Fisherman Mending Nets

 

This photo was taken in Georgioupoli, a small village 22km west of Rethymno on Crete’s north coast. Georgioupoli’s excellent beaches make it popular with tourists during the summer, and much of village economy is structured to take advantage of this. However fishing still plays an integral role in both the local economy and local lifestyle (and particularly cuisine!), and the village’s moorings are often packed with the archetypal small Mediterranean fishing boats immortalised on holiday postcards everywhere.

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Embroidering Linen

 

I loved the cluttered yet ornate look of this shop in Rethymno Old Town, which sells beautifully decorative ‘traditional’ style linens. I really liked the contrast between the orange top the lady carrying out some embroidering work in the shop was wearing, and the mass of linens behind her, which really makes her stand out from the shadows.

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Lady in Lappa

 

This is a fairly archetypal village street scene in Crete. Lots of the older generation in the villages tend to spend part of the day in the summertime sitting in their porches or in the street and watching the world go by, or just contemplating things. The ladies in particular still often dress in the traditionally iconic all-black clothes, just as their predecessors have done for centuries, in keeping with the largely traditional way of life which has been preserved in Crete’s villages. The village of Lappa – where this photo was taken – dates back to around the second century BC, and legend has it was founded by the heroic (and notorious) Ancient Greek king Agamemnon. The modern village Argyroupolis, sited down the mountain from Lappa, is home to natural springs.

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Through the Porthole

 

Goody’s is the only ‘conventional’ fast food diner in Rethymno, and is well positioned at the Square of the Unknown Solider to take advantage of the hustle and bustle of the harbour strip. It’s always teeming with people, and is very popular with families. There was a McDonald’s on the harbour strip for several years but it didn’t last very long – at least Goody’s, despite being fast food, is a Greek business, and not a massive multinational. I can’t say I’ve sampled the food myself, as the quality of the local food (plus the great home-made pizza & pasta restaurant just up the road) is just too good.

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Relaxing on the Boat

 

Rethymno attracts all sorts of travelling visitors who like to moor at the marina and sample the many delights that this beautiful port city has to offer. I was walking around the marina enjoying the late afternoon sun when I saw this group of friends on their boat playing a board game. The backdrop of the locals walking up and down the harbour strip and the man fishing from the rocks made this too good a photo opportunity to miss.

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Night-time Kiosk Stop

 

I think this is probably the most popular kiosk in Rethymno Old Town, and is right next to one of Rethymno’s Ottoman era minarets. The kiosk does a roaring trade in cigarettes and ice creams, making it an essential stopping off point on a night out. It is also opposite what is probably my favourite bar in the world.

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Cigarette Break

 

The lady supervising the kiosk in Rethymno harbour took advantage of the mid-afternoon lull in business to take a cigarette break and look out over the harbour water in contemplation.

The afternoon sun was very bright (particularly this close to the equator!) so I’ve used a radial filter tool to ‘burn’ the clipped background highlights, and added some slight dodging to the lady sitting in the shadow to bring out some details.

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Froyo Bar

 

Froyo (frozen yoghurt) was THE must have snack in Rethymno in summer 2013, with a good half dozen (at least) cafes springing up to take advantage of the trend. This particular bar was perfectly sited on a corner in the Old Town near Rethymno’s harbour, offering its customers the perfect location from which to watch the city’s comings and goings.

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Afternoon Meeting, Rethymno Harbour

 

These two ladies were enjoying a bit of a catch-up at a taverna in Rethymno’s harbour during the mid afternoon lull between lunch and supper, when all the tourists go walkabout. You can see one of the taverna’s waiters off to the side also taking the opportunity to catch his break!

I didn’t have a flash on me when I took this, and because of the strong sunlight I had to overexpose the background in order to have enough light on the ladies in the foreground. I used a little dodging in the foreground, and the radial filter burn tool in the background to recover some of the blown highlights.

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Moped Delivery

 

Moped delivery rider during the mid morning rush in Rethymno Old Town. I was impressed that he managed to keep the ciggy on the go whilst he manoeuvred through the melee!

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