Without notice, I’m approached by a young lady who offers me a book called “The Orange Girl” by Jostein Gaarder. Apparently, she’s spotted me holding my camera while she was on the bus and figured i could be “quite open minded”. She appears to have read a few pages at the beginning, since there’s a bookmark inside.

At this point I’m pretty much stunned. Not being all that much of a social animal, I was left without a reaction so after a few seconds she said goodbye and left. I don’t even remember thanking her. While i wondered what i would do with the book after I’m done reading, for no apparent reason i hesitated asking her just that. After parting ways i took a picture of her (back) and that’s about it.

A few moments after and I’m in full “What was that about?” mode, already over analyzing every single detail. That’s when i realize how much of my usual self I’ve been, not even asking for a phone number or email address to return it to her.

Now I’m left with a wonderful random act of kindness to start my year off, but also with a sort of a mystery. Assuming that everything happens for a reason and everyone can serve as a teacher, I’m grateful for this unusual encounter. However, i can’t help but wonder if my lack of response might have just ruined her day. That would really be a shame. Putting the anxiety caused by my reaction aside, this really helped me realize a few simple things:

• even in a city infested with beggars, teenagers spreading fliers or religious missionaries promoting their new Jesus 2.0 there still are people ready to approach you with an open heart and no ulterior reason;
• maybe we are only brought on to believe that we are strangers when in fact sharing the things we enjoy is effortless and building bridges is a lot easier than burning them;
• never underestimate the unexpected in life.

My innate curiosity makes me wonder who is this girl and what made her approach me. Did i look like a person in serious need of reading a book or was it something else? The few things i know so far are that she began a story about oranges, she might be attending or working at the Geothe Institut in Bucharest and she has a green bag. With that in mind, I’d really like to start a small experiment. Let’s see if using the almighty social networks that are ever so present in our lives I/we can manage to crack this little mystery wide open. What say you? Care to join me in my quest by sharing this to your friends?

In the meantime I’m off reading to see what’s more to learn from this funny synchronicity.

A couple of weeks ago, while talking to one of my best friends, after sending her a couple of links to what i thought were interesting articles, she finally requested that i let her live in her own little universe where everything’s fine. Later on, she even admitted to never having opened any links i sent her, simply because she assumed they’re the type of information that could shake her image of the real world. The response reminded me of the HTC vs iPhone viral video where the Apple fangirl(?) dismisses all the advantages of the competing product just because it’s a different brand by repeatedly saying “I don’t care”.

At that moment i realized that it didn’t really mattered how many videos i showed her or how much compelling the evidence on a certain subject was. Unless she became prepared to accept this type of information, nothing i did would have made any difference. On one hand, i truly understand it as a natural form of psychological protection against what would otherwise be a rather depressing outlook on the world. Still, simply pretending something is not there, doesn’t really make it disappear, as proven time and time again by human history. After all, we have plenty of examples in our day to day lives that refusing to address negative things in a timely manner only allows them to grow in strength and eventually require a whole lot of extra effort to eliminate.

As you can probably imagine, when dealing with this type of sensitive subjects, people showcase a wide variety of reactions ranging from complete disbelief due to their inability to entertain such “outrageous” facets of reality, then denying them due to a variety of reasons, despite secretly acknowledging their validity and eventually accepting them as fact. The sad thing about it is that it’s usually some form of fear generating these reactions. It doesn’t matter if it’s the unknown, ridicule, marginalization, personal or professional security, sadness or any other reason, since at the end of the day they all do a pretty good job in restricting the amount of possibilities we are willing to entertain. It’s all about going beyond your comfort zone, because every step you take further away from that little box where you feel safe, is making you stronger, it enriches your life and expands your universe.

Before you start labeling me as a lunatic propagandist, you should know that i really don’t care whether or not we share the same opinions regarding a certain situation or event. I like an intelligent debate any day of the week and i am aware that i might be wrong at times. However, i would never deny something or ridicule someone just because that’s what I’ve been told by others or that’s the recommended attitude dictated by the majority. As recent history has shown us, especially during elections, that very same majority is capable of making the most peculiar and absurd choices known to man, due either to a very loose grip on their emotions or a growing inability to rationalize the information they’re being constantly fed by the media.

Let’s for a second assume that there’s some truth in all those “slanderous accusations” regarding the way in which the ruling elite is calling the shots concerning the future (not so) well being of the commoners. Hearing some of these theories might seem shocking at first, but they obviously are about as depressing as what you normally experience on a daily basis through news and entertainment programs. In the end, you can actually gain some hope by having an allegedly more in depth view of the mechanisms that make the world go round and learning that you might actually hold the power to manifest change.

