About a favorite photo

Τhere is something about that picture that captivates me. If you live in an island, you know what I am talking about, right? The sweetness of it; its nostalgic vibe, although it is not old. It was taken in Mykonos, but it is such a typical island image –a port, a vintage cargo tricycle, an Agios Nicolaos church and a ferry-, that you can see it in Paros, Aegina and in so many island ports. The blue tricycle carries suitcases and merchandise inside the town’s narrow streets and I wish I could see the driver; clichéd as it sounds, I would like to know if he wears a Greek fisherman’s hat so that I can start playing Hatzidakis music in my head. Τhe Orca ferry, that makes daily trips to the island of Delos, contributes to the picture’s overall vintage mood.

What I love about this picture though, is the absence of people, despite the elements of human presence. A port empty of people, how unusual is that? This impression is underlined by the almost duotone color palette and the contrast between the emptiness of the sky and the busy lower part of the scene.

photos by christos drazos

words by maria alipranti