2017

Photograph by Alice Karayiannis

One day it just clicks. You realise what’s important and what isn’t. You learn to care less about what other people think of you and more about what you think of yourself. You realise how far you’ve come and you remember when you thought things were such a mess that they’d never recover. And then you smile. You smile because you are truly proud of yourself and the person you’ve fought to become.

As yet another year comes to an end, I can’t help but reflect on the lessons I’ve been learning over the last few years; such a never ending process… I've learned that patience and hard work are rewarded, one way or another, sooner or later. Nothing you give your best to goes in vain. I've learned that things don’t usually turn out the way you planned, or the way you thought they should. After all, you were never in control and you never will be, so you just need to let go and accept what is. The more you try to be in control the more you will lose. I’ve learned that not everything that goes wrong can be fixed or get put back together the way it was before. Because no matter how much you try to put things back together, some things are just meant to stay broken. Then again, I've learned that if something is meant to be fixed, the stength and courage to put it back together will come to you no matter what. I’ve learned that sometimes your happiness will depend on letting go of things that no longer serve you. And it will hurt, but it’s been quite heavy and you need to feel light again. I've also learned that kindness goes a long way; so remember to be kind whenever you can, even when you don't feel like it. I’ve learned that the essential element of wellbeing is peace of mind. And I’ve learned that it's okay to let go of whatever does not give me peace of mind. Because accepting what is is not always easy to achieve and sometimes you need another way out. I’ve learned that people come and go, so invest in people who invest in you. Invest in the people who have always been there and loved you even when you weren't very lovable; people who want to see you happy. Those are the genuine people in your life. Most importantly, I’ve learned that things are real only when you are. So keep it real with the people you invest in, vulnerability is your greatest strength and it simultaneously keeps you grounded. Tear down those walls and just be; be your Self. 

We never cease to learn and our experiences continuously shape who we are. But this process of self-growth is so much more endurable when you’re surrounded by people who love you. People who replenish you and bring you peace. People who care about you and seek to help you grow. There are so many things to be grateful for in every single day and this is just one of them. A simple thank you is never enough, but just know that I feel so blessed to have you!

P.S. A special thank you to Ruby, my dog, for her infinite love, the way she greets me when I come home and the way she looks at me no matter how she's feeling, no matter what is going on in her world, no matter what. If only she could speak...

I Carry Your Heart With Me

Photograph by Alice Karayiannis

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

~ E.E. Cummings

Τι είν' αυτό

Photo by Alice Karayiannis

Τι είν’ αυτό που το λένε αγάπη

τι είν’ αυτό, τι είν’αυτό

που κρυφά τις καρδιές οδηγεί

κι όποιος το `νιωσε το νοσταλγεί

Τι είν’ αυτό που το λένε αγάπη

τι είν’ αυτό, τι είν’αυτό

γέλιο, δάκρυ, λιακάδα, βροχή

της ζωής μας και τέλος κι αρχή

(Listen here)

Jasmine

Let Me Back In by Explosions in the Sky

But if I could name this feeling, I'd call it

the road home is longer than it looks.

I'd call it, plane tickets and loose change

are caught in my throat.

I'd call it, screaming skin and my heart

taming its wilderness in you.

~  Alessia Di Cesare

Η ζωή ξέρει

Για όλους εσάς που απόψε κοιμάστε by Παναγιώτης Καλαντζόπουλος

Έτσι κι αλλιώς τα πράματα θα κυλήσουν όπως θέλουν αυτά. 

Η ζωή ξέρει. 

Κι εγώ την εμπιστεύομαι.

Nothing Else

Nothing Else by Archive

And I know clipped wings make uneasy flight

But we've gotta reach

A place where the feast never ends

When the music celebrates

In a time when darkness belongs

To night skies and

Nothing else, no

Nothing else.

Change your heart

Everybody's gotta learn sometime by The Korgis

Change your heart

Look around you

Change your heart

It will astound you

I need your lovin'

Like the sunshine

Everybody's gotta learn sometime

Love Poem #137

Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy

I will wake you up early

even though I know you like to stay through the credits.

I will leave pennies in your pockets,

postage stamps of superheros

in between the pages of your books,

sugar packets on your kitchen counter.

I will Hansel and Gretel you home.

I talk through movies.

Even ones I have never seen before.

I will love you with too many commas,

but never any asterisks.

There will be more sweat than you are used to.

More skin.More words than are necessary.

My hair in the shower drain,

my smell on your sweaters,

bobby pins all over the window sills.

I make the best sandwiches you’ve ever tasted.

You’ll be in charge of napkins.

I can’t do a pull-up.

But I’m great at excuses.

I count broken umbrellas after every thunderstorm,

and I fall asleep repeating the words thank you.

I will wake you up early

with my heavy heartbeat.

You will say, Can’t we just sleep in, and I will say,

No, trust me. You don’t want to miss a thing.

~ Sarah Kay

You Learn

Corinorhinus by Hans Zimmer

After a while you learn the subtle difference

Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning

And company doesn’t mean security.

