From Athens with Love: photos from Athens

Monday, November 14, 2011

Waste of (y)our time

Okay, I admit it. This blogging can be a bit gross, yucky and need some parental advisory because its explicit content.

Anyway, here we go! While strolling on the streets of Athens or walking to the trash bins many times per week, you just can´t go by wondering what on earth people throw away or want to recycle... or can you? ;)

5th place: a teddybear

4th place: a shopping cart

3th place: a part of the restroom

2nd place: a chest x-ray film

1st place: a car

Thursday, March 24, 2011

When the almond tree blossoms

You can see small almond trees blossoming all over the city now. It is the sure sign of spring in Athens but like everything in Greece the tree holds its hidden story.

In Greek mythology there is the Queen of Thrace, Phyllis, who thinks her lover will never return again. They had arranged to be married, but before the marriage ceremony could take place, Demophon was recalled to Athens for the funeral of his father. She waits for her fiancée to arrive over promised time and finally in despair commits suicide.

The Gods are so moved by her love, that they transform her into an almond tree. Eventually her lover returns and finds only a little tree. He embraces it and it starts to blossom beautifully, and becomes an ageless symbol for constancy in love and eternal hope.