Our recent travels in Greece involved an eleven-day road trip from Athens to the Epirus region of northwestern Greece, down the southwestern coast of Peloponnese, across Messinia to our summer house on the coast of southeastern Peloponnese, and finally back to Athens. When in the Epirus region, we made our home base in the city…
Tag: Thursday Doors
Koukos Taverna in Pylos
Just down the street from our one-night accommodation at the Karalis City Hotel in Pylos, Peloponnese we came across a colorful, old-fashioned Taverna called Koukos (Cuckoo). While we didn’t have a chance to dine at Koukos, we enjoyed viewing the owner’s creative use of Venetian colors on the building’s facade, and authentic, as well as,…
Old-World Doors at Santana Row
Santana Row is a European-style village in the heart of San Jose filled with upscale shops, international dining options, courtyards, fountains, intimate public seating areas, and live music on weekends. It offers an artfully designed oasis in Silicon Valley to socialize and unwind. It’s simply a beautiful place and I like spending time there. The…
Broken
It’s time for another look at Alviso, a historic San Francisco Bay Area town. It’s a small community of about 2000 residents and has a mix of time-worn and well-kept vintage homes, authentic Mexican restaurants, decaying abandoned factories, and long-gone businesses. Silicon Valley development goes on around the town but not much in it. Despite…
Melancholy Blues
These rundown doors have a serious case of the melancholy blues. Tagged with graffiti and covered with flyers, I doubt anyone lives or works there anymore. But, despite the grim appearance, life still goes on around this forgotten place which has now become the stage for a street musician in Athens.
Nevada City Doors
Nevada City is the governmental center of Nevada County in the State of California. Wait, what? Yup, it’s located in California, not Nevada. Another “Say what?” fact about Nevada City is that it is twinned with Penzance, a seaside town in Cornwall, UK, and the nearby tin and copper mining town of St Just in Penwith, Cornwall, UK. Per Wikipedia, the twinning is a result…
Tranquility
Sedate, calm, tranquil are words that come to mind when I look at this soft pink home in Monemvasia, Greece. The home appears feminine to me with its quiet color, gentle curves, and arched door. I expect to find a sweet cultured woman living inside, with lace curtains hung in the windows, delicate china set…
Mission San Juan Bautista
Located on a low hill overlooking the fertile San Juan Valley, Mission San Juan Bautista sits on a rising crustal block on the Pacific side of the San Andreas Fault. Since it was established in June of 1797, the mission has suffered damage from a variety of earthquakes. Shaking was said to be so severe…
Portal to the San Francisco Bay Trail
A quirky house-shaped structure and doorway frame the entrance to a boardwalk over the Alviso Marina Park salt marsh. The boardwalk leads to the San Francisco Bay Trail and the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, a favorite location for bird watching, hiking, and bike riding. On this evening visit, the sun’s golden…
Casa Juan de Anza
About an hour south of San Jose, the historic town of San Juan Bautista has some fine examples of old adobe style structures. One of my favorites, the Casa Juan de Anza, is one of only four historic adobes still standing in San Juan Bautista. Built in 1799, Casa Juan de Anza sits at the southwest…
Doors of Napoli di Romania
Nafplio, Greece, once known as Napoli di Romania during the Late Middle Ages, maintains a traditional architectural style with many richly colored buildings and houses, partly influenced by the Venetians. Instead of typical blue doors often seen in Greece, warm autumnal and jewel-toned colors are used on many shutters and doors in Nafplio. Below are a few…
Old Secrets Guarded by a Locked Door
This weathered gray door in Nafplio, Greece looks a bit mysterious set in a mottled, crumbling stone structure. I wonder what old secrets are guarded by the locked door. Despite the decay of the building, life goes on around it, with bougainvillea and greenery growing out of the dust on the stucco walls.
Mediterranean Blues
This lovely Mediterranean-style home sits at the top of town in Nafplio, Greece. The bold azure blue shutters and doors got my attention. The weathered terracotta roof tiles were the “icing on the cake.”
Time-Worn Doors of Monemvasia
Last week, we had a post from Debi @ An Evolving Life about doors in the old medieval town of Monemvasia in Laconia, Greece. Debi shared an informative summary of the history of Monemvasia, formerly known as Malvasia or Malmsey, the latter the name given to it by English travelers. Debi’s selection of doors nicely complimented…
Street Art in Athens
From stunning murals to personalized tags, prolific street artists in Athens, Greece, have covered nearly every surface with paint. Stroll through Plaka, Monastiraki, and Psiri, and you will find many businesses and abandoned homes covered in graffiti. It’s surreal to see once beautiful, traditional homes plastered with tags. From the looks of the places in…
Old-World Doors of Monemvasia
Upscale yet down to earth, Monemvasia offers visitors old-world charm with the convenience of modern amenities. Step through the front entrance to the medieval fortress and find cobbled lanes, old stone buildings, and expansive views of the Myrtoan Sea. It’s easy to get lost in the maze of narrow paths carved into the side of…
Spanish Style Gardens & Doors
Do you have a special local spot you go to when you need an escape from the bustle of daily life? For me, it’s the Spanish-influenced gardens and artisan shops at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. Every season brings different blooms and lush green vegetation thanks to our mild California climate. I last visited…
Behind the Green Door
The only visible signs of life inside this house in Nafplio, Greece are vines of greenery in search of sunlight through empty transom window panes and the green door left ajar. What else lies hidden behind the crumbling facade, weathered paint, and rusted windows of this once vibrant home? Happy memories of a good life…
Axes & Red Doors
No matter how often I visit family and friends in Connecticut, I always find time to visit Collinsville for lunch at LaSalle’s Market & Deli and a stroll around the historic Collins Axe Company. The vibrant, barn red buildings of the former Axe Factory house an antique shop, a variety of artisans, and other small,…
Cats & Doors
Ah, Monemvasia, one of my many favorite places in Peloponnese, Greece. This medieval fortress is cat-friendly and home to a small community of docile cats. As I strolled the narrow, cobblestoned lanes, I came across a variety of cats lounging near doors. What I found amazing was their indifference to my presence making it easy for…
