Sunday, December 27, 2015

Crocus cartwrightianus: A slide show


[Crocus cartwrightianus: a slide show]


Photographed in Attica between 2010 and 2015

We recommend that you watch in full screen if you can. 


Friday, December 18, 2015

Lycogala epidendron

8021814 [Lycogala epidendron]

A rare mushroom that develops on usually fallen tree trunks.
Each of the biggest "reddish bubbles" was hardly more than 1cm wide.

 Photographed on Mt. Parnitha on September, 2015


Saturday, December 12, 2015

"Galileo”: a panorama

DSC5348-NX [Galileo: a panorama]

“Galileo” [see photo] was sailing rather fast very close to the shore below the Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounio when I tried to take a picture of it but it was too big to fit into the frame of the prime telephoto lens mounted on my camera. I was about to quit in despair, when I remembered a piece of advice I had read on the Web. I right away turned the camera vertical and took three shots with a panoramic composition in mind. Fortunately, it worked. I wouldn’t like to have missed the shot of such a vessel.

Photographed on Cape Sounio on May 15, 2015

Monday, December 7, 2015

Delichon urbicum

DSC5212 [Delichon urbicum]
Photographed in Oropos on April 06, 2015






Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Podofomes trogii

8017957 [Podofomes trogii]


8017966 [Podofomes trogii]

Photographed on Mt. Parnitha on October 11, 2014

Saturday, November 28, 2015

The Finish Line

DSC2163 [The Finish Line Fr1]

Marathon runners entering the Panathenaic Stadium


IMG 2055 [The Finish Line Fr2]
 Marathon runners reaching the Finish Line in the stadium






A short experimental time-lapse movie of Marathon runners reaching the "Finish" line in the Panathenaic Stadium during the 33rd Athens Marathon race on November 08, 2015


It is recommended that you watch the video in full screen for better view.

Recorded in Athens on November 08, 2015

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

The morning sun

ΒΒΒ5553 [The rising sun]
The sun is rising over Schinousa island.

Photographed from the ferry boat taking us back home on March 31, 2010

Saturday, November 21, 2015

The Artemision Jockey


8011980 [The Artemission Jockey]

A bronze statue of a horse and its jockey. It was retrieved in pieces from a shipwreck off Cape Artemision in Euboea. The young jockey of the galloping horse is believed to have held the reins in his left hand and a whip in his right hand. The contractions and furrows on his face, especially on the forehead, reveal agony and passion. The work is known as "the Artemision jockey". The pieces were reassembled to a whole in 1971.

It dates back to about 140 BC.

Photographed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens (here) on January 18, 2014.


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Crocus laevigatus

8022205 [Crocus laevigatus]

Photographed on Mt. Hymittos on November 13, 2015

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Cervus elaphus: A portrait

8021373 [Cervus elaphus: A portrait]

I was driving slowly along the road when I noticed this beauty standing by the road and looking at the car approaching her. I thought she would run away as I was getting closer but I proved wrong. I slowed down even more and eventually I stopped in front of her. To my amazement, she didn’t go. Instead, she kept staring at me through the open window. Was I a familiar face to her? Did she want to be photographed? I have no idea. I grabbed my camera [It’s always on standby] and took a couple of pictures of her as calmly as I could. When I finished, she was kind enough to accept a piece of cake I had put aside for an afternoon snack. An interesting encounter! 

Photographed on Mt. Parnitha on August 25, 2015

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Phoenicopterus ruber

DSCN 1587 [Phoenicopterus ruber]

Photographed in Acapulco on January 23, 2007


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Spiranthes spiralis

8022054 [Spiranthes spiralis]


Photographed on Mt. Hymittos on October 30, 2015







A cropped version of the picture on top revealing more detail

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Soon after the storm

AAA3420 [Soon after the storm]

When the storm started literally flooding Thessaloniki, I found myself trapped in a seaside café on Nea Paralia (the New Waterfront). The storm didn’t last long but left behind large pools of water, frightening clouds, unusual colors on the sky and an overall unprecedented atmosphere. The situation called for a press on the trigger of the camera. When the rain stopped, I started thinking of how I could best compose my picture when this “romantic” lady stepped into the frame and completed the composition. I pressed the trigger, before she decided to go. I was standing in a pool of water but have never regretted it.
 

