Beautiful Spring on Samos!

Samos in May, what a joy! Everywhere it's green and beautiful! The grasses are high and still green. Flowers are blooming in many colours, like here on the castle hill in Pythagorion.


A combination of several videoclips - mainly with focus on red Poppys - that I took in (early) May 2011 on the east aegean island of Samos in Greece.
Music performed by musicians from Samos: Jiannis Loulourgas (bouzouki, vocals) and Kostas Mitsos (guitar) from the village of Pythagorion.



Want to be there, between olive trees in a meadow covered with Poppys? Try this one here:



Flowers blooming in many colours close to the Logothétis castle in Pythagorion:



Blue sky, white clouds, yellow flowering broom (Sparta), everywhere beautiful green landscape .... , middle of May 2011. This year, vegetation was almost three weeks behind "normal schedule" due to cool weather in April and first half of May.



Red poppies on the side of the road leading to the monastery Timiou Stavrou, May 2011.



Landscape below Vourliotes on the north coast, end of May 2011.



When the broom (Sparta) starts to bloom, the landscape turns yellow on Samos:

Samos Young Artists Festival

The Samos Young Artists Festival 2011 will take place in the Ancient Theatre of Pythagorion from August 9th to August 14th.
The concerts will start daily at 8 pm. Tickets are available at the box office for 5 Euros (1000 seats available).

As stated furthermore on the website of the festival:

It offers highly gifted young musicians an opportunity to perform. The annual festival week takes place on the Greek island of Samos as part of the Ireon Music Festival in August.
The picturesque Greek island of Samos, with its beauty, its geographic location between Orient and Occident and its changeful history, creates the perfect backdrop for the Samos Young Artists Festival.

It is the intention of the Festival's initiators to bring young artists and an interested concert audience to the island, and for this special place to become the focal point of interest each year.

The musicians, who are chosen in cooperation with various notable international institutions and festivals, demonstrate their talent in the ancient theater of the picturesque port city Pythagorion. For five nights they play a distinguished chamber music program, which they choose themselves.

The festival was founded on the private initiative of a German-Greek family in 2010. The concerts are financed exclusively through private contributions and are actively supported by local organizations and institutions, especially by the cultural association and the mayor of Pythagorion.

Rain storm hitting Kokkari

On May 27th, 2011, I happened to be in the area of Kokkari on the north coast of Samos island, and spent some time in Cavos Café-Bar, enjoying Uli's german cake with coffee, when a rain storm came to the harbour in late afternoon.
The most dramatic scenes I couldn't take, because first I had to rescue my equipment from the incredible masses of water pouring down.

Evening atmosphere over Pagondas

Evening atmosphere over the village of Pagondas in the south of Samos.
June 2011 .

A short visit to the Potami valley

Hot Greece and bare aegean islands without any trees?
Well, not on Samos island!

You want to find out yourself?
There a quite few places on the island where a brook is running under shady trees.
For example: pay a visit to the incredibly green, shady and cool Potami valley with the Potami brook and several cascades/small waterfalls, not far away from the city of Karlóvasi on the north coast of the island.

Walking on the footpath along the brook gives you almost the feeling like you're walking in some type of dschungle!
Whenever I go there, I am always fascinated by the brook running between these strangely formed trees.

Musicians on Samos island: Sarandou, Voularinos & Liapis

Vasilis Sarandou (violin, vocals), Manolis Voularinos (guitar, vocals) and Aristodimos Liapis (bouzouki, vocals) playing in a tavern in Ag. Konstantinos.
East aegean island of Samos, Greece, June 13th, 2011.

In the season 2011 they play every Wednesday night in tavern "Thalassa" in Kokkari, every Friday night in a tavern in Ag. Konstantinos (where the road from Manolates comes down).



Musicians meeting on Whit Monday 2011 in Ag. Konstantinos on the north coast. Singer/guitarist Thrasos from Karlovasi sings the song "Tzivaeri".

Jiannis Loulourgas: luthier, musician & teacher

A video about the greek luthier, singer and bouzouki player Jiannis Loulourgas from Pythagorion. He is talking about his shop "Pythagorios", his "Samos Bouzouki School", and demonstrates different greek stringed instruments like Bouzouki, Baglamas and Tsouras.

In the season 2011 he plays together with guitarist Alexis Papos in a place run by his family called "Thanasis' Sister" in the harbour of Pythagorion. Several songs are included in the video, recorded "live" in May 2011, capturing the atmosphere of this charming place on the harbour promenade, just a couple of meters away from the waters of the aegean sea and anchoring sailing boats.