Refocusing on a Genuine Centerpiece

 

Kefalonia's churches and chapels: the aesthetics and location factor

 

If I claim to have been to more churches and remote chapels of Kefalonia than most local clergymen—or the devoutest members of their faithful flock—it would not be an exaggeration. 

And there isn’t one Kefalonian church or chapel that is not outstanding in some way, be it the architecture, the interior, the location, or all of the above.

Some are simple but perched on high hills offering breathtaking views that make one think that God had the best real estate agent! Others are so imposing in size or architecture that they dominate their humble surroundings and, aesthetically pleasing as they may be, their pomposity and grandeur is a stark contrast to their mission as places of worship and spiritual reprise.

St. Nicholas Church at Svoronata, Kefalonia

Byzantine meets Baroque

 

Most Kefalonian churches and chapels house unique treasures of great artistic merit in the form of elaborate ceilings, stunning Byzantine iconography and frescoes, old portable icons painted by well-known artists, historical manuscripts, and stunning wood-carved iconostases featuring intricate baroque elements. 

The bell towers are tall, distinctive and unattached from the church itself following the dictates of western architectural style rather than that of the eastern Orthodox tradition.

Search and you shall find

Many a time— in my photographic adventures or “missions” to record the island’s attractions for work-related projects—I found myself filling memory cards with hundreds of images of undeniably photogenic elements.

But not without a degree of guilt; I felt that I cheated myself (and my readers) since I was capturing the obvious. That is when I began to see rather than just look—and it must have been in the Church of St. Nicholas* in Svoronata.

It is a huge cathedral with one of the tallest bell towers of Kefalonia, an grandiose interior, a mezzanine, and embellished decoration from front to back and top to bottom. One could spend hours here gazing at and photographing the numerous objects and forms of ecclesiastic art.

Having done so and turning to leave, I noticed an unpretentious composition, sitting in the middle of the floor, that seemed out of place in this showcase church of elegance, ornamentation, and artistic excess.

On second thought, maybe it was the only thing that was in the right place…

Characteristic  Eastern Orthodox church fittings at St. Nicholas (Svoronata, Kefalonia): Traditional oil candle (foreground) and ornate floor tiles (background)

Non-extravagant spirituality

 

A battered wooden bench—not an intricate or fancy hand-carved stool—served as a resting hub for the makeshift oil candle that defiantly claimed its place among the exquisite chandeliers and bronze candle holders. A simple household glass—not a Tiffany or crystal utensil—held the olive oil, and an aromatic beeswax candle—used to reach and light the wick—rested on the side. Both were placed atop a simple, though a bit inappropriate in design, serving tray so as to protect the old bench from possible oil stains! This simple but genuinely beautiful composition competed on an equal basis with the geometric pattern of the traditional floor tiles.

Indeed, this is by far my favorite and most memorable image of this Kefalonian attraction, and one that alleviates my guilt for overly showcasing the obvious.
But habits are hard to break, so here’s the rest of that obvious.

Iconography and ecclesiastical art dedicated to St. Nicholas (Svoronata, Kefalonia)

 *note: In Greek Orthodox tradition, St. Nicholas is the patron of seamen. Folklore abounds with accounts of seafarers being pulled and saved from shipwrecks by the Saint. This belief is clearly depicted in the iconography of any church dedicated to Him. Seamen who leave for the faraway seas, and those who attribute their safe return to the Saint, often dedicate items in anticipation and gratitude. Aside from icons, popular dedications include replicas of ships. Some of these replicas are intricate and beautiful works of art, such as the ship replica on the left bottom of the image composition.

Impish September

 

Bring on September!

If there was such a scale, Kefalonia's September would score high on the unpredictability index.

On an island that could serve as a fitting definition of contrast and unpredictable disposition, this seems almost redundant. On second thought, Kefalonia itself is redundant—too much blue, too much green, too many beaches, too many cliffs,  too much sky, way too many images to process.

Speaking of images, if I were to dump all the images I’ve gathered over the years—an immense task, I assure you—into an unlabeled folder, I would not be able to pick out those taken in September. And that is just the  images captured by the camera. The images engraved in my mind would have to wait for that digital measurement that will replace the terabyte.

September sailing (Limenia, Kefalonia)

A collage of seasons in a single month

September can assume the bright colors of April, the dewy beauty of May, the awesomeness of June, the heat of July and August, the rain and thunderstorms of October, or the laid back indulgence of November.

And it does have them all -  in a daily change of mood that is often hard to keep up with.  

