Από ξένο τόπο - Yannis Loulourgas & Georgios Markou

Yannis Loulourgas (vocals, gagava) & Georgios Markou (guitar) perform a traditional song from Asia Minor called "Από ξένο τόπο" (from foreign lands). Recorded live in the shop of Yannis in Pythagorion on the greek island of Samos, July 2015.

Photo presentation: "Samos, May & June 2014"

Samian Dreamscapes: "Samos, May & June 2014". A selection of more than 250 photos that I took during the months of May and June 2014 on the beautiful and green island of Samos in Greece. Mostly of places that are not visited by mainstream tourism on Samos.

Since the whole presentation is over 34 minutes long, I divided it into two parts!

Part 1 (15 min):



Part 2 (19 min):



Don't expect Samos island to be this green - and full of blooming flowers - in hot summer and autumn! Areas full of yellow blooming broom can be seen best in May till beginning of June.

The music accompanying this presentation I recorded "live" on Samos. Music is performed by local musicians:
- Giamaioi Sygrotima / ΓΙΑΜΑΙΟΙ ΣΥΓΚΡΟΤΗΜΑ during a concert in the school yard in Vathy end of May (Vasilis Sarandou on violin on that day!).
- Yannis Loulourgas together with Georgios Markou in "Notos" in Pythagorion in June 2014.

Yannis Loulourgas & Georgios Markou - O Kaixis / Gel Gel Kaixis (The boatman)
Yannis Loulourgas & Georgios Markou - Άλλος για Χίο τράβηξε (Allos gia Xio travikse)

Allos gia Xio travikse

Yannis Loulourgas and Georgios Markou performing the song 

Άλλος για Χίο τράβηξε (Allos gia Xio travikse) live at "Notos" in Pythagorion.

Reunion with Yannis Loulourgas

Yannis Loulourgas, great singer and bouzouki player, luthier and teacher. Living in the village of Pythagorion on Samos island.

We had not seen each other for almost three years, during which lots of things had happened. So that was some special re-encounter in this May!

Here are a couple of impressions I brought back home from many meetings and encounters with Yannis and his music.

In his shop in Pythagorion:

Yannis working on a new bouzouki in front of his shop:

Yannis and me:

Yannis as a teacher for musical instruments, in front of his shop with his students. You can pass by and meet him and his students there, always on Saturday mornings between 11 and 12 o'clock.

Yannis demonstrates the sound of his type of bouzoukis:



Yannis, with three fellow musicians, rehearsing at "Notos" in May 2014. Dimitris Sofianos (violin), Georgios Markou (guitar) and Dionisis Mastrogiannis (accordion).

One of the songs I always want Yannis to play when I meet him on Samos is "Ο καϊξής " (O Kaixis / Gel Gel Kaixis), the old story of the boatman that is needed to free a beautiful lady kept enclosed inside a harem in Istanbul. What a great song, based on a traditional melody line! Well known in Greece and Asia Minor, sung in greek or turkish language,  The lyrics and a translation into english you can find here.

The recording of this song I took in tavern "Notos", after the noise of scandinavian tourists came down quite a bit after 11 pm (when they left the place!). Yannis is playing with his friend Giorgos Markou, who accompanies him on acoustic classical guitar. In the high season 2014 they will play together at "Notos" every Monday night.

Spring on castle hill in Pythagorion

Lovely spring on the island of Samos in Greece. Fresh and high green grass and multiple colours of  beautifully blooming flowers in March and April!

Only in early Spring one can see this unique combination of high green grasses and blooming flowers, ancient ruins and the castle of Lykourgos Logothetis on castle hill in Pythagorion close to the agean sea. Usually these grasses and most of the flowers will be withered and gone when the tourist season starts in May. Or they have been cut away ...

This video gives some impressions of the scenery. Music is from german singer/guitarist Lothar Kosse:



Some more photos of spring on castle hill:

Sailboot mooring in Pythagorion

Wintertime now, so it is good to have some memories of sunny and warm days. 

So, for a couple of minutes, let's dive into the atmosphere of the picturesque port of lovely Pythagorion. Lots of sailboats already around in the harbour. One sailboot is coming in, mooring.

Samian dreamscapes / dreamscapes on Samos, part 2

15 minutes long, here is the second part of "samian dreamscapes", a small series of videos about the natural beauty of the manyfold landscapes on this water-rich greek east aegean island.


