In September this year, I travelled to Greece for a gorgeous 5 weeks in the sun and sea. And, instead of putting down the pencil and paper and brushes, I packed them all up and used them to capture the sights and sounds of this stunning place.
Mandrakia on the Greek island of Milos. I was really happy with how the blues turned out on this one. It was particularly peaceful place when we were there.View of sunset from Kastro, Milos. The sunsets in Greece were incredible. It’s amazing how little we’re able to see the horizon in a big urban city. I guess it makes it more special when you can.
This was my 3rd trip to Greece and I could easily spend more time there. The combination of glorious weather, beautiful beaches, stunning countryside, bustling cities and the most deliciously simple food on the planet makes this one of my favourite holiday spots (as you can probably tell by now).
Chrissopigli Church, Faros, Greece. When the sun is beating down on you there’s nothing more enjoyable than finding a spot in the shade with a view like this one. There were sisters selling lemonade just to the left of me and needless to say, it was delicious.Chania Square, Crete. Sometimes it’s a bit busy to find a spot on the ground and sketch so this one was from a cafe table in the square. I ordered a fresh lemon juice and, well, it came exactly as advertised.
The people of Greece are one of my favourite parts. They have what some people would call a ‘laissez faire’ attitude to life but it’s absolutely infectious. Days begin at 10am with a 2 hour breakfast. We have a siesta between 3-6, and then the world comes alive again at sunset and nightcaps at 1am. Rinse and Repeat.
Faros beach, Sifnos, Greece. We arrived here on bus and we were immediately captivated by the scene. I dropped my towel, sat on the beach and sketched away. It wasn’t until a few hours later, when we were looking for a lunch place, that we realised that we were eating Octopus and drinking Ouzo in the very Taverna we sketched.Chania port, Crete, Greece. This port is steeped in history and it’s a gorgeous place to walk around at sunset. As the sun falls, the noise in the cafes rises and before you know it, the place is swarming with tourists and locals sharing a meal.
If eating, drinking and basking in the sun isn’t enough, Greece is one of those places where you go for a short stroll and serendipitously bump in to a 2000 year old structure. They’re everywhere! And dare I say, completely invisible to the greeks. Their historical sites are somewhat sparse in content.
Artemonas, Sifnos, Greece. It’s amazing what having a sketchbook on hand can do for your approach to waiting. We arrived at a bus stop with 30 minutes to wait. In Melbourne, we’d be annoyed. But in Greece, it was an opportunity to capture a moment. A moment we’ll never forget.Artemonas, Sifnos, Greece. Waiting for a bus also happened the next day. Let’s just say that after the first sketch we weren’t too concerned about keeping time while on holiday.
Will we go back to Greece?
We’ve been to Greece for our holiday 2 years in a row now and to be honest, we could easily go back. I feel we’ve only scraped the surface of this amazing place. For sketching alone, it’s an incredibly inspiring and varied place. The other advantage of course is that watercolour dries so quickly when it’s 30 degrees celsius every. single. day. So yes, we’ll go back, but probably not soon enough.
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