Angelina Helioti

When the path is dark

Angelina Helioti 3 April 2023 2 Comments

There are also those moments when everything seems dark and you can’t see the road, you need to stop for a while. Lately I’ve been realizing that I’m maturing. No matter what plans we make for life, life itself can ultimately bring them completely differently. To create situations we didn’t foresee, to bring people from nowhere, to create crossroads or forks for us… But when the path is dark and you don’t know where to go, then a walk in nature can be really helpful.

I drove down to the church of Zoodochos Pigi and from there I walked to the river. I just wanted to be alone for a while. When I enter the mountain it’s always different. They may be the same mountain and the same forest, but they are never the same. It is alive, it has age, something changes every day, I don’t know what I will encounter every time. I come out of there cleaner and the mind is lighter… Without me doing anything, it empties itself…

I’ m walking aimlessly, enjoying the forest. I’ m standing to see and hear the waterfall. I’m balancing the river stones, a game that helps me with my own balance too. It makes problems seem like they never existed and questions get answers. It’s a mystery, but it’s true. For the first time I’m managing to balance three stones, one on top of the other. I think I’m getting better at it! It requires patience and calmness.

If you’re dealing with anxiety or questions that make you choke up, try visiting such an environment. It helps a lot to be alone… The sea is also a good option, for those who don’t have a mountain or forest near them.

I just wanted to say “hello” here as well, because I’ve been blogging less and less for the past few months. A lot has happened during this time, but mostly inside me. Seemingly things are the same.

So have fun! I’ll try to update you soon on the day-to-day here.

Until then I send you a hug!

Survival lessons in the forest

Angelina Helioti 24 March 2023 No Comments

One of the previous days I participated in an excursion in the forest of Mainalos, near Mylaonta river. There I was with the beautiful company of a couple Maral and Angelos and of course our escort, Panos Panagopoulos, whom I have mentioned in my previous article.

In this excursion we had the opportunity to learn many of the secrets of the mountain, regarding the identification of many herbs, when we collect them and where each one is useful for humans. In addition, Panos presented us basic ways of survival in the forest, one of which was collecting water and filtering it. In the photos you see a structure with a triple filter made of three different materials, with the help of which one can clean the collected water in an easy way.

The wonderful path we walked unfolded along with the river offering us the wonderful sounds of nature, running water, chirping birds and rustling leaves.

On the way, Panos explained to us that when one comes into frequent contact with nature, it starts to “talk” to him and indicate ways of survival or dangerous situations that he should be aware of. The forest itself offers many tools and products to serve man in times of need. For example a certain kind of resin that is good for wounds or can serve as an excellent glue, or a wooded fungus, the bait, which is an excellent solution as kindling.

At one point we reached a hut in the heart of the fir forest. There we made a stop at the monastery table, consumed a small snack and brewed Greek coffee. Then we had the opportunity to learn two or three ways to start a fire in survival situations and to see up close various objects that are good kindlings, ΄΄like the tampon (!), due to the large amount of compressed cotton it contains.

Then it was time for the archery lesson. Panos explained to the children how to stretch the left hand, how to hold the arrow and move their right hand and that by closing one eye they can be clearly more accurate.

Maral and Angelos seemed to quickly find the trick and seemed to enjoy this sport in the green embrace of nature. Of course I didn’t resist taking a few shots myself, but most of the time was spent behind the camera, one of the things I can’t get enough of doing.

We also learned a trick to calculate the time based on the sun, read maps and with the help of a compass and azimuth to plot a course from one point to another avoiding sharp elevation differences. Along with all this, I always, as much as I could, did not forget the details. Below you see part of the skull of a weasel.

That eventful ride up the mountain was topped off with a fried egg with butter and grated fresh truffle on top. All that has value. Healthy environment, good company, delicious food and above all ourselves present. I am grateful for all that is generously offered by life itself and specifically for these walks in the forest of Mainalo, which I will remember each separately and all together as a whole.

Below you can see in a short video everything I mentioned above.

Until the next article have a great time!!!

