13 posts tagged “greece”

The speed with which my 'Naked Man on Plinth' picture has gone careering up my Flickr 'most view pics' has surprised me. In the space of a few weeks it occupies the number two spot having been viewed over 700 times and will no doubt take the top spot before too long.
Interesting that number three is also another picture of the naked male form, this time an ancient Greek statue which is in the museum at Ancient Olympia. I uploaded it over two years ago. And unusually for me I didn't give it any suggestive tags just 'statue' 'greece' and 'ancient olympia' which, nonetheless, have garnered it an impressive number of views.
It is also remarkable how similar the poses are.

I like a tragedy me and the ancient Greeks were a bit partial too hence why they wrote so many. But the tragic element to Phedre which playing at the National Theatre is well a little too ancient Greek for my taste.

For those unfamiliar with Phedre's story she is married to King Theseus who has disappeared, presumed dead. Phedre (played by Dame Helen Mirren) has long harboured a bit of a crush, ok she luurves him in a way only iambic pentameter can express, her step son Hippolytus (played by Dominic Cooper of The History Boys and The Duchess fame).
As hubby is thought dead she decides to confess to her feelings and is rejected. Then hubby returns and in an attempt to hide her incestuous confession tells him that Hippolytus came on the her. Now Daddy, quite angry banishes son but not before he invokes Neptune to curse him. Hippolytus meanwhile decides confess his love to Aricia (Ruth Negga) whom his father banned from marrying when and run off with her. Phedre discovers Hippolytus is in love she falls into a jealous rage.
Now I thought I could tell where it was going from there (spoiler alert) knowing that Phedre and Hippolytus end up dead there surely had to be some sort of accidental/remorseful death or bloody incident akin to the ending of Hamlet.
Well no it's a Greek tragedy you see so Neptune does the dirty work and Hippolytus is attacked by some mysterious sea creature which smashes his chariot leaving him to be dragged to his death by his horses. Phedre, remorseful, confesses and poisons herself. Now Hippolytus's death is all off stage - as is the way with Greek tragedy apparently - and recounted by his servant. The tale is vividly and grippingly told but for me the fantastical element stymied any feeling of tragedy I might have had. Phedre does spend most of the play being melodramatic and hysterical so I wasn't to sorry to see her go.
If I'd have written it I would have had more on stage death for a start and the leads would have had a bigger hand in their own demise*.
All this implies that I didn't enjoy it when I did, very much. I was on the edge of my seat. Mirren deftly swung from morbid depression to hysteria and Cooper played Hippolytus with a steely cold aloofness that led some in my party to accuse him of a lack of spark with his leading lady but I disagree. His character is described by other characters as being driven and determined to the point that when he confesses his love to Aricia it is with the violence of someone whose expression of feeling is like a bottle of shaken champagne uncorked and then recorked again.
The stage was appropriately of Grecian time, not with adornments but the white/cream stone and rock so common in the countries ancient monuments. The passage of time was shown via the lighting which went from midday glare and heat cast sharp shadows through dusk and evening to a soft morning sunrise that was beautiful.
It's not my favourite play by any stretch of the imagination but it was entertaining and I'm tempted to buy a copy to read which is higher praise than most productions get.
Here are some others views:
Guardian: "The strength of Hytner's production is that Phèdre herself, in Helen Mirren's forceful performance, is not so much a victim of the gods as of an unconquerable erotic obsession."
West End Whingers: "Though with the National’s resources the Whingers of course would have preferred and expected to see the scene where his chariot is attacked by a giant sea monster"
Independent: "Everyone's very good. They're just all acting in something very bad, a thoroughly traduced and reverentially presented "classic"."

*Perhaps Phedre in her fit of jealousy could stab Aricia, Hippolytus discovers her dying and tries to strangle Phedre his father bursts in and catches him in the act and stabs his son in order to protect his wife. Phedre distraught that the object of her affection is dead confesses and kills herself. Leaving the King with a big dry cleaning bill and a bit sad that he killed his own son. What do you think?"