Photographed in Thessaloniki on September 16, 2008

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Colchicum cupanii

8021939 [Colchicum cupanii]

Photographed on Mt. Hymittos on October 18, 2015


Saturday, October 24, 2015

Crocus cancellatus ssp. mazziaricus

8021941 [Crocus cancellatus ssp. mazziaricus]

Photographed on Mt. Hymittos on October 18, 2015


Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Phalaenopsis amabilis

IMG_1359 [Phalaenopsis amabilis]

Photographed in Paris on August 11, 2011


Saturday, October 17, 2015

Fringilla coelebs

DDD_4261 [Fringilla coelebs]


Photographed at Marathonas on March 15, 2014



Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Biarum tenuifolium ssp. abbreviatum

8017778 [Biarum tenuifolium. abbreviatum]

Photographed on Philopappou Hill in Athens on October 06, 2014


Saturday, October 10, 2015

Sternbergia lutea

8021894 [Sternbergia sicula]

Photographed on Filopapou Hill in Athens on October 02, 2015

Monday, October 5, 2015

Colchicum bivonae: A slide show


[Colchicum bivonae: A slide show]

Photographed on Mt. Parnitha in 2014 and 2015

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Colchicum sfikasianum

802_1656 [Colchicum sfikasianum]

 

Photographed on Mt. Hymittos on September 19, 2015


Saturday, September 26, 2015

Mount Lycabettus

DSC1576 [Mount Lycabettus]


Mount Lycabettus stands in the center of Athens at a height of 300 m above sea level. At the top one can see a little chapel dedicated to St. George, can dine in a restaurant and can enjoy not only a nice view of the Acropolis but also a unique view of the city to any direction. Hopefully, they will pretend to ignore the undoubtedly undesirable antennas that “have crept into the area”.

In the photo above one can see the north part of the mountain as seen through the photographic lens from a distance of nearly 4km.

Photographed on September 13, 2015


Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Autumn is here!

802_1692 [lightning]


Capturing a lightning has always been at the back of my mind as a must-try at least once but I had never dared test my luck until two days ago when the magnitude and frequency of lightning almost all over the area provided the opportunity for a step forward. Quickly set up my camera on the balcony of my apartment and took about 30 pitch-dark, useless, photos before the storm faded away plus one more photo. The one above I am happily sharing with you. Eventually… "audaces fortuna iuvat"!!!

Photographed in Holargos on September 21, 2015


Saturday, September 19, 2015

Allium brussalisii

802_1296 [Allium brussalisii]

Photographed on Mt. Parnitha on August 25, 2015

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Aphrodite

8011997 [Aphrodite]

A statue of Aphrodite made of Parian marble and found in Southern Italy. It formerly belonged to the collection of Lord Hope. The neck, head and right arm were restored by the famous Italian sculptor A. Canova (1757-1822). This version of Aphrodite was made in the 2nd c. AD with Syracuse Aphrodite being the original which goes back to the 4th C. BC.

Photographed in The Archeological Museum of Greece in Athens (here) on January 18, 2014

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Colchicum lingulatum

802_1334 [Colchicum lingulatum]

Photographed on Mt. Parnitha on August 25, 2015


Saturday, September 5, 2015

UFI: Unidentified Flying Insect (Tettigoniidae?)


802_0335 [Tettigoniidae]

Photographed in Holargos on July 15, 2015

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Shooting In and Out of Greece: A slide show


[Shooting In and Out ...: A Slide Show]


September 1, 2010 ---> September 1, 2015: Five years of blogging!
Five years of sharing my photos with friends from 116 countries throughout the world.
Tens of thousands of visits and hopefully growing!

