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