Posts Tagged With: pottery

Mount Olympus: Origin of the Olympic Ideal

greek statue close up museum mount olympus the vibes

Home of the gods and the origin of the Olympic ideal. Mount Olympus was the seat of Zeus, and the games were held in his honour at Olympia. A permanent crown of angry clouds reign above the peaks, ample inspiration for legends and myth.

clouds above mount olympus greece
I’ve stood at the foot of this mountain gazing in awe, wondering if Spielberg was inspired by such an imposing view. You can imagine how the ancient Greeks saw gods in these clouds.

ancient greek carving museum mount olympus the vibes
Exploring the mountain itself is an adventure: wild boar bigger than cars, shrines, snakes and giant waterfalls.

mount olympus greece view from olympic beach the vibes

In the shadow of the mountain is a museum, containing art, jewellery and sculpture so sophisticated you would think it was crafted in modern times. Walking round with my mouth open, I was amazed at how advanced ancient Greek culture was. It’s easy to see how this was the cradle of modern civilisation.

ancient greek statue museum mount olympus the vibes

ancient greek earthenware pot museum mount olympus the vibes

ancient greek mosaic greece mount olympus museum the vibes
Greek culture is rich and colourful, and wandering from Mount Olympus down to Olympic Beach you can see how a different kind of deity dominates. The churches have brightly decorated interiors, adorned with icons, murals and relics.

greek church mural katerini greece
If there isn’t a church to hand, there are shrines everywhere. Even on the beach!

shrine olympic beach greece the vibes

shrine interior olympic beach the vibes

Beach Bar, Olympic Beach greece the vibes
We finally found some holy wine…(don’t run, Panos!)

tyre flower displays olympic beach the vibes

beach sports olympic beach greece the vibes
Angela Merkel was spotted swimming in the sea…

Sea life, Olympic beach greece the vibes
Greece is a wonderful country which I’ve visited many times. Unfortunately Germany is hell-bent on destroying this proud nation, imposing draconian sanctions on the people, causing widespread poverty and suffering. For some bizarre reason, the western media portrays the Greek people as deserving of punishment, and nothing could be more wrong. The people unfairly pay the price of their corrupt government (Spain and Italy seem exempt from similar penalties: I mean, really. Italy!) As Sea Monster Merkel spies oil in the Greek sea, you can rest assured she will make the nation a slave to her appetites.

Despite the economic upheaval, tourism is alive and well, and you can support the Greek people by taking your vacation there. Take a look at my trip to idyllic Santorini here.

Categories: Art, Photography, Travel, Vibe Monitor | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Moroccan Bazaar

Moroccan-Condiments  Moroccan-Dish Moroccan-Blankets  Moroccan-Bowls

There was a sudden splash of dazzling colour in St Anne’s Square in Manchester. Under the stubborn grey shroud of the Pennine Cloud Blanket was a buzzing Moroccan market. As I wandered through the lamps and rugs, I tried to recall my haggling skills which I learnt in the Canary islands, and practised in Dubai. I soon found out that my negotiation drive had disengaged long ago, returning to the default setting which is Polite English. ‘What’s your best price,’ is a great start but you have to follow it up with some quick thinking if you want to nail a bargain and I failed spectacularly. Twice. And all this while sneaking these pictures.  The market is in St. Anne’s Square until Saturday evening (May 5th.)

Moroccan-Kaftan  Moroccan-Curtains  Moroccan-Vase

It’s funny how I don’t carry my digital camera any more, now that I can Instagram my flat grey iPhone pictures to look like I spent hours developing them in a studio in Hoxton. Click on any image to enlarge them.

Moroccan-Bags  Moroccan-Rug

Anna Madrigal Olympia Dukakis

Tales of the City

http://www.themoroccanmarketofhandicraft.co.uk/Manchester-moroccan-market

If you missed my previous post, The Vibes has been visited by a famous author! Click on the image on the right to find out more…

Categories: Photography, Random, Travel, Vibe Monitor | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 159 Comments

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