You could of course, go about with your life, refusing to even hear anything that’s not cheerful enough to make your 9 to 5 day sparkle. Indeed that’s a valid option and for a while it might even seem like the most comfortable one. However, what do you do when the things that seem so far away that would never impact your life suddenly become a harsh reality? What if, on your leisurely walk through a posh London neighborhood, you snap a couple of pictures only to be questioned or even detained by the ever vigilant protectors of peace? What if you get x-rayed to death and have your luggage searched like you were a security thread each and every time you board a plane? What if you end up not being able to buy vitamins and medicinal plants without a prescription, find organic food that hasn’t been genetically modified yet or control the amount of harmful chemicals in your diet?

What if you wake up one sunny day to realize that the freedom you once had is no longer there and that the picture perfect world you once thought was real, has become flooded with an endless list of restrictions that virtually take away everything that’s human in of your life.

Of all the aspects of life you could practice it on, love, and subsequently marriage, seem like odd choices due at least to their nature when viewed as theoretical concepts. Yet, renting your feelings out of material interest has been with us as a specie for the longest time. Despite triumphantly proclaiming our progress throughout the centuries, we haven’t really managed to grow out of our ladder principle approach to relationships. The only thing that has changed is the fact that we’re no longer limiting ourselves to the male provider, female trophy scenario: we’re actually witnessing all four possible combinations.

At this point, i doubt there are people still buying into the “it was all for love” line when facing uneasy stereotypical pairings such as those between rich geriatric men and barely legal ladies or young male superstars and plastic perfect supermodel girlfriends. As much as we’d like to believe in the “happily ever after” ending, the high amount of breakups where Wall Street type of tradings are involved, makes it all look like a carefully planned scheme where both parties agree to certain risks in exchange of long term rendered services.

In that respect, Tiger Woods’ divorce settlement is one of the most disturbing such thing that I’ve read lately. So let’s do a quick recap. You take one Scandinavian blond (super?)model whose only talent revolves around her ass and boobs and involves occasional shaking, have her marry one of the most gifted sportsmen of all time (for love of course) and then conveniently have her calve a couple of babies to secure the  investment. As expected, the high stressed husband cheats (understandably multiple times) and so she moves forward to cash in her prize and regain the freedom to slut herself around.

Now let’s try and digest the little bits of information we have about this situation and the highly hypocritical response it has been met with. Having an indecently high number of divorces, Americans should really think again before deciding to stone every cheating celebrity out there. When you’re a conservative freak as in the case of Rush Limbaugh and celebrate your fourth marriage, you can’t really preach about the sanctity of this institution and still expect people to take you seriously. I’m sure the same is true with most of the CEOs who have expressed their disappointment with Mr. Woods’ behavior and rushed to cancel their advertising contracts, although their personal lives aren’t really spotless either.

It was all a matter of saving face and reinforcing some moral values nobody really respects anymore just to prevent drastic profit decreases during tough economic times. Then there’s the loving wife that’s been hurt beyond repair by her husband’s perpetual treachery. Give me a break, will ya! Had there been true love, this could have also involved some form of forgiveness or at least a less financially involved breakup. Still, when ego prevails and your first asking price rivals the funding of many notorious Internet start-ups, you’re turning from a “wife and mother” into a successful businesswoman.

While, USA has long pushed the boundaries of common sense when it comes to healing the soul wounds of betrayed wives with cold hard cash, $750 millions is really pushing the envelope not far, but “out of this galaxy” far. To be honest i couldn’t care less about Woods’ estate troubles but I just can’t process how being cheated accounts for such a large part of your better (working) half fortune. It feels downright obscene that a judge who claims to have legal training and experience in reaching fair outcomes can endorse a way of life that promotes slackness, shallowness and disrespect towards morals.

What’s there to be said about the values of a society which violently taxes any indiscretion sprung from natural impulses, yet at the same time glorifies deceit, revenge and quick undeserved earnings? Should the people accepting such standards have the right to complain about other similar issues affecting their daily lives such as treachery and lies from their president and ruling elite as well as the gradual loss of their freedoms? I’d love to hear your take on this, so go ahead and share your comments with us.

