Something about Culture – Buses, Pines and Sand
At Nomismatokopio station I took the 305 which goes left at the intersection, that is, towards Rafina. The 304 goes right, towards Vravrona. In the middle is Artemis (Loutsa in parentheses).
As we leave the city limits of Athens we drive through Gerakas, Pallini, Spata, the road bends and the descent begins. The journey transforms into olive groves and vineyards. We pass by but really don’t know what they are and really don’t see them. We just want to "get there”. We eventually reached the traffic lights and turned left. We passed a beautiful green spot on the beach. We didn't know there was an ancient temple there and we didn't learn about it at school.
Artemis. Temples, town squares that we don't have, schools, everything here is somewhat hidden, forgotten. I'm told Rafina has better schools; it also has a town square. Maybe, but it doesn't have a city bus, (that is, until recently). Some elders thought about that; Athens needs Artemis, it’s nearby and so they launched a city bus; to send their children, to roll in the sand dunes. As it was then, it is now. Was it poverty, knowledge, history? Call it "culture".
Culture is courtesy, kind-heartedness and not to steal the sand from the roots of the pine trees, bent by the winds on the coast, for centuries, next to the ancient temple, in this very green, beautiful and unique, “spot on the beach”. A pine tree rooted in sand is not that simple.
photos, film "The Aunt from Chicago" by Finos Film, directed by Alekos Sakellarios, courtesy of Faye Spanou.