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts

And presents aren’t promises,

And you begin to accept your defeats

With your head up and your eyes open

With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,

And you learn to build all your roads on today

Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans

And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn…

That even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your garden and decorate your own soul,

Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure…

That you really are strong

And you really do have worth…

And you learn and learn…

With every good-bye you learn.

~ Jorge Luis Borges

Remember This

First-Last Snow by Gabriel Yared

Every morning you rise, I want you to remember this, there are amazing things to be a part of, and fight for, and feel, because the world will unlock hundreds of doors when you give this day all the courage, love, and intensity you can.

~ Victoria Erickson

And never lose hope, miracles dwell in the invisible!

Love is all you need

Love is all you need by The Beatles

All you need is love

All you need is love

All you need is love, love,

Love is all you need.

Happy Thanksgiving ♥

Postcards

Photo by Alice Karayiannis

Still now, I send letters into space.

Hoping that some mailman somewhere will track you down 
and recognise you from the descriptions in my poems.

That he will place the stack of them in your hands and tell you

“There is a girl who still writes you. She doesn’t know how not to.”

~ Sarah Kay

That's how the light gets in

Photo by Alice Karayiannis

Ring the bells that still can ring 

Forget your perfect offering 

There is a crack, a crack in everything 

That's how the light gets in...

It is a happy thought if we enjoy the truth. There is always something that will have to break. Usually it is our personal pride. A Buddhist thinker said that disappointment is a great way to illumination. Other masters said: "from the broken debris of my heart I will erect an altar to the Lord". 

The idea that there is a staircase of gold and marble, which leads to knowledge is seductive, but seems to me that the idea of something needing to get broken before we can learn anything is a more true idea. It is my experience, maybe you can escape it, but I doubt it. Unless the heart breaks, we will never know anything about love. As long as our objective universe doesn't collapse, we'll never know anything about the world. 

We think that we know the mechanism, but only when it fails we understand how intricate and mysterious is the operation. So, it is true, "there's a crack in everything", all human activity is imperfect and unfinished. Only that way we can have the notion that there's something inside us that can only be located through disillusion, bad luck and defeat. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case. 

~ Leonard Cohen

RIP

Στης μοίρας τον χάρτη

Στης μοίρας τον χάρτη by Δημήτρης Παπαδημητρίου

Ξέρεις τι είναι ο έρωτας;

Το άγριο μπλε της θάλασσας.

Το βαθύ κόκκινο της παπαρούνας.

Το φλύαρο πράσινο του λιβαδιού.

Το μεθυσμένο πορτοκαλί του χειμωνιάτικου ήλιου.

Μόλις σταμάτησε η βροχή… Οι σταγόνες χορεύουν ακόμη στα σύρματα. Ένα δάκρυ κυλάει αργά αργά στο φύλλο του κάκτου. Το ξέρω πια. Ποτέ δεν έπαψα να σ’ αγαπώ.

Από τότε που περιμένω να φανείς οι νύχτες μου γέμισαν φως.

Άπλωνα τα χέρια μου τις νύχτες και μάζευα αστέρια και φτερά από αγριοπερίστερα για να τα κρύβω στο μαξιλάρι σου και να γλυκαίνω τον ύπνο σου.

Θυμάμαι τότε… Κάτω από τα πλατάνια, στην πηγή. Διψούσα και μου ΄φερες στη χούφτα σου κρύο νερό. Όλη μου τη ζωή ξεδίψασε.

Κάθε φορά που πέφτει η βροχή πάνω στο τριαντάφυλλο θα σου στείλω ένα φιλί να κρύβεις τ’ όνειρό σου.

Πότε θα ‘ρθει αυτή η μέρα, που θα βρεθούμε μαζί. Οι δυο μας. Μόνοι μας. Θα μεθύσουμε και θα βγούμε να ζωγραφίσουμε καρδιές στις λεωφόρους. Θα τρέχουμε ξυπόλυτοι, θα βουτάμε στα ποτάμια, θα σκορπάμε φιλιά, θα φωνάζουμε ζήτωωω!

Δεν είναι πια η ζωή μου μια πορεία στην έρημο. Ξαφνικά η έρημος γέμισε κόκκινα τριαντάφυλλα. Ξαφνικά οι μέρες μου γέμισαν ήλιο. Ξαφνικά οι νύχτες μου γέμισαν δίδυμα φεγγάρια. Για κοίτα, φίλε μου πώς γυρίζει ο τροχός.

Σημασία έχει ποια χέρια θα σ’ αγκαλιάσουν και θα κάνουν το δέρμα σου να δακρύσει. Ποιο στόμα θα τσακίσει το φλοιό του μυαλού σου και θα σε τινάξει χωρίς ανάσα στ’ αστέρια.

Έκλεινα την ψυχή μου στα κοχύλια και στα χάριζα, για να μαθαίνεις τα τραγούδια της θάλασσας.

Μάζευα τη δροσιά απ’ τ’ αγριολούλουδα, την αυγή, για να δροσίζω τα χείλια σου.

