This evening during dinner on our veranda Karin and I noticed a small salamander/gecko crawling down the wall between the light fixture and the shutter. It was an unusual orange/clear color with a wiggling tail that made it look like a large scorpion. (We have had small scorpions on our veranda.) We thought that was interesting but it soon disappeared somewhere.
Later as we were playing cards in the cool breeze we noticed two normal-colored grey salamanders crawling along the beam between the window and door--and between two light fixtures. Was one of them the earlier creature, having changed colors, or had these two chased the other off? Soon our attention was riveted to one of them stalking a moth over the door. As we watched carefully, with Karin getting a crook in her neck, we were rewarded with witnessing the salamander pounce, while on the bottom of the beam, and crawl away into a corner with the moth in his mouth. We applauded as the moth gave a death shudder.
To think I have always been appalled at accounts of crowds cheering and applauding at executions. Everything is relative, I am deciding.
My blogging is full of apologies--and little content. I have several subjects that I need and want to write articles about. Let's blame it on writer's block rather than . . . I guess I have no excuse.
In the mean time here is some filler that I copied from Google's Inside Adsense when they celebrated the introduction of ads in Greek.
- The length of Greece's coastline is estimated at 9,300 miles; America's coastline is estimated at 11,800 miles. The land area of Greece is slightly smaller than Alabama.
- The yo-yo is the second oldest known toy in the world (only the doll is older), and was born over 3,000 years ago in the days of ancient Greece.
- Greek people love to dance, so there are 63 different folk dances in Greece.
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I haven't telephoned my mother for a good long time. This week I fully intended to, BUT we have had something going every night--there is a 10 hour time difference so I can only call at night.
Karin and I have not had dinner alone together since who knows when. Our visiting Dutch friends take up a lot of time and then tonight we are going to dinner at our Dutch friends who live here. Last night was a beach party in a small cove sheltered from the high winds that drove us from the beach. Tonight we are up on the hill for some of Eddy's wonderful cooking.
Greece is truly a mixture of the ancient, the historical and present.
Locals, expatriates, and visitors all have a love/hate relationship with the beauty of the country and the character of the people and institutions of the country. Some love it and leave, some love it and come back; despite the inconveniences everyone was on Paros on August 15.
No one likes the crowds; even the business people had more than they could handle. Yet everyone was having a great time either at the beach during the day or in town at night.
Our highlight was the fireworks. They truly were the best I had ever experienced including USA Independence Day because there were several new ones that I had never seen before on TV or live. We love it here!
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Image courtesy of Joke of the Day
I just discovered a fun site for building blog traffic.
Check it out: http://www.25peeps.com/r/1728
Seven years ago we found these little shapes in the sand on Agri Irini beach. They intrigued our curiosity--were they man-made, or part of an animal or plant? For the first year or two we found them no place else, but since then we have on one or two other beaches.
We even asked a local taverna owner who grew up on Agri Irini. He claimed to not know what they were. They are many colors and shapes of a resin-like texture.
What else can I say? The white scale is inches; the yellow is centimeters.
HELP, PLEASE.
Until we have a three dimensional video with touch and smell I will not be able to do justice to our village festival. In short you just have to be there to sense the atmosphere.
All in all in was a good show--although a day late according to some--. The highlight is the dancing in which everyone participates--I even clicked my fingers as I walked down the beach. Karin demonstrated her grace and rhythm to everyone walking down the street.
My photo doesn't show any of the older folks but a few of them were the best and longest lasting dancers. Karin's favourites are the pre-school girls who lose all inhibition.
The festival in honor of Transfiguration of Christ (Panigiri tou Sotiros) is held every August 6th. But this year that is a Sunday so some committee must have decided Saturday would be better and so published a notice. So we went over early on Saturday to get a good bird's eye view table at our favourite bar and waited, and waited and finally went home a few drinks later. In other words no one else paid any attention to the change in date.
See and learn more about Aliki in our full service web site.
I have posted before about various island activities but there is just too much going on this high season weekend.
1) After hours Techno - Progressive party with guest dj Leoni. Friday 4 August at Caffe Latte Lounge Bar, Seafront Parikia
2) The Moraitis Family, Parian wine-makers, invite you to the art exhibition: "Unusually Exceptional Works of Art" Works by: Michael Brady, Dimitris Sifneos, Gail Anthony and Hera. Opening: Saturday 5 August at 20:00 Venue: Moraitis Winery, Naoussa Dates: 5 - 31 August
3) "Moments of Inspiration" - photographs by Fragiskos Kefalas. At the Community Office of Marpissa (opposite the central church of the village). Opening: 5 August at 18:00 Dates: 5 August - 18 August.
4) 'Night Travel' All night house music party on the beach, with dj Alex and guests. Saturday 5 August at Monastiri Beach Club, Naoussa Bay.
"The above events and images from
Parosweb Events, a mailing service which reaches the "Paros Island Online Community", a very targeted audience of about 4,000 persons. Please contact us when you wish to broadcast your event."
Not listed above but the highlight for us is the annual Aliki Festival. Photos and comments after I recover from the free drink and food tomorrow.
Oh wow, I just picked up the following from the Paros Life Calendar on ParosWeb.
31 Jul - 4 Aug - Tai Chi week with Spiros Peristeris at Tao's.
4-6 Aug - Thai massage bodywork workshop with Spiros Peristeris at Tao's.
5 Aug - 9pm - performance by the Folkdance Group of Naoussa in the courtyard of the Panaghia Church, Naoussa. 5 Aug - 9.30pm - Festival in Aliki (Panigiri tou Sotiros) with music, fish & local wine.
5 Aug - Theatre performance of "Don Quixote" by the Children's Group of the National Theatre at the Municipal Athletic Field, Paroikia.
6 Aug - 8.30pm - Transfiguration of Christ (Panigiri tou Sotiros) celebration takes place at the Kopelouzos Estate, Langeri, Santa Maria. Open for Paros citizens and guests of the Kopelouzos Family.
6 Aug - 9pm - Festival (Panigiri tou Sotiros) in Papageorgi Stamenou Sq., Marpissa. Live traditional music, dancing and mezedes.
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I haven't posted much about the weather lately but it has been affecting (or is that effecting, I forget) our daily lives. Starting in June and almost everyday in July it has been unusually windy this year. Not that the speed is unusually high, it is just day after day of consistently high winds--between 30-36 mph. Now in August, the month known for Meltemi or consistently high winds, it is slacking off. We are due for several days of low breezes and then the wind shifting from the North to coming from the South.
For us this brings hot weather, but not the hot weather we read about elsewhere. Here is gets up to 90 °F / 32 °C; that isn't so bad except that our lows at night are still 80° F/ 27° C. Without air conditioning You have to sleep naked. Somehow though the heat saps any sexual stimulation. (So is affect or effect appropriate?)