Sailing the Kefalonia-Ithaca Strait on a windy September day

Above all, September is impish, mischievous, a real rascal

Just when you thought you would enjoy the beach—free of the August crowds—the sound of rolling thunder reminds you that, even in this corner of the world, the calendar demands respect. But don’t be quick to pack away your flip-flops and beach towel. More likely than not, tomorrow will be a gorgeous day for the beach. So ease back and wait for the rascal’s temper tantrum to pass. Like most rascals, September really does have a heart of gold once you get to know him.

Easing back does not, by any means, imply that you must stay indoors until the storm is over.  I always alleviated my “pain” by taking a drive to the Lighthouse and focusing, digitally and mentally, on the rain that washes away the lingering sins of naughty August.

Argostoli Lighthouse on a rainy September day

But that is not all. September adds a “bonus track” in an effort to make up for its momentary wickedness. Aside from March, this is the best time of year to photograph Kefalonia’s stunning landscape as the rain also washes away the dust and heat of hardcore summer and renders all colors to their natural, basic hues.

Lourdas Bay eases into autumn in brilliant color

The season's slanted sun rays  highlight the turquoise among other blues, whitecaps to emphasize the predominance of the northwestern winds, and long shadows to mark the shift of the sun’s position in the horizon.  

Skies in layered gray and seas in light strips of turquoise is all any lens ever needs to be happy!

Trapezaki Beach in September mode

And then, there is always September the Imitator! 
Trying to pass as April or June and being really good at it. 

Like this:

Shades of September blue (Makris Gialos Beach)

Of course, there are those who have no interest in photographing the whims of the island or the month. They know that Kefalonia’s soft summer has just begun and prefer diving in to get the inside story instead of collecting digital accounts.

Koroni Beach

Loaded, Colorful Outtakes

Sunset over Dias Islet, Kefalonia

Decisions, decisions!

Before the ink had a chance to dry (*) on the first photo stories I prepared for the KefaloniaWorld e-Magazine, an unrelenting dilemma surfaced. What do I include and what do I leave out?

Despite the plethora of images available—a result of years' worth of roaming on Kefalonia with a camera strapped around my neck—the problem is not quantity but qualitaty. Take sunsets, for example; I have hundreds of images that I could use. But some of my better sunset images, photographically-wise,  do not mean that much to me.
There, I've said it!
Let me explain.

 My photo safaris

Sometimes I went about my quest with a purpose in mind, correct settings on the camera, time to spare, and conscious choice of location and time so they'd be advantageous in terms of light and sky conditions.

So, I do have heaps of "semi-correct" (**) sundown images. On the other hand, sometimes I was just impelled to point the camera at the horizon and press the shutter button without addressing suitability of lens, settings, or position.

But Kefalonia does that to you.

You may be on the road driving—or occupied photographing sea shells, e.t.c.,—but if you lift or divert your glance from the task at hand, you are overwhelmed by colors, shapes, and light formations that developed while your attention was focused elsewhere.

Then, you act on feeling and instinct rather than on plan. And though the images that result are not picture-perfect, they are loaded with memories of those moments and stories that are hard to put into words.

Like these outtakes... which will probably never make it to the website; I'll keep them to share here.

Case in point: Top photo was taken from Avythos Beach on an afternoon dedicated to collecting pebbles and sea shells since the approaching sunset and sky seemed to be dull, monochromatic, and otherwise uninteresting.

Sunset over Paliki Peninsula

More: Photo above was taken from Gradakia Beach, while in the car, listening to music and daydreaming to kill time, waiting for the full moon to rise in the evening sky.

Sunset over Livatho

The shenanigans of Kefalonian light

Eyes on the road! That is the wise thing to do if you're driving on the Poros-Argostoli road, and not just in the afternoon!

But as you drive through the villages of Simotata and Vlahata, you should always be prepared. For me that translates into quick recollection of every widening and clearing along the road, and the camera placed on the passenger seat.

No need to worry about lens selection or current settings.
The island's insane light will do all the exposure compensation ever required.

(*)  Although old enough to have used plain paper and ink, I do really mean "before I could save the .doc file on my computer screen" —but it just doesn't look or sound as good as ink drying on the page!
(**) I will never aspire for more than "semi-correct" —lest I fall into the popular trap of shooting or post-processing photos to such correctness that they no longer resemble the island. You know what I mean 😉

Help me Find my Marbles!

OR PEBBLES... whichever you prefer.

Fact is, I need to complete the puzzle for the KefaloniaWorld Site.
Although it is pretty much mapped out in terms of content, your input in filling in the blanks is needed and appreciated. Besides, I think it will be much more fun if we complete this project together.

