For a change in stylistic pace I quote from a recent press release:

“Paros Hospitality located on the Greek island of Paros announces a new study abroad program featuring one week visiting the major Greece sites such as Delphi and the Athens Acropolis plus one week of educational workshops on Paros.

Michael Shepherd, Program Manager, said, “Our experience will enhance your experience to create a custom itinerary to suit your interests as well as attract students to the Greek island lifestyle of sun, sea and sport.”

The hallmarks of the program are 100% flexibility and affordable cost. The mainland itinerary with Athens as the hub is customized to suit the curriculum needs of the college. The more popular offerings on Paros include: Photography, Scuba, Sailing, Painting: Oil, Watercolor or Acrylic, Horseback Riding (in the sea) and Greek cooking.

Paros has a great wealth of experienced instructors and activities so that the program can be customized to suit the particular group. Interspersed with the fun events are guided tours of ancient and historical sites so that students personally engage with the birthplace of western civilization.

Shepherd emphasized that the entire two week package of learning, reflection and fun with accommodation, meals and transportation, excluding air fare to Greece, can be budgeted at well under 1,500 Euro per student with faculty included at no additional cost. The teacher makes the decisions; Paros Hospitality handles all logistics.

An interested college instructor only needs to provide a brief outline of places to visit and subjects to be covered. Then Paros Hospitality responds with an estimated budget. From that point we jointly fine tune the personalized Greece odyssey.  Read More

For background on Michael Shepherd and Paros Hospitality see: www.ParosParadise.com/about.htm

For more information about Greece and the Greek islands see: www.ParosParadise.com     “

This is an old story with a new development.  Last year we left Paros on Thanksgiving—in America, the date is nothing in Greece.  The day before we drove our scooters to the home of our American friends, Al and Ardy.  They were not only storing our bikes for the three months we would be gone, they threw in a big Thanksgiving feast as well.

So after drinks in the sun in their garden we went inside for dinner.  I took my camera in to photograph the food but left my windbreaker and camera case on an outside bench.  Later when it was time to leave I went to get them.  They were gone?  Was it some workmen from next door?  Unlikely, more likely was a neighbour's hound dog we had seen skulking around earlier.  So after much searching in the dark with flashlights, Karin and I left for Berlin and Prague with no camera case and no windbreaker.  The windbreaker did turn up the next day in a field with paw prints all over it, the camera case must be buried in someone’s yard.

The point being:  among the accessories in the case was a knockoff of a Gorilla tripod.  I had found it very handy but not gotten around to buying a replacement.  But today I signed up as a Google Affiliate for Joby, the maker of Gorilla products.  So I am now buying the real thing.  It is perfect for taking photos of yourself in any location as well as holding the camera still for night shots.  Just don’t leave it where a dog can steal it.

News flash according to Variety Magazine:

Actor, producer and director Billy Zane is to produce and direct a co-production with Greek partners of a script he wrote on the island of Paros.

Zane said the project -- working title "Photismos," which means illumination -- would reflect his Greek heritage. He expects to start shooting on Paros early next year and is about the relationship between a young man and his uncle and will touch on "philosophy, theology, Pythagoras' theories, geometry….and Frisbees".

The budget for the movie is in the region of $2 million and Zane is currently in negotiations with producers in Greece before finalizing financial and production details.

The last two weeks have been another case of doing so much that there is no time to write about it.  Worse, I did not take many photos so that I have to wait for our visiting friends to send me theirs.

We have been showing off Paros to four un-related sets of family and friends.  It is a lot of fun but leads to weight gain as we have been eating out five nights per week!

One benefit is that my visiting friend, Ben, can edit videos 10 times faster than me.  He took time from the beach to work his wonders on my shaky camera work to create this promotional video for one of the private villas that I market.

Sundance Hideaway

More villas at www.ParosParadise.com/villas.htm

Last week I read in the news that exports from Greece were up this year compared to last year.  Yesterday there was a news item that may help explain that.

Two young American men were stopped at the Athens airport with unusual souvenirs of their visit to Mykonos.  They had purchased six human skulls to use as Halloween decorations.  They had seen the skulls on display in a shop and purchased them for 25 Euro each.

So perhaps the resourceful Greeks have found a new way to boost their economy.  The traditional custom here is to disinter bones from graves after a few years, bless them and store them in a vault known as an ossuary.  So what happens when the ossuary gets full?

Editor’s note:  We are sure most Greeks as well as the Orthodox Church and the Greece government treat all human remains with the utmost respect.

Pyramid of Skulls by Paul Cezanne
c. 1901 Private collection; Venturi no. 753