Summer in Paradise Lost

Sun, sea, heat and time seems to have lost it's meaning and relevance. Greetings from Greeceland aka my own private paradise lost. As my annual hermit, detox retreat is about to come to an end I thought I would share some of my favorite things that made this holiday paradisiacal. And what better way to start than music. My most beautifulest friend Giuseppe aka Porcarorama has made a Sunshine Summer and Moonlight Nights mixtape that I have been listening to on repeat all summer long. Just press play and trust me when I say that this is the ultimate summer soundtrack.

And of course one should always look the part. Hawaiian shirts should be included in everyone's summer attire, especially the ones made by my beautiful surfer boyz from Paleo Faliro, the seaside area in Athens where I grew up. I am beyond proud of them for launching, in the midst of the financial crisis,  their own brand MOHXA, of ossom clothes worn by the surfers, skaters, hipsters and THE GROWLERS! They say that chaos breeds creation and such start ups by young people in Greece have started proliferating despite the financial crisis or precisely because of it. As a principle I am a big fan of MADE IN GREECE so check them out. Below is my summer's favorite. 

And cause one of my favorite activities whilst being a lazy sunbather is reading here are some of the books I enjoyed and a few of my favorite quotes from this summer's reading list. Enjoy, they all come highly recommended.

The timeless classic which needs no further introductions.

"There is much to be said for contentment and painlessness, for those bearable and submissive days, on which neither pain nor pleasure is audible but pass by whispering and on tip-toe. But the worst of it it that it is just this contentment that I cannot endure. After a short time it fills me with irrepressible hatred and nausea. In desperation I have to escape and throw myself on the road to pleasure, or, if that cannot be, on the road to pain…A wild longing for strong emotions and sensations seethes in me, a rage against this toneless, flat, normal and sterile life…For what I always hated and detested and cursed above all things was this was this contentment, this healthiness and comfort, this carefully preserved optimism of the middle classes, this fat and prosperous brood of mediocrity."  

Hermann Hesse Steppenwolf

On an entirely different note I also devoured the ultimate summer read,  a cross between a pulp fiction crime novel and the genius of the likes of Mr Philip Roth"The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair" by 30 year old Joel Dicker is a real page turner and the perfect book to accompany you to the beach. At times repetitive and not a literary masterpiece yet nonetheless hilarious and well written and I was thoroughly impressed by the accurate grasp and depiction of American society that a young Swiss man has. I say enjoy this one as a guilty pleasure. 

Tom Robbins  in one of my favorite authors, witty, sexy, hilarious and with a sublime command of the english language, what is there not to love! Needless to say when his "autobiography" or more accurately what he has termed A True Account of an Imaginative Life was published under the title  "Tibetan Peach Pie" I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and I was in no way disappointed. 

"You see, at that juncture in my life I wasn't evolved enough to understand the fluid nature of romantic love (its indifference to human cravings for permanence and certainty); its uncivilized, undomesticated nature (less alike a pretty melody than a foxish barking at the moon), or, more importantly perhaps, that it's a privilege to love someone, to truly love them; and while it's paradisiacal if she or he loves you back, it's unfair to demand or expect reciprocity. We should consider ourselves lucky, honored, blessed that we possess the capacity to feel tenderness of such magnitude and be grateful even when that love is not returned. Love is the only game in which we win even when we lose." 

Almond picking has become one of my favorite summertime activities...

Because I am basically incapable of ever writing anything about summer without including something from GRACELAND…..Diamonds on the soles of her shoes….

My favorite beach 

Man Ray revisited or the kind of photos my mum takes when we are on holiday together 

Pastel decadence in Greeceland

But I asked you for a dance...

I hope this post finds you all sundrunk by the sea, with freckles on your nose, blonde streaks in your hair and a fabulous book in your hands. This summer has been relatively short, due to unforseen forces of change, but sweet nevertheless. I engaged in my annual hermit, detox, island retreat for about two weeks and thought I would share some photos and the books and songs that occuppied my time during my summer paradise-lost.

"The Myth of Sisyphus" has been somwhat of a recurrent theme in my life, whether it was the spectacular dance performance "Still Life" by the incredibly talented Mr Papaioannou, or my mum and lover reading it during the exact same time and talking to me about it. I thus thought that it was high-time to dwelve into a little absurdism. Though this essay rang true in many ways, I must admit I was surprised at how such a talented man like Camus managed to make 120 pages rather tiring and repetitive. Just know that at the end one must imagine Sisyphys happy....