Walk to Melaontas river

Angelina Helioti 9 March 2023 No Comments

Yesterday, Wednesday, he walked on a path next to the Mylaonta river. With my small group we drove to Elati and from there we took the path that starts from the center of the village and leads through the forest. Those of you who have been reading the blog for a long time may remember that in the summer I had walked again in these places, from Stemnitsa to Elati, about a seven-hour journey. If you want to read the relevant article, click here: STEMNITSA-ELATI TRAIL.

Last time I had bypassed the river, crossing it across rather than across it. And really then I had no idea what I was missing. I had no idea about the little paradise. The perfect place for moments of relaxation and contact with nature. It would be great when the weather warms up to be able to go down to the river again with a book for company and spend a whole day there…

The rain and snow had given life to Mylaon, which starts from Elati and ends at Nymphasia. Then it flows into the Trago river, and together with other small rivers form the Ladon river. We crossed the bridge and headed left. The place was quite dark and damp, and the fir-trees towered above us, some large and some smaller, but all silent and verdant.

The bright color of the water and the sound it made as it crashed against the rocks was all I needed at the time. Birds were chirping, leaves were rustling slightly, small flowers were popping up here and there… it’s obvious that spring is knocking at Mainalo’s door. Unfortunately we didn’t stay long at the river, we mostly enjoyed walking there and didn’t even complete the trail, as it would be night soon. But even that little bit was enough for me to feel well and get fresh energy straight from the forest. We took the way back and in the center of the village we ate rice, pulses, olives and breadsticks with tahini.

I highly recommend you visit Mylaon on a good weather day, especially now that spring is starting and all the snow and rain is swelling the river. The route is suitable for children and adults.

Photography in the snowy forest

Angelina Helioti 22 February 2023 No Comments

It’s been several days now, at the beginning of February, where the first enough snow fell in Stemnitsa and it was a moment I was waiting for maybe since last year in the spring. There are some photography projects that I have envisioned, but I need the right set, light, snowy forest, model, etc. This happens a lot in my mind when it comes to my artistic pursuits. For years I can have ideas about dance performance art, photography, video making or painting and just have to wait for the right conditions to execute it. It takes patience and trust in the vision.

One of those snowy days I had asked my fellow student Despina to model for a photo concept I had. So we started for the forest, about a twenty minute walk from the village. By the time we arrived the sun had come out and a lot of snow had melted and besides we hadn’t had time to prepare properly. So the images we got our hands on are not 100% what I would have liked, but I hope March brings us more snow so I can get another chance to click white landscapes.

A great source of inspiration in my work is ancient Greek (and not only) mythology. The way the girl stood in front of the lens, she strongly referred me to the Nymphs. I have written about them before in another article which you can read by clicking here: NYMPHS. An interesting piece of information is that Nymphs are divided into categories, like Elves in Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythology. One of the classes was the Amadryades (or Dryads), whose name means tree and woman at the same time.

Pines, firs and oaks began to grow the moment an Amadryada’s life began. They were sacred trees with a long lifespan and therefore loggers were forbidden to cut them down. When a Nymph was about to die, first her tree died (withered) on earth. Once upon a time a Nymph, where she danced with her fellows, turned pale when she saw her oak tree swaying, then full of worry she left the dance and soon the bark of the tree withered, the branches fell and at the same time the Nymph’s soul flew away, bidding farewell to the light of the Sun.

It’s beautiful how people have been connected to nature in the past, in all cultures. The fact that they understood that they were part of the rest of creation and therefore must be respected in order to prosper. I think that as man evolves he departs from his nature, but at the same time this leads to his problems. We are a tragic being here… A real development might be that the more we understand the way the universe works, the more we end up knowing nothing. So that we accept everything around us, with confidence, without always wanting to explain it. But we said… the tragedy of man…

My model was lovely and patient, although almost barefoot and freezing she did everything I asked and her spirits remained high.

Thank you Despoina!

And here you see me trying to throw a snowball at Athena who was standing a few meters away. Now I see that Despina here is indeed like a winter fairy the way she holds the snow.

I will soon return to my favorite forest outside Stemnitsa. It’s my sanctuary after all.

