Mt. Olympus at Sunset

Now that the weather has started to improve, I'm taking more walks along the sea. For as long as I've been here I still can't get enough of the sunsets that we have in Greece. Now, my children are in love with sunsets too. If I'm busy and there's a gorgeous sunset, Izabella will make me stop what I'm doing and join her on the balcony to stand together in silence as we take photos and witness the magical colors as they disappear beyond Mt. Olympus. 

Have I Told You How Much I Love Spring?

Spring is officially here and I'm thoroughly enjoying all of beauty that comes with it. I started this post a few days ago- on the official first day of spring -but I never got around to posting it. As I love spring so much - my blog is bursting with photos of blossoms, bees and other flowers. Last year I barely blogged, I felt that the blog was getting too repetitive and predictable. Well, this is my life, sort of repetitive and predictable(and that's ok!) -always anticipating the arrival of what each season brings and sharing it with all of you. I've also heard from many of you, asking what I'm doing and where I've been and I appreciate your comments and emails because they do inspire me. Thank you. 

I'd like to share a few photos with you, all taken within the last week.   

~

I love photographing bees & flowers. I have a new macro lens that 

I haven't used yet- can't wait! 

Gigi gets to spend more time outside, since it's not muddy anymore.

Tarzan can be found napping or relaxing anywhere within the olive grove at any given time during spring since the undergrowth is soft.  

Zoumpoulias make the front walk smell amazing. Also, we fill vases with them and the house smells wonderful too. 

This last Sunday was absolutely gorgeous. I took the kids for a picnic seaside and we spent the entire afternoon outdoors. Because the weather was so magnificent everyone seemed to have the same idea, so we had to drive a bit to find a quiet place to enjoy ourselves.  It was our 3rd picnic so far this spring. 

Salad- feta cheese, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers. Sandwich- turkey, lettuce, tomato, and  Milner cheese. And, of course- potato chips. 

The view from our picnic spot.

After lunch, we walked along the beach. 

It was the perfect day for a seaside walk. 

 Beach art. 

♥My three little munchkins ♥

After a perfect day we enjoyed a beautiful sunset as we headed home. I took this shot from the driver's seat of the car- hence a slightly slanted horizon. 

I'm looking forward to more picnics and spending as much time as possible outdoors. 

Happy Spring!

 (to everyone in the Northern Hemisphere)

and I will say have a lovely Autumn to my readers down under! 

~ 

Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day. 

~W. Earl Hall ~

Thursday Sunset

Last Thursday heavy clouds loomed above and it seemed as if it was going to rain all day- but luckily it didn't - the rain held out until later that night. The day seemed pretty damp and dreary-not particularly enjoyable nor was it overly uncomfortable.  After having been in the car almost all day I couldn't wait to get home.  As I drove toward the sea I noticed spectacular colors and stopped to take a few photos. 

Off on a secluded corner of the beach I could see one man fishing. The water was calm, the beach was clean. He turned to look at me a few times. I know that I probably interrupted his concentration as I took some shots. I felt like walking on my tiptoes, since I'd disrupted the rhythm of the sea  faintly lapping the shoreline. 

After about five minutes I packed my camera away and got into the car, I could still see the man. He watched  intently as I drove away, probably thankful that he would have the last few minutes of the sunset to himself.  

Know where to find the sunrise and sunset times and note how the sky looks at those times, at least once. 

~Marilyn vos Savant~ 

Captivated by the Sunset

 It was just another busy evening. The children were outside chasing toads- letting out sharp squeals whenever one slipped away. Then I heard the word "lizard"- which lead to more squeals of delight. Inside, I was trying to tidy up and  finish some chores I had neglected earlier. I had a headache. I walked out on the balcony to collect laundry I had hung to dry early that morning...it had to be dry. I looked out toward the sea when I was intrigued by the sunset. I left the laundry, took a deep breath and leaned over the rail a bit so that I could capture some fresh air breezing by. It was a wonderful moment, I was captivated by the sun as I patiently watched it disappear behind the hills across the sea. Was it 10 minutes? I'm not sure, but it was enough and although my headache hadn't subsided, it was less intense and I felt a sense of calm. 

    

Kalo Mina/Καλό μήνα

February started out with a spectacular sunrise from my corner of Greece. We have so many spectacular sunrises and I never tire of photographing or sharing them. I took a moment to snap these photos this morning while in the midst of serving breakfast, packing lunches and laying clothes out for the day. Today started out ok, although I forgot to send Foti's pillow & blanket to school with him...but I can always drop that off later since nap time isn't until the afternoon. But all is well nevertheless. 

Here's a photo of Mount Olympus waiting for the sun's warmth. I absolutely love the clouds. 

This photo was taken from the opposite side of my house. The clouds are reflecting the pink hues of the sunrise to the from the east. Cool and dark with a touch of pink, beautiful. 

Now here's a  photo that I took last night at sunset. It was a windy and cool, not cold. I loved the dramatic look of the clouds looming over Mt. Olympus so as I was driving to the bakery I couldn't resist stopping to snap a few shots. 