Yet, while i seldom buy into thought movements and guru mastered trends, I’ve come to realize first hand, through various events, that The Law of Attraction is in fact real and can work for or against you depending how it’s used. While i doubt it being the foremost means of materializing intent, it’s quite obvious, even from a left brain perspective that, when used properly, it can speed up things and make your life a lot easier. This is usually achieved by improving awareness and bringing order into chaotic thinking or destructive thought patterns. Probably my biggest gripe about all the surrounding hype, is the fact that they managed to turn it from a spiritual and consciousness evolving tool into a pathetic excuse for shallow people to pour their greed and selfish materialistic desires.

I certainly have nothing against it being used to achieve abundance, since that in itself can act as a very solid foundation for personal self development and exploration. In fact, my most recent experience that I’m sharing with you today, has definitely had a materialistic outcome. Still, i don’t intend to overuse the Law of Attraction as a way of indulging in my desires, hoping to get an easy pass. Here’s what really happened that got me thinking.

About a month ago, as i was planning to leave on a week long trip into a wonderful place called the Retezat Mountains, i realized that a new macro lens would do a good job complementing my existing photo equipment. I knew there were a lot of opportunities i would have otherwise missed and was really hoping to get it before leaving. While it might seem as a selfish and rather shallow thing to ask for, you should know that all the photos i upload to my Flickr photostream are released under Creative Commons Attribution so it was more or less something that would have helped the online community as well.

At the time the idea sprung to mind, i was really reluctant to invest any more money into photo gear, since it had already been a rather costly labor of love. I had absolutely no clue as to how i was going to get the funds for that pricey lens, nor was i sure whether or not to go for a brand new item or a second hand one. All i knew was that i wanted/needed it and it could eventually help others besides myself, so i just went on with a strong conviction that it would eventually manifest.

The days went by, the scheduled departure came closer and closer, yet nothing seemed to happen. With just about a week left, i suddenly realized that none of the stores in my area had it in stock. In fact, the only place i could get it was on the other side of the country, which made it both impractical and risky for a lens purchase. Yet, i was prepared to go all the way with my “foolish” wishful thinking, just being curious to see what can happen.

As the last weekend approached, i finally seized an opportunity to gain a little over what was needed to cover the costs of the item. It was more or less of a gamble, but since i wasn’t really busy there wasn’t much to lose. As a matter of fact, i even joked about the odds of this really going the way i was hoping. While at first it felt like a lost cause, eventually things cleared up and i managed to secure the money. With that obstacle out of the way, there was still the issue of finding a place to buy it from.

With only a day left, i decided to contact the country’s representative inquiring about the product’s availability. Sadly, there was little hope as the next batch was expected to arrive hours if not days after my departure. In the meantime, i was quite anxiously scouting online for any lucky second hand opportunities. Of the two people i managed to find, one was waiting on another sale so i was practically left with only one option.

Eventually, i discussed the details with the guy and we were supposed to meet later that day depending on how fast he would be able to clear his schedule. Hours went on without a call and my reptilian, fear based part of the brain was really starting to go into overdrive. After all, it was really painful seeing how close I’ve managed to get and then looking like everything was falling apart at the last minute. Still, there was a part of me confident enough that it was going to end up well, so i actually decided to go ahead and buy a UV filter anyways. Just minutes later, the seller was calling to let me know that he wasn’t able to find the warranty papers. This pretty much spelled game over, as i was leaving the following morning way early, and i wasn’t planning on testing a lens at night or give up on a two year warranty.

After spending the evening packing, i finally went to bed, a bit sad knowing that it was down to a very particular chain of events that could possibly turn the whole thing around. Instead of rummaging on my disappointment, i tried to focus on the small chance that something unexpected might happen the next morning. I made no effort whatsoever to try and figure out a scenario, but i knew that it was indeed possible and, if anything, it was really out of my hands.

A little over three hours of sleep later i woke up, finished packing and jumped in my friend’s car ready to enjoy the trip which was in itself a wonderful experience. We were supposed to meet up with yet another friend somewhere near the outskirts of the city. Quite unexpectedly, the other guy had woken up almost an hour later so he we had to wait for a while. Then, as we finally got together, he realized he had forgotten his professional tripod at home, which meant missing plenty of shots. With that in mind, he decided to turn back and get it, so i decided to join him. The plan was to drop by my favorite photo store hoping for an early delivery.

Yet, halfway through on our way back, i received a call that the seller had finally found the papers and he was willing to meet up in half an hour. After what felt like an excruciatingly slow passing of time, he finally arrived with the lens in mint condition and we shook on it. I’m really grateful that i got such “dumb luck” and i honestly hope all the best to the guy who sold the lens, since he’s allowed me to capture some great moments and share them with the world.

