Friday, May 25, 2007

Aliki Stonepecker


This is a video of Aliki at work removing the evil cement pointing mortar.
Today my right hand fingers are sore. It's great luck Monday is a national holiday, a long weekend is right what we needed.
But tenontitis waves to me from the distance.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Ierapetra - Aera-petra - Air-apetra


The wind blows at 8-9 degrees on the Beaufort scale which is a real pain because it happens almost daily but I won't grumble over it. Because today I feel optimistic. It was about time I hear you say. Again! Work is tedious as ever of course. Removing rock solid concrete mortar from in between soft sandstone joints. Bleuchhhh! But I'm getting the hang of it. Not mortar removing, I knew that too good already. But the diplomacy of greek public sector survival. I won't let them decapitate me this time around at least not without a fight.
Once again I'm blessed with a lovely colleague and that certainly makes the experience easier. Aliki is a sweet girl that hates her job right now but I hope she hangs in this or I'm doomed...
And a few things about the place. Ierapetra is a nice little town surrounded by beautiful beaches and mountains. But in between spreads the sea of nylon that is the thousands of early vegetable hothouses. This is the capital of winter tomatoes. The view from high on the mountains is breathtakingly bizarre. Plastic sheets cover almost everything. Very little earth needed for green peppers and eggplants and a lot of petroleum...
I will try to post a photo of it in the future. Until then check Ierapetra on Google earth.
And this is the Ottoman Fountain conservation team at work...