Fires in the street, loud explosions go off every few seconds and the place is full of people wearing masks. No, not a riot, but rather the Greek Carnivali in which people wear fancy dress, dance, drink and celebrate the last day before Orthodox Lent begins.
This year I found myself in a small, picturesque village in central Greece, visiting my daughter and her mother who have recently moved from Thessaloniki to be be closer to their family there and hoping to find a way of making a living, something that has become more and more difficult in the country's urban areas.
Economic woes aside, people took comfort in the plethora of traditions Greece still retains and for a while forgot all their worries and just laughed, danced and enjoyed the moment.
This year I found myself in a small, picturesque village in central Greece, visiting my daughter and her mother who have recently moved from Thessaloniki to be be closer to their family there and hoping to find a way of making a living, something that has become more and more difficult in the country's urban areas.
Economic woes aside, people took comfort in the plethora of traditions Greece still retains and for a while forgot all their worries and just laughed, danced and enjoyed the moment.
