Window on George

Camera ready for my very first encounter with the ancient Greek marvels of the Temple of Zeus, guess what's my first photo? Why? Because I last saw these little "arrows" when I was about 6 years old. My friend Linda and I grew up on The Green.   That's where we spent our days.   On The Green there was a playground with a Jungle Gym, swings, a see-saw, a very high slide, and the "roundabout".     Complicated circus tricks were performed on all the equipment.   Linda and I were the acrobats.   We could swing the highest, jump off the swings the furthest, hang upside down on the Jungle Gym the longest, "fly" the roundabout whilst it was going very fast, and dismount and be the dizziest. We also could shoot our little grass arrows the furthest. You pick the ones with the longest stems, then you sort of tie a knot behind the arrow head, and pull the trigger (mixing my metaphors!) Never in a m...

We decided to walk uphill from Central Athens, in search of the funicular on Mt Lycabettus. It sounded like a good idea at the time.   We are from Hong Kong, after all, and love the Peak Tram! We never reached the funicular, partly because the hike up and down the Acropolis earlier that day had been enough exercise for me, and we were side-tracked by the most spectacular Wisteria I had ever seen. One day, I want to live in this street:   Here is the address in Greek! It looks like Like a litou but I think it should be renamed to Likealot Street. And just around the corner, on our way down, yet another spectacular specimen! You understand that no digital camera can ever capture the heavenly purplelilacblues of the flowers. But also understand and know this:   This July I will plant a Wisteria with 2 orange trees at its feet in my newly-cleared garden in George.    I already have the le...

Athens was full of surprises. I was expecting ancient art, architecture, gods, legends, literature, philosophers, churches, temples, and everything that Greece gave to Western Civilization. That's what I got. And of course, I drank it all in. What I did not expect, was the beauty of the everyday Athens, in spring. I did not know that the streets of Athens are lined with orange trees.   I smelled them before I even saw them.   Never before in my life have I walked through a city where the smell of orange blossoms permeates every street, alley and lane.   Having lived in Asia for nearly 13 years, I've become accustomed to the mixed stench of exhaust fumes, open drains, cooked food and mould that cloud Hong Kong and most cities and towns in Taiwan. As long as I live, I will cherish the smell of orange blossoms and know that I will be teleported to Athens in an instant when I smell them. One day we will have scratch n smell blogs. I suggest you get h...

Arabian Desert Safari :

Rockets to Roses :

My Dubai Top 3 :

Random Athens :

Food. Greek Food. :

Santorini, Salt and Pepper restaurant

These butchers couldn't believe their eyes when two very hungry caterpillars, armed with cameras,  waltzed into their territory! Show us the lamb! the hungry caterpillars shouted. Your pigs are very friendly! cooed the caterpillars. We have never seen such clean trotters, the caterpillars gasped.  Then they stopped in their tracks: look! a  beautiful butcher's block! We love your sausages! they exclaimed. Well, they ARE called beef tomatoes.  Lovely, isn't he? I mean, it.  sorry, they!  The caterpillars stood still for a long time, admiring the weathered wood but also trembling slightly at the sight of very sharp knives.   The 2 very hungry caterpillars stretched and reached, but could not lay their hands on the meat. The butchers vied for positions, shouting out to the 2 very hungry caterpillars to choose them for a photo shoot.   The caterpillars beamed....