Growth and decay: experience in a sun resort

Tags

abandoned, Construction, Contrast, development, Economic crisis, evolution, Greece, Macedonia, Sun Resort

Early autumn 2014, we stayed for some days in big Sun Resort in Greece (Halkidiki, Macedonia). The economic crisis of 2009 had been tempered, but the effects were still visible. Expansion of the resort that had started about eight years earlier, had stopped around 2009-2010, and rapidly, structures that were not finalized got in part demolished.

view from unfinished building to the port and hotel of sun resort

This building stands on the south side of the port. From behind the open, unfinished form is seen. From the harbor, the appearance is ‘better’. A screen suggested a finished structure.

building on the edge of the port, from behind

A little further a second, longer unfinished building.

under construction

A room of this second building contains stacks of chairs and tables. To the left, again, screens have been placed on which the appearance of a nice finished building is depicted.

furniture

A look from inside through such a screen shows only abstracted forms.

screen in abstraction

A small, intimate setting.

two tables, one chair

A bit further away from the big hotel and port, attempts to remove old buildings and replace these with new ones, have been suspended. Digging has created a temporary pond.

reflections in time

Note the historic remnants of original dwellings.

past and presence got stuck in time

As part of the expanded sun resort, an open movie theater was created.

on the agenda “Ben Hur”

Other play and fun places were installed, but had been abandoned for some time: good for memories.

all what is left…

Now, November 2020, an even bigger crisis has started. This week, news about first effective vaccine against COVID19 arrived. However, expectations are it will take one year or longer, to treat people at risk, which concerns most of us.

No surprise, that situation at this sun resort has remained much the same, in as far I could discern today from examination of google earth map of the area.

Take care, be carefull you all,

Drager, 12-11-2020

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,