Reading Challenge 2015-August

August was a difficult month.
There was too much coming and going to the city, there was surgery, there were sewage problems at the beach house and there is an on-going kitchen renovation at the city house.
So among all that I managed to read only one book and "unfortunately" it didn't fit any of the
So little sleeping and so much reading Challenge 2015 categories.
But it was a great book and I so enjoyed it. Matias, the little child who grew up to be an excellent doctor and an amazing perosnality and most of all a special human, accompanied me all through all this difficult month and made me relax and be patient. Because all lives have their difficult phases and we should just live through them.
So don't miss Scenes from the life of Matias Almosino by Isidoros Zourgos, a fellow teacher.

Saint Mamas' open market.

Every year at the end of August and beginning of September for a week a big open air market takes place at Saint Mamas' village near my beach house in Chalkidiki.
We usually go for the food (souvlaki) and some good cheap clothing to buy but this year I was too tired to walk around the many stalls of goods that roving sellers have to offer.So we only stayed for an hour.
When we arrived it was still light and the big open plain next to the market was impressive.

 Saint Mamas church at the back.

We were welcomed by colourful carpets,

 then some belts,

 clocks (!!!!!),

 socks,

 bra and

 underwear,

 pyjamas,

 dolls,

 towels,

 bells,

and crock pots (our target).

 There was food to buy,

 and food to eat but I couldn't eat!

So we visited the church

and bought the two things we needed.

We left when the moon was hanging on the telephone lines

and the sun was burning the horizon and lots and lots of people were arriving.

 If you want to learn more about this bazaar have a look at my friend Anna's blog In my closet, there is a whole report there from her visit in Greek.

Up on a mountain!

As things are getting better with my health we decided to do a day trip

 to perform a shadow puppet performance

 for children at a church camp site 

up at Sidirokastro, a town near Serres.
It was a great experience to be amongst little children at a camp site again after so many years,
to be in nature,

to meet nice new people who offer children their services, among them Father Nicholas, a young priest who makes a difference...
We enjoyed the performance and the happiness of the children, their many questions about Greek Shadow puppets....

 and a night's stay at Agnantio Hotel.It was a beautiful day!

Surgery

I had gall bladder and gallstones removal (laparoscopic cholecystechtomy) last week and I am on the mend.
This hasn't been the best of summers after all!
Spotting beauty everywhere though!
Stairway to ....surgery.

 Old weathered door at the hospital.

 Flowers from a dear friend.

 Recovering under the trees.

And reading this exceptionally good book Scenes from the life of Matias Almosino
by Isidoros Zourgos, a fellow teacher.

I hadn't spotted the light till I uploaded the photo on Instagram. I am sure it's coming out of the book and not falling on it through the tree leaves!!!!!That's how good books are!

(Thank you to the surgeon, all the doctors, nurses and my family and friends who stood by me during this unexpected ordeal!)
This post is linked in Our Beautiful World.

Life is colourful

Life is beautiful.
Life is colourful.
Life is never dull.
Life is like a fountain with dancing water in all the colours of the rainbow.

Pomegranate Wellness Spa Hotel