Where to Start?!

I am back in Athens, and I am able to upload

some photos, if I can remember where I left

off?! This is Olympia, and we spent the day

here a couple of days ago. Our guide, Helen,

was excellent, and filled us in on the early

Olympics. The photo at the bottom is what is

left of the gymnasium, where the athletes worked

out and practiced.

The trio of columns left standing is part of a

temple, and the Corinthian column on the ground

was near that temple. The large broken pieces are

from the Temple of Zeus that housed the large

statue of the god. It has been toppled by earthquakes,

etc, and they have left the pieces where they fell.

The one section with the square hole in it shows how

the pieces fit together...there would have been a piece

above it with an extension that fit down in that hole,

much like ancient "legos".

The arched entrance is to the stadium, the best preserved

in the world. This is where they would run the races

and do the field competitions, all in the nude. They

covered themselves with olive oil and sand that acted

like a natural sunscreen. That is me, not naked, standing

by the track that went straight down and back, not in

a circle, like ours.

And then that is ancient Greek writing that adorned many

of the ruins there, recording ancient winners and records.

It all gave us a better appreciation for the present day games.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Mycenae and Beyond

We are in the Mycenae area of Greece, and tomorrow

we go to see the Lion Gate, and some other ruins.

(no pics tonight...sorry! no wireless!)

I walked around this hotel some this afternoon, and

took some pics of the small farms and crops. There

are orange trees and olive groves. There were some

pomegranate trees and some artichoke plants (I had

never seen any of those.) And there were several

other plants with fruit that I have no idea about.

The wonder and variety of God's great creation

never ceases to amaze me.

I hope to add some more when we get back to

Athens. Check the earlier post with the pics of

the windows, and vote for your favorite!

I just went on Google and there are some great

pics of the Lion Gate...look it up!

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Shoppers Anonymous

If I have talked about food, then I must also

talk about shopping. I might have been born

to shop. And there are many places here to

do just that, and many interesting things to

buy. The last photo is "worry beads" which are

everywhere. All of the old men carry these

constantly, and click them and slide them, etc.

I don't really know what they are so worried

about...(maybe the economy?!) The pottery

with the figurines look just like the originals

that I studied about in art history. They all tell

a story from mythology or relate some historical

event. Kinda like "wikipedia in clay". Then there

are rugs, cute little puppets, and of course, jewelry.

The shop at the top was in Corfu, and I wandered in

after lunch. There was very unusual jewelry there, and

I met the owner, an artist who made some of the pieces

in the shop. I bought several, and she admired my

sketchbook and paintings. She loved one of some olive

trees, and I told her I would paint her one. And we

agreed she could pay for it in earrings! Her shop is

called Aiopa.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

The People of Greece

When surveyed, most people will say the

subject matter they enjoy looking at most,

is other people. I don't usually take a lot of

pics of people; I feel intrusive or rude sticking

my camera in their face. But if I can get

one from a distance or discreetly, I will. So

here are a few of the "people pics" from the

last few days.

The shepherd was along the highway, and our

sweet bus driver stopped so we could get a photo.

It is one of my favorites so far. The two old men

were right down the bench from me (see top photo)

while I was painting, so I snapped them unaware.

The street musicians were in Corfu serenading an

adjacent table. The Greek man in his embroidered

vest was outside a shop in Metsovo. The buggy

driver was very bored I think; tourism is down, and

I don't think he had many takers of the buggy ride.

And the charming young dancers performed for us

at a tavern in Corfu. And that is me painting in the

village of Metsovo. I have many of the other travelers

offering to take my photo somewhere, but I don't

often want in the picture. But I do like a record of me

actually working once in awhile, so there I am! I

really did some painting in Greece, and I have the

picture to prove it!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

go back a few posts and let me know your favorite

window photo...i will be giving a painting away,

check it out.

Fair Flowers

You knew sooner or later I would get around

to flowers too. There have been some neat ones

here. The bright yellow one is a squash blossom

I believe; the purple one was a wildflower; the

others have all been in gardens or pots in yards

or patios.

Daisies are my favorite flower, and I

bought the most unusual ring today. The artist

who makes this jewelry dips natural things in

pure silver and gold, and makes wearable art of

them. The ring I bought is a small daisy made

into a ring. The petals are silver, the center is

gold, and the band is made from a daisy leaf. It

is very unique and I will treasure it. Her website

is: www.thallo.com It is called everlasting floral

jewelry. Check it out, and I am sure they will

ship something to you!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Window to the Soul

I am always intrigued by windows. They

usually make charming subjects to paint.

These are just a sampling of the many I

have seen so far.

Several are in the town of Corfu, and I

commented to the guide that it looked a

great deal like the French Quarter in New

Orleans, or very much like Venice. The

Venetians controlled Corfu for awhile, and

I guess that is where the influence is from.

The stone wall and the little lace curtain one

are from villages along the way, and look like

they could be Middle Eastern and Alpine...

lots of influences here I think!

If you will let me know your favorite one,

I will paint one when I return, and give it

away to a follower of the blog. So, sign up to be

a follower, vote for your favorite window to be

painted, and you could be the lucky winner!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Food Alpha to Omega

Back to food...I decided to do a few "theme"

posts. If you didn't like the boats, maybe you

will like the food. It goes from them delivering

fresh bread to a bakery, to a little woman shopping

in a sidewalk market, to selections of fresh honey

and preserves in the markets, to two very nice

places to eat (one that specializes in chocolate...

can you say, paradise...), and finally to my lunch

yesterday, small spinach pies served in a sidewalk

cafe in downtown Corfu. I also had peach iced

tea and fresh bread. doesn't get much better

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Whatever Floats your Boat

Wouldn't you like to be on that big sailboat

right about now? me too. I love boats, and

I am very happy, because they are everywhere

over here. Everywhere I turn is another

charming set of boats. The small fishing boats

were by a lake we passed on the way; the huge

ferry was our transportation to the island of

Corfu; and the other boats were in various

places on the island itself.

I did a couple of small watercolors in my

sketchbook of some of the boats. When I was

painting on the seaside in Corfu, I met the

most delightful people, all from England.

One couple was from London, and she was an

artist as well, and we enjoyed looking at each

other's sketchbooks. They gave me a great tip

about where to go to see some more great sites.

And the other couple was traveling from Great

Britain as well, and they enjoyed watching me

finish up the painting. That is something that I

enjoy very much about painting on location. I

do not mind at all if someone wants to watch, and

I so enjoy talking with them. You can usually learn

something new each time.

For those of you new ones tuning in, I will have

lots of paintings for sale after I get back, and if

you see something you like, let me know. I am

very inexpensive, and we can work something out!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

A Great Day in Corfu

That is the sunrise over the island of

Corfu where we spent the day yesterday.

(aren't all of you proud of me that I was

up before sunrise!)

Our morning tour started at the palace of

some of the royal family. It was beautifully

decorated, and had really nice gardens. That

is a bronze statue of Achilles that was in the

garden, and the marble one is of him as well,

only as he was dying from the wound to his

Achilles heel. (if you have any questions,

just rent the movie, "Troy" and enjoy Brad

Pitt's body). Moving on, we did a walking tour

of the downtown, including the plaza, small

city streets and shops, and a church. The cute

boy wanted me to take his picture, and I have

forwarded it to a friend already! The vegetable

markets were everywhere, and I always enjoy

seeing all those things they take home to cook.

sheltongail@hotmail.com