This picture has stormed to the top of my most viewed pictures on Flickr and it has only been on the site for a relatively short period of time compared to the previous most viewed.
Almost every day it tops the daily viewed chart. It's not a particularly remarkable picture and I started wondering whether I'd used ambiguous tags (my cockerel pictures are quite popular, ahem) but no the tags are Ancient Olympia and Greece.
Perhaps Ancient Olympia holds a fascination for more people than I think.

Yep I was today. The Olivier at the National Theatre no less. OK so it was part of a backstage tour and Mr Voldemort wasn't on the stage at the time but he has been and (hopefully) will be again when I see him in a couple of a weeks in Oedipus.

The tour was fabulous. One of those things I've been meaning to do for sometime. We spent an hour and a half looking around all three theatres in the complex, going back stage to see how it works and then around the rehearsal rooms and workshops where they make 90% of the props and sets.
Didn't realise that the Olivier is modeled on the ancient Greek theatre in Epidauros which coincidentally, Mosh and I visited in May

I saw another restaurant with Grass Hill on the menu, perhaps that was the veggie option.

Clive Owen's name doesn't quite have the same showbiz pizazz when translated into Greek. (Slightly curious as to why the film title was left in English)

And finally the place all straight men dream of staying (it's in Kalambaka boys):

In my humble opinion, these are the pics from Greece I'm most proud of:

...because it's a man walking his goats!!!

For this one I had to stretch the zoom to max as I wasn't appropriately attired to enter the monastery...

It wasn't all old stuff on holiday, there is an abundance of graffiti and while most of it isn't going to get Banksy worried there were some interesting pieces...

Yiasus. So I have returned from blue skies, alfresco dining and cheap wine to cold, pissing rain and buggered up Sainsbury's online orders but, still, I have my photo's to keep me warm. The whole collection is at Flickr (there are loads but it was quite a photogenic holiday).
Think I'm going to pull together some themed-groups over the next few days but for starters here are the World Heritage Sites we visited which tallied a whopping eight in the end (really like that sightseeing).
First off was Delphi, home an oracle and like the Switzerland of Ancient Greece. It's built right up in the most beautiful mountains and you can see the sea in the distance.

Next was Meteora which has the most strange but stunning rock formations and then, for extra tourist appeal, over the years monks and nuns set up monasteries on top of them as a safe haven. Originally rope ladders and pulleys would have been used to reach them. Some still use such a system for deliveries and decrepit religious visitors.
Unsurprisingly the area is also quite a draw for climbers and Bond film crews.
The Greece 2008 tour then headed onto the Peloponnese. Ancient Olympia first, to peruse the place it all started and of course it was all done in the nuddy back then.
The site is far bigger than this picture shows with remains of temples, hotels and buildings for the officials but this is the competitors entrance to the stadium which still has its original starting line for the races - in marble, naturally. I like to think they had a sign in the tunnel that said: 'This is Olympia' that all the athletes touched just before running out into the stadium. Cheats were fined and the money used to make bronze statues of Zeus which lined the route into the stadium, the cheaters name and misdemeanor were carved into the base.
Driving high up into the moutains outside Olympia there is the Temple of Vasses which is in pretty good shape for its age. Its location would have given it the most commanding presence for miles around. Sadly it is now shrouded in a tent primarily to protect it from the harsh seasonal elements while it is restored but it could be permanent. There is still a massive wow-factor though as you walk through the gap in the canvas and first see it.
 