Hiking in Kehroti

Angelina Helioti 17 February 2023 No Comments

Good evening! I hope you are well wherever you are, whatever you are doing!

In this article I will share with you a hiking experience in eastern Mainalo mountain, specifically a dolini (sinkhole) in Kehroti, which fascinated me and gave me a great dose of energy. Of course this is due to contact with virgin nature, silence and good company…

I wouldn’t have been able to go on this hike if it weren’t for Panagiotis Panagopoulos. Hmm what can I say about Panos, he does a lot… It’s interesting that he left Athens at the same age as me and coming here created something of his own from scratch. The main thing you need to know is that he has a company here in Mainalo that takes small or even large groups of nature lovers and provides them the opportunity to do various activities, such as “survivor” games in the forest, cooking and staying in nature, hikes and more. Born for sports, lifeguard, mountain companion, skier, diver and the list goes on…

At the beginning, few people knew about the sinkhole in Kehroti, the coldest place in the whole of Greece, which has reached -35 degrees. One of these few peoeple was Panos. Of course now with the internet everything is easy and fast to learn and now many nature lovers and photographers visit the spot. Sinkholes are natural formations that arise in highlands and in general in mountain ranges due to the subsidence of the ground. These formations usually have a small area and are surrounded by higher ridges, which isolate them from the wider atmospheric circulation. Thus, they are characterized by long periods of frost and by extreme values of minimum temperatures. Since November 2010, an automatic meteorological station has been operating in this dolini, which has joined the network of the National Observatory of Athens. The sinkhole in question has a base elevation of 1613m and a rim elevation of 1646m, while it is surrounded by ridges with an altitude of 1700-1800m.

We drove the farm car for quite some time and thanks to the special snow tires, we got a little above the “horse-fountain”. From there we walked to the Kehrotis sinkhole, made a lap in the clearing and entered the forest.

For most of the route I stayed a little further back to take pictures and of course step into the holes left by the tracks of my companion, who had taken on the difficult task of being in front. The snow was pretty deep in most places, at least 60 points and literally our feet were disappearing into it up to our quads. Luckily Panos had given me his own snow boots and most of my feet stayed dry and warm.

The scenery was beautiful as a lie and I felt there was no point in even trying to capture it with the lens. Because it is the overall picture of the landscape that captivates you and makes you happy. But in the end I couldn’t resist trying to capture something with my camera or even with my cell phone. Beyond the big picture and the horizon, as usual, it was the little details that caught my interest.

For example those dry twigs or sprouts on the ground, around which nature had created a crystalline shell. They were like works of art! Like the stalactites that hung like ornaments from the fir branches.

I didn’t hold back and cut such an ornament, but I soon let it fall into the fluffy snow, because my hands were too cold.

Soon we left the clearing behind us and entered the forest. I was starting to get tired, when we slowly reached the point with the most beautiful view. Peaks and slopes of Mainalo white with snow, the sun shining blindingly, the snow glistening and all this in an environment full of silence, even the chirping of birds was part of that silence. More specifically, from that point we had a view of Gelati, the third highest peak of Mainalos, at 1860m altitude. In Tzelati there is the snow cave, where the inhabitants of the wider area used to store cheese products. Maybe we will visit it when there is less snow and the hiking will be easier.

Then we started to descend and reached the cesspool, a water collection cistern used by shepherds several years ago. At that moment the colors the sky took left me speechless. The most beautiful sunset I’ve seen in months. On the way back the sun was standing over the villages of Mainalo crimson, but unfortunately I don’t have a good photo to show you of it, as my lens was frozen. But whatever I showed you would not be a good representation of reality.

In the video below you can see some moments from our hike in Kehroti.

It was a wonderful experience in its simplicity and now I really don’t know which season I prefer more in the forest. They are all uniquely beautiful. The only thing that is certain is that I am left with a sweet hope for more trips to dreamy Mainalos.

Until the next article, have a great time!

Hugs!

Snow and skiing

Angelina Helioti 10 February 2023 No Comments

Good morning beautiful people!

