Greece Socks
Description: Diogenes, also known as Diogenes the Cynic, was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy. He was born in Sinope, an Ionian colony on the Black Sea. He was banished from Sinope when he took to debasement of currency. After being exiled, he moved to Athens and criticized many cultural conventions of the city. He used his simple lifestyle to criticize the social values and institutions of what he saw as a corrupt, confused society. He was captured by pirates and sold into slavery, eventually settling in Corinth. There he passed his philosophy of Cynicism to Crates, who taught it to Zeno of Citium, who fashioned it into the school of Stoicism, one of the most enduring schools of Greek philosophy. (Wikipedia)
Description: This cute design by artist Jeff Bartels features a small baby penguin holding a scratched and worn acoustic guitar. The flag of Greece is painted on to the old guitar giving it a patriotic look. The flightless bird is sitting down with its feet beside each other and is looking forward with its head slightly tilted to one side. The over sized head and small body along with the details in the feathers and guitar create a beautiful combination of a cartoon and realistic look. This unique and adorable Greek penguin chic design is perfect for all animal and music lovers.
Description: This is a photo of the rock of Monemvasia, taken from New Monemvasia or Gefyra. On the back of this rock you can and should visit the best preserved byzantine town-in-a-castle in Greece, the most romantic place all over Greece, in my humble opinion. The name Monemvasia cames from the Greek words "moni emvasi", that mean one, sole entrance and indeed there is only one way in and out to the outstanding medieval town, and that's a stone bridge, small part of which you can see on the left part of the picture. (slow shutter speed-long exposure) Just to show the historical significance of the rock I've just made a short list with all of its conquerers. It was inhabited for the first time during the 6th century a.C., when people from many r...
Description: Camera: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III Symi is an architectonic jewel, truly one of a kind! It's quite unusual for Greece to see such a neoclassical architecture, so different from the traditional architecture of the Aegean islands, with the tiny and minimalistic houses, with the whites and blues. One of the most typical architectonic and decorative elements in the Symiot houses are these holes on the triangle of the roofs (called by the locals "Bull's eyes) , this oeil-de-boeuf (in fact I just discovered that this in French, also used in English, means "Bull's eye"!!!) , that serves a lot of different purposes. First of all it's "light passage"! Then it has certain decorative value. Third, relieves the edifice from the winds. And forth an...
Description: Here's a nightview of the Panathinaiko or Panathenaic Stadium, where the first Olympic Games of modern times took place in 1896. It has been there, in different form, since the ancient years. Since it was fully "covered" with famous pentelic marble, it took the "nickname" Kallimarmaron, whice means "beautifully marbled". In the deep background, on the right side, you can see Lycabettus hill, will on the left side you can see the slopes of Ardittos hill.
Description: NISYROS (Dodecanese, Aegean Sea, Greece)! What a beautiful island! Really stole my heart, not only for its surreal volcanic landscapes or Mandraki the beautiful seaside "Hora" but also for 2 picturesque mountainous villages, Empoureio and Nikeia. Here you see the main square of Nikeia village, called "Porta" (means "door"). About 50 years ago Nikeia had a population of 3.000 people, today its inhabitants are only 48! The rest of them left the island in search of a better future, mostly in USA and Australia. But they keep returning every summer to see their village and take care of their family houses. Nikeia lies right above the volcano. You 'll have the chance to see it in one of my future posts.
Description: Silver tetradrachm coins of ancient Greece depicted the owl of Athena with an inscription "ΑΘΕ", an abbreviation of ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΝ, which may be translated as "of the Athenians". Also in the coin designs were an olive branch, another symbol of Athena. The laurel crown is another Greek symbol. In ancient Greece laurel wreath were awarded to victors, both in athletic competitions and in poetic meets. It is a modern symbol of Hellenic neopaganism and Hellenic reconstructionism.
