L’ inverno si avvicina!

Siamo nell’ ultimo mese d’ autunno e l’ inverno arriverà presto. La durata della giornata si è notevolmente accorciata e ora si sta facendo buio verso le cinque del pomeriggio. La notte, che inizia molto presto, crea una sensazione di stanchezza e sonnolenza, ti prepara a rilassare i ritmi intensi ed a sdraiarti per riposare. Ovviamente questo non è possibile il più delle volte e quindi cerchi di continuare a finire il tuo lavoro, anche se il buio che si diffonde intorno a te, ti sfida a rinunciare a tutto ed andare a dormire.

Il tempo cambia ed insieme il nostro umore. Fa più freddo la mattina presto e la sera. Nelle zone montuose della Grecia sono già state accese stufe, caminetti e caloriferi. I vestiti che indossiamo sono di lana e tutti cerchiamo di riscaldarci. L’ inverno e il freddo limitano i nostri movimenti e ci costringono ad essere più chiusi a noi stessi. Il trasporto è meno facile, o per il tempo o per la nostra voglia di restare a casa.

La buona notizia è che nel nostro paese il sole non ci lascia quasi mai, tutto l’anno. Così, appena appare in cielo, ci rende felici e in modo magico, troviamo il tempo per un caffè nella piazza del nostro quartiere o vicino al nostro luogo di lavoro.

Tuttavia, l’ inverno ci premia per la nostra pazienza e resistenza, con le celebrazioni di Natale e Capodanno che tutti aspettiamo di riposare e di gioire. Ogni stagione è diversa e tutto segue il ciclo della vita. Buon inverno e sopportiamo il freddo e le sfide anche di questa stagione che arriva!

Anthoula P. Veziri

Winter is approaching

We are in the last month of autumn and winter will come soon. The length of the day has shortened considerably and now it is getting dark around five o’clock in the afternoon. The night, which starts very early, creates a feeling of tiredness and sleepiness, prepares you to relax the intense rhythms and lie down to rest. Of course this is not possible most of the time and so you try to continue to finish your work, even if the darkness that spreads around you, challenges you to give up everything and go to sleep.

The weather changes and with it our mood. It gets cold more early in the morning and in the evening. In the mountainous parts of Greece, stoves, fireplaces and radiators have already been lit. The clothes we wear are woollen and we all try to keep warm. Winter and cold restrict our movements and force us to be more closed to ourselves. Transportation is less easy, either because of the weather or our desire to stay home.

The good news is that in our country the sun almost never leaves us, all year round. So, as soon as it appears in the sky, it makes us happy and in a magical way, we find time for a coffee in the square of our neighborhood or near our place of work.

Nevertheless, winter rewards us for our patience and endurance, with the Christmas and New Year celebrations we all look forward to, to rest and rejoice. Every season is different and everything follows the cycle of life. Have a good winter and endure the cold and the challenges of this season that comes as well!

Anthoula P. Veziri

Πλησιάζει ο χειμώνας!

Βρισκόμαστε στον τελευταίο μήνα του φθινοπώρου και σε λίγο θα έρθει ο χειμώνας. Η διάρκεια της ημέρας έχει μικρύνει αισθητά και τώρα νυχτώνει γύρω στις πέντε το απόγευμα. Η νύχτα, που ξεκινάει πολύ νωρίς, σου δημιουργεί ένα αίσθημα κούρασης και νύστας, σε προετοιμάζει να χαλαρώσεις τους έντονους ρυθμούς και να ξαπλώσεις για να ξεκουραστείς. Βέβαια αυτό δεν είναι τις περισσότερες φορές εφικτό και έτσι προσπαθείς να συνεχίσεις για να τελειώσεις τις εργασίες σου, έστω και αν το σκοτάδι που απλώνεται γύρω σου, σε προκαλεί να τα παρατήσεις όλα και να πας να κοιμηθείς.

Ο καιρός αλλάζει και μαζί και η διάθεσή μας. Κάνει κρύο περισσότερο νωρίς το πρωί και το βράδυ. Στα ορεινά μέρη της Ελλάδας, έχουν ήδη ανάψει τις σόμπες, τα τζάκια και τα καλοριφέρ. Τα ρούχα που φοράμε είναι μάλλινα και όλοι προσπαθούμε να ζεσταθούμε. Ο χειμώνας και το κρύο περιορίζουν τις κινήσεις μας και μας αναγκάζουν να κλεινόμαστε πιο πολύ στον εαυτό μας. Οι μετακινήσεις γίνονται με λιγότερη ευκολία, είτε εξαιτίας του καιρού ή της επιθυμίας μας να μείνουμε στο σπίτι.

Το καλό είναι ότι στη χώρα μας ο ήλιος δεν μας εγκαταλείπει σχεδόν ποτέ, όλη τη διάρκεια του χρόνου. Έτσι, μόλις εμφανιστεί στον ουρανό, μάς κάνει χαρούμενους και με έναν μαγικό τρόπο, βρίσκουμε χρόνο για έναν καφέ στην πλατεία της γειτονιάς μας ή κοντά στον χώρο της δουλειάς μας.

Παρόλαυτα, ο χειμώνας μάς ανταμείβει για την υπομονή και την αντοχή μας, με τις γιορτές των Χριστουγέννων και της Πρωτοχρονιάς που όλοι περιμένουμε, για να ξεκουραστούμε και να χαρούμε. Κάθε εποχή είναι διαφορετική και όλα ακολουθούν τον κύκλο της ζωής. Καλό χειμώνα να έχουμε και να αντέξουμε το κρύο και τις προκλήσεις και αυτής της εποχής που έρχεται!

Ανθούλα Π. Βεζύρη

 

Winter swimmers

I have loved the sea since I was a child. I prefer it from the mountain, winter and summer. I can not imagine my summer vacation away from the sea. However, I think I could never swim in its cold waters in the winter.

The inhabitants of the areas of coastal highway in Athens, those who live in Alimos, Glyfada, Neo Faliro, Vouliagmeni, are the most winter swimmers. Whenever you go through there in the winter, you will always see some people swimming or sunbathing. For them, as soon as the sun rises, it is summer, even if the temperature outside the water is only five degrees. In general, I have noticed that those who live in these areas of Attica, near the sea, are involved in sports every day, not necessarily, but as a way of life.

Every time I went there with my husband or with our daughter, for a coffee or to ride our daughter a bike, when she was little, I watched them all wear sports clothes and shoes, run with the walkman in the ears or swim in the sea. They looked like they were living in another country, or not having an affair with the rest of us living in the city center. I admired them and wondered where they found the mood to exercise and then I thought that I had a long time to exercise, even for a while.

On the contrary, I have noticed and heard from people living in coastal places, far from Attica, or on the islands, even in the summer, not to go swimming because they say that whenever they want, they can see the sea, they are used to it or they are bored at it.

I still don’t understand this at all and I don’t like to hear it either. Then I think that I am in a much better position, since, while I live in Athens, in the summer I do my vacations and my baths and at the same time I am not bored at sea. Nor do I ever want to get used to it so much that it is enough for me to see it only from a distance.

Those who are winter swimmers, claim that they never get sick, while at the same time they are kept in very good physical condition. They get used to the cold little by little at first, since they never stop bathing and then it doesn’t bother them. I would love this to happen to me, but it can’t be done. Instead, I compromised in the winter with the swimming pool, but with heated and indoor pool. The beauty of the sea, however, is not compared to any pool and they are lucky those who can enjoy it swimming, in winter or in summer or even better, all year round.

Anthoula P. Veziri