At the end of they day you can all put it down to a bunch of superstitions and coincidences, but even so it’s hard not to wonder whether or not this was in fact more than just a random string of events. While i do have my beliefs and convictions concerning this, i would really love hearing what you think of it. Did you have similar experiences where all things seemed to fall into place at the last minute or when you least expected it? How did it feel and what did you do throughout? Go ahead and share it with the world, as a little bit of hope can certainly go a long way.

The reason why I’m getting back to it this time around, has nothing to do with gaining an audience. Rather, it’s a way of giving back or sharing information and experiences that i had been fortunate enough to have in the last few months. While some of these have been addressed on Twitter, there’s only so much you can say using just 140 characters. I do love being able to cut down my messages to only what’s absolutely necessary, but every once in a while a subject begs for a little more attention and more words to go with that.

I’m a designer at heart, and it took me almost a decade to discover this about myself, but there are also plenty of other subjects i enjoy, which might seem out of place on my professional blog. That’s why I’m keeping this as an on and off diary of things and ideas that made their way into my life and feel they are worth sharing with the rest of the world. I’ve learned to look at people and situations in a non judgmental way, which strangely has improved my ability to analyze situations by emotionally detaching myself from them or their consequences.

Most of the stuff I’m fortunate enough to know today has either came to me through awfully silly coincidences some call synchronicity, while the others I’ve simply had them in my mind from a very early age, only to discover years later that they are more than just some simple, childish intuitive ideas. I know now that one of the easiest way to achieve happiness is to stay true to your own beliefs. Playing a part on an everyday basis might look like the safe way to make through the urban jungle, but it’s also the fastest way to lose self esteem and become unhappy.

Also, I’m sure that just like me you might have a natural aversion towards online advertising. That’s why I’ve made my mind to give up entirely on using AdSense or any similar services: it’s just not worth polluting the page with often random stuff that people don’t really care for. Since i loathe promoting something i don’t believe in, i decided to use only affiliate ads for products or services I’ve enjoyed for a reasonably long time (usually over 2-3 years). That’s more of a way of saying thank you for the great service so far, than trying to make money. With time, I’ll provide additional information regarding the specific items promoted and how they’ve improved my well being. Who knows, they might prove useful in your case just like they did in mine.

Since i really enjoy giving back, if you’re looking for free photography to illustrate a specific blog post you might try searching my growing Flickr photostream. You might even message me should you have any particular content requests. On the other hand, if you’d like me to comment on a specific topic, or why not give my unbiased advice about a certain issue, please let me know.

Hope you enjoy reading it as much as i enjoy writing it!

We enjoyed a couple of swimming sessions in between some cool drinks on the beach and even went on a short walk over to the cliff rising on the left side of the gulf. Besides the weathered vegetation which partially blocked the view, the place was just perfect for getting some great panoramic shots of the whole bay.

Three white boats on turquoise sea water

Violet flowers on top of the hill

Watching far into the distance, you could see some interesting looking cliffs which made us curious. That’s basically why we decided to do some on the spot exploration. Equipped with our snorkeling gear, we set out following the shore hoping to get as close as we could to that point.

Steep cliff near the beach

Needless to say the underwater experience was once again a treat: lots of fish swimming among the strange looking rocks covered with sea vegetation. Yet, the sometimes strong and cold currents made it harder than we had expected. Luckily we reached the nearby beach and were able to rest for several minutes before making our way back. For a few moments we even considered the option of choosing a longer, land route, but eventually decided against it as it was clearly less fun.

Golden Beach of Ammouliani from nearby cliff

White sandy beach and clear waters on Ammouliani Island

Lots of people resting on the beach in the afternoon

Eventually, we got back to our beach, grabbed a little snack, went for a farewell swimming session and then packed our bags. At that point it was way past lunch time, so we were all starving. Thankfully, Ammouliani has plenty of places where you can eat.

A quick browsing through the local souvenir shops revealed about the same items you get just about anywhere in Halkidiki. There are the omnipresent fridge magnets next to custom made Greek pottery followed by Asian clothing and Chinese toys and beachwear.

White ferry resting on the dock in Ammouliani

With not much left to do, we made our way onto the ferry to go back to the mainland. As we still had plenty of time we took a small detour, heading into Ouranopoli, hoping to visit the medieval tower and catch some photos of the sunset. Unfortunately, upon arriving there we discovered that’s pretty much impossible during the summer as it is open only at around 4 o’clock in the afternoon.

