Memories from the Past

801_1645 [Train station]

This small, abandoned and dilapidated building [37°43'51.6"N 24°03'11.5"E]

is a historical landmark located in Thoriko,

a small, ancient settlement next to the port of Lavrio in Attica.

 

It recounts old moments of glory and prosperity to passers-by today.

It was built in 1885 when a 76 km railway line was put into operation

to connect Athens with the port of Lavrio

and was one of about 20 stations that allowed the public

to go on board or disembark from the train.

The line was then a modern means of transport for citizens and goods.

It ceased to operate in 1957 for the public

but remained in use for commercial use until 1962.

Since then, Time has left its indelible marks on it.

 

Today, the building is being restored to avoid collapse

and to continue to keep alive the relevant memories of the past.

 

 

Strolling in the portico

303_9509 [Strolling in the portico]

 

The two ladies in the picture seem to have just completed their visit to the museum in the Stoa of Attalos and decided that a leisurely walk along the pillars of the portico was what they needed in order to relax and re-think of what they had seen. 

 

The portico is part of the Stoa of Attalos.

 

 

The Stoa of Attalos

303_9498 [Stoa of Attalos]

 The Stoa of Attalos is a long building, 115 by 20 meters, made of marble and is located inside the archeological site at the foot of the Acropolis.

 

It houses the Museum of Ancient Agora. 

 

Both pictures were taken on September 17, 2012. 

 

Please click on the pictures for a better view.

Saint George and Saint Irene

Please click on the pictures for a better view. 

 

803_1101 [Saint George Papagou]

A Greek Orthodox church dedicated to Saint George and Saint Irene, found at the residential area of Papagos very close to the foot of Mt. Hymittos. It was opened to the public in 2011 but it was inaugurated in 2018. I found it architecturally attractive and photographically inviting, although it is very similar to many Greek Orthodox churches I had seen before.

 

803_1625 [Saint George Papagou]

 

The interior, however, is quite dissimilar to other churches. 

 

[If you want to see an example of a dissimilar church, please click HERE.]

 

What surprised me, however, were the stained-glass windows it is decorated with, which as far as I know, are not a common feature of Greek Orthodox churches.

 

Here follow four such windows:

803_1612 - 803_1611 [Kosmas + Damianos]

 

803_1614 + 803_1615 [Nektarios + Nikolaos]

 

All photographed on March 28, 2018

 

 

Ag. Eirini

801_8427 [Ag. Eirini]

This little church, dedicated to St. Eirini, can be found at the very foot of Mt. Hymittos next to the residential area of Argyroupolis in Athens. It takes nearby residents only five minutes’ walk to get there and, besides lighting their own candle in the church, they can picnic in a beautiful spot arranged to that purpose under the trees.

Photographed on November 09, 2014

Please click on the picture for a better view.

S. Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

803-240 [SNFCC pano]

The new Greek Cultural Center in Athens, with its ease of access, beauty, diversity, novelty and tens of other reasons, offers itself as an irresistible photographic spot. Ideal, I might say, for amateur photographers who would like to experiment and improve their skills. One of my favorite spots!
 
On this spot, I often spend some relaxing time shooting panoramas. Occasionally, repeating the ones that failed! Why not? It’s free, enjoyable and educating! The above rectilinear panorama resulted from stitching 17 vertical pictures.
 
Photographed in Athens on October 02, 2019.
 

803_0286 [SNFCC pano]

 This is also a composition of 17 pictures but processed in a way that would produce a cylindrical panorama. I had never tried this process before but I thought the series of trees might yield an interesting result. So, I gave it a try.
 
Photographed in Athens on September 26, 2017.

Please click on both pictures to have a better view.

 

The Holy Trinity Chapel

801_9506 [Holy Trinity Chapel]

This beautiful little chapel, found at a height of 600 meters on Mt Parnitha, is located in an environmentally privileged area and constitutes a highlight of Ippokrateios Politeia: A community of 1000 people lives permanently there in more than 600 houses. This chapel occasionally hosts under its roof believers from this community and certainly constitutes a highlight for crowds of visitors who come here in search of natural beauty.


The interior

801_9525 [Holy Trinity, the interior]

IMHO, the view of the interior is rather disappointing. It stands between simplicity and … lack of interest. It would be nice, I think, to see some changes for the better some time.


A structure nearby

801_9511 [Holy Trinity, a structure nearby]

Opposite the entrance to the chapel - only a few meters away - one can see an elegant little structure that offers fresh water to the passers-by. If close enough, they can read an inscription on its face that reads:

“ΝΙΨΟΝΑΝΟΜΗΜΑΤΑΜΗΜΟΝΑΝΟΨΙΝ”

It’s a Greek phrase that can be read from left to right or from right to left and means:
“Wash off your sins. Don't wash your face only”.


All photographed on Mt. Parnitha on April 30, 2015

Please click on the pictures for a better view.

 

Beauty in Simplicity

IMG_5633 [Beauty in Simplicity]

This little chapel is dedicated to St. Nicholas who is considered by the Greeks to be the patron saint of all seamen. It stands on a cliff near the port of Rafina and overlooks all ships moving in and out day and night.
See picture below.

Photographed at Rafina on May 29, 2018

[Rafina - Myconos!]

Photographed at Rafina on August 21, 2016

SNFCC: a first view

802_8693 [SNFCC Cultural Center]

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center [above] was opened to the public in 2017. It is a complex that houses the National Library of Greece, the Greek National Opera and many other facilities. It is a well-visited structure.

