I first came across the beauty of South Crete in April 2006, as part of a yoga teacher training. I always felt Crete was too far away, too long, too much hassle to travel to, before I actually made the trek to the breath-taking beaches of the southern coast.
It’s admittedly a long trip (6-9 hours by boat but for the right price a mere 45 mins by plane from Athens). As a Greek who loves to travel, I must sheepishly admit that I’ve not seen enough of my own country. I am trying in small ways to change that.
Visiting Triopetra and Agios Pavlos changed my whole outlook on Crete and opened my heart to one of the most rugged, wild beauties of the Mediterranean and Libyan seas. Crete is a society, culture, and land quite independent of all other parts of Greece. It can quite easily sustain itself, with its rich diverse climates providing, avocados, bananas and tropical fruit, as well as cheeses, meats, grains and wild herbs never to be seen anywhere else in the country.
Crete is a mystery, a healing renewing place full of misfits, vagabonds and people who decided that the big city life isn’t for them. The locals are a guarded, strong-willed people. They are incredibly proud and protective of their land, and they have legends, stories and history to prove of their resistance to invasions of all kinds. After their hard exterior melts into a smile and when you get to know them, they are the warmest, loving people you will ever come across. They embrace you as one of their own, and even after a seven-year absence those same faces were happy to see me as I them.
My dear friend Despina– we have the same eyes!
Crete is a mystery, a healing renewing place full of misfits, vagabonds and people who decided that the big city life isn’t for them.
I stayed for four days in this beautiful paradise, far away from the overcrowded city and the aggressive mentality of urban living. I learned to let go of my phone, my worries, my watch and just be in nature; with the blanket of the stars as my backdrop.
Sfakia and Sweet Water Beach August 27th, 2017 : My first evening at Sweet Water beach I stayed at a wonderful newly renovated little boutique hotel in the center of town. After finding my dear friends who I had not seen in almost seven years, we watched the sun set and the evening sky reveal every constellation visible to the human eye, the moon, Venus, the big dipper all there in full clarity away from lights and buildings. I first experienced its grandeur in 2007 and my last time in 2010 during a yoga workshop I taught in Sfakia. I wasn’t prepared for the life changing experience I was about to have and I wasn’t prepared to fall in love with this magical land.
This place moves you too connect with your higher self. Stripped of all noise and distraction this town is for when one is ready to be one with nature. Sleeping on the beach one evening is highly recommended. Just make sure you get plenty of bug spray and a good sleeping bag. The water coming up from the rocks is drinkable
Sweet Water Beach Sfakia
On the last day of my trip I took the walking route to Sweetwater beach at 7:00 am. The sun was already warm and the shade provided some comfort on the way to the beach.
The route to Sweet water beach by footView of Sweet water beach from the rugged path.Don’t mess with South Crete- Guns Booze and festivals all year.
I left this beautiful place with my heart full and my mind at ease. It’s a destination not for the faint of heart. This place will change you and transform you in ways you may not immediately understand. For those wanting to go beyond the beaten paths of Mykonos and Santorini… southern Crete is one of the jewels in the crown of Greece.
I was away on a much needed vacation and will soon be back on a steady weekly blog posting journey with many stories, images and interesting topics to discuss.
My travels brought me close to dear friends, old lovers, new family members, young souls, old souls and new adventures. This trip to Greece was peppered with deep conversations, belly clenching laughter, revelations, tears, and hours upon hours of embraces.
Being home being with my people, with those I love is always a big boost of energy and creativity. There is nothing else like it, and you can’t duplicate it anywhere else. The colors, smells and tastes of Greece are unique to the soil, the air and the sea.
Sfakia — sweet water beach
There is much more to come in the next couple of weeks.
The plan was to go to the Delaware shore for the weekend of July 4th, to visit a dear friend whom I had not seen in over a year. Being close to the sea is something that I miss, so I make due with going near New York City or Long Island beaches, even though they hardly measure up to the glorious Mediterranean. (sorry dear readers but its true– You will see for yourselves when I post from Athens next month)
I was all packed and ready to go when I got the message that she unfortunately couldn’t host me. Shit… I thought there goes my whole plan down the drain. Disappointment of not being with my friend was replaced with determination to at least take advantage of this long weekend to the fullest. If I have an idea in my head, I’m going to try my hardest to put it in motion. So I made a frantic search for hotels near by, booked the cheapest one I could find, in Dover (1 hour away) and left early Saturday morning for the Delaware coast.
