In the past year two things have happened to add some details to the story of Joan Leigh Fermor, photographer, described in my blog of 22nd November 2017. First, the publication of Patrick Leigh Fermor – The Journey Continues. Second … Continue reading
A door is a door. A photograph of a door is a faithful representation of it. But not always. Move in closer and the door becomes an abstract impression of light and shade, textures and tones, forms and planes. Look … Continue reading
Joan Leigh Fermor has footnotes in the history of the 20th Century as the daughter of a rich and well-connected family, as a confidante of notable literary figures and as the wife of Patrick Leigh Fermor. Her footnotes should also … Continue reading
The fountain, just outside Pano Kardamyli under the vadia, supplied the village with water until the 1960s. Now the water is just a trickle and birds and butterflies drink from pools that gather in the shadows. An inscription in Greek … Continue reading
Benjamin Franklin, someone never short of a good quote, famously said that guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days. When choosing fresh fish the advice is to: check the smell; test for taut flesh; and look for bright … Continue reading
Cultures through history have used the eye as a symbol of knowledge, providence, foresight, power and divine direction and protection. The eyes as windows on the soul is a common idea. The spiritual associations move iconoclasts to behead statues; frescoe … Continue reading
In Mani (1958) Patrick Leigh Fermor wrote of ‘the tall spike of Vatheia entirely crowned with towers’ and praised the hospitality he received there. Founded in the 18th century, it flourished in the 19th and declined 20th as people left … Continue reading
Katyuli Lloyd has illustrated the new Folio Society edition of Patrick Leigh Fermor’s Mani. The cover shows ‘The blood-feud towers of Yerolimenas’ [or Gerolimenas]. Writing in The Oldie (September 2017), she describes ‘Yerolimenas, a pretty, coastal town…But I wasn’t prepared … Continue reading
Photo: Yard/parking area, Kardamili village, May 2014
This gallery contains 15 photos.
“After breakfast we left Liakoto and took the road up out of Kardamili opposite the newsagent towards Petrovouni, past a straggle of hotels, apartments and houses. A grand new house was under construction on the left; the concrete frame was … Continue reading
Despite the growth in tourism, the Mani is still free of amusement arcades and funfairs. The table football by the kiosk on the Platia, Kardamili, is enjoyed largely by local children. Photo: Table Football, the Platia, Kardamili, May 2014
Ioannis, Kardamili, bicycles and bric-a-brac. Cycling between To Kastro and Pigadouli Quay and down to Ritsa Beach would be a treat. Outside that it’s for the fit and enthusiastic. Photo: Ioannis, Kardamili, May 2014
In 2010 I produced a photo book of Mani pictures. In the introduction I said: ‘There are no people, nor the modern manifestations of tourism and development described in the journal notes [appended to the book]. The use of black … Continue reading
Part of the enduring legacy of Paddy’s life is his house at Kalamitsi, just south of Kardamili, widely considered to be one of the great writers’ houses. It awaits an assured future in the stewardship of the Benaki Museum, but … Continue reading