~ Αλκυόνη Παπαδάκη

Και κάπου εκεί ήταν που σταμάτησα

Photo by Alice Karayiannis

Προσπαθούσα συνεχώς να καταλάβω τους άλλους. Να προσπαθήσω να μπω έστω για λίγο στον τρόπο σκέψης τους. Είδα πως υπήρχαν πολλά σκοτάδια κρυμμένα. Πολλές καχυποψίες. Πολλά δήθεν σ'αγαπώ και χαμόγελα ψεύτικα. Νόμιζα πως μπορώ να αλλάξω καταστάσεις μα τις έβλεπα να αλλάζουν εμένα. Και κάπου εκεί ήταν που σταμάτησα. Μου είχα υποσχεθεί να δίνω μόνο εκεί που με ρωτάνε για να πάρουν. Και να παίρνω μονάχα απ'οτιδήποτε φέρνει θετική ενέργεια γύρω μου. Και τότε ησύχασα. Ευχαρίστησα ό,τι μου πρόσφεραν και τους καληνύχτισα απ'τη ζωή μου. 

~ Γιάννης Πολίτης

All Is Good

I've always been the type that worries about everything; from the trivialities of the daily routine to (actual) serious issues which do need a bit of worrying about. I've been more of a worrier than a warrior but I've slowly been converting myself to the latter. I tend to overanalyse to the point of exhaustion; I tend to look at the details and not the big picture. I worry about the future, I even worry about the present. What's in the past has been left in the past. I guess I am a little bit overconscientious?

I’m also a bit of an emotional type. I wasn’t always this way and I’m not quite sure when it started, but I guess I can be a little bit too sensitive. Sometimes, depending on my mood, I kind of absorb other people’s moods, mostly those of the people I care about. If you’re a bird, I’m a bird. Sometimes I get attached to people and things, but I’m learning to let go. Of course, I do like my independence from time to time. Sometimes I’m a bit of a moving contradiction but I’ve been trying to find balance. 

I tend to be guarded with people I don’t know well, but I’m learning to be more open. I’m learning to always be authentic, even if that means being vulnerable. Easier said than done but I always crave true connections with people and those can only be achieved through vulnerability. I’ve learnt that the people who are meant to stay in your life will do so no matter what… That being said, I’ve also learnt to distance myself from the toxic people in my life. 

Sometimes I judge myself too harshly, but it's only because I do have an idea of the kind of person I would like to be. I’m too in tune with my emotions; I’m quite the indecisive type in general, but I (usually) know what makes me happy and what makes me sad, I know how I feel and what it is I need. I know when I’m in the wrong, simply because I feel it, but I don’t always have the strength to do what is right. I’m trying to fix that too. 

A few years back I felt quite scared and insecure about the future; I felt that I had to have everything figured out and I felt lost. But now, I’ve learnt to trust the process. I’ve been trying to make the most of everything I do and the most of the people in my life. I’ve learnt that new experiences only come out of breached comfort zones and that this is the only way to keep going forward. The truth is that, no matter what or how I am, I do believe in myself and I know that I’ll be alright in the end. I have an idea of the kind of person I would like to be and I have an idea of what I would like to do with my life and that’s good enough for now. No one ever has anything fully figured out and that's absolutely fine. Life is sweet :)

She finally reached a place of knowing she’d be okay, and that is the biggest part of the battle, believing that you are meant for the good more than the bad. 

Never Get Lost

Photo by Alice Karayiannis

Can you hear the sounds of the departing?
Can you hear them fading out?
Maybe I want not to want anymore
And never get, never get, never get lost.
...
In the dust that never settles
I found my home.

Falling Star

Photo by Alice Karayiannis

Three years after having written the post below, I came across another falling star. I'm sure I must have come across other falling stars over the last three years (I tend to gaze at the night sky a lot) but this time I really did see it. Three years later, I remembered the post I'd written back then. I can say that it pretty much sums up every action and every feeling. Well, apart from the fact that we do have internet at home now, so there's no need for me to go seeking for Wi-fi connection from the neighbours; always cautious not to be taken for some kind of psycho wanderer lingering outside people's homes...

So I was staring at my phone’s screen in this pitch black road of ours here in Drousha, trying to get some hint of Wi-fi connection from the neighbourhood while also looking up at the sky at intervals. I’ve always liked gazing at the stars, who doesn’t? Lying under the star-sprinkled sky and talking about life, or just lying silently, always in the company of loved ones. The sky is different here; the stars shine bright and there are millions of them, you can even trace the Milky Way if you look closely… Well, the layer of city pollution definitely disappears up here!

There it was; I looked up and saw a falling star. Must have been the first time I saw one so clearly, a second later and I would have missed it… They say that you have to wish upon a falling star; leave it for later and the Universe won’t grant it… So I did make a wish! But you know how we never know how to phrase things correctly when we’re in a hurry, in that chaos of the moment, always wondering afterwards whether what we said was understandable, or correct even, and whether we should have phrased it in a different manner. What if we’ve missed a word and get something different to what we wanted? After all, they do also say to be careful what you wish for.

It’s funny how in that brief moment you suddenly know what you’ve been hoping for all along. Consciously, or subconsciously, you’ve been wanting something and that something has suddenly surfaced. It’s like having to make a choice and tossing a coin to help you choose. In that brief moment when the coin is in the air, you suddenly know, and the problem has been settled for you regardless of the side on which the coin lands.