This time I included longer sequences showing material I recorded in the valleys of the brooks Potami and Imvrassos.


And, like shown at the end of the video, don't forget to visit one or more of the festivals in Summer, or one of the many panigiria taking place in the villages all over Samos.

Most of the video material was recorded during springtime on Samos. (months of May and June, 2010 and 2011). In May 2011, the island was especially green, nature was very late then, three weeks behind "schedule", due to low temperatures in April.



Did you miss "samian dreamscapes, part 1"? No problem, here is the link to the video!

Captain Antonis

Captain Antonis/Adonis is one of the captains in the picturesque harbour of Pythagorion. He has a very beautiful boat called Chryso T.

And he likes to sing and play the bouzouki! If he is not on his boat, you might find him in the tavern just opposite to his boat.

You will find his and the other captains boats when you walk down the main street to the harbour of Pythagorion and then turn to the right (boats in the following order: captains Jiannis, Gerasimos, Vasilis, Andreas and Adonis).

The captains offer daily cruises (or shuttle service) with their boats to beaches e.g. on Samiopoula, at Kerveli, Psili Ammos (east), Tsopela Bay and Kakorema bay. A day with one of these captains on the sea going to a remote beach, for sure this is a special adventure to be undertaken!

The very best Samian Fairytales!

Some of the bar owners of Samos have finally discovered the internet and social media platforms and now are trying to promote their businesses via those so-called social media. Nothing wrong about that!

But some do a bit too much. And try to send tailormade fairytales to the internet community/social media platforms.
Unfortunately - I have to say this because I like Pythagorion and the port a lot - one prominent example is the "Corner Bar" in Pythagorion!

With "interviews" posted on YouTube by "seomaster" and "reports" on blogs they want to create some sort of virtual reality. Sort of: "Dreams are my reality"! Which has very little in common with the reality in the port of Pythagorion!

Watch this video by "seomaster" on YouTube: "Top Bars in Samos? | Corner-Bar in Pythagorion | An Unbiased Interview from Samos tourists"



and don't be surprised that the identical content (!) you will find again here, published again by "seomaster" under the title: Why worldwide travellers choose Pythagorion in Samos as the top destination?" Lol!

Maybe you will notice the same like I do:
Music is from Romania, the interior of the bar looks like it could be anywhere in Spain, South France, Italy, Turkey, the couple is from Norway, the interviewer talks in english .....

Are you sure, that place is in Greece? Why?
Due to what fact? Any hints there?

What is left here of Greece and greek culture in a bar in the port of Pythagorio?
I say: nothing!
Can you identify anything greek at all? Please check by watching this video again!

Maybe you start to think about the reason why you wanted to go for holidays to Greece?
Is it true, because you feel at home in all those places, that look all perfectly alike all over the international tourism sphere?

Want to know more of this new marketing genius located in the Corner Bar??
• 7/17/2014 - Why international travelers pick Pythagorion in Samos as the very best desired destination? Particular interview at Corner Bar
The identical text you will find in a different blog here

My opinion:
1.) the greek feeling & the greek heritage of the port of Pythagorion have been massively and effectively destroyed by these types of bars along the waterfront. Maybe the atmosphere was o.k. 20-30 years ago. But is is a tragedy nowadays!
2.) The bars all look the same. If you are slightly drunk, you cannot tell anymore one from the other ....
3.) Over the years of tourism in Pythagorion, many of the original trees in the harbour in front of the houses have been cut off or were felled to enable the spreading of this monocultures of streamlined cocktail and beer consumption temples.
4.) the young norwegian couple has been abused for a pure commercial!

You will find mostly scandinavian or dutch tourists there! Almost no greek people sitting there. Greek Alpha or Mythos beer? Come on, you are in Greece-for-tourists! You better ask for the higher priced Heineken or Amstel beer in bottles to fully enjoy your evening in Greece!

Local people avoid these bars in the port! Why?

btw: if you are looking for the "best supermarket on Samos island", any guess where it is? The genius "seomaster" found it out again! In Pythagorion of course! And posted a video about it on YouTube! Lol!

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supplement 13.09.2011
The marketing hero with a thousand faces has struck again!
"Where is Samos" & "SamosExclusive", videos on YouTube consuming a lot of lifetime of viewers, promising a lot (e.g. "Almost all Top Places to check out and Activities to Make") without offering anything but hot steam! (Vaporware!)