Jasmin roots

today is my name day

The biggest celebration for all the Greek Orthodox.

I'm sitting in the garden drinking a glass of cold prosecco realizing how deeply rooted I am in this part of the world. The aroma of the jasmin while closing my eyes makes me feel really blessed. Only those who were born in mediterranean can share this feeling..

the number of adios

only today I realized that the number of phone calls you make to say goodbye to people, the number of coffees you drink with them and the last minute lunches and drinks you try to schedule indicates your connection with the place you live.

I was never connected to cities apart from NY. I was always connected to situations and people.

It provided me with a sense of freedom that I consider necessary.

today though I felt a bit different, cause the number of adios made my return more tolerable.....

Bookstores as beautiful as purple butterflies

I had to kill 15 minutes to pick up a bouquet so I decided to visit an old bookstore in Galway famous for its second hand department.

I opened the door and my heart smiled.It was full of silent people, focused on book hunting in a sacred manner.

I strolled around and after 5 minutes I ended up with 6 books.

I paid and walked out surrounded by an aura of calmness.

I cannot describe the magic of bookstores, either in Thessaloniki or in NY or in Paris or in Berlin or in Istanbul. Small bookstores full of smells and silence always occupied by interesting figures.

Someone told me that the best way to get to know to a city is visiting its bookstores and more and more I realize how right he was.

Evacuation kit...

This afternoon my ceiling started leaking.

all my sandals were in dangerous distance to be ruined...panicky I removed them to the other room together with a pile of books I selected to take with me in Greece. While waiting my landlord I started thinking, what my evacuation priorities were.

I made sure that my shoes and books together with my laptop were safe. I didn't care for the clothes and the furniture.

3 years ago in NY I had to evacuate my apartment. That time I took with me my passport, wallet and my USB sticks, no coat no shoes even though it was 2 am and cold.

how indicative of the evolution of our life the evacuation kit is.......