Chora is the capital of the island. There is so much history here (I read that the island had been inhabited even earlier than 5000 BC) still, it doesn’t impose itself on you. If you want to ignore it, it lets you do so. The island had been under the influence of Minoans, several Peloponnesian kingdoms, Phoenicians, Laconians, Arab pirates, Venetians, Byzantines, Turks, Algerians, the French, Russians, the English, before being reunited with Greece. Oh and it was once totally destroyed by the pirate Barbarossa who is my son’s superhero figure.
People are preoccupied with what they are going to have for lunch and where. That is a big ice breaker “where did you eat last night?” Kythira is said to be the island of Celestial Aphrodite, the hiding place of Love in the south. Maybe that’s why people wear unimaginable things, especially tourists. Love is hiding their regular clothes. I saw a man wearing what must have been his wife’s skirt, wrapped around his head. The waiters are trying to juggle trays full of frappes and water bottles. Not easy when you are passing by dressed like that. My song of the day: Triumphant by Royksopp (I wrote this in the central Chora square)
August 24th, 2006 at 8:19 am
Children are pre-occupied with pirates these days. I think that the movie “Pirates of the Carribean” may have influenced many of them.
August 24th, 2006 at 9:03 am
Chloe you’re back and you’ve posted twice ! WoW
Those pictures are absolutely gorgeous. I know the weather must have been perfect, although I’ve been hearing about a lot of fires in Greece due to the really long dry spell. Hope everything is OK with you.
August 24th, 2006 at 9:03 am
awesome pictures!
August 24th, 2006 at 9:48 am
Welcome Back Chloe :)..Stunning Photos.
August 24th, 2006 at 1:15 pm
That’s it…I must go to Greece. As soon as I’ve seen every province in China. Which won’t be long, at the rate I’m going.
August 24th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
I want to get lost on Kytheran streets now… I don’t think I could get bored walking around streets like that.
But don’t worry, I won’t wear a skirt on my head. Promise.
August 24th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
Awesome!
Welcome back.
August 24th, 2006 at 2:35 pm
food- the universal language. i have to stay enough days so we can eat at all the best places!!
cant wait to hear part 3!!
August 24th, 2006 at 2:45 pm
You must be a travel journalist. The pics are awesome. A place to lose yourself and be absorbed by the energy of the place. Lovely.
August 24th, 2006 at 2:47 pm
How is it possible not to notice the history?
And is it possible to take a remotely bad picture in this place?
August 24th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
Chloe:
Can’t wait for more. Did you upload your pics somewhere? I’d really love to see them.
I am all eyes
It seems there is a theme to all the houses. As if the same architect built all of them. The streets are all so spotless.
August 24th, 2006 at 4:03 pm
Phenomenal pix!
August 24th, 2006 at 4:09 pm
I got your postcard!!　I am going to have to send you something really nice now. ^_^
August 24th, 2006 at 4:29 pm
Wonderful photo’s Chloe -
I missed you!!!!!!
Now i am going to wrap my
skirt around my head - sounds
stylin’.
August 24th, 2006 at 4:34 pm
Chloe, I got your card today, I hadn’t realised you were in Kythira, it’s such an amazing place - I’ve always wanted to go! And your photos doesn’t make it any less appealing..
August 24th, 2006 at 7:14 pm
Best new yorker cartoon:
Teacher is front of a class of young teens. At one of the back row desks sits a pirate, eye patch, parrot, etc.
Teacher: “The formula for finding the area of circle is Pi what Squared? Anyone?”
I love that joke.
August 24th, 2006 at 7:38 pm
Oh, thank you for sharing your photos with us! It was like a mini va-k just looking at them. Glad you’re back! Missed you! xoS
August 24th, 2006 at 8:26 pm
That third photo should be a huge poster on my dressing room wall. I love a place that loves to eat!
August 24th, 2006 at 9:43 pm
Hi Chloe! Thanks for sharing the stories and the pics…feel like I’m traveling right there with ya..
August 24th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
I love those narrow lanes and the way all the buildings are painted white. Great photos.. as usual!
I’m glad you’re back. I missed you!
August 24th, 2006 at 11:01 pm
Nice pix - very tranquil in your depiction…is that the reality?
August 24th, 2006 at 11:03 pm
i would LOVE to go there! the pic of the white buildings and the path leading down is absolutely amazing!
August 25th, 2006 at 12:27 am
Chloe,
Those pictures are just so beautiful. I think I would definitely love to visit this island. Hope that man with the skirt is still there when I get there!!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Hugs,
Connie
August 25th, 2006 at 3:33 am
That photo with the buckets on the wall is just, well, just sublime!
August 25th, 2006 at 5:19 am
Chloe… i dont have anything special to say… just wanted to say one more time how much I love ur blog and the positive energy that comes with it!!
August 25th, 2006 at 8:49 am
Oh my God, I love Greece
Kythira the island of odd fashion, I’d fit there
August 25th, 2006 at 10:21 am
Thank you friends, it was a pleasure to take photos there. of course i have improved lighting and contrast in photoshop in many cases, and i have blurred some etc, but yes, the place is very very beautiful. and i missed you too. old and new, i really did miss you. just like i missed my sister, Blondie, Joe and a couple of other people i know physically (erm, i mean people i see, not know physically as in “intimately”, oh i just made it worse…)
Wriju
i am going to post pictures on Flickr and i am going to send you a link. Will you be so kind as to send me your email again? my computer was taken away to be fixed (again!)
wcdixon
it is really tranquil. this is not the case with all greek islands, but it is true for Kythira.
September 29th, 2006 at 12:25 am
hello I seen you on my pal’s blog just a cool cat Please Tell Me That YOU are Not from the USA and This Picture Is Actually YOU
September 29th, 2006 at 2:13 am
splinkster
i am greek. it is in my profile.
it is me in the picture.