The Day after Christmas: Visiting Metsovo

Even though most of you probably think of beaches when you think of Greece, exactly because this country has so many islands, you should also know that eighty percent of it is mountainous. Which means that there is so much to explore!

Metsovo is located in the Northwest, fairly close to Ioannina. It is a very traditional town of mountainous Greece, truly worth visiting. I have been there in the past, but I happened to go there this Christmas too. It was a cold and rainy day, so typical of mountain weather. Here are some pictures, and some facts...

Stone and wood are everywhere.

The people of Metsovo are excellent woodworkers.

Metsovo preserves the old ways of winemaking, cheesemaking and folk handicraft.

The Tositsas Foundation.












The Averoff Art Gallery of Metsovo, one of the most important in Greece.










The church of Agia Paraskevi, with its elaborate wood carved iconostasis.






The brown bear thrives in the surrounding area, which explains this sculpture.




And now, lunch time! At last...

Cats

Cats seem to be living in a world of their own, where nothing can upset them. I tried to capture this stillness, while walking in a historic neighbourhood of Ioannina, a very beautiful city in Northwestern Greece.







Don't you just love them?

A Tree In Fragments

I saw this particular platanus (plane tree) in Olympia, a little village which is a 10 minute walk from the ancient site and the museums. There are plane trees everywhere in the area. They say that the site inspires a feeling of peace and calm to the visitor, and I think it starts by seeing all those imposing trees... The first photo shows the top part where the branches of two nearby trees touch each other, in a sort of embrace...











And the last photo, where all this is finally rooted in the soil, gives a sense of satisfaction, a feeling of security, and sends a message of hope. At least, as I see it.

Prague, Spring

Those of you who have been in Prague will probably agree with me when I say that this is a place you somehow want to keep coming back to. I am so happy and grateful for some special treats I had this time I went there: dry weather, coldish yet OK temperature for a Greek gal like me, and even glorious sunshine! Aaaaaah!!!















Don't you just love the invincible power of spring?