All started at the Tourist Fair in Gothenburg last spring. There I met Kleoniki who was working and representing Samos for the Tourist Office of Samos. This was also the main reason why we choose Samos as a destination for our holidays. I liked Kleo very much. She offered us some sweet Samos wine and after that I was lost and said to her, that we would come.
Kleoniki was very kind to meet us in ther home town Pythagorion for a cup of coffee down at the harbour. It was a lovely afternoon and evening. So thank you Kleo for your kindness.
In the village Platanos we had the choice of three restaurants that were in the center of the village. Vi choose LEON, it was just a feeling I had. Well, mother Irina is an eccellent chef.
We ordered: Stuffed tomatoes (the best I have ever eaten), tsatsiki, fried aubergines, greek salad and drank greek coffee and retsina. Gnammi, gnammi.
Platanos a little mountainvillage, Samos,
Taverna LEON, Mother Irina and daughter Leonida
Leonidas Rigas, Telephone 83200
I started photographing people only 7 years ago. Before it was all sorts of nature and my own family. Today I mostly take pictures of people. When I travel and I want to have a good portrait I want to have contact with the person. I can take pictures, just like that of people, but sometimes I feel I am going into their private life and I don't feel all the time comfortable of just taking the picture because of taking it. I want to have a connection with me behind the eyes of the persons I photograph.
It was not different in Samos.
We stayed at Kokkari for a week. The first night we went to the village to have supper and to look at the shops. We found a little jewellery shop called COOL CAT. I am not the kind of woman that stays in front of jewellery shops and just admires gold and diamonds. But I have a weakness for silver and for special designs. So Cool Cat was in fact a cool shop.
I fell in love in a ring but it was too big for my little fingers. But owner Apostolos looked at me and said that he could make the ring for me for the next day in the perfect size for my finger. And I already felt in love in the ring not to say no. So, the next day his lovely girlfriend Daniza, was there as well when I picked up my ring and we found eachother talking like friends. Not that I am a shy person, but some persons you feel connected to immediately.
Kalimera Daniza!
Apostolos and Daniza of Cool Cat in Kokkari, Samos
http://www.jewelery-design-samos.com/
Saturday, the 12th of September I had the honour to meet this wonderful person.
He was walking with a long aluminium stair on his shoulders and two crutches along a little street of Mytilinii, a small village in the center of Samos. It's the only village without any view to the sea. I looked at the man and was completely fascinated of him. I went close to him with a big smile and asked, pointing on his hat, if he had been a soldier. It was love at first sight. He smiled back and started talking. We had a very intresting conversation in greek (which I know 10 words of), italian, german and english and the most of the time mixed with body language.
I figured out that he was 87 years old and that he had survived the 2nd world war and the liberation war. He told us about three german planes flying over the island and bombing, of italian soldiers occupaying the island of mine fields where he got injured and lost his foot.
He also told us that he never was married and was happy and thank God! But we never found out if he had any children out there, anyway I look at him and said that he must have had a bunch of ladies with those wonderful eyes he had. I surely believe he understood me, coz. he smile at me so warmly and like a little cheecky boy.
I asked him gently if it was ok if we could take a picture together and then if I could take a portrait of him. And he posed and said that he would love to have a copy, which I will send to him this week.
Panagioti Baba Kostantinou, Mitylinii
These are the meetings that I love when I travel. They are part of the country, of the culture, of the place, of history. They make my holidays specials and no more the less, my picture too.
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