Monemvasia and the Sea

Posted April 29, 2015 by twj
Greece

Monemvasia

Laconia

Mani Peninsula

Peloponnese

Greece

April 29, 2015

 

So, here I am, halfway up “The Rock,” looking out over the Gulf of Epidaurus.  The alternate nickname for this fast fortress is “The Gibraltar of Greece.”

Founded in 583 CE and derived from two Greek words meaning “one entrance,” Monemvasia has been settled, besieged, conquered and re-conquered over the ages by every Mediterranean power.  Now, after we drive across the narrow causeway, the island town is mostly besieged by tourists.

 I climb up through the narrow streets past the souvenir shops, coffee shops and restaurants to find the actual town – homes, churches, flowers, cats … and a sparkling view across the blue blue sea.

Epidaurus: Did Sophocles Have the Jitters?

Posted April 28, 2015 by twj
Greece

Epidaurus

Peloponnese

Greece

April 28, 2015

 

Did Sophocles Have the Jitters?

 

Here’s the scene:

 It’s Opening Night. 

Your latest drama is about to be performed for the first time. 

Local dignitaries and your loyal fans anxiously await and anticipate the opening lines of the first act. 

Critics, too!

Out-of-town travelers have scooped up all the remaining last minute discount tickets.

14,000 are seated on the hard, limestone tiers in the outdoor theater. 

The House is packed.  Restless.  Murmuring.

SRO.

Athens: The Fun Ride

Posted April 26, 2015 by twj
Greece

Athens

Greece

April 26, 2015

Hello,

My friend Ralph Velasco is a professional photographer and tour guide.  He recently published a book called Essence of a Place.

The subtitle of the book is A Travel Photographer's Guide to Using a Shot List for Capturing Any Destination.

http://ralphvelasco.com/products/essence-of-a-place-photography-ebook/

Ralph suggests more than a dozen categories including “Customs and Traditions.”

May I add a sub-category?  “Recreation.”

Athens: Museums

Posted April 26, 2015 by twj
Greece

Athens

Hellenic Republic

Sunday

April 26, 2015

 

I need a drink every time I visit a place like this.

Housed in a small, lovely building, displaying a variety of secular artifacts and religious icons, the Jewish Museum of Greece carries the appropriate name - a museum - the lifeless panorama of history.

Jews lived in Greece for more than two thousand years.  But in large numbers, Jews arrived in Greece following their expulsion from Spain and Portugal in the late Fifteenth Century.  For more than four hundred years, communities thrived here, especially in the northern city of Thessalonica, known as the “Little Jerusalem.”  In 1940, the Jewish population of Thessalonica exceeded 53,000 children, women and men.

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