Greece Through My Lens
In early May, I had the chance to return to Greece. A historic land of ancient ruins, warm people, and crystal blue waters. A couple days before my trip, I had the wild idea to set forth on a new venture. Photography. Holding my breath that the delivery would come in on time, I received my camera just before embarking.
Why photography? Well, I believe photography is something that connects us all. It has the ability to bring far away lands right to our fingertips. And when done well, it captures a moment in time, a feeling. So here it begins— my first photojournalism blog,
Greece Through My Lens.
Αθήνα (Athens)
Let’s start with Irakleidon Street in the center of Athens.
This stone paved street is one of our favorites in the ancient city. We stayed at the same Airbnb as last time. A quaint apartment just below a Greek bookstore. The street is lined with many homes and eateries. It has a very local feel to it. If you sit on the bench for awhile, you’ll see many elders walking arm in arm slowly down the pedestrian only road.
Our first stop, after leaving the suitcases, was an obvious one. As you walk up Irakleidon street you’ll find a neighborhood coffee shop named Stucco. After many hours of travel, a bit of coffee is a good idea. Oh and the cappuccino art is too pretty not to capture.
One of our favorite things to do upon arrival and a great jet lag hack- is to walk around! Wander through streets and notice.
This beautiful calico was quite photogenic. To my cat lovers out there, as you may already know, Greece is a cat lovers paradise. They rule the corners, streets and door nooks. Greek cats are well taken care of, whether they are owned or free spirited street cats, the communities take care of them.
Athens has a melting pot of architecture. While walking about, these caught my eye.
Within minutes of leaving Stucco, you can see the full landscape of the Ancient Agora Prison and of course the famous Acropolis.
In the evening, we decided to take a walk around the ancient ruins. We came across the 10th century Church of The Holy Aposltes. This Byzantine church is marked with decorative inscriptions on each of the bricks.
A smiley Joe! For our second day in Athens, we found ourselves at the National Garden. A large lush green park in the middle of the bustling city. The first day had been a bit chilly due to wind and rain, but today the sun was fully out and so were the poppies!
Μήλος - Milos
This lovely little Greek island is about 3 hours off the coast of Athens surrounded by the Aegean sea. This year, I lead The Unwind Retreat here. The first day of the retreat, I brought the ladies to the coastal fishing village of Mandrakia. Here, you can wander around the rocky beds and admire the colorful doors and bright blue waters. It almost doesn’t appear real, but it very much is ! Click on each photo to get a better look :)
The next afternoon, we took the group on a sunset catamaran ride. Milos is made up of sulphuric and volcanic rock. You can see the strokes of color from the rich variety of minerals. We docked at famous cove that has a white cave like structures named Kleftiko Beach. It used to be an old pirate hideout, where stolen treasures were hidden in the hollowed nooks. Today, it’s a lovely spot to paddle around and explore.
On our last afternoon in Milos, I brought the ladies to the small village of Trypiti. I had found a local wood-working shop that operated out of a old Cycladic home that I thought would be a truly unique experience for them. Wandering through the little alleyways of Trypiti was a experience in it of itself. It overlooks the bay of Milos, and on every corner a little watchful eye minding your step. How many four legged friends do you spy?
If you said five you are correct :)
As you leave Trypiti, a little ways up is the hilltop town of Plaka.
Plaka is breathtaking.
There are of course quaint shops and restaurants starting to bustle about, but my favorite part is meandering through the walk ways, and finding yourself amongst the worn cobblestone.
Sweet sweet Milos.
This was dusk our last evening.
Saying a beautiful goodbye.
Σίφνος - Sifnos
Our next stop was Sifnos. This is the sleepy little Greek island we had fallen in love with last year. Sifnos is about a 45 minute boat ride away from Milos, but it has a completely different look and feel to it.
We returned to our stay at Verina Astra, a dreamy hotel overlooking the vast sea.
A calm afternoon at Kamares port
In Sifnos we celebrated my 31st birthday
our fits :D
On our last day in Sifnos, we decided to hike down to a beautiful little church with a blue cap on it.
It’s a deceiving hike. What might appear like innocent little wildflowers have ankle biting thorns. What may appear like a gradual descent down from heaven, makes for a heck of a climb back up! But all in all, it is well worth it. Just taking moments to pause and breathe in, breathe out…Ahh I could stay here forever!
Alas, all good trips do come to an end. A time when we must, and probably should, go back home.
And home, I am grateful to say, is such a sweet place. And on our last day wandering back into the streets of Athens, well, I believe goodbyes are never really a goodbye.
Rather, "Greece, dear one, I will see you in another time or two."
