It seems odd to us now, when most people visit Greek islands precisely because of the sea – to swim in, sail on or just gaze at – but centuries ago many Greek islanders turned their backs on the sea. They were escaping bloodthirsty pirates, power-hungry invaders and draconian rulers. The island of Spetses, however, …
Elegant Sea-captains’ Mansions Evoke Memories of Maritime Power Read More »
If the common impression of a Greek village is a whitewashed tumble of cubic houses clustered beneath the protective shadow of a hilltop castle, then the Chios mastic villages present a different picture altogether. The three settlements of Pyrgi, Mesta and Olympi, in the southwestern corner of Chios island in the northeast Aegean, are collectively known …
Chios Mastic Villages: medieval, mysterious and designed to confuse! Read More »
Monumental façades, marble pediments, balustraded balconies, mythical scenes painted on ceilings… The neoclassical mansions of Ermoupoli on the Greek island of Syros, are about as far from the tiny, sugar-cube houses so redolent of Greece as you can get. Along with its marble-paved streets, its imposing town hall and Italianate theatre, Ermoupoli exudes an air very …