If you could wish for something right now, just one wish, what would it be? If you were faced with two choices, which would you choose? It’s not always as hard as we think to realise what we truly want, the difficulty is in actually going after it, I guess.

Original blog post: Falling Star

Something Incommunicable

I am constantly trying to communicate something incommunicable, to explain something inexplicable, to tell about something I only feel in my bones and which can only be experienced in those bones.

~ Franz Kafka

Ever feel this way? No matter what you do, no matter how much you talk or write about things, you always get the feeling that something has been left undone, something has been left unsaid; something you just cannot seem to be able to explain, but which weighs you down from time to time.  It's quite an unsettling feeling; you don't quite know what it is that you want to express but you definitely feel it there. It runs in your bones, it makes you feel frustrated; you keep seeking to find more ways to express that feeling, but nothing really does it. It drains you. Perhaps there is something you ought to be doing but have yet to figure out what it is; perhaps you need to look deeper inside. Who knows...  hopefully you'll find the remedy, hopefully you'll figure it out soon.

Be the blanket for my bones

Be the place that I call home

Express, express, express

You ruin your life by desensitizing yourself. We are all afraid to say too much, to feel too deeply, to let people know what they mean to us. Caring is not synonymous with crazy. Expressing to someone how special they are to you will make you vulnerable. There is no denying that. However, that is nothing to be ashamed of. There is something breathtakingly beautiful in the moments of smaller magic that occur when you strip down and are honest with those who are important to you. Let that girl know that she inspires you. Tell your mother you love her in front of your friends. Express, express, express. Open yourself up, do not harden yourself to the world, and be bold in who, and how, you love. There is courage in that.

~ Bianca Sparacino

Moving Forward

It's been a fast (yet long) 4 years at St Andrews and I can now finally (and happily) say that I have completed my BSc in Computer Science at the University of St Andrews. It's the end of an era, the beginning of a new one, a turning-point. 

On the 21st of May we had what's called a 'Blue Moon'. Perfect timing; a blue moon signifies change and this is exactly what I want and what I've been needing, mostly on a personal level. 

A blue moon is powerful and it is signalling that it is time for us to take control and take the power back from areas of our lives that have been roaming free and taking us down a road that lead to nowhere.

It is an energetic peak which brings about a thirst for adventure, a need to get out of our comfort zone. It is a need to let go of the old and embrace what is to come. It is a time to become reflective and to find truth within us so that we can finally find balance. It is a time of positive change!

Lately I've been feeling this need for change; I'm tired of the old, I'm tired of stagnant situations and relationships that get me nowhere. I'm tired of empty words. I need action, I want to be surrounded by people who help me to keep growing, help me find good balance and peace within, people who are genuine and true. I'm done with words which are not backed up with actions, people who are selfish and self-conscious and who allow their ego to get the best of them. I'm not perfect myself but I don't need people in my life who bring out the worst in me. 

With time, I find myself realising all the more what is good for me and what just isn't. I know what feels right and what just doesn't. What is meant to be, will be; whatever is not meant to be just won't! We should stop getting stuck in old habits. We should make room for new situations, new relationships, new opportunities. 

This new phase has been inspiring me to embrace change in general and I can't help but always feel positive about what life has in store for me :)

With your soul, now you see it; the landscape is infinite.

Being There

Photo by Alice Karayiannis

Something that I've been coming to realise over and over again is that we all live in our own little world most of the time. It's difficult to always keep this in mind when interacting with people and it's so easy to get carried away and affected by your relationships (especially if you're quite the emotional type). We all see things differently; each of us has a different perspective of how things are or how things should be. Everyone has their own problems to worry about, they are preoccupied with their own thoughts and ideas, their own busy schedules. If an action of theirs hurts you it probably has nothing to do with you, so don't take it personally. Unless we realise this, we won't be able to keep our relationships healthy.

But there comes another thing I've had in mind for some time. Of course we all live in a reality of our own, but when we really care we can always go that extra mile to step into the shoes of a loved one. I do distinguish between these kinds of relationships and can obviously say that the most important people in my life are the ones who have been there through the hard times, no matter what. It's easy being there for the good times, but it takes effort to be there for someone when they're going through difficult phases. That's when we step out of our own little world. And I'm not talking about the casual 'being there' kind of thing, I mean BEING THERE. Checking in on them as often as you can (i.e. daily, at least), helping them overcome any issues or problems or worries, always remembering to show them that you care. The truth is that when you've had such people in your life, it's difficult to feel emotionally connected to people who don't do the same and who have never seen these sides of you. 

I've just been feeling really blessed and grateful for these relationships. Without you, I would have struggled to reach where I am now. I just wanted to thank you for that :)

Letting Go

'Never get too attached to something that isn't yours.'

Let's just keep the 'never get too attached to something' part of that quote although, to be fair, it's true that nothing whatsoever belongs to us in general - at best, we are merely borrowers. 

