PENTELI FIRES, 19 July 2022. Living in fear of weather and climate change…

Around 18.40 on 19 July 2022, we started reading about fires on the Penteli mountain range, situated within view from our back balcony. The Civil Protection Authority sent out a bulletin on SMS shortly thereafter, informing us of endangered areas, including Ntaou Penteli and Ntrafi (where we have friends). Some of our friends are out of danger (for now) in Kallitechnoupoli, while other friends vacated their home in Ntrafi, hoping that the fire does not devour the homes in their area. Firefighters and firefighting planes/helicopters are dealing with high winds.

The events triggered anxiety, as it was less than a year ago when our family was facing a fire in Evia (described HERE), which turned out to be one of the most destructive in 2021.

Latest on Lesvos fires, 24 July 2022. Click HERE

Four years ago (18 July 2018), the nearby village of Mati was surrounded by fires fanned by uncharacteristic westerly winds. Over 100 people perished. A few degrees change in wind direction would have placed our neighborhood in catastrophic trajectory.

Rafina suffered substantial fire damage not only in 2018, but in 2005.

INFERNO, FATE, NUMBNESS

Reflecting,
on past;
Events of magnitude,
impacting paths;

Future ahead,
denial obstructing,
initiative evolving;

Looking behind,
our minds are frozen;

What if
other trajectory?

OM
6 Aug 2021

Reflecting on Evia

ΡΟΒΙΕΣ
Το Χτες που μας Έμεινε

ROVIES
Yesterday We Remember

Πρόσωπα χαμογελαστά
ο ήλιος να λάμπει
που είναι τώρα;

Smiling  faces,
sun shining,
where are they now?

Το δέντρο έγινε στάχτη
το χαμόγελο κενό 
το χωριό, τάφος ονείρων

The tree now ash,
smile is void;
the village, graveyard of dreams


5 Αυγούστου 2021
ΟΜ