Jumpin'Journal - pages of a diary (IV)

It's been a long time since my last Jumpin'Journal post. Today I'll dive straight into some music, movie and book recommendations while "jumping" in pictures from different locations. Let's start.

Sinaia - Cota 2000(1,3) , West Park Ploiesti(2)

How much I love music biography documentaries: the combination of hard work, struggle and talent is hypnotizing. My favourites are:
3. Amy - the life of Amy Winehouse struggling between drug problems, love triangles and childhood problems, a talent that we lost too soon.
2. Get On Up - the life of James Brown overcoming his poor childhood, a dismembered family and later drug and alchool addiction - a strict and driven man with a very clear vision, talent and passion.
1. La Môme(La Vie en Rose) - the life of the incredible Edith Piaf, a movie that makes me cry every time I watch it; Marion Cotillard is beyond amazing in this character - love, lost, tragedy, talent - a must see.

When it comes to music I am all the time searching for something new while the playlist on my phone slightly changes - I'm still listening to most of the same songs as I use to hear years ago.
Meanwhile I'm becoming a fan of the british singer Nao whose mix of electro and soul relaxes me - find more in my album review HERE!
Bruno Mars stole again the limelight with his latest hits collection intitled "24K MAGIC". While the first single with the same name reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, the second one, "That's what I like", surpassed it and reaches number 3 on this week's chart. Bruno has it all in my opinion: the voice, the swag, the moves. Check out his Grammy performance below.



If you are a fan of TV series well then maybe we have some in common or I can recommend you couple of them. Lately I was absorbed by "Taboo" and "Vikings".
I absolutely adored the "Night Manager" mini serie with one of my favourite actors, Hugh Laurie (did you know he is also a singer?! - check out his blues album HERE!).

"The Night Manager" was nominated for 31 awards and has won twelve, including two Emmy Awards for director Susanne Bier and music composer Victor Reyes and three Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actor for Tom Hiddleston, Best Performance for an Actress in a Supporting Role for Olivia Colman, and Best Performance for a Supporting Actor for Hugh Laurie.

Ploiesti(1), Suceava(2), Alexandru Ioan Cuza Park Bucharest(3)

When it comes to books I have to admit I read more in the past 3 months than I did in the last year. If you're in the mood for an easy yet interesting reading I recommend you "La disparition de Richard Taylor" by Arnaud Cathrine: On May 16, 1998 Richard Taylor disappears without a trace and without apparent reason. The book is a serie of testimonies of women in the life of Richard or of those that he meets in the years that follow his getaway. In the game of shadows and lights, we discover fragments of an existence of a man who grew up by the book, doing all that it was expected from him and that suddenly wakes up not knowing who he truly is or what he really wants.

Another book that got me hooked from the first page is "The Magus" by John Fowles.
"This daring literary thriller, rich with eroticism and suspense, is one of John Fowles's best-loved and bestselling novels and has contributed significantly to his international reputation as a writer of the first rank. At the center of The Magus is Nicholas Urfe, a young Englishman who accepts a teaching position on a remote Greek island, where he befriends a local millionaire. The friendship soon evolves into a deadly game in which reality and fantasy are deliberately manipulated, and Nicholas finds that he must fight not only for his sanity but for his very survival."(Goodreads) 

Cantacuzino Castle Busteni(1,2), Mt. Ainos Kefalonia Greece(3)

Right now I just started reading "The Road less traveled" by M. Scott Peck. This book is by now a classic in the field of psychology. Yet, it's written for a mainstream audience and goes through some of the basic tenets of psychological theory (e.g. attachment, individuation, boundaries, delayed gratification) but does so through the lense of spiritual growth. Peck is an excellent writer and fine therapist who is sensitive to the issues of spirituality.

Here is how the book starts:
"Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult--once we truly understand and accept it--then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters."

Which are your favourite TV shows right now? What are you listening to lately and what you plan reading? Leave your comments below.

Untill next time check out some more Jumpin'Journal:

Jumpin'Journal - pages of a diary (I)
Jumpin'Journal - pages of a diary (II)
Jumpin'Journal - pages of a diary (III)


Beldi

2016 Kefalonia(Greece) Calendar

It has been a year full of new experiences since my last post. The highlight was, of course, the summer which I've spent on the heavenly beautiful island of Kefalonia,Greece. Here are my top pics for the 2016 Kefalonia Calendar. #summer2015 

On the cover there is a picture I took on the small Atheras beach, on the west side of the island. July took me there where the water is shallow and warm because of the narrow bay. Gathering small white pebbles to write the name of my favourite island on the sand was my pleasure.

