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On our way down the steep hill to the bay below we pass this small church dedicated to Agia (female saint) Paraskevi. She specialises in the healing of the eyes. Her fiesta is midsummer, 26th July. The celebration attracts crowds, though not as many as in days of yore when families would sleep out under the trees so they could attend the evening and the early morning service. It was a night and day of religion and revelling.
The church of Agia (Saint) Paraskevi
A small shrine in the driveway of our neighbour across the valley
The small stone house on the left of the photo is the original homestead of a farming family. Five sons grew up in that house. Four of them went into the navy. The house on the right with the bougainvillia is a summer home of one of the brothers and a base for oil picking. All the brothers have holiday homes in the area and we are related to one of them, and now all of them, as we are godparents to one of the next generation.
The house is at the end of our cul de sac.
This little shack sticks out into the middle of the road causing a very sharp blind bend. He wasn't going to move that shack for any new road. And so we go round it, carefully
Our spot on the beach. It's the only bit of shade now the canteen has been removed and by 11am all the local swimmers are gathered there to pass the time of day and discuss the fishing situation. This little patch can get rather crowded
The little bay. Sheltered, except for the roaring north winds. Sand is no longer hauled in to cover those stones.
This what the main beach looks like today
This how it was three years ago. It was our local hangout. A swim and a coffee was the order of the day and often a quiet drink at night beside the sea.
Your beach looks lpike a wonderful place to spend a summer morning or evening. Maybe if that man moved his shack it would have fallen to bits?
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed the shack is still standing. It is abandoned, has been for as many years as I know it. Someone should have just given it a kick
DeleteI think I would set myself up with a chair, books, food and drink and I wouldn’t move except to go for a swim
ReplyDeleteA very pleasant way too spend a summer.
Thats the way I used to think because I could sit in the shade and order a coffee. Today there are too many people in the only place with shade and the other day I couldn't even read a book because of all the gossip, which I didn't want to miss lol
DeleteThat all looks and sounds idyllic.
ReplyDeleteIt was idyllic, in days of yore and the days of the canteen.. September it will be more relaxed . Less locals
DeleteMakes me wish we lived within a few hours of a beach.....lovely!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is a blessing on a scorching summers day. We often go in the morning and stay a few hours. It cools us down for the rest of the day
Deletei'd go to that beach and enjoy the ocean and sun but I bet it gets busy in Summer.
ReplyDeleteThis summer it didnt except at weekends but still too many people for us. The canteen drew crowds but it was different, more relaxed somehow. We had good chairs, good shade and good coffee
DeleteThe bay looks perfect; just the spot for some Octopus fishing. I agree with the owner of the shed; DEFINITELY worth saving!
ReplyDeleteThere used to be loads of octopus. Don't how many tall tales I've heard from the locals of the abundance and size of the creatures. Any you can find now tend to be too small but they're still around.
DeleteBoo to the shed and the crabby owner. Must find out who he is
Blow on it; it might just fall down.
DeleteReligion and reveling is an intriguing combination! Your little bay is pretty :)
ReplyDeleteRevelling often goes with religion here. After a pious service they all let their hair down and have a glass of two, a bit of fat pig and nearly always there is dancing!!
DeleteThose small stone houses look like the remote-est of the remote - something from another age completely. And call me an anti-social git but I prefer your beach a la 2020 to what it was 3 years ago.
ReplyDeleteAs for the shack in parts of the world we come from someone would have slipped with the bulldozer, so shack owner is lucky there is a bit of local respect for history and ownership.
I must ask the locals about the owner of that shack. There must be a story there.
ReplyDeleteAs for the beach, it is dirty and dusty. The canteen people were always cleaning beach and sea and it got a load of sand at the beginning of summer. It could get busy, we avoided it on weekends but sitting in the shade beside the sea with a book and their coffee was a great way to spend the summer
Great way to spend summer - we can imagine. BTW our local church is Agia Paraskevi (poor lass has to share it with Nicolaos) and her festival was a very sad affair this year.
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