So back to what happened yesterday. I was on the plane on my way to Cyprus when I decided that I wanted to put some cream on my hands. I casually removed my five rings (yes, I do quite love rings) and placed them on my blouse, at the same time making a mental note not to forget to wear them once I'd be done. As if. Naturally, I forgot to put them back on. Well anyway, the plane eventually landed. Hurray! Home sweet home. I put my coat back on, picked up my bag and the rest of my belongings, and headed for the exit. As I was stepping out, I suddenly heard a series of little clinking noises and saw all five of my rings drop onto the airstair in slow motion... They were rolling everywhere and passengers were trying to leave the aircraft and I was in frenzy running up and down the stairs looking for my rings. Chaos.

I must have re-entered the airplane three times, the air hostesses were ever so friendly. After all the passengers had left (so much for picking seats right by the exit, I left the area last), I ran up and down the stairs several times. My friends stayed behind to help look for my rings and we found four out of five... the whole airplane crew was on the look out for that one last ring; they must have thought I had lost a diamond ring or something. Kind of them.

We never found my fifth ring. What I haven't mentioned was that each of my rings has a personal story behind it and that is why I am sentimentally attached to each one of them. This one had its story too and I didn't want to stop looking for it, I just didn't want to let go. Eventually I had to stop searching, but I guess I got my lesson.

We get so attached to everything we have and everything we do; our ideas, our way of doing things, places, things and the many people that our present in our lives. This post may have been about a ring but the lesson taken refers to people as well, everything really. Any kind of attachment is unhealthy.   We've got to learn to let go. After all, our whole life is an act of letting go. You can love everything without being attached to it :)

Attachment = Suffering

"This is the whole secret of non-attachment: live in the world, but don’t be of the world. Love people, but don’t create attachments. Reflect people, reflect the beauties of the world — and there are so many. But don’t cling. Know, but don’t create knowledge. Love, but don’t create desire. Live, live beautifully, live utterly, abandon yourself in the moment. But don’t look back. This is the art of non-attachment."

~ Osho

Before Dawn

Before Dawn by Kostantis Papakonstantinou

Λίγο ακόμα

Photo by Alice Karayiannis

Λίγο ἀκόμα θὰ ἰδοῦμε
τὶς ἀμυγδαλιὲς ν᾿ ἀνθίζουν.
Λίγο ἀκόμα θὰ ἰδοῦμε
τὰ μάρμαρα νὰ λάμπουν,
νὰ λάμπουν στὸν ἥλιο
κι ἡ θάλασσα νὰ κυματίζει.
Λίγο ἀκόμα, νὰ σηκωθοῦμε
λίγο ψηλότερα.

~ Γιώργος Σεφέρης

Το παράπονο

Εδώ στου δρόμου τα μισά

έφτασε η ώρα να το πω

άλλα είναι εκείνα που αγαπώ

γι’ αλλού γι’ αλλού ξεκίνησα.

Στ’ αληθινά στα ψεύτικα

το λέω και τ’ ομολογώ.

Σαν να `μουν άλλος κι όχι εγώ

μες στη ζωή πορεύτηκα.

Όσο κι αν κανείς προσέχει

όσο κι αν το κυνηγά, 

πάντα πάντα θα `ναι αργά

δεύτερη ζωή δεν έχει.

~ Οδυσσέας Ελύτης

Untitled

Untitled by Interpol

When Love Arrives

When Love Arrives by Sarah Kay & Phil Kaye

Feeling blessed

Today I’m grateful for the genuine people in my life; the ones who have stuck with me through thick and thin, the ones who truly care about me, the ones I truly care about too. I’m grateful I’ve got you in my life. Here’s to all the past and future memories (to be created)! You ROCK.

Thank you, and, I love you :) 

P.S. Also, this post from 2 years ago pretty much always sums up my feelings. #blessed

Toxic People

There comes a time when we realise that we need to let go of some people if we're willing to find peace and balance within us; I'm talking about the toxic people in our life.

Over the last months I believe I've been changing for the better. I've finally realised that all I want in this life is to be surrounded by the people I care about and who genuinely care about me too. I no longer have patience or sympathy for people who only bring drama into my life. I realised that all they did was make me feel hurt and imbalanced and as a result I kept having this chaos within me. It's easy to say all the right things in the right moments, but what about actions? It's always through actions that we should judge people by.

It's an act of self-care; when you love yourself enough to realise you don't need people who disrupt your inner peace. It's amazing how things change when you eventually become indifferent and don't let things affect you. It is important to know when it is time to distance yourself and make space for the people who deserve it. I hope we always have the courage to do that no matter what.

Day by day I become all the more grateful for the genuine relationships in my life and I always try to let these people know in my own little ways :)

Invest in people who invest in you.

Codex

Codex by Radiohead

Just dragonflies

Fantasise

No one gets hurt

You've done nothing wrong

Η ομπρέλα του Βοσπόρου

Ευανθία Ρεμπούτσικα - Η ομπρέλα του Βοσπόρου

Από ένα χαμένο όνειρο εμείς έπρεπε να φτιάξουμε ένα δρόμο για να συναντηθούμε. Kι απ' όλες τις τύχες προτιμήσαμε εκείνη του ταξιδιώτη που δεν ξέρει το άστρο του πού τον οδηγεί.

