Let Christmas be over

This year I am already fed up and tired with all this christmas mess way before it even started. For a month now I have been bombarded with x-mas songs(the same again and again), commercials, talking about it, planning it, all this presents hunting. It paralyses all normal life.  How long can this last? 1 week, 2 weeks ok but 1/10 of the year? Please...

Tilt shift photos etudes

 

Flying

On the flight back I sat next to a very sweet couple, maybe 20 years old, who flew for the first time abroad. The guy was very excited, while his girlfriend was totally paralysed by fear. He was very caring but the girl was freaking out anyway.  And here I was explaining to the girl how safe it was to fly and that the shaking though unpleasant is not dangerous and answer million questions about flying and traveling to the guy (“what is this sound”, “my ears hurt”, “why is the plane turning like that”, “ why are we going lower and lower”). Me, who is shit scared of flying. Irony.

New discoveries

There was this street I wanted to find in Thessaloniki, in the area of Ano Poli – Mousson. This street was the background of the autobiographic novel by Antonis Sourounis “ Monopati sthn Thalassa” – story of sweet but difficult childhood in this used-to-be poor area of the city. I was so charmed that I needed to see all the places I read about. Now this cul de sac is renovated but the houses remained very small, with low ceiling and line even more towards the ground.

Although the area is very small the grid of tiny streets is quite dense so I had a problem to find it and made circles for over half an hour.

The church of ... (forgot) and the big tree under which little Antonis would make his fake lottery and play with other boys.

When searching for Mouson I found a spooky building I have never seen before:

Some other peculiar structures noticed for the first time in places I thought I knew well:

Encounters

I was happy to find some friends doing very well, healthy, some proud of recent accomplishments, some with heads full of ideas.  

I was also surprised to bump on the street to a friend I know from a different country! He was there for the film festival as the Cypriot film producer “Apo thauma”. That is how I sneeked in among the “pros”. After the screening we went for dinner with the director and a few people from the production, and I was the only person on the table not from the film industry.

Films

The 51 Thessaloniki International Film Festival was organized with a very limited budget (know first hand from those who exhibited their kiosk there). This meant a very short opening ceremony and first of all lower awards among others. But the choice of films was great (among them a review of films of Dorota Kędzięrzawska). My favourites: Mammuth (France, with Gerard Depardieu and hilarious scenes of two old guys bed and of night golf), Donkeys (Scotland), Limbo (Sweden).

About the polish director’s film: I saw one “Jestem/I am” (just because the scheduled film was cancelled, otherwise I would not  see films which I can see in Poland). The audiuence was very enthusiastic and the film was awarded with a long ovation. For me, well it was a good movie, but like so many other “polish movies” – a sad drama, about a fragile individual trapped in a lousy social background. I guess for the greek audience it was something new and fresh.

Food

This week was all about food. My favourite mpougatsa EVERY day. Illustration of the amounts I would devour: a waiter brings my order, looks at the food, me, food, me and asks doubtedly: “are you going to eat all of this by YOURSELF?”. Oh yes! And the dessert on the house :D  Mainly octopus, florina peppers and mousakas and sweets (croissant with castanas filling!) are guilty of my 2 extra kilos.

Changes

Walking the city it cannot be missed that the economy is in bad shape. Some of “my” places closed or with a “for sale” sign : cafes, taverns, shops. Many of kiosks, which are usually on every corner, closed. In most of shop windows 30, 50, 70 % discounts. The most expensive cafes in the Aristotelous square half empty. However, the spirit seems still up, at least as far as service in cafes, hotel and shops is concerned. I felt always very welcome as a customer (no wonder since I left money there).

My city

I love Thessaloniki. I was afraid how I would feel upon return. But it was so pleasant, that I walked for a week with a silly smile on my face just because I was there. And I almost cried when I was leaving.