And I don't do model shoots. But here's the story behind this photo.I was wandering the streets of Mykonos when I noticed a boat in the harbor. It was clearly a photo shoot of some kind. And so I photographed the event from . . . the backside. The thing that fascinates me about this picture (aside from the nice little white boat) is that there are five people present on this boat. The roles of the model, the captain and the photographer are obvious. But what about the two other men? Are they artistic directors? Agents? Close personal friends? And the real question is: Are they getting paid? The man at the front of the boat certainly seems to enjoy his work!
02-26-10 Main Street - Corfu Village
This is a shot that I took through our rental car window as Deb and I drove through a small village on the island of Corfu. Europeans drive much smaller cars than many Americans, in part because fuel is more expensive but also in part because less space is devoted to autos - such as this road which, to me, looks more like a alley.
02-22-10 Urban Maze - Athens, Greece
For the traveler who has been to western European capitals such as London, Paris, Berlin and Madrid, Athens can be more than a little jarring. It is a little less polished, and a lot more congested than those other capitals. There are 11 million Greeks and 4 million of them live in Athens. Many of them seem to have cars!
But I love Athens, partly because it is so different from other European capitals and partly because if you grow weary of the modern city, all you have to do is step to a location where you can see the Acropolis and the Parthenon. Then you are reminded of the fact that in so many ways - our politics, our aesthetics, our view of human possibilities - Percy Shelly was right: "We are all Greeks."
This photo is a bit misleading in that there are green spaces in Athens. But the uniform color of the city visible here is accurate, though the brightly colored awnings of the many apartments is hard to miss. Another view of Athens and the suburbs A view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon from our hotel
07-02-09 Stringy Palm Leaf - Corfu, Greece
in Nature
There is nothing in this palm leaf that identifies with the Greek island of Corfu. But that's where I took the photo. I like the random stringy threads that seem to contrast with the regular fan of the palm fronds.
06-04-09 View of A Nude Beach - Corfu
in Travel
Don't strain your eyes looking for body parts, but most of the people in this photo aren't wearing clothes. You've got to love those free-spirited Europeans and especially the Germans, who outnumbered other nationalities on this beautiful little beach. How do I know? Research.
This beach is called Myrtiotissa Beach and is said to the "the most beautiful beach in Europe." Did the Germans enhance or detract from its beauty? You'll have to do your own research to answer that question.
Canon 5D 1/400s f/13.0 ISO400 24mm
06-03-09 Self Portrait - Corfu, Greece
This is what I look like when I travel. I think this is a flattering view! Behind me is the little grocery store that was just down the road from the hotel my wife and stayed at while visiting Corfu, Greece, in 2006. The store had a little bit of everything but was so small that three or four customers would have challenged its aisle space. But the store owner was friendly and thought big: on the awning the store proudly announces itself as a "Super Market" (in English)!
Canon 5D 1/125s f/7.1 ISO500 50mm
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