Ώσπου βράδιαζε σιγά σιγά κι οι ανταύγειες του φεγγαριού στα τζάμια φαίνονταν σα μικρά αποσπάσματα ενός ονείρου που κυνηγάμε χρόνια.

Κι ενώ στο βάθος του δρόμου το άγαλμα διηγιόταν στα πουλιά το αληθινό ταξίδι, ακουγόταν η άρπα, που ίσως βέβαια να μην ήταν και άρπα, αλλά αυτή η αθάνατη θλίψη που συνοδεύει τους θνητούς.

Τι θ' απομείνει από τόσες προσδοκίες, τόσους στεναγμούς; Ένα όνομα και δυο χρονολογίες χαραγμένες στην πέτρα που ο καιρός θα τις σβήνει σιγά σιγά.

Κι αυτό το τρένο που ήρθε από μια μακρινή πόλη σταμάτησε στον έρημο σταθμό. Δεν κατέβηκε κανείς παρά μόνο κάποιος μουσικός μ' ένα φαρδύ ανεμοδαρμένο καπέλο. Άνοιξε τη θήκη του βιολιού κι άρχισε να παίζει μια παράξενη μουσική, σα να 'θελε να μας πείσει ότι όλα είναι δυνατά κι ότι δεν τελειώνει πουθενά ο κόσμος.

Όλα τελειώνουν και μόνο το φθινόπωρο παραμένει αιώνια νέο σαν τα πιο λυπημένα ποιήματα.

Δωσ' μου το χέρι σου...

~ Τάσος Λειβαδίτης

Someone

Photo by Alice Karayiannis

I read a poem yesterday which I found quite moving and felt like sharing. Read here.

...

Someone to smile with. A deep knowing grin that says, “I see you” and “I’m staying.”

Someone to miss, even for a minute—until they return, and it feels like home again.

Someone to stare at for moments unending.

Someone to love.

Someone.

Barcelona Escape

Barcelona is one of those innovate cities that can bring out the artist in anyone. All of a sudden we are photographers, painters, writers, film makers or just plain old philosophers. 

I haven't written in a while. It's not that I haven't felt inspired to write but I guess there was always something to do, especially over the summer. I'm hoping to type up a post about my visit to Armenia at some point, but for now I'll just focus on last weekend's escape to Barcelona; short but sweet. But this post is going to be LONG. Of course, I won't be able to include everything but I'll try to include things that made an impression on me.

I absolutely loved the city, it was inspiring in so many ways. I fell in love with the language all over again, the culture, the hospitality of the people, the colourful buildings with intricate architecture one could ogle for hours, the music in the streets, the delicious paellas and tapas I devoured and, last but not least, the sangría...couldn't get enough of it all. Of course, everything is always better in good company.


So I tried to make the most of my weekend there; I had to see EVERYTHING. I'll start with Barcelona's Eixample district which was influenced by architects such as Antoni Gaudí, a Modernista artist, who was the best known practitioner of Catalan Modernism. Below are two of his most famous buildings at Passeig de Grácia, one of Barcelona's major avenues. Of course, 'La Sagrada Familia' is considered to be his masterpiece but that was a bit further away, although in the same district, but it goes without saying that I got a shot of that one as well (third photo in the series). That was a funny story, it was late afternoon and we had just been to Park Güell. We thought that the 'Sagrada Familia' was relatively close to that but it turns out everyone was telling us to grab a metro to get there because it was too far. Being the rebels that we were we decided to defy them and walked all the way there; took a good 50 minutes, we couldn't feel our feet and it made our knees all wobbly. Just to make things clear, this wasn't because of this single walk but because we had been literally walking all day long. Don't make the mistake of sitting down when your legs are in pain, you won't be able to get up and walk properly afterwards unless you're meaning to sleep for some time (needless to say we took the metro back home after that). I cannot describe how bewildering these buildings are up close, especially La Sagrada Familia which was simply extraordinary and it was a shame that it was under construction.

Casa Batlló (Gaudí's house of bones)

Casa Milá (aka 'La Pedrera')

La Sagrada Familia

At Passeig de Grácia, next to Casa Batlló, there is another beautiful building that is probably not known to many and which was equally intriguing, at least for me, so I had to look up what it was. It turns out that the building is known as 'Casa Amatller' and it was originally designed and built by Joseph Puig i Cadafelch for the chocolatier Antoni Amatller. Doesn't it actually look like a house which could be owned by a chocolatier? Or like a person who owns a confectionery or something.

Casa Amatller

While I'm talking about Gaudí, I'll also mention the 'Grácia' district of Barcelona which hosts his famous park 'Park Güell'. We actually took a metro from where we were by the sea to come up here, hadn't used one in a while. Transport is just so easy! As long as you can read maps and you know where to go, which thankfully I could. So Eusebi Güell, a notable Catalan entrepreneur, actually had a housing site in mind and when that proved unsuccessful, he decided to create a park and assigned its design to Antoni Gaudí because he wanted something modern-looking. This is where Gaudí perfected his personal style. Needless to say that the park was wonderful, in plain nature with live music playing all around and a beautiful view of Barcelona in the background. The pink house you'll see in one of my photos is actually where Gaudí lived for about 20 years and it is now Gaudí's house museum. 

