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This latest storm sweeping through Greece has been named Αυγη, Dawn. It's the first major storm of the year so it starts with an A. Ok . How about Aglaia (a Muse), Ariadne (famous for helping Theseus escape the Minotaur) , Athena (Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare, Capitol of Greece), Aphrodite (Goddess of Love and Beauty). So many more interesting names, and those are only the female deities. There's Apollo (God of Music, Dance and Healing) , Aries (God of War). Then there are the ancient Greeks Aristotle, Alexander and Atlas.
And, I've forgotten what I originally started to write about. It wasn't a lesson in ancient Greek.
I was going to complain about the name of this storm. What's Dawn (Avgi) got to do with it. But actually what have any of these storm names got to do with storms.
The British Met office says it's easier to follow the progress of a storm on tv, radio or social media if it has a name.
They draw a name from a list submitted by the public. In years gone by they have used male and female names alternatively. This year they are using names of scientists, meteorologists and others 'who keep people safe in times of severe weather'.
So there you have it, if you're British.
In 2021 Greece, Cyprus and Israel formed an East Mediterranean storm naming group. The first storm name was Athena. Fair enough. She must be the most well known Greek, besides Helen of Troy, and is the Goddess of War.
At the moment Avgi is bringing snow to northern suburbs of Athens and Northern Greece.
It's a quick storm system bringing a low, for us, of 7oC today. By Friday it will be 15o. So they say.
We are having intermittent rain and sunshine here in the hills of our Greek island. We are sitting in front of the TV seeing the havoc it's causing in other areas and enjoying the warmth of our wood fire. K has heated up his 'patsas', tripe soup, and I have some pork chops to cook on the wood oven.
K is drinking raki and I have a glass of rosé.
Here's to a new day and a slightly warmer dawn tomorrow.
30 January is the feast day of the three Hierarchs of the Orthodox church, St Basil the Great, St Gregory the Theologian, and St John Chrysostom. They are the saints of education and so it's a school holiday.
My grandkids go to school in the morning and are taken en masse to church. At the end of the service, around 10am, they are free to go home or to go out for coffee with their friends .
If they don't go, to church, they have an absentee mark against them.
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Some people will be thrilled by the snow, and you have to admit that the mountains in Peloponnese and Central Greece, coated in snow and basking in sunshine, have a real magnificence to them. Enjoy your warmth and rose.
ReplyDeleteThe mountains are beautiful to see on tv but I don't know if I'd want to live in those suburbs that are snowed in. It's always a thrill to see snow on the hills opposite Poros. But none so far.
DeleteI'm quite happy beside the fire today
Battening down the hatches, a well lit stove and a strong night cap is just the ticket when there's a storm around.
ReplyDeleteStorms are few and far between here. I'm happy to sit inside a warm house and watch the olive trees getting a battering outside
DeletePretty chilly weather.....definitely red wine.....log fire weather.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness we have these quick changes and the sun will be out again tomorrow
DeleteYou will have your recent delivery of wood to keep you warm. We too, are having snow right now, but it is not named. I think we only have hurricanes on the east coast named and they are coming from up the eastern coast of the U.S. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteWe really needed that wood. We have baskets and wood piles inside out of the wind and rain and the fire has been going all day.
DeleteHow I would love to join you in a glass of rosé.
ReplyDeleteIt has been very sunny here today - no wind and rain for a whole day!!!
Lol one whole day! Enjoy the balmy weather
DeleteYou paint such a cozy picture of sitting before the fire. Sounds like the perfect way to spend a winter's day.
ReplyDeleteMaybe dawn because it’s the beginning of the storm season for the year.
ReplyDeleteAvyi sounds pretty I guess.
I’d definitely be inside with you enjoying a glass or two of something nice. I’d definitely be having the pork chops too lol
Stay safe
We have been very lucky here. Our storms have reeked havoc elsewhere in the UK, but we have been spared so far.
ReplyDeleteI hope your sunny days have returned to your beautiful island. We have a very cold and gusty wind howling around here at the moment - a sunny morning is forecast for tomorrow, fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteSounds cozy! We are currently being rained upon by the Pineapple Express (an 'atmospheric river') straight from Hawaii to the West Coast. Not an event that happens very frequently here in Southern California. Looks like this will be a rare wet year for us. I think the storms (mostly hurricanes) that get names in our part of the world don't usually make it to our little corner of the USA, or if they do, they have diminished greatly by the time they reach us and are downgraded to 'normal' storms.
ReplyDelete