Next time, i’ll let you in about the best part of the whole trip: a day long boat ride around Ammouliani Island, with an afternoon rest on the nearby Pena Island.

Thick rope wrapped around small pole

Shadow of small rusty pole over graffiti letter

Old fishing boat resting on the beach

Still, as the arriving time drew nearer, and the ferry started it’s journey back to the mainland, the queue started to grow as well. Eventually it reached the shore and after unloading both the passengers and the vehicles, we were able to get aboard. The only tricky part was that the car had to be parked backwards, which meant that although we were the first ones in, at the destination we were going to be among the last ones out.

Ammouliani ferry reaching Tripiti in the morning

Trail of white waves behind the ferry

White house on the cliffs of Ammouliani

Clouds over the shores of the island

Thick rope wrapped around the handrail

The ferry anchored in Ammouliani

As soon as we reached the little harbor town, we got back in the car and went straight to the other part of the island. We finally ended up on what is known by the locals as the golden beach of Ammouliani, but more about it on the next post.

If you’re interested in the timetable of the ferry as it was valid from 29.06.2009 until 31.08.2009 (and probably will be the same next year) here it is:

• Monday to Saturday it leaves from Tripiti at the following hours: 7:15, 9:45, 10:15, 10:45, 11:15, 11:45, 12:15, 12:45, 13:15, 13:45, 14:15, 14:45, 15:15, 16:15, 16:45, 17:15, 17:45, 18:15, 18:45, 19:15, 19:45, 20:15;
• Sunday from Tripiti: 8:45, 9:45, 10:15, 10:45, 11:15, 11:45, 12:15, 12:45, 13:15, 13:45, 14:15, 14:45, 15:15, 15,45, 16:15, 16:45, 17:15, 17:45, 18:15, 18:45, 19:15, 19:45, 20:15;
• Monday to Saturday leaving from Ammouliani: 7:15, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15, 10:45, 11:15, 11:45, 12:15, 12:45, 13:15, 13:45, 14:15, 14:45, 15:45, 16:15, 16:45, 17:15, 17:45, 18:15, 18:45, 19:15, 19:45;
• Sunday from Ammouliani: 8:15, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15, 10:45, 11:15, 11:45, 12:15, 12:45, 13:15, 13:45, 14:15, 14:45, 15:15, 15,45, 16:15, 16:45, 17:15, 17:45, 18:15, 18:45, 19:15, 19:45.

As far as the prices go, you have to pay 1.5 euros per passenger, 9.5 euros per car or 14 euros if it’s a half-truck less than 5 meters, 3 or 4.50 euros for a motorcycle depending on whether it has less than 250 cc or not, 3 euros per meter for a tug or a tugboat, 4 euros per meter for any half-truck, truck or bus and 2 euros for a parcel of less than 50 kg.

Soon afterward, we said goodbye to the blond Bulgarian host and went straight to our final destination, somewhere on Athos. It wasn’t long till we reached Ierassos on the western shores of the peninsula. Once again, the place looked strangely quiet for a mid season tourist destination, with just a handful of tourists strolling down the long streets or going to the beach. It might have had something to do with the fact that the sky was cloudy and there was a chilly wind coming from the sea. After waiting and searching for over half an hour, with just a couple of lousy choices for accommodation we decided to continue our road south willing to go as far as Ouranopoli.

Fortunately, we managed to find a couple of very nice  hotels along the way, and settled on a lovely apartment in Nea Roda complete with a kitchenette. As it was situated on a hill on the outskirts, it had a beautiful view of the whole bay area.

A few minutes later we were on our way to the beach, just as the sun was starting to come out of the clouds. While it certainly looked beautiful from a distance and the staff from the nearby bar was quite welcoming, this could not make up for the unpleasant swimming experience: the water was rather dirty, both from human waste and sea vegetation plus the waves were quite annoying.

Still, we knew from a map we had seen in our hotel, that there were a couple of stretches of sand nearby so we went in search of them. Situated at about 10 minutes from our hotel, we found a quiet place which somewhat reminded us of Goa Beach we had visited on Sithonia. Despite the occasionally dirty sand and shore, the water was warm and sheltered from the wind so we managed to swim for a couple of hours.

Two straw umbrellas on a Greek beach

Round table beneath the shadow of a beach umbrella

White waves crashing near the shore

As the evening set in, we went back into town, looking for a place to eat and preparing for the next couple of days, which indeed were the most exciting of the whole trip.

