Tag Archives | travel

In the shift…

By John on August 31, 2014 in 35 mm photography, autumn, beauty, biking, black and white portraiture, darkroom work, Greece, John D.C. Masters, John Masters, mountain biking in Greece, portraiture, skill and craft, Uncategorized, working

–The August crowds have departed and it is almost September. The summer is slipping away (has slipped away), a tide across the sand. The light has shifted. It is no longer the July glare. Delicate clouds mute the summer fierceness. Autumn approaches. Today it is windy and cooler. A meltemi eases fevered brows. A scirocco will present itself midweek. The breeze will drop to almost nothing.

–All the forecasts point to the possibility of a light shower this week. Whether this will happen on Paros or another nearby island is never certain. I shall just have to wait and see.

–The mountain bike race on Andiparos has been cancelled. The next event I can participate in is the race on Naxos, at the end of October. That’s OK, although I was looking forward to Andiparos.

–In a couple of weeks I head off to Italy to visit with friends, eat some steak Florentine, and allow the Renaissance to inspire my eye.

–My portrait work continues. I would like to shoot and develop a couple of rolls of 35mm before I head to Italia.

–I continue my biking. I need to pump up the kilometers a bit. Now that it is cooler and there are fewer cars, this is easier. I pay the final installment on my road bike tomorrow. Then I can begin that dynamic routine. 200 km a week total with both bikes. That is all I ask…

–JDCM

Impressions of Amsterdam…

By John on August 22, 2014 in spiritual journey, Uncategorized

Amsterdam is not really part of Holland. It is an autonomous state within the Netherlands. They would prefer it if you did not call them “Dutch.”

The weather during my stay has been unusually cool and wet, very much like November weather on Paros. I am grateful I brought my fleece and warmer, wet-weather clothes. I have needed them.

People in Amsterdam are so fluent in English as to make native English speakers seem lacking. I have even heard the locals speaking English to each other. Odd. At other times I have heard a very Anglicized Dutch. An Amsterdammer told me they love to hear visiting Belgians speak Flemish since it is closer to their mother tongue.

The food here is good, if on the heavy side. In addition to the traditional Amsterdammer restaurants there are numerous Indonesian and Surinamese places, a tasty side-effect of brutal colonization and the Dutch East India Trading Company. For some reason there are also large numbers of Argentinian/Uruguayan steak houses. These seem to cater more to tourists. Another interesting restaurant is all-you-can-eat sushi. The locals love these spots. I ate at one twice. Inexpensive and high quality.

The Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum (modern art) are all superb. I bought my tickets in advance and avoided the long waits on line. I also visited the Rembrandt House and the Dutch Resistance Museum. Both were excellent and worth a viewing, especially the latter. Ultra-right wing political parties are on the rise in Holland and in Europe as a whole. We must all take a stand against fascism and all that it means. If not me, then who? If not now, when?

I do not think that those who drafted the laws regarding the decriminalization of “soft drugs” in Holland expected the odor of pot smoke to fill the streets and cafes full of college students getting wasted. There are national movements trying to limit the usage to residents, but in Amsterdam that vote was thrown out. Too much tourist money. Still, it is illegal to grow it, illegal to transport it, illegal to sell over 5 grams per day to one person and illegal to buy it in bulk. Therefore the “legal” cafes are still reliant on the black market for their stash. So what is legal about it? I recoiled as if from a hot stove.

As I write this I am out of town visiting friends in the small rural village of Elspeet. Really lovely. Quiet, green and flat as a panenkoek.

–JDCM

Paros, Athens, Amsterdam…

By John on August 18, 2014 in Athens Greece, beauty, Greece, Paroikia, Paros, spiritual journey, Uncategorized

I have been back in Greece since…August 1st? July 31st?…It feels blurry…I remember a 27 hour travel day: cars, planes, boats…my body temperature shocked from a cool New York July 70F to a sweltering Athens August 38C…dehydrated, jet-lagged, sleep-deprived. I experienced daily periods of vertigo and lightheadedness for almost a full week. Water, sports drinks, sleep and more water…7 days later I was 100% and feeling fine. A friend believes I may have picked up a mild virus during a leg. Perhaps. At least it wasn’t my suspected Google-diagnosed brain tumor or West Nile Virus.

