Orestiada

It will take me too long a time to blog all about my adventures this summer and keep up with the current issues. Be patient!
So here we start from our latest adventure. The 15th Competition of Amateur thatrical groups of Orestiada.
We took part in it with the Teachers' Association Drama Club and you can read in my previous blog post all the results and the award I got.
Today I want to show you photos from what we did and saw there.
Orestiada is the newest town constructed in Greece. It is beautiful with a big central square and a great Folk Museum.
All around it nature is beautiful, the fields, the forests, the rivers.
Orestiada is situated more than 450 km away from Thessaloniki on the border with Turkey and Bulgaria.
On the way we stopped at the famous Dadia forest and visited the Environmental centre. At this forest live 34 out of the 36 species of hawks and eagles of Europe!

 Then we went to our hotel in Orestiada. Outside it we found some tiny beautiful kittens along with their mum that the hotel employees were taking care of.

 After a rehearsal we attended that evening's performance and then had dinner out.
The next morning we went to Ardas river.

 We walked into it!

 And of course I collected river "glass" mainly stones!
When I found this piece I was amazed! Shiny like metal absolutely beautiful and in a perfect shape.

 After some research I found it is probably Ardaite.

 The fields were covered in blooming sunflowers.

 In the evening we prepared our performance and presented it with great results.

Here are three photos from the performance and the team photo in the end with the judges.(All photos taken by Irene, member of our team and scenery constructor).

It's me and hubby at the beginning and at the end of the play.

The next morning before leaving we visited the Folk Museum.

 On the way back to Thessaloniki we stopped at Fanari for a swim and lunch! I hadn't been there for 10 years!What wonderful memories it brought back!

 We even saw some pink flamingoes! But can't be seen here!

Let it be a great September!

September is here with storms and heavy rain!
But August ended with great success and amazing news!
The entrance University results came out and my son entered the Tourist and Hotel Administration and Management University here in our city which has made us all really proud and happy! Hope you have a great career my love!
Also the results of the theatrical competition were great!
Our play "Griothesia" got third place by majority and we also got by majority half of the leading actress award with Ioanna Katsarou who plays the old woman, hubby Themis Doukas and our director Vana Vourtsaki got the music editing award unanimusly and I got the supporting actress award for the role of Dina Abadeka in the play also unanimously.
We are all really very very happy and proud for our team! And here we would like to thank the festival organisation for their hospitality in beautiful Orestiada.
Here's the link for a youtube video of the first scene of our play. There are some announcements at the beginning!

On other news schools started on Monday, pupils will be arriving on the 11th and we are starting the new school year with high hopes for a better situation in education in Greece!