Since we were hoping to spend another night on the beautiful peninsula of Sithonia, before jumping over to Athos, we continued our journey south, down what we hoped would be the road following the shore. However, the GPS played a trick on us and instead of seeing the southern most point, we ended up in no man’s land, on a dirt road crossing over to the western side between arid hills inhabited only by a few shepherds. At first we were thinking of going back to that crossroads and choose the other route, but after a few miles we surrendered to the landscape and started to enjoy the adventure.

Eventually, we reached the western shore and started to go north. After several failed attempts to find anything suitable at some isolated beach resorts , which to be honest looked pretty run down, we found ourselves in Porto Carras. Unfortunately, our happiness was short lived as we realized that the blue flag beach came with a price. With the Sani experience of 20 euros/sunchair still fresh in our minds and a cloudy sky just waiting to start pouring down, we decided to continue our journey.

Neither Neos Marmaras, Paradissos or any of the other places we’ve encountered along the way had anything special so there was no point in continuing our search for accomodation.

Young man swimming in clear turquoise waters near Mango Beach

Boats on clear waters of the Aegean Sea in Greece

Rocky sea shore on a hot summer day

However, on a whim, decided to check out Mango Beach, a few miles away from Nikiti. It’s a somewhat secluded beach with just a regular hotel, restaurant and several private properties. You won’t find any stores or supermarkets so if you need anything while staying there, get them elsewhere.

White boat floating on a stunning blue sea

Large rocks near the shore

The place itself is lovely, especially as the day comes to an end and people go back to their hotel rooms or their cars. While the beach is quite narrow, the green water is very clean and there are hardly any waves, making it a perfect spot for swimming. If you’ve got enough stamina, you can even make your way to the rock formation a couple of hundred meters out to the sea.

One huge downside, to an otherwise lovely holiday destination is the beach bar and more precisely their music. In plain English is sucked big time. It was everything you are trying to avoid while relaxing in the sun. I’m thinking it could only please some brainless party animals which normally sleep during the day, resting for another funky disco night. Just as with Goa Beach, your best bet is to just go out into the water and swim.

Single boat under sun rays piercing through dark clouds

Empty benches under a large tree's crown

Lonely rocks on a calm see at sunset

Around 6 o’clock we left for our apartment, ready to return just in time to catch the sunset. Luckily we realized our hotel had an open terrace which offered an open view of the whole bay area. To top it off, we managed to catch a great rainbow rising from the sea, which provided for a beautiful conclusion to an overall very nice  day in the sun.

Blue hills near Nikiti on the Sithonia Peninsula at sunset

Empty boat near Mango Beach in the evening

Huge rainbow over turquoise waters and rocks just before sunset

This concludes our stay on Sithonia, as we prepare to make our way to the last (half) peninsula: Athos.

After enjoying our meal and then resting for a couple of hours we finally set out to find the distant beach we had been seeing since we arrived the previous day. Without any map, we just drove down the main road going south. No more than 10 minutes had passed when we saw a sign on our left pointing to a secluded beach, so we followed the narrow dirt road between hills covered with small pines, until we started to hear the deafening sounds of idiocy and shallowness.

Straw umbrellas on Goa beach

Indeed, we had reached our destination, Goa Beach and the name says it all. As you’ve probably guessed, I’m not a big fan of this type of music and i definitely don’t find it appropriate for a relaxing summer location. As anyone in their right minds would have it, you usually look for remote and secluded places to get away from the madness and just enjoy the sounds of nature.

Almost barren rocks near turquoise waters

Still, the view was too good to pass so it was definitely worth the trouble. Also the noise was quite acceptable once you were on one of the nearby hills or simply swimming with your head under the water. As the sun was already starting to go down, i figured it was just about time to go in the water. Well, once you were past the few meters of rocks near the shore, things were really getting interesting. In fact it was a great location for snorkeling.

Distant rocks in the middle of the sea

Rocks seen from one of the nearby hills

Calm waters just before sunset

Steep cliffs colored by the sunset

There were all sorts of sharp rocks, sea urchins, plenty of fish and again the water was clean and clear. Also, being a natural gulf meant we had less problems with the waves.
Once again, we were treated with a spectacular view of Mount Athos, from a slightly different angle than the one on Sarti beach.

Mount Athos on the other side of the gulf

The only drawback to the time spent there, besides the awfully uninspired goa noises, was that we arrived maybe a couple hours later than we should have. Thankfully we tend to remember the good things more than we do the bad ones so I’ll cherish this as one of the loveliest moments spent in Greece.

Next time, we’re heading on the other side of the Sithonia Peninsula into what is called Mango Beach, somewhere around Nikiti.