I found the iconic Myrtos beach as mesmerizing as the previous summer. The road between Myrtos and Assos is still under construction since the earthquakes that took place in the spring of 2014. The view still breathtaking. I wonder how does it feel to be on that yacht. Aren't you too?!

Visiting the Castle of St. Paul, the first capital of the island, was an absolute delight. The 360 view from Ainos Mt. till Argostoli and all around it blew my mind; the restaurants are more expensive than your average tavernas, but the food, the atmosphere and the souvenirs made me forget that.

For the 3rd year in a row I spent my summer in Kounopetra, the southern point of the Paliki peninsula(west). The moving stone is a must see and the view towards Lassi and Ainos Mt. are perfect at the sunset. Close is a wide beach with shallow water, perfect for families with kids and a small traditional harbour.

This year my favourite beach was Petani, incredible views, clear blue water, sand or pebbles, restaurants, fresh food, u name it. On the left side of the main beach there is a hidden one, which is delightful. Don't forget to stop for a cold Mythos on the way back , up, at Petani Bay Hotel for a stunning sunset.

All across the island you will find beautiful and colourful little traditional villages and harbours. But Assos is one of a kind. It's joyful. It's romantic. The water is cold but so clear, the view from the fortress is incredible and the colourful houses make you think that you're visiting the Amalfi Coast.

I feel so thankful for having the luck to visit Platia Ammos beach in 2013. After the earthquakes that took place 2 years ago, more than half of the stairs that they were used to go down were broken and now the only way to reach the beach is by boat. 

As I was telling you before, Assos is a splash of colour, same as Fiskardo, but less expensive if we take in consideration that the latter one is packed with private yachts and movie stars such as Angelina Jolie or Sarah Jessica Parker pop up out of the blue for a lunch. Here's a part of one of the most beautiful houses in Assos. Everyone who visited this place took a photo with the blue door on the down left corner. Wink.

Surrounded by green forests, with its pebble shore, close to Sami there is an absolutely gorgeous beach named Antisamos. Plenty of sunbeds, water sports, music bars, iced drinks and beautiful people await. Not far away from it you can find the ruins of the Ancient Same with great views over the bay.

Did I tell you how much I love sunsets at the sea side? Well, now you know! I took this incredible photo on Vrahinari beach, Kounopetra, a place where you can relax far away from the crowded beaches. I also reccomend the other nearby beach, Vatsa (hippie vibe, sandy floors, fish nets, pumpkins and aww, the food, unbelievably tasty).

There are two caves on the island. One is Melissani, the cave of Pan and the Nymphs with its cold lake (a must see) and the other one is Drogarati. The great acoustic make it a beautiful opera hall for the summer concerts.The famous Maria Callas once sang in here.

Katavothres is a beautiful restaurant/club where you can spend the hottest nights of the summer partying till the sunrise but it's also an unique phenomenon. There is a watermill where the sea enters underground. For two weeks it travels in underground rivers across the island untill reaches the Melissani Lake almost fifteen kilometers away. From there the water flows into the sea at the village of Karavomilos, close to Sami.

For the last page of the calendar I chose a photo I took in late August on Ainos Mt., the tallest of the island(1,628 metres). Most of the mountain range is designated as a park area and is covered with Greek fir and black pine. On clear days, the view includes the NW Peloponnese and Aetolia along with the islands of Zakynthos, Lefkada, and Ithaca.

These being said/written I hope you enjoyed my 2016 Kefalonia Calendar. All I can add is that the island is incredible, the photos don't do it justice. I recommend it for nature lovers, families and all of you who want to leave the daily routine and crowded places behind. 

Embark in a relaxing journey on this still partly wild island. 

P.S.: Stay close for my next article "10 Reasons why to visit Kefalonia". COMING SOON !!!

P.S.S: Find more photographies and daily updates on my FACEBOOK PAGE !!!

Beldi

i play,i shoot,i like

My photos show landscapes, beautiful places, others capture details of everyday life. In the near future I hope that my photos will express inner beauty and pleasant agitation, at first glance to fascinate and to hide profound messages behind them. We all have to start somewhere. I decide to start from HERE !!