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- Girls Day Out 1961
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- Gytheio Greece
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- Mom’s Gytheio
The year is 1961 and Maria, Dina and yes.. Dina number 2 .. (my mom being the one on the right with the classic purse, set out on a bus ride to the seaside town called Gytheio, in Greece.  The lady in the middle was the village priest’s daughter and the other was the reason for this entire outing.. it was Dina’s birthday and the girls had gathered to celebrate. Dina’s father owned a restaurant by the shore and the plan was to spend the day strolling the shops where my mom purchased a black patent purse and matching shoes and a small bottle of perfume that spilt in her purse a few hours later. To this day, when I open the purse which she has kept all of these years I smell the sweet perfume… the scent lingers ensuring the memory of this glorious adventure never fades away. The shop was called Lavropoulos and apparently favored by one of her favorite actresses Aliki … imagine the excitement she felt knowing she had just shopped in the same place as her adored Aliki!  After a few hours of shopping along this colorful little town, the girls , all dressed up went to the restaurant and shared souvlaki, bread and the flavorful Mousaka . This is where my mom had her first beer.. she insists it was only half a beer – FIX beer .. the best beer in Greece as she recites this story I picture three young ladies sipping and giggling at the innocence of the experience. Near the end of the afternoon my mom was introduced to an older gentlemen from Crete by Dina’s father and he seemed interested in getting to know her better, but Maria knew that this serious looking gentleman with the twisted dark mustache wasn’t the one for her and she quickly made an excuse to get going back to her hometown. My mom is 82 years old, and she describes this day as clearly as if she just visited Gytheio. The colors, the music, the sound of the water as the boats sail along… She remembers the way she closed her eyes and listened … taking it all in… all the while spending an enchanted day with her two besties… I listened carefully .. and I tried to capture the image as best I could… but it was her dancing eyes as she shared her tale with me that guided me through each color, each building and the waterside….  I guess it goes to show you… all you need for a perfect day is a seaside village, shopping, delectable food and your favorite people along side to share in the memory…
Gytheio, Greece 1961 – a moment in time.
https://youtu.be/1Wl2JyND3NQ
Click the link to hear mom’s treasured song!
Dearest Kat,
I love old pictures bc it allows us to see glimpses of someone’s past.
Tell your mama that her artwork is wonderful. Bravo Thea!!!!♥️
As for your creation…it’s stunning girl! ❤️ I’m now dreaming of being on a Greek island.🇬🇷
Listening to Greek music makes me so happy and all I want to do is dance. OPA!!!!
Thanks for this lovely blog.
Julie Xxoo
Hi Julie, thank you for taking the time to read the blog and for your wonderful words.. you are also an amazing artist.. I look forward to perhaps one day working together on a project that will be unique and wonderful. Thank you for your support. kat
Laughed at the spilt perfume .. definitely something that would happen to you ❤️