A Few Introductory Thoughts by Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki
Greece! A unique country!
A country rich in history and culture, full of natural beauty and outstanding people! A country that, throughout the ages, has given birth to philosophers and heroes, ideologies, great poetry, unparalleled art! This country has elevated the human being, has honored the human body, has paid homage to the soul, developed the spirit like few others. A country that gave the world ideas like philosophy, democracy, harmony, civilization! A country full of light, blue skies, beauty, life! It is here that beauty and truth have come together; that extremism has met balance; that the doric severity has coexisted with the ionic elegance; that philosophy has coincided with virtue; that knowledge has encountered experience. It is in this country that science and poetry, daily life and future aspirations, natural gifts and creation, tradition and novelty, the human and the divine have reconciled.
All these are neither unrelated nor alien to its geography, nature and climate. Greece’s spirit, which is awe-inspiring, finds perfect expression in its overwhelming natural beauty.
Water life is plentiful; the sea is sparkling clean – you feel like drinking from it; the sky is a deep blue- you feel like touching it; the sun is so bright- you cannot bear any more light; the fresh and fragrant air- you cannot get enough of it. Rhodes and Ierapetra hold fourth and fifth place, respectively, in receiving the most sunlight in the world annually. Majestic mountains alternate with amazing seashores. Beautiful lakes and rivers compete, in scenic charm, with deep canyons and steep mountain peaks. Everything is alive. Everything is full of life!
Over 3,000 small islands with unexplored beaches ornate like diamonds the seas of Greece. The total length of Greece’s coastline, at 16,000 kilometers, is greater than the coastline of the United States (if we do not take Alaska into account). The unique marine flora and the rare biodiversity of the Greek seas give such taste to the fish that people abroad cannot even imagine. On the mountains grow over 6,500 different kinds of plants, 1463 of which are exclusively found within our geographical borders, such as saffron, dittany, mastic, and so many others. The aromatic herbs with rare healing properties and the juicy and delectable fruits are powerful proof of the fact that the climate, the soil, the air, and the water combine in such a way so that they produce the best tastes, the healthiest foods. Beauty is in step with taste and both go hand-in-hand with health.
The lacy beaches, the rocky cliffs, the alternating landscape, the majestic wilderness, the quiet corners, offer opportunities for swimming, rock climbing, adventure, continuous surprises, rest, meditation.
The climate, the transparency of the atmosphere, the clean air are joined together with the alleys, the picturesque bridges, the traditional houses, the boats, the tavernas, the humble churches, the scattered shrines, the monasteries. The colors, the fragrances, the sounds, the quietness, the views, the countenance and conduct of the people, the feast days and celebrations, the customs and traditions, the language and the songs, the dances and the festive atmosphere, the sunrise and the sunset; everything mystically emphasizes the timelessness of its spirit; the glory of its past; the power of its history. All these features are harmoniously combined with the numerous monuments, the imposing ancient theaters, and the live ruins. Nature intertwines with history, while aesthetics and awe reverently mingle with human life. This is a truly blessed place. All of Greece is like a sacred temple, a magnificent museum, a welcoming home, a suggestive scenery. At this place, the senses quiet down, the spirit becomes alive, the heart feels and the soul contemplates, envisions. In Greece, you can experience heaven.
This album, however, does not show Greece’s sky, but presents Greece from its sky. It encompasses all of Greece: its mountains and mountain tops; the little islands and the seashores, the ancient monuments and the modern constructions, the natural wealth and its civilization, the magnificent view and its hidden spirit. The photos, carefully chosen from a rare collection of 700,000 photographs taken by Chrysostomos Fountis, depict what makes every genuine Greek proud and happy. The Greek person knows how to be happy; he/she knows how to think; he/she knows how to live… All photos are shot with patience, enthusiasm, artistry, and such risk, that the late Chrysostomos Fountis paid for it with his own life. A thermal wave closed his parachute and brought an abrupt end to his infinite fervor for beauty and his indomitable passion for the authentic Greek identity. Yet, he has left the vivid and immortal imprints of his soul to us.
Chrysostomos Fountis is no longer with us. We miss his physical presence, his smile, his sweat, his voice and his words, his brilliant photographic choices; the rest of his vision; the photographs he did not shoot; the even better ones that he did not manage to take.
However, even, Greece, that he so loved, seems to be in a state of decline. It steadily distances itself from culture and civilization, from nobleness, galantry, filotimo, beauty, its… Greek character. Today, Greece is financially collapsing; it is ecologically decaying; it is technologically defiled; it is spiritually impoverished. The country that only knew how to live and create today cannot reproduce. It looks fatigued.
This is not, of course, the first time. It is unfortunately part of the Greek nation throughout its history, and has managed to divert and wound the country; yet it was never able to destroy its wealth and entirely devastate it. Greece’s spirit has proven to be more powerful than its people’s weaknesses, and its civilization more resistant than its historical concessions. Its hidden treasure, which is still mirrored in certain Greek people, exists along with the modern dissonant decadence. Even today!
This album has not been published to promote tourism or to serve any advertising interests. Nor does it meet the publisher’s ambitions. It is offered in commemoration of someone who did not simply live in Greece, but who lived Greece; mainly as a proof that Greece as a country is superior to our love for it. Here, the beauty of the scenery betrays the glory of the civilization. Greece does not only fulfill your senses; it gives life to your entire being.
Greece is a great country because it can host in its ground everyone, from every race. Greece knows how to express itself and how to welcome the others. Greece knows how to share its beauty, to communicate its wealth. It renders its citizen universal; it transforms its visitor to a friend. This album does not depict the beauty you can see. It reveals the grandeur that is latent yet existent.