Another view from the beach just before sunset last night. Amazing, breathtaking and calming...It was nice for me to step away and take a break, even if only for a few minutes. I hope that you enjoy the photos. 

~~~~

Sweet Surprise

Yesterday as I was reading a few of my favorite blogs I stumbled upon a sweet surprise. Ivy  from Kopiaste..to Greek Hospitality passed an award in my direction and I have to say I'm completely, utterly flattered by her gesture. Ivy is an amazing blogger, from fantastic recipes coupled with historic information about the recipes and great photos taken from her travels, her blog is an invaluable resource to foodies and bloggers worldwide. If you haven't visited her site yet I suggest that you do as it's always a pleasure to read. Thank you Ivy, you're an inspiration and I'm so happy that we've become friends. I hope to meet you one day, whether it be in Athens, Thessaloniki or somewhere in between. Thank you. 

In lieu of passing on the award I'll mention a few of my favorite blog friends and their fabulous blogs/sites... 

Maria-Organically Cooked & One Day in Hania

Liz-The making of cupcakes.gr

Peter-Kalofagas

Laurie-Tastes Like Home-Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska

Kat-Living, Working, Musing & Misadventures in Greece

Mel-Mel's Diner

Phivos- Travelling - ταξίδιa &Phivos Nicolaides

Jes- Prospero's Cellphone

Jude-Caridad in Crete

John-John Palmer Art

Craig-Teacher Dude's Grill and BBQ

Just a few to name a few. I wish everyone a great month, καλό μήνα and a fantastic week. I'll leave you with a video from another favorite friend, Damián Lértora .

Enjoy!

Music Composed and Performed by Damián Lértora Lyrics/Vox by James Higgins. ©All rights reserved.

Church at Sunset

Taking a walk at sunset one evening I took a few photos of a church. This is one of my favorites.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Two days of Random Photos

This post has been inspired by a childhood friend of mine. I was lucky enough to talk to her for the first time in probably 5 years earlier tonight. She had mentioned how exciting and interesting my life seems. I thanked her and thought, yes...my life is a little less ordinary...I suppose. At least it's nothing like the life that I left behind, the life that everyone back home is so familiar with. I've left the cul-de-sac of my childhood and now I live at the end of a dirt road with a view of the Aegean Sea and Mt. Olympus. As a child, I wouldn't have imagined I'd end up living in Greece or even in Europe, for that matter.  So, after I finished my conversation with her I started to upload photos that were taken within the last two days. Here are some random photos that I've chosen to share with everyone. This is what I see, what I've done or where I've been...this is part of my everyday life. It's interesting to others and I realize that I'm fortunate. Thank you for the inspiration Lisa. 

A boat full of men dressed in camouflage.

Alexandra & Foti posing at the base of a tower.

Kosta, Foti & Izabella

Boats docked at the marina.

Izabella posing for the camera.

An outdoor cafe, empty because it was extremely windy.

Alexandra having fun at a playground.

The front of a taverna.

Myself with Alexandra

The sunset- from our balcony  on Wednesday night.

Mt. Olympus- from our balcony at sunset on Wednesday night. 

A herd of sheep passes in front of our house early Thursday morning.  

Have a nice weekend...

An evening in July...

Now that we've settled into our Greek lifestyle, the beach is always a part of our days and since it's been really hot, we like to go during the evening as well. Friday, we spent the earlier part of our evening on the beach with our neighbors but they didn't stay very long, so we were on our own until sunset. It was lovely.

As most of you probably know, I seem to have a knack for noticing strange things. So, here are a few strange things that fell before my eyes while thoroughly enjoying myself with my kids.

-Two men, of Arab descent swimming with regular bathing suits, but also their shoes. Yes, they were their shoes, not shoes for the sea...shoes for walking, black, laced shoes. I understand that maybe they didn't want to step on a sea urchin or possibly a little crab, but it looked very strange.

I would also think that they might be a bit uncomfortable to wear out of the sea since they would be soaked and it would probably take hours to dry, especially with feet in them.

I'll have to do some research, it could just be cultural.

-A man parked his produce truck near the beach. He emerged from the truck with his wife and probably his daughter. The wife and daughter took off their clothes to reveal their bathing suits, while the man revealed his underwear. Yes, they were underwear. Cotton, bikini underwear. He wasn't young either. Now, I understand that if you really have to cool off in the sea, you could resort to wearing your underwear out of desperation. My hats are off to you if you have the balls, but you might want to pick a more secluded location. It just looks funny, plain and simple. My neighbor and I were actually in the water as he approached. It made a great conversation also.

Me: "I can't believe that man is wearing his underwear...wait...are they? No."

-Long pause accompanied by a squinting stare-

Neighbor: "Cheri, look...they ARE underwear"

Me: "Wow, no kidding..."

OK, so not a great conversation... but it busted up a silent moment in the water.

------

I took a lot of photos Friday evening and I started to flip between color and sepia. I just love sepia. The Internet is so full of beautiful summer pictures popping with color, especially blue water, that I decided to share my sepia snaps that I took from my little corner on the beach. I apologize that I don't have photos of the peculiar beach attire that was present, I was in the water for those moments. Besides, you wouldn't have wanted to see the man in his underwear...trust me.