Usually once a year, Prince Charles, the future King of England, pays a visit to Mount Athos which is little over one hour's drive from Thessaloniki. Athos is the third of the peninsulas on Halkidiki and although strictly speaking part of Greece, it is under the imdependent governance of the orthodox church. It has over 20 different monasteries, Serb, Russian, Bulgarian and Greek. Entrance to Mount Athos is only allowed with a special permit from the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace, located in Thessaloniki and a visitor can stay for a maximum of four days. Females are not permitted on Mount Athos. (Even Charles had to leave Camilla on the boat - no exceptions made!)
The first monasteries were built here in the 9th century, to give you an idea of the time scale and many riches and treasures of the Orthodox Church are kept here.
I found it interesting that in 1997 when Greece was cultural capital of Europe, an exhibition of the treasures was staged here in Thessaloniki in the Byzantine Museum. The exhibiton almost did not take place as there was great difficulty in finding a company to insure it. One of the small icons alone was insured for 30 billion Greek drachmas!
To visit the island the usual way that pilgrims arrive is using the small ferry boat which leaves from Ouranopoli to the little harbour of Daphne on Mount Athos. The area itself is full of rare plats and wildlife and is called also the garden of the Virin Mary. To understand more of the history and the sights on Mount Athos I would advise you to read this account of a visit.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
Why does Hildegard Knef have such a following among the gay community
There are entertainers, one remarks as one gets older, who for some unknown yet charismatic reason remain icons for certain social minorities. This is what Hildegard Knef is for many in the gay community. Why, one can well ask and I have trouble even venturing a possibel answer. Her voice, her songs, her wit? Her truth? The woman who outraged press in German in the early fifties by apeparing naked in a performance and replies - "Have they forgotten Ausschwitz."
For those of you who do not know or who have not heard of Hildegard Knef, (one of her most famous songs - "May it rain red roses on me") she epitomizes in many ways the pre-war German Berlin. She was an actress, a film star and a singer and although in spite of trying her luck in Hollywood with David Selsnick, it never happened in the US. A woman who admitted herself that she earned 35 million German marks and ended her life a quarter of a million in debt, a woman who mastered the gay rights movement and the fight against aids through charity concerts. Her voice is haunting, smokey, inimitable and in many cases outdoes Marlene Dietrich in Dietrich's own creations. In fact life is so strange. Was it chance that she and Marlene Dietrich were one time neighbours in Berlin. After a life-long friendship when Dietrich advised her that Yves St Laurent should come to Berlin to help with her wardrobe, they fell out and never spoke again. Yet upon Dietrich's death it was discovered that she had kept every press cutting of Knef's long after their friendship broke up.
Knef, a woman who gave up her German citizenship when she abandoned the country for the US and who was given it back again shortly before her death - thansk to the efforts of the then prime minister, Schroeder. A woman who dressed as aman to avoid rape by invading Soviet troops, and whow as then released fro a Soviet camp when they discovered her gender. A woman who spent the second half of her life fighting off cancer.
For those of you who do not know or who have not heard of Hildegard Knef, (one of her most famous songs - "May it rain red roses on me") she epitomizes in many ways the pre-war German Berlin. She was an actress, a film star and a singer and although in spite of trying her luck in Hollywood with David Selsnick, it never happened in the US. A woman who admitted herself that she earned 35 million German marks and ended her life a quarter of a million in debt, a woman who mastered the gay rights movement and the fight against aids through charity concerts. Her voice is haunting, smokey, inimitable and in many cases outdoes Marlene Dietrich in Dietrich's own creations. In fact life is so strange. Was it chance that she and Marlene Dietrich were one time neighbours in Berlin. After a life-long friendship when Dietrich advised her that Yves St Laurent should come to Berlin to help with her wardrobe, they fell out and never spoke again. Yet upon Dietrich's death it was discovered that she had kept every press cutting of Knef's long after their friendship broke up.
