We Are Sons and Daughters of Helios

After a morning of rehearsal the choir had the afternoon off.  Only 10 minutes walking distance is the small beach town of Azomlimnos, (pronounced Ah-zome-lee-nos). and at least for the afternoon, we became sons and daughters of the mythical Greek god of the sun Helios. As with previous days, it was sunny and warm with a steady breeze to cool the air. The beach was small and crowded compared to Oregon standards but that was of little concern.

 It was a day of play in the sun and the water.  The waves were irresistible...

Tomorrow we sing at a concert in the capital town of Hermopolis.  But that is tomorrow.  Today our focus is the sun, the lapping waves of the Aegean and our friends.

What's To Eat?

Now that we are settled it's time to talk about Greek food.  Breakfast at Faros Village includes bread, sliced cheeses and meats, fruit, and juices. There are also hard boiled eggs and some jellies.

The afternoon meal has been on our own so far. A 10 minute walk to Azolimnos yields a variety of restaurants with traditional Greek food as well and the hamburger.  Gyros are available almost everywhere but even if you order a meat dish it will come in slices or on a skewer, no huge chunks of meat over here!

In the same way that the constant sun and breezes calm you, the restaurants service also seems to say,"there is no hurry here and provide laid back service.  It's not unusual to spend more than an hour at a local restaurant talking with your friends.

Our "Digs" on Syros

The choir is staying at Faros Village Hotel just a few miles south of Hermopolis (where our performances will take place). As you can see from the pictures, it is a paradise!  After two days of traveling, this is just what the doctor ordered.  The constant sun, breeze, ocean waves and solitude of the island lull the senses as if to say "Slow down, there is no hurry."
The public beach and market are is just down the road in Azolimnos. It is the perfect place for our singers as there is absolutely no way you can get lost!  In less that 24 hours everyone has fallen for the charm of this place.  However, we are here on Syros to sing.  (That is our story and we are sticking with it!)

Is This What You Imagined?

Thanks to HVCC parent Phil Lind for taking this picture at the temple of Zeus.  Hope it was what you imagined!  If you think this was a majestic picture wait until you see the pictures of the place where we are staying on the island of Syros!  (Apologies to the Greek God Zeus for spelling his name wrong in yesterdays blog)

We Made It To Athens!

Imagine an ancient city built on a collection of hills at the edge of the Aegean Sea that is over 3000 years old.  Imagine a group of singers from a small town in Oregon standing in front of the tall columns of the Temple of Zues, with the Acropolis poised high on a hill in the background.  You'll HAVE to imagine these things because I accidentally erased these pictures from my camera just before entering this blog!

The important thing to know is that we all have made it here to the island of Syros off the south coast of Greece. The trip was long but uneventful.  The weather in Athens was warm but with a steady cooling wind today as we walked through the streets of "Old Town" Athens. Tomorrow the singers will go to work early with their first rehearsals. We really don't know what our hotel looks like because we arrived about 11pm.  There will be pictures tomorrow, I PROMISE!

Welcome to the HVCC Blog

Welcome to the blog documenting the HVCC Tour to Syros Greece and the Festival of the Aegean in July of 2014. The picture above is of the capital city of Hermopolis where the festival of the Aegean will be held. Stay tuned to this blog for up to date information about the choir's activities in Greece.