Heatmap 4: Christos
On watermelon truck audacity, ritual chill spots, &&&.
In this next instalment of the series,
walks us through his plaza of core summer memories. His musings on Greece range from the sensorial, to the satirical, to the architectural (true to his trade). And highly relatable, for those who ritually answer to the siren call of Greek summer. If this doesn’t leave you craving a frothy iced coffee under a beach bar pergola while cicadas serenade the sun, I don’t know what will 🌞
Α τ μ ό σ φ α ι ρ α
Q1. What scents, sounds, tastes, or places spark a feeling of summer, before memory even kicks in?
Cicada sounds all day long.
Ice-cold watermelon after the beach on the balcony.
The Freddo Espresso™ or frappé, and generally any kind of iced coffee.
Grilled Sea Bream from taverna Kali Kardia.
Being annoyed by the Watermelon Man in the Datsun pick-up, yapping away on the megaphone right in the middle of noon when everything is quiet, or very early in the morning.
Booking that flight, always late, to go back to Greece in August.
Α ν ά μ ν η σ η
Q2. Tell us about a summer memory that’s stayed with you. Something joyful, ethereal or bittersweet. Why do you think it stuck?
There are many. I'll cheat and pick 3!
Showering with the hose outside after returning from the beach. One of those foundational summer memories.
Everything that has to do with the camp Kinderland near Athens, where I spent most of my summers as a kid. 22 days, 1000 kids, tents, lots of chicken nuggets. Mental. And beautiful. And mental.
The “Chill Spot” in Amfilochia. Every single evening on the seats of the café chatting, drinking, eating with family and friends. A yearly summer ritual, that if for some reason doesn't happen, makes everything feel a bit off.
Ζ έ σ τ η
Q3. What’s your relationship to heat? Do you crave it, escape it, endure it?
All of the above and none at the same time. When I'm not having it, I miss and crave it. When I'm into it I absolutely hate it and promise to think twice before returning next year. But being next to the sea it somehow ceases to bother me, no matter how hot it gets.
Γ λ ώ σ σ α
Q4. Is there a word or expression in your language that captures a unique aspect of the Mediterranean? What does it convey?
That word would be “μεράκι” (meh - RAH - kee) for me. It's very simple, very “every-day”, quite a mainstream choice if you like, and that is exactly why it’s one of the words that capture a Mediterranean vibe for me. There isn't a direct translation into a single English word, but it generally means doing something with joy, devotion and a lot of soul. Really gettin’ into it.
It can also be used to convey that something has been made with love and care. That ‘something’ could be anything, from a drawing, to a Freddo Espresso, to a Greek salad, to a song. Literally anything.
Έ ν τ α σ η
Q5. What’s something about heat, and how it’s experienced in your country, that you feel conflicted or jaded about?
The extensive use of AC. At the same time, this is inevitable given the temperatures. But I can't help and think of other ways to deal with the heat. Ways of building for example that amplify the air circulation, boost shadows and so on. You can find all these ways in vernacular wisdom everywhere along the Mediterranean. From traditional pergolas, to modern brille soleils, to κλωστρά (klostra / sunbreaks), to a Mediterranean material palette such as whitewashed lime plaster.
Τ ά σ η
Q6: Is there a summertime trend or behaviour you feel needs to cool off?
“Does the room have a pool?” Pools. I'll go with pools. Especially private pools. There are too many. Way too many. And you’ve got pools literally next to the sea. That's mad. That's overkill. Just go to the sea. Your social media video would probably look 500 times better.
Cigarette butts on the beach, not cool either.
Μ έ λ λ ο ν
Q7. If you could preserve one Mediterranean thing for future generations to inherit, what would it be?
Βανίλια υποβρύχιο (“vanilla submarine”, a BIG spoonful of vanilla- or mastic-flavoured sugar paste dipped in a glass of ice cold water). It's not for everyone (but then what really is). Even the sight of it takes me somewhere else.
Thanks for reading!
Next post is out on Sunday, 6 July. Be sure to…