Knef, a woman who gave up her German citizenship when she abandoned the country for the US and who was given it back again shortly before her death - thansk to the efforts of the then prime minister, Schroeder. A woman who dressed as aman to avoid rape by invading Soviet troops, and whow as then released fro a Soviet camp when they discovered her gender. A woman who spent the second half of her life fighting off cancer.
Werner Herzog to attend Thessaloniki 50th Film Festival
November 13nd - 22nd celebrates the 50th anniversary of the International Film Festival in Thessaloniki. Director and writer, Werner Herzog, has just confirmed that he will be attending the event. The Thessaloniki International Film Festival which also sees a gay film festival on the sidelines, has become a landmark on the European international circuit. It has been and remains teh aim of this festival to highlight the work of new young filmmakers and the guiding motto for this year's festival is "Why Cinema Now?"
The festival will also include a retrospect of the life's work of German director, Werner Herzog, who incidentally made his first film called "Signs of Life" when he was 24 years old on the island of Kos.
Listed below are some of the films included in the Herzog retrospective.
Signs of Life, 1968, 87 min, West Germany
Even Dwarves Started Small, 1970, 96 min, West Germany
Aguirre, the Wrath of God, 1972, 93 min, Mexico / Peru / West Germany
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser – Every Man for Himself and God Against All, 1974, 109 min, West Germany
Heart of Glass, 1976, 97 min, West Germany
Stroszek, 1976, 108 min, West Germany
Nosferatu, 1978, 103 min, France / West Germany
Woyzeck, 1979, 81 min, West Germany
Fitzcarraldo, 1982, 157 min, Peru / West Germany
Where the Green Ants Dream, 1984, 100 min, Australia / West Germany
Cobra Verde, 1987, 110 min, Ghana / West Germany
Scream of Stone, 1991, 105 min, Belgium / Canada / France / Germany
Invincible, 2001, 158 min, Germany / Ireland / UK / USA
Rescue Dawn, 2006, 126 min, USA
More details of the Werner Herzog retrospective can be found on the festival website.
The festival will also include a retrospect of the life's work of German director, Werner Herzog, who incidentally made his first film called "Signs of Life" when he was 24 years old on the island of Kos.
Listed below are some of the films included in the Herzog retrospective.
Signs of Life, 1968, 87 min, West Germany
Even Dwarves Started Small, 1970, 96 min, West Germany
Aguirre, the Wrath of God, 1972, 93 min, Mexico / Peru / West Germany
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser – Every Man for Himself and God Against All, 1974, 109 min, West Germany
Heart of Glass, 1976, 97 min, West Germany
Stroszek, 1976, 108 min, West Germany
Nosferatu, 1978, 103 min, France / West Germany
Woyzeck, 1979, 81 min, West Germany
Fitzcarraldo, 1982, 157 min, Peru / West Germany
Where the Green Ants Dream, 1984, 100 min, Australia / West Germany
Cobra Verde, 1987, 110 min, Ghana / West Germany
Scream of Stone, 1991, 105 min, Belgium / Canada / France / Germany
Invincible, 2001, 158 min, Germany / Ireland / UK / USA
Rescue Dawn, 2006, 126 min, USA
More details of the Werner Herzog retrospective can be found on the festival website.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
new gay bear association in Thessaloniki and party on Friday 5th September
After a bit of snopping around the Internet I stumbled upon a BearThess association of bears of Northern Greece which was set up in 2007 and meant as a venue for bears from the North of Greece. The venue is the bar and club mentioned in earlier posts called Bar Me which you will find at the following address - see also earlier posts as it is a known gay venue in the centre of Thessaloniki.
The gay bear associationis organising its 2nd BEARTHDAY PARTY this Friday evening, 5 September at Bar Me so be there and don't miss out. The party is being sponsored by the bear world wide woof- www.bearwww.com.
Bar Me
3, Agiou Mina str.
Thessaloniki
The Thessaloniki gay bear group has even got its own website up and running and this is the place to keep updated on all bear and cub events in Thessaloniki. Here below is a nice little map of how to get to Bar Me in the centre of Thessaloniki.
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