I have recently become very fond of traveling alone. I find that people are more willing to share their stories, and even create new friendships when you’re a solo traveler. I also appreciate being quiet and doing exactly what I love which is discovering new places at my own pace. With that spirit in mind I set out early Saturday morning to drive from New York City, to Delaware. It took a bit longer to arrive in Dover due to holiday traffic, but the weather on Saturday morning was incredibly beautiful. I parked my car on Dewey beach just a little after 6pm.
The beach was quiet and serene; it felt it was there just for me. Most people had already gone, leaving it almost deserted. The sky was opening up with glorious hues of white, blue and pink clouds as the sun slowly started to set. I stayed as long as I could until sunset, left my beach bag in the car and headed to a near by pub for dinner. I sat by the bar ordered a nice meal and one cold beer. This being a summer touristy town, the restaurant was incredibly busy. I read my book, turned off my phone and just enjoyed people watching, until it was time to drive back to the hotel.
This was a trip of “saying yes” and allowing for whatever surprise or change to arrive without trying to stick to a schedule or force myself on a certain path. I had difficult winter and spring, so this trip was about letting go of all the schedules, and pre-planned agendas and enjoying each day to the fullest. I went to a different beach every day, and enjoyed a beautiful meal near the water’s edge.
The following morning I ventured a little further to Bethany Beach. After a long hot day at the beach, I walked along the boardwalk, listened to a live band and enjoyed the last pages of my book. Feeling quite famished I made my way to what seemed like a very expensive hotel restaurant. At first glance I didn’t want to spend money on a lavish meal, but in the spirit of “saying yes”, I compromised and enjoyed a small salad and soup at the bar. A lovely glass rose wine, (which the bar tender filled up twice without asking me!) lead to a great conversation with my neighbors at the bar. A group of friends had all come down to Delaware for the holiday weekend, they had known each other since they were in college and were now in their early 50’s. They had made this trip every year without fail. After the meal they said their goodbyes and I kept sipping my vino till sundown. After dinner my second ice cream adventure lead me to Maureen’s Cafe. One Scoop of coffee ice cream and one scoop of cookies and cream…. divine.
The last day, I sat on the beach thinking of all the wonder of traveling alone, having time to write, and read a full book and just enjoy each moment with no plans. Before my departure back to New York, I drove to the beautiful historic town of Lewes, Delaware . I walked along the harbor; watched the sail boats go by and took a long walk around the neighborhood. One last iced coffee and ice cream to go from King’s Homemade Ice Cream…
I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
Happy Travels wherever you might go. Each street corner hides a story, and when plans change, change with them.
Each body has a story; it creates a conversation. So much of our communication is non verbal.
Sex, nudity and feminism
Where do we draw the line between the private body and the public body?
We see thousands of nude or semi nude images of women grace media outlets on a daily basis. In western society the female form has been scrutinized, advertised and publicized more than any other. Its inevitable; sex sells everything from toothpaste to cars, and women’s bodies have been turned into a commodity. In stark contrast to this hypersexualized trend, comes the work of artists and photographers who revere the female form without cheapening it to a consumer product. Feminism and freedom of expression aside, this ideal of the female form being on display is much more prevalent with the help of social media. Some see this as progress or freedom of expression, others as an example of a blatant double standard. What I have discovered through my work as a yoga teacher and a dancer is the rare opportunity to collaborate with some amazing photographers over the years, and most recently a very talented and gifted artist living and working in New York.
HomeMade Obsessions/ A voyeur in your living room:
My good friend and very talented photographer George Vordos asked me last year to work with him on his project called Homemade Obsessions. His photography explores the female nude in a uniquely powerful way. His observation of women and his vantage point, is one of my favorites in the field of portrait, and nude photography. In his work I see a reverence and admiration for the female form, sculpted, athletic, inspired; that brings out the strength, vulnerability, and eroticism that is the subtext in all his images. He is observing women in their own space, he allows them to exist, without prompting them to pose or change their nature. She is not there for the photographer, but the photographer is there to capture her allure and magic. Most of his subjects aren’t professional models, yet he has found a way to bring out a striking femininity and grace, that is often achieved after hours of makeup, and airbrushing. I accepted with some trepidation having had little experience in posing nude, but I found myself at a time in my life where I felt confident and secure to give it a try.