Putting the KefaloniaWorld site together using authentic materials

The goal is to build an e-magazine for the English speaking world community of "Kefalonians."
The "Kefalonian e-nation" includes all those who have a relationship with the island of Kefalonia by birth, ancestry, heritage, marriage, residence, love, or inclination!
So there you have it.

And this is where you come in! In music I've always preferred bands to solo artists. All those lazy afternoons in Kefalonia, I've often found the sound of a single cicada on a tree by my window discordant or even annoying, while the noisy chatter of many of these little critters sounded like the best conducted orchestra in the world.

To get this e-magazine off the ground properly, I need the wings and buzz of many cicadas.

Kefalonian Cicada

Tell me your story

Use the comments section below or e-mail me and tell me your story.

• Tell me what you do, maybe others want to network with you. 
• Tell me how you spend your time in Kefalonia, why you keep going back, what special memories you have there. And by all means send photos to accompany your story. 
• If you are second, third + generation Kefalonian, share your family history, your experiences and tell me what you do if you wish to be included in the "Kefalonians in Focus" section. (tentative name).
• Tell me about "the first time" and about the renewal of your vows of love with the island. Recommend books, videos, etc., or a special experience you or someone you know has had that might be worth writing about and sharing with others. 
• If you engage in a hobby, art or craft involving or inspired by Kefalonia, please tell me about it. If you are seeking your Kefalonian roots, tell us your story and maybe one of your fellow readers can help you get your eureka! moment. Or if you have found your island roots, share the experience. 

In general, send anything you think has a place or should be featured on this e-magazine. (see notes below)
I struggled to think of an "incentive plan" for this call for assistance but could not come up with anything viable and with broad appeal. However, I cannot resist aiming a small bribe your way: depending on the response, I may be convinced to reveal the exact location of my gestalt rock!


notes
1. Every orchestra needs a conductor. Therefore, I will be making the final decision on the material: what goes into the e-magazine as well as how extensive the coverage of the stories chosen will be. I do believe, though, that my cherished and honest relationship with all of you on this blog entitles me to request that you trust my judgement as the head cicada!
2. Please do not spam my e-mail or comment box below with hidden commercial links, etc.
3.The cicada connection is fully attributed and credited to my favorite Kefalonian author!

A Time for Healing and Renewal

Kefalonian Camomile Tea

We've been down this road before

After each hiatus, I renew my intention to keep up with regular posting. But you know what they say about the best intentions...

This blog is not, and never intended to be, a writing venture. It started as a love child, a celebration of the bond I have with my tiny birthplace. As with every love and every celebration, circumstances, feelings, forces beyond our control do sometimes alter our mood and disposition.

Obviously, it hasn't been as easy to maintain the daily pace and momentum since I no longer live in Kefalonia; now, I have to rely on my accumulated photo collection—extensive as that is, and my memories, vivid as they are.

If that wasn't enough, the earthquakes earlier this year devastated my morale on a number of fronts. I am not one to sugarcoat hard facts and I honestly was not sure if it was right to keep posting about the beauty and side sweep the devastation.

Last, but far from least, the daily routine, the long New York winter, and involvement in several writing projects left me without much energy to write in the fashion I usually do on this blog.
So, I did not.

But, with life returning to normal on the island and my other projects falling into place, I've decided that it's time to move on, to heal, and to renew and expand.

Kefalonia World over the next few weeks will become a full-fledged website on www.kefaloniaworld.com. For all English-speaking "Kefalonians" everywhere. This blog will remain my personal refuge and place of carefree expression. (More info coming up soon along with my definition of "Kefalonians" )

Thank you for keeping up with the blog while I haven't; this has been instrumental in my decision to resume and expand. Check back in!

Note: Why the photo of camomile tea? For those who are not familiar with this perennial herb, here is some basic info that will make you understand. The name camomile (or chamomile) comes from two Greek words ("hamilos" meaning low or close to the ground, and "milo" meaning apple) and describes the herb that grows close to the ground and its infusion smells a lot like apples. It has been used for centuries in Greece as a cure-all remedy due to its calming and healing effects. It tastes pretty good too! So there, now you have the connection...

And the Earth Moved Again...

Beyond words...

January 26, 2014...

the earth moved again, violently and relentlessly...

This is not the way I intended to resume the blog in the new year...
 
Nor did I ever imagine in August that I'd have to write about it  before the next anniversary...

The "event" is still "in progress" and the information a bit overwhelming to process...
I don't think... I feel...
But, I've touched and I've seen... all of it...

And that's a lot more than could reasonably be expected in a lifetime...

All will be OK again in Kefalonia
 ...if for no other reason than to resume its mission of lending beauty to more lives and defining more lifetimes...