I'm sorry that part of me is like that. I think I'm not the only one who feels this way, but I'll only refer to what I feel, not yet having the evidence or testimonies of others.
What am I referring to? The seasons. Here where I live there are all of them, that is four. I know for sure because I remember what I learned at school, that on one side of the earth, there are only two seasons, and now I sit and try to remember if there are places with only one season. I can't remember what I learned in school. I'm of the older generation, who lived three-quarters of my life without the internet and Google, and I'm still not used to looking there for answers to my questions. I try to remember things from the so-called "general culture", which is the sum of information and knowledge that a man accumulates in his existence. This information in my brain is (was) a lot, a great volume of knowledge put there by a school, by my own observations, by readings, and other sources of information, but which is now attacked by forgetfulness, both because of its non-use and, especially, because of the aging process.
So, from memory and without googling it, I think there are regions of the globe with only one season, either winter only or tropical climate, so summer only. If I'm wrong or if I'm right, maybe someone can tell me!
Seasons, what's really my problem? My problem is that I especially love summer. When it's summer, everything is fine. When it's not summer, I still think about summer, dream about summer, and, especially when the season is cold, I try to remember summer, to forget about the bad weather outside. The photos from holidays, from trips to the sea, help me the most. For me, summer is linked to the sea, I can't imagine a summer without the sea!
In Bucharest, where I live, it should be winter now. It's not! This winter looked, in the beginning, like early autumn and now it looks like late autumn, that is to say, it started raining and getting colder. This is exactly the time when I start dreaming, far too prematurely, of summer and the sea. The only way I can quench this longing is through memories and photos from the sea. I will try to show some now...
Summer is a long way away, and yet... I can get there with my imagination and memories.
The island is the place where the sea is at its fullest, the sea is all around. Always when I was getting close to disembarking from the ferry that took us from the mainland to the island, my excitement and thrill were at their peak. Both because I would be stepping ashore and arriving at the place I had been thinking about for a whole year, and because I would be stepping ashore... and getting rid of the fear I have when I'm on the water.
The place of my dreams, a kind of dream within a dream, is the island of Thassos, one of the largest islands in Greece. Located in the northern part of Greece, in the Aegean Sea, it is the island that is the most accessible for me, only about 800 km away. The island is also called an emerald island because of the color of the seawater.
Beyond all these beauties I remember with pleasure(?) the money spent there. I meant I remember the pleasure of shopping on holiday when I somehow forgot about the barriers I used to put on my wallet when I was at home. It was hard to resist buying as long as everywhere I looked there was something for sale...
Even if most of the objects offered for sale were somewhat insignificant, they exerted an emotional attraction, the fact that they were from the island, and that they carried the smell of the sea and the warmth of the sun were decisive in the decision to buy.
Shopping is more of a female pleasure, I think few will deny that. On one of our holidays in Thassos we were joined by a friend, it was the wife's joy to have a shopping companion.
I was just a follower with a camera in hand and had fun photographing the ladies as they struggled to see what was on offer in some shops that probably weren't open, I can't remember if they were.
The ladies were interested in everything from jewelry, clothes, hats, souvenirs, ceramics, paintings, cosmetics..., fortunately (?) but the budget did not allow such extravagances. They were satisfied with finding items to their liking, even if they didn't have enough money to buy them. I'm different, I try not to go into a shop where I know I won't be able to buy something because the price is too high. I prefer not to see it. Instead, I've been drawn to things that are more ephemeral but offer great satisfaction at the moment...
Just the simple choice of these photos has already taken me to the beautiful island, this snowless winter seems easier to bear and I rely on the fact that time passes very quickly. Although so far I've only been to Thassos in September, now I'm running out of patience and I'm aiming to go in June. There are only five months to wait!... but the pessimist in me forces me to fill in... if nothing bad happens by then!
Here's to MarketFriday, such a diverse community brought together by our dear friend Denise, @dswigle! To her and to you, a flower, @alwaysaflower... also from Thassos.