Whitewashed

The glare would blind you, so don't forget your shades before stepping out of your room in these beautiful islands of Greece. White- boring, plain vanilla white, takes on a new personality adorning the walls of tiny village homes and inns, in the quaint island of Paros. Like a brush of rose blush or a thin line of blue liner accentuates the face, deep blue windows bring out the beauty and starkness of the detergent white walls. Minimal yet rich, shadowed by luxurious vines... making us wonder what lie behind those compact whitewashed facades...colorful stories of an island with over a thousand years of history.

The Cycladic villages have, for most of them, a similar architecture: white cubic houses built the one upon the other, with wooden coloured windows, doors and balconies in narrow streets next to windmills and Byzantine churches. The best manner to enjoy the architecture and its magical shapes and shadows is to wander in those labyrinth streets and look out for interesting curiosities. Capture and take back with you every tiny bit...a blue window or a yellow pot in a nook, as much as your memory card can take, and it still don't be enough. A bunch of red peeping out of a jar of white, subtle yet drama in every sense.


White spills over to the neighboring picture postcard island of Santorini, - blue topped houses and a maze of tavernas from the top of the caldera to the port at the bottom of this volcanic island. It's surprising to note that everyone has pretty much followed the same color code... no spoilsports out here. Giving a clearly distinct character and identity to the islands, unlike any other in the world.

I used to think painting a wall red was bold. But I might be wrong there. White could be bold...white is taking a risk, no other color can bring out the blue of a tiny drop of ink, than a white piece of cloth. Heck even having a white wall stay white is a challenge. It's making a statement.. of elegance and of control. Not everyone can. I have a couple of ivory white walls in my house, and I'm already nervous.