The isles of Greece! the isles of Greece!
Where burning Sappho loved and sung,
Where grew the arts of war and peace ...

Thus Byron chanted, and such landscapes, the Mediterranean Greek islands (and mainland Greece as well), explain a bit how Hellenic beauty in arts developed and flourished: the extreme limpidity of the air, the richness of colours and smells, skies and sea of a magnificent intense blue, and a vehement sun, burning and pervasive. What perfection, what simplicity and yet profundity!

Well, one might say, where has all this Beauty gone? The landscape is still there but is it true that all that was splendid and Greek has disappeared ...

as the flowers of the orange tree
swept away by the cold north wind …?"

(quote from here).

Greece didn't continue its beauty and civilization like Italy did in the centuries (see the comments section for a discussion on this point). But some fragments have survived. Narrowing the focus on literature, we personally are fascinated by the works of the sublime neo-pagan poet Constantine Cavafy (1863 - 1933) from Alexandria, or by those of the writer, poet and philosopher Nikos Kazantzakis (1883 - 1957) from Crete, who lost the Nobel Prize to Albert Camus in 1957 by just one vote and who was spiritually restless, seeking "relief in knowledge, in travelling, in contact with a diverse set of people, in every kind of experience"(Wikipedia). And we are naming only those we have some knowledge of.

Crete is the largest Greek island which completes from the south the Greek archipelago (1400 islands!) and which, sung by Homer, conjures up ancient legends like Minos, the Minotaur, Theseus and Ariadne, the labyrinth created by Daedalus etc. (were they mere legends? I do not think so). It is an island that hosted the Minoan civilization, namely the most ancient Greek (hence European) civilization (ca. 2600–1400 BC).

Admire the perfection of this Minoan Bull Head from the Heraklion Museum, Crete (click on this and all other pictures for source files and credits).

Let us listen to the words of Kazantzakis recalling some decisive moments from his childhood in Crete: his first contacts with earth, sea, woman and fire (from the starry sky).

Earth, Sea, Woman and Fire

Kazantzakis remembers how advancing on all fours, still not able to walk, he once extended his tender head full of longing and fear in the courtyard for the very first time. Until that moment he had looked out his house windows but had seen nothing. That time though he didn’t just extend his sight, he actually saw the world for the very first time. Extraordinary revelation!

“Our little courtyard-garden seemed without limits. There was buzzing from thousands of invisible bees, an intoxicating aroma, a warm sun as thick as honey. The air flashed as though armed with swords, and, between the swords, erect, angel-like insects with colourful, motionless wings advanced straight for me. I screamed from fright, my eyes filled with tears, and the world vanished.”

This was the very first time he experienced the Earth.

(A landscape from Crete)

Ψ

He also remembers how a man with a thorny beard took him in his arms and brought him down to the port. While approaching their destination the little child started to hear like the terrible sighing and roaring of a wounded beast. He got so frightened that he tried to escape from the man’s arms, like a little trapped bird.

“Suddenly – the bitter odour of carob beans, tar, and rotten citrons. My creaking vitals opened to receive it …at a turn in the street – dark indigo, seething, all cries and smells (what a beast that was! what freshness! what boundless sigh) – the entire sea poured into me frothingly. My tender temples collapsed, and my head filled with laughter, salt, and fear.”

This was the very first time he experienced the Sea.

Ψ

He then remembers, when he was three, that a plump and pretty young woman, Anika, a neighbour with nice blond hair and large eyes, came to their little garden while he was playing around. The place smelled of summer and she, newly married and recent mother, leaning over, took him in her lap and hugged him.

“I, closing my eyes, fell against her exposed bosom and smelled her body: the warm, dense perfume, the acid scent of milk and sweat. The newly married body was steaming. I inhaled the vapour in an erotic torpor, hanging from her high bosom. Suddenly I felt overcome by dizziness and fainted. Blushing terribly, the frightened neighbour put me down, depositing me between two pots of basil.”

After that day the woman never took him on her lap again. “She just looked at me very tenderly with her large eyes and smiled.”

This was the very first time he experienced the Woman.

Ψ

One night in summer he was in his yard again.

"I remember lifting my eyes and seeing the stars for the first time. Jumping to my feet, I cried out in fear, 'Sparks! Sparks!' The sky seemed a vast conflagration to me; my little body was on fire."