Next, I'll talk about 'La Ciutat Vella' (i.e. the Old City) district of Barcelona, which is made up of various neighbourhoods. The first one I'm going to talk about is the 'Barri Gótic' (or Gothic Quarter), the centre of the old city of Barcelona and its Gothic cathedrals and churches. The main cathedral is the cathedral of 'Santa Eulália', also known as 'Barcelona Cathedral' (built in 1339). It's not so clear in my photos, but its roof is notable for its gargoyles which feature both domestic and mythical animals. One of them looks like a unicorn methinks.

Cathedral de Santa Eulália (aka Barcelona Cathedral)

Notice the gargoyles?

Now here's a little funny story. At Plaça de Nova, close to the Barcelona Cathedral, there's a building which features what are known as two of Picasso's 'friezes': El fris dels Gegants (Giants Frieze) at the front and el fris del Nens (Children Frieze) at the side. First funny thing is that when he was asked to make them, Barcelona (and the rest of Spain) was under Francisco Franco's dictatorial rule and Picasso condemned fascists through his art. He therefore refused to create any kind of art which would be put up on display within a fascist regime. His refusal was readily accepted; after all, there was Joan Miró, another worthy artist and great rival of Picasso, and he was willing to do it. Would Picasso allow Miró to have his work display at Plaça de Nova and not his own? Of course, as you'd expect, hearing this Picasso changed his mind. Putting all political beliefs aside, he created the friezes and here they are (photo below). The second funny thing is that he never got to see them in person because he swore to never visit Barcelona or any other part of Spain after Franco's victorious emersion in the Spanish Civil War (1939) and while he still ruled the country. Sadly, Franco ruled until Picasso's death. The friezes were designed on paper by Picasso and they were made by sculptor Carl Nesjar. 

The two friezes at Plaça del Nova

The Gothic Quarter also features the churches of 'Santa Maria del Mar' (built between 1329-1383) and 'Santa Maria del Pi' (built between 1319-1391. It's funny because the former one was built by the people of Barcelona themselves ('built by the people for the people') and it took less time than the latter one. I was able to take better photos of Santa Maria de Mar but not so good ones of Santa Maria del Pi because there was a wedding and a market of catalan traditional goods right in front of it and there were too many people all around and my OCD hates it when I can't take 'clean', 'whole' photos of buildings. In fact I had that problem quite often because it's difficult to capture whole buildings unless you're standing quite further away and sometimes that wasn't possible because other buildings were in the way... (that rhymes!) Also good to note that on Saturday the 31st of October I witnessed 2 weddings and a 3rd bride and groom running around in the streets that night, posing for photos nearby a metro at Passeig de Grácia. Good times! 

Santa Maria del Mar

Also good to mention the 'Fossar de les Moreres' memorial square which is adjacent to the church of Santa Maria del Mar and which is built over a cemetery where defenders of the city were buried following the Siege of Barcelona at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714. You can't see it in the photo (couldn't really see it in person either because of the sun) but there is an eternal flame lit on top of that red structure in the middle and the National Day of Catalonia - which commemorates the defeat of Catalonia after 14 months of siege - takes place on the 11th of September of every year. 

'Fossar de les Moreres' memorial square

The Gothic Quarter is also famous for its 'La Rambla' street which is considered as the centre of Barcelona's city life where most festivals take place. It is a long, long street, filled with little markets in the central promenade selling souvenirs, flowers, local sweets, ice-creams, etc. and I was told that in the past it would also sell birds in cages. There were also artists selling their work, or drawing portraits for people. On either side, the street is filled with coffee-shops and restaurants, although I was told that it is probably not ideal to eat anything at La Rambla because it's a touristy place and the quality of the food won't reflect that of the rest of Barcelona. La Rambla is also considered to be one of the cultural centres of Barcelona since 'Teatre Principal' (1568) - the oldest theatre in Barcelona - can be found there, as well as the 'Gran Teatre de Liceu' (1847) which is Barcelona's renowned opera house. In this street I also discovered the 'Casa des Paraigües' (i.e. House of Umbrellas) with the dragon on the corner which I nearly missed. It was built in 1858, at the time when the Modernist era had begun in Barcelona and all things oriental were in fashion, and was once an umbrella shop as its name suggests.

Casa des Paraigües (House of Umbrellas)

The opening to 'El mercado de la Boqueria' (i.e. Boqueria Market) is also situated at La Rambla. Well I took a photo of the entrance to the market but, sadly, the market is closed on Sundays so I never got to see the market itself... Huge disappointment but life goes on (I'm definitely re-visiting Barcelona one day). Plaça Reial (i.e. Royal Plaza) is one of the squares which lies next to La Rambla (Barcelona has countless little squares here and there, it's impossible to talk about them all so I'll only be choosing a few here and there). The square is filled with restaurants and famous nightclubs and it hosts many festivals and open-air concerts. Interesting to note that its lanterns were designed by Antoni Gaudí but he was asked not to make them too eccentric so they actually appear to be quite normal lanterns... who would have known.