Paros has been jammed with tourists, as it always is this time of year. Too much, really, for me to handle. I found the best thing to do is bike early in the morning, go swimming, have coffee, check email and make sure it is all done by ten in the morning, then hide in my apartment until a reasonable hour, like 19:00 hours…we dine late, 22:00 or even later…

I left Paros last night (this morning?) at 01:30 on the Blue Star Naxos. The large ferry was mobbed with Athenians returning home after the religious holiday (The Ascension of the Virgin Mary) and we docked just a couple of hours ago. While on the dock, weaving through the crowds, I heard an American voice say, “How can this be so stressful? I thought Greece was laid back…” Ah, yes, the great illusion…

I was tired so I took a cab to the Attalos Hotel, my oasis. While my room is not ready yet, I am out of the chaos and look forward to snoozing most of the day away on cool sheets.

I am en route to Amsterdam, NL for the week. My little scheme is to visit some top-notch museums (Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh, Rembrandt House, Modern Art), eat some Indonesian food and visit some good friends outside of the city during the weekend. Pretty simple. Then back to Greece and Paros for the very end of August and most of September…

–JDCM

Ancramdale, NY 12503, July 2014 part 2…

By John on July 30, 2014 in 35 mm photography, beauty, biking, craft, darkroom work, Greece, mountain biking in Greece, Paros, spiritual journey, working

Soon I will depart for Greece, and Paros. It has been splendid being back here. I have spent my time visiting with good friends and family, eating American food, driving around…

I joined the local gym the day after I arrived and have been able to work out 6 out of 7 days. I have stuck with the treadmill. Why not the stationary bike, you say? Simple: boring. All exercise aside, the stationary bike has none of the qualities I look for in bicycling. There is no wind in my face, no exhilaration of speed, no constant vigilance concerning traffic and/or obstacles. It contains none of the rewards I glean in a long uphill slog on a rutted, rocky road. So I hike the treadmill. I have been able to walk 8+ miles (12.9 km) at a stretch, keeping a constant 4.3 mph (6.9 kmh). The only variable has been the grade. I start off at 6.5% and by the time I am finishing up mile number 4, I am at a 15%. It is all downhill from there. I finish at 0.0%. I count the time, the miles, and watch the calories drip off. I manage to burn off 1800+ per session. I think, let my mind drift. The exercise has allowed me to indulge the American palate. To be honest I have also been eating a lot of watermelon and grapefruit. At my age, I cannot pretend my metabolic rate is the same as when I was 40, or 30. Move a muscle…

I attended an estate sale last week and purchased a neat little Pentax ME 35mm camera with a nice F/2.0 50mm lens and a F/3.5 135mm telephoto to go along with it. I figured I couldn’t go wrong for $45. I ran a couple of rolls of film through it as a test. For technical sake it was roll of TRiX 400 and TMAX 100. I developed them both using Rodinal 1:50 for 11.5 minutes. They look pretty good. The camera is light-weight and easy to use. I will carry it with me.

I have missed Paros terribly. My heart is there. Greece has gotten into my blood. My senses are full of the place. I have succumbed to Her wiles. The seduction is complete.

Pentax ME w/135mm lens

–JDCM

Traveling…again…

By John on July 2, 2014 in Uncategorized

–I leave Paros tomorrow for Athens. From Athens I fly to the USA via Vienna. This is my usual route. If all goes well I will be at my mother’s house in upstate New York in time for dinner Sunday night. I will stay three weeks, then return to Greece, and Paros, on August 1st, just in time for a friend’s watercolor exhibit.

–I have much on my mind. Distance will allow me some perspective.

— When I return to Paros I have my work cut out for me: I need to start house-hunting in earnest. I have been told that August is the time to do this. I will also take possession of my road bike, a different animal from the mountain bike. So I will have two bikes. It is similar to having pets. I need a new space. Ideally I am looking for something with a small terrace where I can store the bikes and an extra, small room where I can keep my photography gear. Currently these fill my living room.

–While I am out of town a close friend is housesitting for me. She leaves on July 21st so at least my flat will be occupied and used for the next couple of weeks. It will be good to keep it aired out. She’s a peach! Thanks JR!

