ABOUT APOLLONIAN AEGINA

-text and photos Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
design Florin Alexandru Stancu-

“You cannot understand Greece
if you don’t travel to its islands,”
said to me the guide Ioana,
“so let’s embark and…
may Apollo be with us!”

In 26 June 2013
I started from Athens to the Aegina Island
to look for the god of light through the Aegean Sea.

Aegina, named after a nymph who was loved just by Zeus,
has 13000 inhabitants and an important history:
-it was a state rivaling Athens in the 5th century BC;
-then, after it was conquered by Romans, Franks, Venetians and Ottomans,
Aegina became even the Capital of modern Greece in between 1827 and 1829
(a decision justified by the Greek superiority on the sea during the last years
of the Anti-Ottoman war for independence).

There I saw from the distance
the ruins of a temple (from the 6th century BC)
dedicated right to Apollo…

In Aegina I visited the impressive antique temple
of the local goddess Aphaia,
which is placed on a hill
and seems that inspired even the aspect
of the Athenian Parthenon.

I also visited another superb monument,
this time a Christian one, with many artistic suns:
the Saint Nectarios Cathedral
(one of the most beautiful in Eastern Christianity),
made in the 1900s and named after a saint beloved for his curative qualities,
who spent here his last years of life.

Returned on the ship,
I passed near the two main beautiful churches of Aegina City
(both of them with clocks)
and I watched more the temple of Apollo…

…whose magic peacefully accompanied all the time my excursion
before the comeback to other magic,
of Athens and Acropolis…

But on the Athenian shore,
a big surprise!

We all know that the god of light and music
Played a lyre. He was young, beautiful and bold.
However, I can say I saw Apollo
Playing a saxophone. He was nice and… old!