Plaça Reial

The second and last square I'll talk about which is within the Gothic Quarter is la Plaça de George Orwell (don't think there's a need to translate this). One would expect another impressive square but this one was rather dull. It was actually known as the 'Plaça Tripi' (i.e. the Acid Square) because of its reputation of people taking drugs and they actually built a little park for children in the middle of it with the hope of attracting more families to the square. The history behind it? George Orwell was in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War and had fought on the Republican side (his personal accounts can be found in his book 'Homage to Catalonia' which I'm now quite intrigued to read). The square was built 60 years later in his honour for having fought in the war (not because of his literary endeavours). 

Plaça de George Orwell

Next, El Born. Being in Barcelona for just a weekend, I felt that it was essential that I got a taste of the food at local places and not touristy ones. I think the only touristy place we'd gone to was by the beach, but hey, it was right by the beach. However, I was also interested in finding little local places within little streets and squares which only people who know Barcelona could have known about. So after having seen the 'Arc de Triomf', we got lost (in a good sense) in the little neighbourhoods of El Born, trying to find a cosy little place for lunch. And we did! We found this cosy little place at Plaça de Sant Pere which didn't have a fixed menu but a daily one which was written up on chalk boards outside. Needless to say that the food was delicious. Also, surprise surprise, we met another Cypriot there; it is such a small world after all. I was about to read the menu in Spanish trying to figure out what was what in Greek when I heard a man's voice talking in Greek, telling me he could explain it to me if need be. Naturally, I was thrilled.

The Arc de Triomf

'La Candela' (the place I was talking about)

Next I shall talk about the 'El Raval' quarter within the Ciutat Vella district, another historical neighbourhood. While Barri Gótic is considered to be the centre of tourism, the El Raval is a more shadowy quarter which was once an area which tourists were told to avoid, being infamous for its nightlife and cabarets, as well as prostitution and crime. However, with the years it has evolved and is now another of Barcelona's cultural centres hosting the city's main collection of modern art. I quite enjoyed walking around the neighbourhoods and part of it actually reminded me of old Nicosia back home, perhaps because of its diverse immigrant community and their local mini-markets and hang-out spots in the streets; it had a colourful mixture of nationalities and the streets were filled with life and a different kind of 'air'. I guess it felt like home. In this neighbourhood one can also find the street 'Rambla del Raval' within which the futuristic hotel 'Barceló Raval' was built in 2008. I had done my research before going to Barcelona and had found out that the rooftop bar of this hotel has a 360 degree view of Barcelona; I definitely had to visit (and I did). The view was amazing... photos below.

Last but not least, the beach! 'La Barceloneta' neighbourhood is the last one I'm going to talk about within the old city. This is where you'll find the beautiful Mediterranean Sea which obviously reminded me of home, once again. One can talk a long stroll along the Passeig de Marítim, enjoying the sea on one side and the restaurants and bars on the other side. A couple of bars and restaurants can even be found on the sand right by the sea. We had delicious paella and sangría here (but don't get me started on the food, I'll get to that later). There were tons of people on the beach, regardless of it being the beginning of November; a few of them were even swimming but most of them were sunbathing or simply enjoying the sand and view - some of them with a drink in hand - enjoying the background music. Oh I think there were also people playing volleyball. 

Okay, I think I'm done with the old city of Barcelona and I'm probably done with all places I managed to visit. So now I'll talk about the local food. It was delicious. We had seafood paellas twice  (we had to compare, no?) and we devoured both of them. Paellas are basically rice dishes (with seafood in our case) but they're a lot more tasty than they sound. We also tried the famous tapas; the local, spanish cuisine meze! This is when you order various little appetisers and snacks along with a big jar of sangría (local wine)...needless to say we had that along with every meal. For those who don't know, sangría is basically made of red wine, chopped fruit (e.g. oranges, melons, lime, apples, peach, berries, etc.), some sweeteners and a small amount of brandy. I couldn't get enough of it and it just added to all the happiness I felt for being in such a beautiful place... And no, I wasn't drunk, I can hold my liquor thankyouverymuch. Our tapas consisted of prawn, squid and mussel dishes all made in Catalonian style, along with little salads, nachos and, my favourite, potato chips with mayonnaise and garlic sauce. Oh we were definitely up for a second round of tapas but we had finished our four glasses of sangría (each) by then and tapas are always better with a drink... Unfortunately, I do not have photos of our tapas because we were so greedy we began eating before I realised I had forgotten to take a photo of them. Hey, it had been a pretty long day and we were starving.

Paellas and sangría

If I were to describe Barcelona in a word, that would be 'bewitching'. I was enchanted by the different districts, their captivating atmospheres, the lively people, the music and good food. It was such a vibrant city and I wish there was time to explore more of it. Regardless, I do feel that I made the most of the time I had there, and I'm definitely grateful I even had the chance to go. And, as I said before, it just reminded me a little bit of home. Getting back to the gloomy UK after a fairytale weekend in Barcelona was not ideal, but I'll survive. Less than 6 weeks until Cyprus and Christmas! Needless to say I began looking for masters in Barcelona, but I don't think that's happening... definitely revisiting though, definitely. 

© All photos were taken by me (Alice Karayiannis, 2015)