This was how he experienced fire (and the starry sky) for the first time in his life.

Ψ

These four terrible elements - he recognizes - imprinted on his mind to the extent that even the most abstract ideas or the most metaphysical problems, in order to be significant to him, must take on a physical form "which smells of sea, soil and human sweat. The Word, in order to touch me, must become warm flesh."

It is this special trait, this synaesthetic aptitude, among others, that makes many of his pages so vibrant and unforgettable.

References. Quotes from Nikos Kazantzakis's autobiographical and last novel, Report to Greco, Faber and Faber 1965, translation from modern Greek by Bruno Cassirer, Oxford, 1965.

In Leros island, the simple and authentic cuisine is dominant in all places. The local cuisine of Leros is beyond the typical Greek food and cuisine of the package and mass tourism, is a cuisine as fascinating as the unique architecture of the island, the unique landscape and the   hospitality of its friendly inhabitants, who will welcome you, with a simple code of contact and communication. You will not find on Leros upmarket restaurants, nor typical Greek taverns full of hordes of tourists in Leros anyway.
The island of Leros that is surrounded by  the Aegean sea has a unique tradition in fish dishes. The island's blue waters are very rich in fishes with a huge variety of different species therefore giving the local families numerous possibilities for the culinary choices every day.  Traditional Greek fish dishes are characterized by many unique variations. You can enjoy fresh fish especially at Panteli, and also in more remote areas like Xerokambo and Blefouti  having a view to the sea.

Although Leros island is one of those islands where seafood is an important part of a family’s daily meals, it does not mean that meat dishes are entirely absent from the local cuisine. In Leros the visitor will find many tasty and  traditional recipes. Lamb, pork, chicken, goat, beef,  and other meat products like sausages are served in the local taverns and restaurants. Meat is another main dish of every home in Leros but also in all local eateries. In Platanos and Agia Marina you will taste the typical Greek Souvlaki with pita bread.
 
The women of Leros know how to charm your taste with their cooking and especially with their various vegetable dishes cooked with a lot of olive oil . All kinds of fresh vegetables can be found on Leros like , squashes, fresh beans, aubergines, tomatoes, okras and green paprika  are some of the basic ingredients of the local vegeterian food.

We went to this beautiful Greek island, with excellent food and cristal clear water, last summer.

Fishing around Mykonos can be very profitable, especially during the summer months when the restaurants and the hotels can ay to a fortune for a kilo of first class fish like red mullet (barbounia) or lobsters. The problem with Mykonos is the summer winds (Meltemia) that could almost make fishing there impossible, although there are still a lot of fish to be caught on the north side of the island still, on the straights between Tinos and Mykonos.  A lot of fish are ideal for nets around the small bays south of Rinia between Delos and Rinia on the west of Mykonos.  The south of the island of Mykonos is well protected from the winds, so line fishing is probably very productive.  As Paros is very close, a fishing boat can stay in the port of Mykonos where many of the northern parts of Paros are also easily reached within a couple of hours.  The market of Paros is also very profitable because both islands, with the development of tourism, now do not have many locals who chose to work as fishermen.

No I didn't take off for Asia again.

My Compi caught a bad cold and I had to wait until Bryan could come and look at it,which he has done now and I'm very grateful to him.The trouble she is German born,( Computers must be female)and always spits and scratches after someone from the other side of the ditch has laid hands on her.

After all the excitement my husband and I flew to Rhodes for a quick break from our "busy" lives.

Rhodes, one of the GreekDodecanese islands,is the third largest in Greece and officially the sunniest spot in Europe with at least 320 days of sunshine a year.

It is probably my favourite Greek island,although I do have a soft spot for Mykonos,which is not everyones taste

For a holiday it has everything,and if you are tired of the beach and they have beautiful ones you can chase history in the old city,which the Knights of St Johns used as a base on their way to the Holy Land. Or wander at the edge of Mandraki Harbour on whose entrance pillars once stood the Colossus of Rhodes.

I didn't take my painting things,and wish I had. What's that about always taking your Moleskine with you,but it will give me an excuse to return.

To all my Blogging friends,thankyou for still looking in and I will get back to you soon.