I feel honored and appreciative.
A warm THANK YOU to each one of my guests
throughout the world.

You can watch the show in FULL SCREEN for a better view if you like.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Sideritis raeseri ssp. attica

802_1365 [Sideritis raeseri ssp. attica]

Photographed on Mt. Parnitha on August 25, 2015


Saturday, August 22, 2015

A convent: "Ag. Ioannis o Theologos"

IMG_0012 [Ag. Ioannis o Theologos]

The convent "Ag. Ioannis o Theologos", named after St. John the Theologian, is situated at the west foot of Mt. Hymittos.

Photographed on January 29, 2015

 

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Iphiclides podalirius

801_6794 [Iphiclides podalirius]

Photographed on the island of Aigina on August 07, 2014

Friday, August 14, 2015

Lavandula stoechas

8013165 [Lavandula stoechas]

Photographed on Mt. Geraneia on March 20, 2014


Sunday, August 9, 2015

Prunella vulgaris

802_0170 [Prunella vulgaris]

Photographed on Mt. Parnitha on July 02, 2015


Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Passer domesticus

CCC_4378 [Passer domesticus]

Photographed in Paris on August 12, 2011

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Scrophularia lucida

801_9825 [Scrophularia lucida]

Photographed on Mt. Hymittos on May 13, 2015

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Cyrcus aeruginosus

801_9912 [Cyrcus aeruginosus]

Photographed in Attica on may 15, 2015

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Centranthus ruber

801_9834 [Centranthus ruber]

Photographed on Mt. Hymittos on May 13, 2015


Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Silene behen

8013020 [Silene behen]

Photographed on Mt. Geraneia on March 20, 2014


Saturday, July 18, 2015

Standing alone!

CCC_3124 [Standing alone]

Photographed at Schinias on May 20, 2011


Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Taraxacum officinale

801_9376 [Taraxacum officinale]

Photographed in Holargos on April 23, 2015

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Epipactis microphylla

802_0149 [Epipactis microphylla]

Photographed on Mt. parnitha on July 02, 2015

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Anacamptis coriophora ssp. fragrans

IMG_0942 [Anacamptis coriophora ssp. fragrans]

Photographed on Mt. Parnitha on June 08, 2011


Thursday, July 2, 2015

Bellardia trixago

801_9771 [Bellardia trixago]

Photographed at Schinias on May 09, 2015

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Sounio calling Galaxy

8010122 [Sounio calling Galaxy]
 The Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounio seems to be light-signaling to the heart of our galaxy 
in an attempt to ... establish communication!


Photographed at Sounio on June 20, 2015

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Sunset at Alepohori 2

CCC_4508 [Sunset at Alepohori 2]

Photographed on August 26, 2011


Friday, June 19, 2015

Zerynthia polyxena

801_3272 [Zerynthia polyxena]

Photographed on Mt. Parnitha on March 24, 2014

Monday, June 15, 2015

The Monastery of Archangels - Asteriou


The entrance
801_8343 [Asteriou: The entrance]

The entrance to a little Byzantine monastery which stands on the northwestern part of Mt. Hymittos at a height of 545 m.

The monastery dates back to 10th c. and was populated until 1960. Throughout its history it has housed a large library. It’s dedicated to Archangels Michael and Gabriel but it’s commonly known as Asteriou Monastery. A name that became widely used after a monk (Osios Loukas) from Steirio lived in the monastery circa 920 AD. The church caught fire at some time but some of the frescoes that date back to 16th c. can still be seen.
 

The court yard
801_8327 [Asteriou: The court yard]

The refectory
801_8303 HDR9 [Asteriou: The refectory]

The church interior
801_8319 HDR7 [Asteriou: The church interior]

Photographed on Mt. Hymittos on November 2, 2014