Image: Mykonos
The Greek islands are everything people say they are and more. Mykonos for one, is known as the party island but it's also got great windmills, organised beaches, vistas, ferries, scooter hire and Venetian lane-ways. But being in the Mediterranean, it was the people who were really special. Even now in this description, I can't do the trip, the country or the people in this little space justice. Forgive me for the attempt.
It was the summer of June 2007 when I travelled to the shores of Greece with a Canadian friend who I had really only just got to know at uni. I'd been living in Pamplona doing an exchange since the beginning of the year but hadn't really stepped into other cultures or countries and travelled. Hadn't got out of my comfort zone. Or let go of home.
Unlike her.
Andrea was very experienced at European travel systems: the buses, trains, maps, hostels and reading on journeys. She knew what she was doing and what she could get out of it.
Unlike me.
(No-one had ever told me how to organise a trip... or how much work goes into it... or how enjoyable that could be, once you accept the responsibility for your own journey) That's another story though...
In 2008, over a year later, our trip to Greece as a pivotal time in my year away from home, was still with me. Those lessons of how to travel, how to experience new things, how to give away (money) to be able to receive (stuff you couldn't really pay for - the best sunset in the world at Oia, a volcano climb, a swim at a lagoon, the opportunity to see other people doing their thing in completely different ways)... For me, at the age of 21 it was like learning to walk again.
I painted this picture for Andrea, who when we travelled together shared with me she had a soft spot for the windmill. It's these little moments with other travellers that remind you that we're all on a journey and its nice to share the world with others...
Mykonos had some great windmills on its shores. Now this work is in a country with other shores, in Canada, maybe on her wall....
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29.06.09 — surfingbridge
Wow!!! just seen your msg now George and must say that's jolly news you have there - awesome! Greece is a beautiful place to have to go back to! Do keep me posted on your travels and the doco!
16.04.09 — surfingbridge
George, sorry for the slow reply. Your message is packed with stories. Apart from the fact that this lady lived and worked on the mills (in the mill?), I wonder how the mill influenced her identity. What was it about the mill that has made her create the same atmosphere on her place here? Or was it the memories of the community that she tried to recapture by copying the atmosphere and setting it up as close as possible to what she had.
Do you think windmill hypnosis has anything to do with it?
How amazing that you have that old document - will you make something of it?
15.06.09 — George Koulakis
Yiasou stranger. I also apologise for the very late reply. Contact via pool is not very convenient it seems. Anyhow regarding your question about me making something of the old document that was sent to me, here is what I’m working on. Recently I spoke with a very well known Documentary Film maker in Cairns and I have decided to capture history all the more. This document is only the start of something really big, so I flew back to Darwin on another matter, but while there I went to an old peoples home and found that old lady. She’s no longer living at home now as her health has faded rather suddenly. I took my camera and filmed about 2 hours of her just chatting to me and telling me about her youth and her memories. I also learnt that there is information on the very subject at the NT Library, so I have called them and bought a photo of some of the original crew her husband worked with in Broom. Sadly I don’t have much more on the windmill, but I feel the best way to fix that is to travel to Greece and get it first hand ( what a bummer having to go to the Greek Islands in Summer Huh?).. I have found an all new passion now, speaking and recording conversations with the old people is an incredible experience.
19.03.09 — George Koulakis
Just behind our family home on the Island of Kos, are several Windmills. Each in different states of disrepair, although I am told that they are now being slowly reconditioned. Now I have something to tell you that might interest you. Last year while shooting a project up in Darwin, I interviewed an old woman who lived in one of those Windmills on Mikonos. She’s well into her 90’s and the family lived and worked one of the mills full time when she was a child. She can’t remember how far back her parents and grandparents owned it, but I would imagine the Windmill in question was in the family line for at least 200 years if not more. I interviewed this lady as her husband was one of the first 7 sponge divers who came to Australia and worked in Broome until one of them died while diving, and they were stood down. 2 months back that very same family sent me a document about the windmill and their way of life in early 1900's in Greece. PS, I knew right away how much this old lady loved her childhood home as her small apartment in Darwin is decorated with pictures and ornaments of Windmills.