Ferry connections. The company Saos Ferries connecting the island with the Attica prefecture with three services a week to and from Lavrio (average duration of travel 9 hours). Schedules are also to and from Kymi, Agios Efstratios and Nea Moudania. Some greek ferries, however, do not run all year around so before travelling it would be wise to contact the local port authorities and travel agencies. Nel Lines connects with 2 services per week  the island with Thessaloniki (8 hours), Mytilini (5 hours), Chios (8 hours), and Piraeus (18 hours). The summer duration of the voyage from Piraeus has been reduced, thanks to the fast M/V Aeolos Kenteris. 

 Limnos airport has the largest runway in Greece and is one of the biggest airports in the Aegean. There are two daily schedules of Olympic Airways to and from Athens and 6 times a week to and from Thessaloniki. There is also 5 times a week a barren route line connecting Limnos, Mitilini, Chios,  Samos and Rhodes.

However, the only problem with this is that it makes it very difficult when it comes to deciding where to go on your holidays every year. There are certain things you can take into consideration when it comes to making a decision which can help you decide where to go.

The first thing to think about is the kind of budget that you have and what you can afford to spend. If you are lucky enough to have saved up a lot of money then you could go on a cruise or on an all inclusive package holiday to some exotic destination in the Caribbean. However, if you prefer your holidays cheap and cheerful then you can go somewhere relaxing such as France or get package holidays to one of the Greek Islands.

Who you are going on holiday with is also very likely to affect where you are going. If you have children then you are going to want to go somewhere where there is plenty for them to do. A perfect example of the ideal place to go if you have children is Disney World in Florida because there is absolutely no chance of children getting bored there. If you are going as a couple you would probably prefer somewhere more romantic such as Italy. Groups of friends are more than likely going to get package holidays to places with excellent nightlife such as Ibiza.

What you are interested in should heavily influence where you go on your holidays. There is no point going somewhere that isn’t going to have activities that you enjoy. For example, if you like sightseeing and finding out the historical and cultural background of a country then you are going to want to go somewhere where there are lots of tourist attractions rather than just bars and clubs.

With so many different kinds of holidays and deals available nowadays it is virtually impossible not to find what you are looking for. Not only does this mean that you will find what you want but you are also likely to get a great deal as well.  

The first thing to think about is where you want to go. This is likely to be affected by the kind of budget that you have. For example, if you have a lot of money to spend then you may be looking at an all inclusive trip to Barbados. However, if you can’t afford to spend that much on your holidays then a package holiday to one of the Greek islands could be just the thing for you.

When booking your holidays it is very important to shop around before you commit to anything. There are various ways of finding good deals nowadays from travel agents and newspapers to online bookings and Teletext. It is amazing the deals you can find if you just have the patience to look around rather than just booking the first thing that you come across.

Travel insurance is another thing that should be thought about carefully before embarking on your holidays. You may think that you will never need it but you never know and it’s not worth not having insurance if something does go wrong. It could potentially ruin your holiday if you are not protected and you will end up losing a lot of money which just isn’t worth it.

It is very important to check if you need any immunisations before going on your holidays. Certain countries have diseases that you will be more prone to as you are not used to the climate and surrounding. It is for your own benefit that you get these done because you could get very ill otherwise which will ruin your holiday.

Whenever you are about to escape on your holidays you are excited and therefore probably aren’t thinking straight. This can prove to be very annoying when you arrive at your destination and realise you forgot to pack something really obvious because you were too busy thinking about beaches and cocktails. It is therefore advisable to write a list of all the important things you will need so that you can check them off as you pack them. This means that you can guarantee you will have everything you need and won’t have to spend the beginning of your holiday searching for things that you need.

Naxos is a rich geological park of quartz rocks from non-exploited yet. The rocks are mainly quartz and marbles in alternating layers with granite blocks, relatively near to the city of Naxos and the north west part of the island, mainly sandstones exist in the peninsula of Stilis. In general Naxos has an oval shape and geophysical is distinguished as a mountainous island.

Naxos played an important role in the Cycladic culture, which seems to be started and developed between 5000 BC and 3000 BC Among the important changes that arose at that time was the development of shipping and the use of copper, ceramic and marble processing. In many locations on the island have been found many Cycladic figurines and other findings of the Cycladic culture who are now on display in Naxos Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, also a small number of them in the archaeological museum in Apiranthos. The archaeological museum of Naxos has the second largest collection of Cycladic findings after the archaeological museum in Athens.