"I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain! One always finds one's burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negated the gods and raises rocks. He, too, concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself forms a world. The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

Albert Camus, "The Myth of Sisyphus" 

Survival kit for lazy sunbathers

The other book, "Generation X", that kept me company has again been ever-present during my teenage years as the term kept appearing in some of the key movies marking my coming of age such as Clerks, Reality Bites, Heathers, Fight Club, Dazed and Confused, Singles and many many more... and indeed it was a real delight and very topical for a girl in her late 20s coming from Greeceland. 

Self-diagnosis

"But my crisis wasn't just the failure of youth but also a failure of class and of sex and the future and I still don't know what. I began to see this world as one where citizens stare, say, at the armless Venus de Milo and fantasize about amputee sex or self-righteously apply a fig leaf to the statue of David, but not before breaking off his dick as a souvenir. All events became omens; I lost the ability to take anything literally."  

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, by Douglas Coupland 

Washed out island beauty queens

Dancing in the moonlight on this long hot summer night

 

View from my paradise-lost

Absolute cuteness! World meet Victor! Cause the family just gained a heartbreaker!

The beauty of visiting my grandparents: Family tresures and long forgotten fashion gems

Dressing up

A fantabulous night for a moondance

 

Summertime is all about figs and hammocks

Cause Paul Simon's Graceland is and fo ralways will be the quintessential summer soundtrack

Absolute Greeceland

Cause we had a moment listening to this song, driving to the North side of the island to howl at the August super-moon

Teddy Boys and Copycats

"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensation for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."

Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

I finally read the dystopian all-time classic and  this is the paragraph that stayed with me the most. Cause a good fight against misfortune and a struggle with temptation do hold a dangerously glamorous allure.

Speaking of dystopian futures and state controlled behavioral manipulation, an interesting fact about Greeceland is that during the 60s, a time of revolution across the rest of Europe, an infamous law, law 4000, was put in place to punish "Teddy Boy" behaviour. According to law 4000 young troublemakers arrested for the offense of slander had their heads shaved, the cuffs of their pants ripped and were forced to walk around with a sign stating "I am a Teddy Boy", for pedagogic reasons of course.

And now for the copycats, surprisingly enough some of my favorite "songs du jour" seem to be covers and the quintessential soundtrack during this transitional month is Todd Terje's Johnny and Mary sang by Brian Ferry! This song is GOLD.

Another current favourite:

And last but not least photos and tips from 2 of the must-see exhibitions in Athens at the moment.

-The exceptionally curated A THOUSAND DOORS exhibition by NEON and Whitechapel Gallery that is hosted at the majestic Gennadius Library until the 30th of June.

Tip: all the volunteers are extremely polite and well-informed ask them to tell you a story about the art piece they are standing next to you won't regret it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I'm profoundly shallow, my lack of knowledge is vast and my horizons are narrow" said the boy.

 

 "No Respect": Graffiti and street art at the OCC." 

Cause our graffiti rocks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And my favourite portrait at the moment needlewordk by Lockibird

 

I guess we're all looking for that place to call home or an ode to the woman of my life

Cause I have been listening to Van Morrison all day today and I can't help but think of home. A little ode to the woman of my life...

What will for always be my song, cause Van is the Man and you hummed this for me during our endless summer days

In 2012 I participated in this psycho photographic project where I had to pick a photo of an inspirational figure in my life, have my photo taken in front of a projection of the photo I had chosen and then enjoy about half an hour of psychoanalysis with the artist himself... 

CHRISTINA AND HER MOM 

"She was given money to go to the grocery store and instead she hit the road when she was only 16 with an apple and a toothbrush as baggage (cause dental hygiene is vital). She was always gazing at the horizon and so she embarked on a journey to discover the world. London, Paris, Bahamas, New York and the sky is our limit. I guess Wanderlust is highly contagious. A single mother, a queen of fashion, an iron lady, a rock'n'roll goddess and my personal hero. The woman that had me humming "Wild Wild Life" before I was even able to mumble and to whom I owe everything. My mom. Feelings of safety, belonging and immense unconditional love. I guess we are looking for that place to call home. "


The first song I apparently ever sung. 

Cause there's nothing like discovering hidden treasures like a photo of your mom in the late 60s. What a babe!

"Laughter. An essential ingredient for survival. And we laughed a lot."

"We imagined ourselves as the Sons of Liberty with a mission to preserve, protect, and project the revolutionary spirit of rock and roll. We feared that the music which had given us sustenance was in danger of spiritual starvation. We feared it losing its sense of purpose, we feared it falling into fattened hands, we feared it floundering in a mire of spectacle, finance, and vapid technical complexity. We would call forth in our minds the image of Paul Revere, riding through the American night, petitioning the people to wake up, to take up arms. We too would take up arms, the arms of our generation, the electric guitar and the microphone."

""Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine." I had written the line some years before as a declaration of existence, as a vow to take responsibility for my own actions. Christ was a man worthy to rebel against, for he was rebellion itself."

"The gratitude I had for rock and roll as it pulled me through a difficult adolescence. The joy I experienced when I danced. The moral power I gleaned in taking responsibility for one's actions."

Just Kids by Patti Smith

Cause lady Patti was the first concert she took me too and we randomly ended up reading her book at the same time.





 

My latest mom tattoo 

Salt picking

 This Christmas

Cause this post needs to end with Van The Man....

Summertime in Greeceland

Enjoy some photos of what summer looks like in paradise (Greeceland) with some tunes and quotes to go along. Hope you are all busy being lazy sunbathers on an island not so far away..

The only sign worth following all summer long.

Quintessential Greek Summer: FIGS

SEAHORSE

Look what I found in the middle of nowhere on a Greek island: A Rubik's cube transformer!

On the road

Greek Summer 

Boat Rides and Life Jackets 

A home with a view. Meet me between the music and the castle 

 Glitter in the Gutter in the sand dunes.

Sand Dune Love

Dry salt lake 

Greek Delight 

Absolute Summertime Essentials

 

Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air 

 Sunset snack 

Dinner 

Scary sponge thingy 

Anchors Away

 Fisherman Blues

Summertime Essentials #2

Essentials #3

And given the beating my beautiful country has been receiving recently I must admit it was rather refreshing to read some praise from the master himself Mr Henry Miller in "The Colossus of Maroussi" (a definite must read for all you wandering romantic souls.) Miller spent 5 months in Greeceland just before the onset of the the second World War in the company of our hommes des letters such as Seferis, Katsimbalis and Ghikas. He speaks of the time just before we started getting it all wrong by buying into the American Dream. Enjoy...

"That conversation taught me immediately that the Greeks are an enthusiastic, curious-minded, passionate people. Passion-it was something I had long missed in France. Not only passion, but contradictoriness, confusion, chaos-all these sterling human qualities I rediscovered and cherished again in the person of my new-found friend. And generosity. I had almost thought it had perished from the earth."

Funny that Miller takes note of the glass of water that is automatically served the moment you sit down at any restaurant or bar throughout Greece. A lover from the North that visited my country several times was also rather taken by the way water is our constant companion throughout the day.

"The glass of water...everywhere I saw the glass of water. It became obsessional. I began to think of water as a new thing, a new vital element of life. Earth, air, fire, water. Right now water had become the cardinal element. Seeing lovers sitting there in the dark drinking water, sitting there in peace and quiet and talking in low tones, gave me a wonderful feeling about the Greek character. The dust, the heat, the poverty, the bareness, the containedness  of the people, and the water everywhere in little tumblers standing between the quiet, peaceful couples, gave me the feeling that there was something holy about the place, something nourishing and sustaining."

 

"There are so many ways of walking about and the best, in my opinion, is the Greek way, because it is aimless, anarchic, thoroughly and discordantly human."

"I liked the way they begged too. They weren't shamefaced about it. They would hold you up openly and ask for money or cigarettes as if they were entitled to it. It's a good sign when people beg that way: it means that they know how to give. The French, for example, know neither how to give nor how to ask for favors-either way they feel uneasy. They make a virtue of not molesting you. It's the wall again. A Greek has no walls around him: he gives and takes without stint."

"...the city of Athens. It is still in the throes of birth: it is awkward, confused, clumsy, unsure of itself; it has all the diseases of childhood and some of the melancholy and desolation of adolescence. But is has chosen a magnificent site in which to rear itself; in the sunlight it gleams like a jewel; at night it sparkles with a million twinkling lights which seem to be switching on and off with lightning-like speed. It is a city of startling atmospheric effects: it has not dug itself into the earth-it floats in a constantly changing light, beats with a chromatic rhythm." 

And to close a part from the introduction by none other than Mr Will Self:

"...if you believe in the brand of sympathetic literary magic that Henry Miller purveys, perhaps you will take his existential leap, go there yourself- and feel it anew. That's what he would have wanted. True avant-garde still had torsion. Delphi. The rest is noise."      

And since this post is all about summer enjoy an alternative version of  The summer hit that I am sure you have all danced to until the morning light it may lack some of the funky rhythm of Daft Punk and Pharrell but it is a personal favorite

And my favorite tune from the latest funktastic Daft Punk album

And one last one cause summer is tropical

One last one cause I want to see you HIGH