TLSR#4

On Monday I arrived in a splendid Cologne that was much warmer than SKG. Walked in the old city looking for stores I like and enjoyed the sunny spring day. I came upon the 4711 store. I smelled the fresh scents that always remind me of my dad, and kept walking around the sunny city, window shopping. I spent the evening with K and L and went to bed late. 
I woke up early by a phone call ringing in the news of my mom's death.
At 2pm I was on a plane going back to SKG to find mom in her coffin surrounded by her dearest friends, covered under a blanket of beautiful flowers. Finally the end of an era has arrived.

Suitcase Suite# 13

The phone rung

the news 

of her demise.

with trembling 

limbs,

out of breath,

I saluted the 

end of an 

era.

The Queen is 

dead.

Long live

the 

Queen!

TLSR#3

Third week in Greece with splendid days of sunshine and wind that caries the aroma of neroli blossoms and messes up the hair in a playful and mischievous way. I love being in Thessaloniki when the sun shines, the mount Olympus plays hide and seek and the sea sparkles. Life seems good and promising on such a splendid day. 

On Tuesday evening I went to to my cousin's lecture at the MMCA. He talked with great humor and knowledge about the evil characters of cinema who all reside in modernist buildings. 

On Wednsday I attended a lithography workshop by my good friend Erica Gutenschwager. Also accepted the invitation to participate in a conference about Greek Botanical Gardens in June. I will write a paper about Nostalgic gardens of displaced people and will teach a blue print workshop. I realize that I truly belong in both continents and love it! 

On Thursday I went to see yet another play that I found delightful and totally up to date! Then late dinner at Zythos Doree, one of my favorite classic bier bars in Thessaloniki.

On Friday I worked on my paper project, run errands and at night I went to a book reading, where I met an old childhood friend. We stayed up passed midnight drinking white wine and savoring great food at a new small restaurant.

Saturday strated with a headache thanks to the cheap wine. The weather suddenly turned rainy, cold and moody.

We gave mom a bath that turned to be an almost disaster. The wheel chair broke and cut her leg. She was very uncomfortable and moaning most of the day. I thought she was going to pass away. I called the doctor who told me to chill, there is no reason to fear. But the reflection of my eyes on the mirror was full of terror. I spent most of the day at her side observing her malaise. I want to run away!

And I took the plane on Monday morning to go to Cologne. I kissed her good bye and asked her to wait till I'll be back in a week. 

TLSR#2

Second week in SKG with a bit of nostalgia for STL. For this reason I have used the detail from this SLAM renaissance painting. 
Here I seem to be starting to feel rooted again. Social life in full bloom, as usual. Three hour lunches, late night visits with friends and a class on Architectural Theory taught by my cousin Petros Martinidis at the AUTH. Great analysis of Modernism/Postmodernism. On Thursday I had a good yoga session at noon. Then I spent the rest of the day in the company of childhood friends.
On Friday evening I was passing near Electra Palace Hotel and there were lots of policemen and the street was closed.  A woman was about to commit suicide by jumping off a hotel room balcony. 
A young passer by commented: we finally became Europeans! 
Someone else whispered: is she going to jump? I have been waiting almost half an hour. She is wasting my time! 
A policeman said: keep on moving. You are stressing her out!
I did not get to see the suicidal woman. I only saw an open balcony door with a light white curtain floating in the evening wind. 
I decided to walk into the corner pastry shop, buy a profiterol and celebrate life. 
On Saturday I went to the theater again. Contemporary Greek play, surprisingly very interesting and well acted. This time I went to the theater alone. On my way back I stopped at my friend's  Mairartesanias studio where I stayed until 3:30 am. I walked home through streets full of partying young people. I slept with earplugs.
Mom has been sleeping most of the time.
When awake she seems confused. Days ago she was concerned about the kids and the babies. Have they been fed, are they sleeping, who is my mom, when am I leaving? 
Total confusion. I asked her when is she leaving. 
-To go where?, she said. 
-To the underworld, I replied.
 

TLSR#1

TLSR stands for the second round or Transatlantic Letters.
I have started my voyage to Europe with a sudden visit in Munich. I missed my connecting flight so I had a whole day to visit the city. Munich is a big city so all I had the chance to see was its very center, the area around Marienplatz. The first thing I noticed arriving in Munich was this beautiful image of artisan crusty delicious bread. During my short stay I enjoyed the beauty of an open air market, looked at objects made out of wood, lots of natural bristle cleaning brushes (!), photographed painted facades of old buildings, had coffee with ice cream at the most central caffe across from the city hall, sat in the sun by Isar river and looked at the people around me. I found Munich enticing enough to want to go back for a longer stay.
The European reality is so very different from the American one! 
I arrived in Greece close to midnight on a Tuesday. 
The streets were filled with people, the bars and caffes jammed, the bitter lemon trees in blossom smelling sweet in the night air. And mom still alive and happy to see me.
I've spent the week taking care of things, meeting with friends, went to a dinner party at a restaurant where the chef for the day was my friend, and then to a bar to celebrate her success till 2am. Went to the theater and then to a bar to discuss the play etc, till 2am. Went to the movies and then to a bar to catch up with my cousin, till midnight. We have a pattern here.
I also had the good luck to be invited to an all day Sunday excursion to the NE of Greek Macedonia. It is customary for the Greeks to be taking day trips on Sundays to enjoy the nature. And it was very pleasing indeed to be traveling through emerald fields, passing fruit trees in bloom, seeing the animals with their newborns. Life is good. So far.