Moving away from classical Greece, Mystras, our next stop was a byzantine town built on a steep, knackering, mountain slope. A few buildings and a lot of the original streets and steps are intact but a lot is now in ruins. The only remaining inhabitants are some nuns but the whole place has a Tintagel-esque, mystery, magical feel. You could spend hours exploring and I loved it.
Our fifth Worth Heritage Site was Monemvasia. Think of Mont St Michel in France or St Michael's Mount in England and you get the idea: Rocky island with an ancient town built into it. Originally it was connected to the mainland but an earthquake separated it. There is now a causeway but once at the city wall no motor vehicles have access. (Something I should have planned for, I thought, when hauling my two-weeks worth of luggage over the cobbled streets to our hotel.)
The upper town is pretty much in ruins apart from a church but the lower town is very much inhabited. Its narrow cobble streets linked by steep steps create a maze like terrain but nonetheless everywhere seems to have the most amazing view of the sea and mainland.

Two more to go. Epidavros which is the the world most well preserved ancient theatre and still hosts live performances. The acoustics are quite incredible, you can hear a coin being dropped on the marble slab in the centre of the stage from the back row, as demonstrated by the stream of tour guides. Unfortunately some tourists with far less talent than gall like to test the acoustics in their own way.
And finally for all those that have got this far, what has to be the most well known, the Acropolis in Athens. Breathtaking it is despite being rammed with tourists and in particular, apologies to my neighbours here as no offence is intended, drawly-accented Americans. (Do Greek-American's all inhabit the worst part of the US for nasally, whiny accents or something?).

 

Yep, our little tour of Greece is on its last stop in Athens and what a bonkers city it is, I love and hate it with equal measure.

We've racked up seven world heritage sites, staying the night in one, culminating in the Acropolis this morning which is a wonder to behold. Pics coming soon.

Some more observations about Greece though:

* There are a 1001 different ways of getting cheese into a meal and the Greeks have discovered each and every one of them

* Wine is v. v. cheap even with the crap Euro/Pound exchange rate and you can order it by the kilo in some restaurants (I kid you not and no I haven't tried)

* Mobile phone etiquette doesn't exist: any time, any place, anywhere, as loudly as possibly and with the most ridiculous ring tone

* All the young people live in the cities

* Greek waiters coined the phrase "looking but not seeing"

* Salads will always arrive first regardless of what you have ordered

And some observations about the roads:

* The rules of the road: there are no rules (unless there is a copper about which is extremely rare)

* There are two speeds of travelling: OAP-barely-see-over-steering-wheel and nutter

* There are bold over-taking manouevres and Greek over-taking manouevres

* Helmets are for decorations ie dangling off the arm otherwise don't waste your money

* Parking can be anywhere, preferably blocking someone in or creating a massive bottle-neck on a busy road

* Pedestrianised - schmestrianised, pavements are just another parking place if you are in a car or, part of the road if you are a scooter.

* Horns are to be used to greet friends and acquaintances or if being held up by a nano-second

* No one has a bloody clue how to use a round about

* Cycling: I wouldn't

London is going to seem sane but I am going to miss it terribly when we fly home on sunday.

Well that's how quickly this holiday feels like it is going. I'm here in Ancient Olympia, well actually its a modern hotel near Ancient Olympia but it's close enough, and I've finally given in to the lure of the internet (it's free here!).
I'll keep this short because Mosh is bound to come tapping on my shoulder soon.  Initial observations: Greek people are very friendly and completely bonkers on the roads. Double white lines are merely a guidance to masculinity when driving rather than an indicator that it is unsafe to overtake.
There has been a bit of a petrol crisis - a strike meant that virtually all petrol stations ran dry which caused a bit of alarm for a couple of days when you are depending on the car to get around. It has been a real eye-opener as to what could realistically happen in years to come.
Greek Orthodox monostaries like to depict gory scenes of how saints earnt their sainthoods on the walls and put in words what they couldn't draw.
The toilets in nunneries are a lot cleaner than those in monasteries.
I swear I saw Scarlett Johansson with her mum looking around the Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi.
And I'll leave it at that for now.
Will be pictures to come when I get back in just over a week (non of Scarlett unfortunately) - bought a 2 gagillabite memory card so I'm snap, snap, snapping away....