–Before I know it September will be here. I will finally (!) begin Greek language lessons. I have been here too long to know so little. I am embarrassed. There is a 25km mountain bike race on nearby Andiparos in which I would like to compete. I also have my own photography to work on. I am working towards a small solo show in November.

–Lots of thinking, lots of action. At night the wheels spin in my head, clanking about like rusty, broken gears. Sleep can be difficult.

–JDCM

April upon us…

By John on April 7, 2014 in 35 mm photography, beauty, biking, black and white portraiture, darkroom work, Greece, Paros, Paros Portraits, skill and craft, spiritual journey, spring in the Aegean, working

–I have heard from folks in the US that their weather has finally turned spring-like and the snows have ended. It has been a difficult season for them and they need to put away their shovels and plows.

—Slow Art Day is coming up. I will be gathering with some friends at a local museum here on Paros and participate. I was reminded this morning that the average museum visitor spends between 5 and 30 seconds looking at a piece of art and that time is usually when they read the tag on the wall. During this day we will look at 5 pieces, for 15 minutes each. Then we will reconvene and discuss what we saw, how we felt, etc…I am looking forward to it. Too many cultural institutions treat their space like a shopping mall. MoMA in New York is one of them. I think I have blogged about this already.

–When I first visited Paros in 2006 as a tourist, I came specifically to see their museum. It has one of the finest collections of Greek art in Europe. It only cost me 2 Euros to get in. It still costs 2 Euros. I was here for two days and visited twice.

–I continue my own printing in the darkroom. I am doing well. Although I may have made some strict goals at the outset, I have relaxed those boundaries. I seem to be falling within them anyway. Tomorrow I hope to expose some 4x5s.

–I competed in my second Parian sports event the other day. It was the Paros Diathalon, held out at Molos Beach and the village of Marmara. It consisted of a 7km run and then a 12km mountain bike. My teammate Margaret ran and then I biked. I had a great time and, once again, felt at home within that diverse community. I will post some images on my Flickr site. I am waiting to hear from people who have pictures of me. Our total time was 63min, 55sec. I think we placed 5th or 6th in the ‘Teams’ category.

–In a couple of weeks I have a break from work. I might stick around, I might take off. I might do both. Load up the panniers and go…

–JDCM

49 years…

By John on February 17, 2014 in beauty, biking, craft, Greece, Paroikia, Paros, spiritual journey, spring in the Aegean

–Today is my birthday. I have been on the planet, breathing the air, since February 17, 1965. I am an Aquarian, and in the the Year of the Wood Snake to boot. It’s a heavy combination, if you follow these things. Those of you who know me well enough will see that the associated characteristics fit me to a “T.”

–My future family were traveling in Europe when I was born. They settled in Dublin, Ireland for a year waiting for me to arrive. When I was old enough to travel they hit the road again and stayed in Italy for a couple of months before heading back to America. My sisters were 10 and 8. Somewhere there are home movies my father made showing us all at the time.

–I have had my share of successes and failures. Some of them have been of my own doing and some have been granted or inflicted upon me. Such is life. No one is immune to that dynamic. I suppose it is how we roll with the punches, how we dust ourselves off, that matters.

–Yesterday I surprised myself. After a tough 2-hour, somewhat technical, mountain bike ride, I bumped into a small phalanx of other riders on my way back home. One invited me along for a leisurely ride into the hills. I went. I usually would not do this, i.e., join in so quickly. It was fun. I met some people I hadn’t met before, had a couple small chats. Nothing too committed, nothing too serious. Then I came home.

–I also had a superb and very difficult ride three days ago. I rode from Paroikia to Lefkes (45 min.) and then from Lefkes to the radio aerials that sit atop the highest peak (1.25 hrs). From there I rode down the south-western slope, along an extremely rocky track, that eventually turned into a decent farm road. All unpaved, of course. The route eventually led me to Kakapetra, an area just south of Paroikia and a stones throw from a friend’s house (45 min.) I stopped by for coffee and a chat. The image below is from that jaunt. You can see the aerials far away in the distance.