The picture above shows my own first sight of the Center while I was approaching it one early evening.
 
Photographed in Athens on April 23, 2017
 
Please click on the picture for a better view.

Syntagma square

IMG_2539 [Syntagma square]

Having coffee at the roof garden of a five-storey building occasionally provides opportunities for extra, non-scheduled, activities like using your mobile phone for a snapshot. In this case, I found the view inviting for a panoramic shot of Syntagma square: the “Trade Mark” we could say of Athens, Greece. One can see exclusive hotels on the left and the Greek Parliament in the distance.
 
Photographed on July 6, 2016

_8010474 [Syntagma square]

The same square photographed from the opposite side on a weekday afternoon, on September 21, 2013

Please click on the photos for a better view.

One’s missing! Where’s she gone?

Pic 246 [One is missing]

This is part of the façade of a building next to the “Fulton Grand Canal” hotel on The Grand Canal in Venice [See picture below]. While I found amusing the sight of penguins on the balcony watching cruise boats go by, I was also curious to know why one of the penguins in the lower right balcony was missing. Where had she gone? I wonder!

Picture 245 [One is missing-hotel]

Both pictures were taken from a cruise boat in Venice on September 15, 2005

Acropolis museum

_8012135-2 [Acropolis museum]

The new Acropolis museum is an ultramodern glass and steel archeological museum spreading over 14.000 square meters and housing nearly 4.000 ancient artifacts. It is located by the southeastern slope of the Acropolis hill.
The museum - “one of the best in the World”, according to international experts - was built with the purpose of housing the archeological finds on the Acropolis; especially the Marbles of the Parthenon (commonly known as the Elgin Marbles). Inauguration took place on June 20, 2009 and its opening to the whole world served as a reply to those refusing to return the Marbles to where they belong with the poor excuse that Greece had no appropriate place to keep and protect them. Well, we cordially invite them to visit the museum. I am sure a single visit would be enough for them to reconsider their arguments!


Photographed in Athens on January 30, 2014

Please click on the picture for a better view.


The entrance to the museum

_8010672 [Acropolis museum]

Large numbers of domestic and international visitors make their way into the museum every day. There were “over 6.5 million visitors […] in its first five years of operation”. [http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/content/annual-report]
 
Photographed in Athens on September 28, 2013

Wired and face-to-face communication

[Wired and face-to-face communication]

A snapshot scanned from an analog photograph.

Taken in New York in August 1981

Burj Al Arab

IMG_6084 [Burj Al Arab]

 
 A hotel in Dubai that according to Wikipedia "it is considered the third tallest building in the world" and according to its owners it is “repeatedly voted the world’s most luxurious hotel”.

Sorry, no reservations possible through our blog. Please visit their own website. Thank you.

_MG_5879 [Burj Al Arab]

_MG_5885 [Burj Al Arab]

 
Photographed in Dubai on November 20 and 23, 2007

The Academy of Athens: A slide show

[The Academy of Athens]

A slide show featuring the Academy of Athens: a marble neoclassical building (1885) that is considered one of the major landmarks of the city and - according to international experts - one of the most exquisite neoclassical buildings worldwide.

Duration 8' 39"

You are recommended to watch it in full screen.

Photographs taken in 2015-2016

The University of Athens: The historic building

IMG_0601 [The University of Athens]

  The pictured historic building of the University of Athens is situated in the heart of the city. It was designed in the 19th-century by the Danish architect Hans Christian Hansen (1803-1883) as part of the so-called “Athenian trilogy” of neoclassical buildings consisting of the University of Athens in the middle, the National Library on the left and The Academy on the right. Once, it housed all University services but today its use is restricted to housing the Rectorate, the Senate and the Great Hall of Ceremonies.
 
Photographed in Athens on April 10, 2016
 
Please click on the picture for a better view.

A mosque

_MG_5927 [a mosque]

One of the many mosques a visitor can see in The United Arab Emirates.
This one was almost in the middle of the desert by the road that leads from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. It was photographed from within the coach taking our group to Abu Dhabi.

Photographed on November 21, 2007

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens

8012074-2 [National Archaeological Museum]

"The National Archaeological Museum [...] in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is considered one of the great museums in the world and contains the richest collection of artifacts from Greek antiquity worldwide." Wiki

Photographed on January 18, 2014

A small sample of items exhibited in the museum will be posted soon.

The National Library of Greece

_8010939 [National Library]

This neoclassical marble building is situated in the center of Athens and houses the National Library of Greece. The foundation stone was laid back in 1888 but the building did not function as the National Library until 1903. It was financed by three Greek brothers of the Diaspora and designed by a Danish architect who also designed the neighboring buildings of Athens University and the Academy of Athens.

_8010949 [National Library]

Both pictures were taken on October 20, 2013.

St. Peter's Basilica

BBB1537-2 [St. Peter's Basilica]

Rome: 20/08/2009, photo by Tony Taglides

Looking upwards

CCC_9513 [Looking upwards]

The Observatory of Athens (top) and the church of Ag. Marina both stand side by side on a hill facing the Acropolis of Athens. They “lead their lives” in a similar way: One looks upwards to observe the stars in the sky. The other looks upwards to communicate with the Creator of stars. …

Athens:  18 /9 /2012, photo by Tony Taglides