The Sea! The Sea!

The sea never ceases to amaze me. It is a place of wonder where texture, sound and color meet to create another world, a whole new cosmos. What makes it so special may well be our inability to populate it as we have land.


The picture I took is from one of the most overcrowded beaches in the north of Greece. It is located on the peninsula of Chalkidiki, just an hour's drive away from the bustling streets of Thessaloniki. Chalkidiki is a refuge for Thessalonians who want to get away from the din and pollution most largish cities are plagued by. Many own summer residences there and escape -- weather permitting -- from May to late September. For the more daring, like myself, the opportunity for a dip in the sea might present itself as early as March and swim season could stretch as far as November. 

It is during these very early or late months, when few others dare don a bathing suit, that this watery world comes to life, in my opinion. Devoid of human interference, it puts on a performance for those who chance to gaze upon it. Fish swim alongside you, no longer frightened by the jet skis and boats that cut the sea like razor blades. Noisy motorboats tugging grotesque plastic rings or tubes with shrieking passengers is a sign of life most assuredly, but cannot compare to the energy felt when alone surrounded by azure skies above and cyan waters below, each slowly blending into the other, making you a part of an artist's palette. 

The clarity of the sea is a miracle in itself, though few truly experience it as such. Buoyant, relieved of all weight, the swimmer enters a silent land whose denizens don't judge, don't shout, don't worry. They quietly go round their business, which is not what I can say about us two-legged beasts when we decide to pack bags and move coastally for a few days or weeks. 

Because of this inordinate human frenzy, I decided to capture an image of the sea as it ought to be, a place of peace, rejuvenation and sublimeness.