My motivation for accepting his invitation to pose was not only inspired by his work, but also a curiosity to explore the vulnerability and freedom, in allowing myself to be photographed, thus creating images that were evocative, and that would bring out a side of me that few get to see. As a former dancer, creating a story and a narrative with the body as an instrument for expression has always been the reasoning behind my life’s work. I have seldom felt uncomfortable in my own skin, and in this particular case, I was at ease in allowing my “nakedness” to be documented. Each body has a story, and creates a conversation, and inevitably so much of our communication is non verbal.
Our session was photographed at my home where I felt most comfortable, with natural lighting and very few modifications. Posing nude was not only gratifying and fun but also gave me confidence to explore my womanhood beyond the restrictions that society so aptly places upon us. I don’t have anything to prove, I didn’t do this for anyone else and I feel incredibly secure and comfortable in who I am. I hope the pictures speak for themselves.
She is not there for the photographer, but the photographer is there to capture her allure and magic.
“the female form, sculpted, athletic, inspired; that brings out the strength, vulnerability, and female eroticism”
Nudity and Nakedness
In sharp contrast to how I’ve grown up in Europe, a lot of the women I meet and talk to in the U.S are not comfortable with their body and its nudity, especially in public. There is a worrisome underlying sensitivity that their bodies are being analyzed or critiqued in public spaces, and because of this hyper-sexualization of women’s body parts in America, there is a pervasive fear that their nudity sends the wrong message. One only need to go to a public beach to see this first hand. I constantly encounter this idea that the female form is there primarily for the pleasure of men. I had heated discussions with a former partner who unconsciously browsed through countless images on Instagram, porn sites and Facebook, just because its available, with absolutely no understanding how demeaning and sexist most of these images are. A catalog of women galore, available at one’s fingertips. Countless industries use women and sex to sell their products, and because its available countless women buy those same products.
I find it ironic that in a western country that prides itself on the freedoms of women, the objectification of women is most blatant. In recent years this debate about showing breasts on social media, and in public and what that conveys, puts women at a constant disadvantage when everywhere you turn, naked and semi naked women, are used to sell a product. Inevitably we are seen as commodities, objects of desire or just baby makers.
Revealing vs. Exhibitionism
The general perception is that exposing your nudity or celebrating it is some form of desperate cry for attention. That may be for some, or for those who feel that nudity is a fetish or something to gawk at. In an overly sexualized society where women are often seen as vehicles for selling a product and by default themselves, nude photography by artists like my friend George, is a prime example of the opposite. But make no mistake this is not a new trend. Surrealist artist and photographer Man Ray made portraits and images of women in the early 1920’s that were erotic, and artistic in the same light, without being demeaning and offensive. There are those who theorize that Man Ray was a misogynist, yet a large part of his photographic work is dedicated to the female form. Female nude images in art are not a new concept but conveying it in a manner that places it above the dreaded nude selfie, has become a revolutionary act.
Man Ray Photograph of torso
You pose naked so you must be a slut- Body shaming double standards and sexism
Owning your body, displaying it and respecting its form doesn’t make you a slut, or an attention seeker. Using and transforming the body through art, is not an excuse to seek approval or recognition, but rather a way of expressing what can’t be said in words. Women are treated like objects all the time, and many are reclaiming their bodies in public and in private spaces more than ever before. Slut shaming, body shaming, and overt sexism and objectification is ironically coming more and more from other women rather than men. Its rubbing off in the wrong way, becoming a breeding ground for bullying and harassment in unprecedented ways.
I and many other female yoga teachers I know, have often been a target of cyber bullying. From anonymous emails to overt comments on webpages and social media, cyber harassment is becoming more and more prevalent. Most of these comments are from people we will never meet and have no idea who we are, others from people in our past who may know some details about our lives, and think they are hurting us or harming our reputation in some way with their personal, yet irrelevant attacks. If we choose a public life we will risk exposure and reactions from complete strangers and internet trolls. I choose to ignore them as many of my colleagues have done, because they don’t reflect who we are, our work as professionals and our lives in any way. Those who hide behind the internet and harass women for their choices, are the new kind of pond scum that has no relevance or importance in our lives.
And to that end
I am grateful to George and other photographers of his caliber who have elevated this incredible art form to new heights. I am honored to call him my friend.
Please check out his work and support new and rising stars like him.
I first came across the beauty of South Crete in April 2006, as part of a yoga teacher training. I always felt Crete was too far away, too long, too much hassle to travel to, before I actually made the trek to the breath-taking beaches of the southern coast.
Eleana Kouneli 
