Holy Week

St. Irene, the little church that stands next to our home, high above the Cretan sea.

Hello dear readers, it's Holy Week here in Greece, a peaceful and quiet time, when the Greek Orthodox Church relives the last days of Jesus' life, beginning Palm Sunday and ending on Easter Sunday.

Allium Subhirsutum dot the perimeter of an old Olive tree, softening its rugged, claw-like trunk.

Days are spent cleaning and preparing 

our home for the celebratory feast.

A close up of Allium Subhirsutum, commonly known as Hairy Garlic.

Church services in the evenings, bring people

together in prayer and unity, at this most 

solemn time, days before Christ is crucified.

The hilly meadow behind our home. A petaled path strikes one's curiosity to follow it.

We follow Him to His death on the cross, and mourn at His 
funeral, in the Service of Lamentations, on Good Friday.

Fresh beginnings are evident all around the village. Here, new vine leaves bask in the midday sun.

Then, alas, at the stroke of midnight, on Holy Saturday, 

we rejoice, 'Christos Anesti!' (Christ is Risen!), as our

 hearts are filled with the joy and hope of His rebirth.

For a more detailed account of Greek Orthodox Easter,

please visit my first post, here. To my friends who 

celebrate, wishing you a most blessed Easter.

xo

Poppy 

The Allure of a Picture

Downtown Galt, Cambridge, Ontario, photo by Linda Fegan

Have you ever been so utterly enchanted with an image, that you found yourself, literally, being drawn into it? This is exactly what happened to me, the second I spotted the gorgeous photo above.

A small stream, Churchill Park, Cambridge, Ontario

I felt an inexplicable and immediate connection with Cambridge, a pretty town in Southern Ontario, that compelled me to cross the Atlantic and see it for myself! And, that's exactly what I did!

source (edited)

 

So, I got on a plane, and

jetted 8385 km (5210 miles)

 across a very big pond, 

Charming, downtown Cambridge, Ontario

to another continent, and the city of Toronto,

from which I drove a further 108 km/67 miles,

until I reached the banks of the Grand River, 

 The Living Levee Trail, Cambridge, Ontario

where I walked along its flowing trail,

past leafy pathways and shuttered, stone houses,

 charming, cottage-y gardens,

Queen's Square Terrace Retirement Living

and stuccoed, shingle topped stunners,

Central Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, Ontario

piercing, sky-scraping steeples,

and shops painted in happy, pastel-y hues,

to finally STOP.

My photo: a rainy day in spring, of the view that originally captivated me!

Then, in silence, I gingerly stepped, 
into that bewitching of views -
this blogger's beautiful, magical muse!

A big thank you to my sweet brother-in-law, 
Alex, for all the driving, and the giggles!

Thanks for visiting!

xx

Poppy

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