When it comes to romantic love, somewhere between the warm sense of belonging and the excitement of discovering a whole different other, lies the secret of many happy relationships. I know the above sentence sounds boring and cliché –but it actually isn’t; We want connection, familiarity, comfort as well as adventure, surprise, novelty; and although closeness and mystery can be like oil and water, we keep desiring when we are able to re-discover and get back in touch.
Places are like people. We enter new places feeling curious and amazed and somehow manage to make them our home. Day by day, the striking details become less noticeable. We start addressing to waiters and shop owners by their first name; we know which bakery makes our favorite bread and which is the best day to buy fresh fish. We make friends and we become a part of the place without much effort, whether it’s a big city or a small island town.
As for me; having the chance to love an island as I was getting to know it season after season, it is every time I return I feel in love with it. Somehow, the distance clears my perspective and when I come back, I feel excited to re-discover details that are already close to my heart: an ancient marble decoration on old house’s wall, the smell of cypress trees in hidden Paroikia alleys, the smile of my neighbors and the sea, oh the sea; the fishing boats between the water and the land; and the labyrinth of white rooftops that shine in the sun like glazed candies.
photos by christos drazos
words by maria alipranti