–I have reapplied for my American passport via the mail and the embassy in Athens; I have washed a load of laundry; I have shopped for cat food. Tonight, I get to eat dinner with a good friend at one of my favorite restaurants on the planet. I begin my 50th year as a photographer and an amateur mountain biker. Looking back, when I turned 30 I was a chef de cuisine (10 years) and a guitar player (15 years). Like the snake, I shed my skin.

Biking from the aerials on Paros.

Looking for spring…

By John on February 5, 2014 in beauty, biking, Greece, hiking in the Cyclades, Paros, quiet islands, spring in the Aegean, Uncategorized

–It is February, the Longest Month and Winter seems to want to hold a bit longer here on Paros. Her hand clutches with grey fingers, wrinkled and damp, thin from the cold.

–Meanwhile, Persephone is in a downstairs apothiki, packing her bags and checking her visa in anticipation of her departure from Hades. She will arrive soon, skipping through the green fields, wild blossoms in her dark hair, her backpack resting by the side of the road.

–I popped a spoke on my bike the other day up in the hills. Check my Flickr site to see where I was…

–It is not wise to ride with a single spoke missing. It puts uneven strain on the others, then they pop and then your wheel “tacos” mid-spin. That is a good image, and one I do not wish to experience. So I am having it re-spoked at the local bike shop. I am getting rid of the stock spokes that are currently on the wheel and adding stainless steel units. The old ones were pretty rusty. I am also having stainless control cables installed and new chain. This should get me ready for spring.

—I feel like boycotting everything having to do with Russia. Just my political 2 cents.

JDCM

Back on Paros…

By John on January 27, 2014 in beauty, biking, Greece, Paroikia, Paros, quiet islands, spiritual journey, spring in the Aegean, Uncategorized, working

–It is quiet here. The rain falls through the night and the clouds cover the sky during the day. There are moments of sunshine–brilliant, silver and brief. I hope to get out and shoot some film in a couple of days when the clouds roll away.

–I have been out biking, for which I am grateful. The sense of freedom on a mountain bike that one does not have in either a car or walking. Fast, but not too fast, panniers full of cameras.

–The people, food and music of Greece keep me here. The light is nice too.

–I will be going through my files and uploading all my past “header images” from this blog to my Flickr site. It might be interesting to see how they all look together.

–I have decided that I would like to be known as someone who worked hard rather than someone with any great talent. Dedication and hard work has always brought me farther than subjective opinion. I can measure the first. The second is fickle and none of my business.

–In February I begin a new 7-year cycle of life. I can already feel the shift. It feels tectonic.

JDCM

Pinch me…

By John on January 17, 2014 in Athens Greece, beauty, craft, Greece, Paroikia, Paros, quiet islands, rangefinder camera, skill and craft, spiritual journey, spring in the Aegean, Uncategorized, working

–They say our reality is Krishna’s dream while he sleeps on a lotus flower.

–It seems like a dream. I woke up a few minutes ago, startled and disorientated. Jet lag. I am in Athens. I walked out onto the small balcony of my hotel room overlooking the street. It is quiet at 04:00. The city sleeps, breathing slowly. Two days ago I was in America, visiting family and friends. I am in a different world.

–In America I ate hot dogs, apple pie, toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, beef jerky. There have been excellent sit-down meals too. Very American food. I have been able to stave off the calories at the gym.

–There was lots of snow there, and rain, and frigid cold. It was lovely. There was an abundance of water. On the little island I call home water can be scarce. We use less. Long showers are a luxury. I luxuriated.

–On the Massachusetts Turnpike I drove through the kind of rain, wind and fog that made it seem as if I was driving underwater, surrounded by a screaming mass of tractor trailers and SUVs all moving at 80 mph. I had little choice but to keep up. Every light on my little car was switched on so people would see me.

–Photography during the winter allows for simplicity. Sticks, snow, shadow, light.

–So I am back in Greece. Last night I ate yigandes, patzaria, and briam for dinner. Greek food.

–I am back in Greece. I have a few days here in Athens then I hop the ferry back to Paros. What is waiting for me there?

–I was thinking of taking pictures of metro stations. I need a new header image before I post this entry. I’ll use one of those.

–Life is like a dream. Row, row, row your boat…

JDCM

← Previous 1 2 3 4 … 11 Next →