Wednesday, April 21, 2010

It's Greek To Me




Recently I've found another interesting blog to follow ( like I need more!). Costas' Naturedigital has some wonderful photographs from his very photogenic homeland of Greece. I have many dear Greek friends here in Birmingham, and so I have been particularly interested in his blog. It reminded me that I visited Tsitalia recently. This is the place to go for fabulous pots, jars and urns of ALL sizes and shapes from Greece and Turkey . They also sell wonderful spices, olives and olive oil. I'll be shopping there more often as it's on the Southside, near my home.

The top photo is a weathered jar that I thought just so sculptural and beautiful. Yes, I wanted to take it right home-except there is this SIZE problem. At the bottom are threshing boards. Wikipedia says "they are obsolete farm implements used to separate the cereals from their straw." I wanted one of those too. I do a lot of threshing and I need a new one!


24 comments:

Jim said...

Thanks for showing this. Very interesting.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

Olivier said...

belle photo, il est tres beau ce vase, on sent le relief sur ta photo

Pat said...

I absolutely love Greece and just about anything Greek. I can't get enough of that country. I usually avoid touristy places though, and prefer to seek out the places where only Greeks go. If I weren't downsizing, I'd have one of these jars, and a thresher to boot!

Jilly said...

Fascinating photos and commentary. Like you I adore Greece. There is NO light like the light of Greece - well none that I've seen. The most glorious place.

Judy - So California said...

Just how BIG is this jar? Looks beautiful. That's why I drive a big car - never know when you'll find a jar you can't pass up. My Dad had a threshing machine (here in L.A.) but I've not heard of threshing boards before. Thanks for sharing - they look really interesting. Are they all blue?

brattcat said...

Wonderful images on a wonderful Greek theme, V. I'm glad to know you do a lot of threshing and not a lot of thrashing.

Kate said...

The urn is beautfully photographed.

B SQUARED said...

My car would never hold them.

Virginia said...

B2,
HAAAA, we could strap that jug on top of the Yugo!!

Thanks Kate!

Judy,
It's huge! The threshing boards were tall as well.

Brattcat,
Trying to get that jug in my car would have taken some thrashing!

Jilly and Bibi,
I would dearly love to see Greece through my lens!

Olivier,
Merci!

Jbar,
Thanks for your visit here. Come back

Mister Earl said...

It's always a size problem, isn't it? Jugs are always a good subject!

Virginia said...

Mr. E,
I didn't even see that one coming. Crack me up! :)

Marie-Noyale said...

Beautiful curves ..
smooth and sharp!

Daryl said...

I can see that jar holding some tall sunflowers or some of those fabulous reeds

MadAboutParis said...

You know Virg...there are 12-step programs for ya if you really want to free yourself of the threshing habit!

TheChieftess said...

Laughing and coughing all morning!!!

Yay!!! I'm going on a Mediterranean cruise this summer and will be visiting several ports in Greece!!!

Kim said...

Good grief, I can't stop laughing! You need a warning sign at the top of the post to the effect that reading it may cause seizures.

My husband's art teacher used to cast pots he could get inside of. I always wondered how big the kiln for something like these would have to be. My sister-in-law (a sweet Greek American with a designer's eye) put a brass platter on top of a large jar and uses it pool side for a garden table (just in case you need ideas for where you might use one ;^) ).

-Kim

Virginia said...

Kim,
Oh this is tame. Hop on over to Altadenhiker's blog today and don't be drinking anything or it will be all over your computer screen. Let's just say, Mr. E and I are a threat to get into trouble on that blog!

Mister Earl said...

Always a threat!

Bob Crowe said...

They put any ancient-style Greek wine in those urns? Do you know Monty Python's Philosophers Song?

Plato, they say, could stick it away;
Half a crate of whiskey every day.
Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle...
Yes, Socrates, himself, is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker but a bugger when he's pissed!

Virginia said...

Bob
Well as Jilly would say, "I fell about" when I read your comment. I love Monty Python but that's a new one for me. Thanks
V

Ken Mac said...

beautiful. Appeals to my inner pothead, V!

Virginia said...

KM,
So am I a "pothead" now? HARRRRR that's a good one.
I"m pretty old to be accused of that one.
V

Unknown said...

Gorgeous items wonderfully photographed! I also like Naturedigital and I love Greece too! :-)

Nathalie H.D. said...

Both photos are little gems.
And I'll want to take that jar and threshing board home too. Beautiful objects, both of them.