Beds and Fences

Tags

bed spiral, fence, fotografie, gate, landscape, las hurdes, philosophy, photography, rural, Spain

People often buy a bed, when entering adulthood. A bigger bed, when living (and sleeping) together.

When getting old, the number of hours in bed often increases, even when sleep is more disturbed and irregular.

Then comes the time, that those who used the bed, will pass away.

In some regions, people tend to use the bed spiral base, that is left alone, for other purposes. Preferred is their use as part of a fence or gate.

Walking in Las Hurdes (Spain) in 2018, we encountered several such transformations.

Bed spiral turned into a fence (1)

 

Bed spiral turned into a fence (2)

 

Bed spiral turned into a fence (3)

 

Bed spiral turned into a fence (4)

One must not be surprised by the fact, that in the same environment, the number of abandoned houses is high.

House abandoned in Las Hurdes (Spain)

It need more research, to establish whether the transformation of (usable?) bed spirals inherited from parents or grandparents, is caused by unwillingness to sleep on such elements earlier used by people that have passed away, or by the wish to have better quality. Yet, the transformation into fences or gates has significance as signal of the border of states of existence.

 

“Curiosity and strangers / are good partners” (Las Hurdes, Spain, photos and text Drager Meurtant, 2018-2019)

A house in the mountains

Tags

abandonned, bergen, Decay, departure, fotografie, Greece, Home, landscape, Macedonia, mountains, quiet, remote

There was someone, who built a home.

There was a home, built by someone, once.

Friends helped at times, I’m sure.

Someone is no more, at least not here.

(Perhaps this someone, is now in a senior home elsewhere)

The home gradually, becomes less, and less.

A view from the kitchen window

 

Outside, flowers grow.

(Travel in Macedonia, Greece. West of Orma, in the mountains, May 2019.)

(c) Drager Meurtant

Ancient Stones

Tags

archeology, fotografie, Greece, History, landscape, Macedonia, Petres, philosophy, photography

In countries like Greece, the visitor must rely on stones to get a grasp of history and important developments of culture.

During a short journey in May 2019, In the department of Pella, Macedonia, Greece, we followed signs indicating “Ancient Archeological Site of Petres”.

When arriving there, and having parked the rented car and after walking about 400 m, the most surprising elements to us, were ancient big jars, present in many houses, that had been installed to store water (photo 1).

Looking at the plan of the small city, with rectangular houses, one starts to imagine people walking here, more than two thousand years ago. Discussing family affairs, the harvest, trade, threats… (photo 2).

The firm conclusion was: use talk, or writing, as social medium.

Information about the history of Ancient Petres:

“The ancient city occupies a natural mound to the NW of the village of Petres, in the region of Florina. Its total area reached 15-20 hectares and was protected by a fortification wall built of poros stone. The enclosed area included houses, and public buildings erected in a free layout, separated by streets, 2.5 m. wide. The city was founded in the 3rd century B.C. by Antigonos Gonatas, it flourished in the 2nd century B.C. and it ceased to exist in the 1st century B.C. It was again inhabited in the Roman period, but it moved to a different site.

The archaeological evidence leads to the conclusion that the city owed its development to its strategic position on the Egnatia Road and to its commercial exchanges with other Greek cities. The excavations of the site revealed useful information on the types of the private houses, which were continuously used in north-west Macedonia as late as the 19th century.

Excavations on the site were begun in 1982 and are still in progress, along with restoration and consolidation work of the ancient remains.

Wikimapia, with use of infomation of: http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/eh352.jsp?obj_id=2653,