Thursday 7 September 2006

COLOUR-SCHEME

This place is painted in so many glorious colours, tints, hues and shades...


There is the crimson of bourgonvillea blooms splashed against honey-gold mountains.


There is the multi-coloured kaleidoscope of beach-towels, sun-beds and crates of fruit and vegetables.

And, in contrast, there is the sombre black of the widow's dresses and the priest's robes.

But the predominant colours are enduringly blue and white...

The rich, deep, cobalt blue of the sea...

The vibrant blue of the sun-lit sky...

The pale creamy white of the full moon on the water...

The diamond-studded white of the wave-crests...

The murky white of ouzo on ice...

And the limey white of the painted trunks of the tamarisk trees...


There is also the universally beloved combination of blue-and-white with which houses, churches and boats are characteristically painted and which takes its inspiration from the national flag...



[Images: © Brian Sibley & David Weeks]

3 comments:

Phil said...

Brian, why do they paint the bases of the trees?

Brian Sibley said...

Sorry about that! 'Colour-scheme' was erroneously posted on FRIDAY instead of THURSDAY (now corrected) and I can offer my sincere apologies for the passing shock! Me away on HOLIDAY! Don't be ridiculous!!

Brian Sibley said...

In answer to Phil: there are, apparently, several reasons for lime-washing the tree trunks: along the largely unlit roads it is clearly to avoid car accidents, but elsewhere it is either (a) to keep the tree trunks cool in the summer heat; (b) to help prevent insects climbing up and boring into the tree (rather like anti-climb paint on buildings in the UK); or, (c) simply to “make it look nice”! You pays your money and you takes your choice!