These are days with bad weather all over the country and so here in the mountains we have very low temperatures, snow and wind. In fact the thermometer has reached -10 in Mainalos and already twice the water pipes have frozen in my house, but luckily I dealt with the problem by carefully pouring hot water on them. Today, however, the sun dominates the firmament.

At the same time as the snowstorm, the School of Silversmithing above, where we were to start the exams, was also closed. So I got the chance to ski, something I wanted since last year but didn’t get a chance to try. My company and I have already visited the slopes of the ski resort twice and enjoyed this activity and now I’m looking forward to the next time.

The first contact with the object was of course very funny with a lot of falls and difficulty in getting the lift. Fortunately, we had the excellent sandwiches prepared by my friend Ilias with peanut butter, honey and bananas or blueberries, while hot caramel-scented coffee awaited us in the chalet.

Τhe first day we went there we were the last to leave even after the chalet staff. We walked to the car through the snow on the side of the road. It was so fluffy that our feet disappeared into it, while at the same time there was that wonderful, crunching sound that snow makes under shoes. We wanted to spend the night at the Mainalo refuge right next to the ski resort, but the time was not yet right. Maybe we’ll try it in the next few days. In the video below you can see footage of our first attempt at skiing.

Fortunately the second time thanks to my friend Panagiotis Panagopoulos, who is active in the Mainalo area, we learned the basics like stopping, turning and braking. It was very kind of him to spend his time with my company and me with exercises and instructions on how to ski more correctly. So we went from the green to the blue piste and started to really enjoy skiing. He was the best teacher we could have had, I thank him deeply.

I love it so much up there on the slopes, even though it’s so cold that after a while I can’t feel my face. The snow as it sits on the fir branches and the wooden buildings, so integrated into the landscape. The lift moment ended up being one of my favorites. On the descent it has full adrenaline and forces you to be in the here and now, but also afterwards if you know how to relax, to hold on to the lift and let it take you up, that calm moment when you have nothing else to do but let go, this is also a moment when I can put worries aside and enjoy the climb, in the present. In the next video you can see the difference in my skis.

Just wanted to let you know how my week went.

Until the next article… love yourselves!

Hugs!

A deposit of soul

Angelina Helioti 6 February 2023 No Comments

December 2015

“I don’t know what I’m missing…why the hell! Why shouldn’t I know?! Is there anything worse?? If only I knew and it was hard to find…but if I knew… What will happen to my aching soul now?” ? My head is going to explode! If only I could shut it down…not think for a while. I wish I could…

I want to live. To live for everyone! May I live them all! To make them all live.

It hurts that I can’t do it…I cry, inside…out…it doesn’t matter, right?

I want everything! It’s correct; To want the wind on my face, the sunlight, the eerie sea, the cold of winter, the feeling of tiredness after running…

Love, affection, romance, you and the other…art…my art! I love her. I want dance, theater, music! Mine. For others, to be theirs. To be ours!

I want the mountains, the rivers, the pastures, the plains, the earth and the stars! I want to fly with my heart, with my mind…to touch “it’s mine”. Mine and others’. What unites us…everything.

I want to help. I want to love. I don’t want much…just the caress, the hug, the smile. The hawk to circle above me flying. It’s enough for me to have a beautiful dusk… It’s enough for me to know that the blue butterfly outside on the windowsill will have a beautiful day today…and let it die…a beautiful life…I love it. I love clouds when they are pink. I love the water that drowns me… I love…the one who hurt me and taught me.

[…]

It hasn’t been long since I came to the conclusion that everything works for me and I can’t get enough of anything! My fear? Don’t leave and I don’t have time to do everything. I ache under the weight of the things I want to do. And if I can’t do any of these things…? Someone tell me what to do!

[…]

And when they ask you what’s the worst game you’ve ever played…don’t rush…”LIFE!” tell them!!!

And when they ask you what’s the best joke you’ve heard…again “life” tell them what it is…our favorite lie. The greatest truth we have ever experienced.”

The above excerpt is from the digital diary of a girl named Angelina. Now that girl doesn’t exist. And if you look for her, you won’t find her. Angelina is a girl who has died several times in her past. In her place, a new person is born quite often, she always comes out innocent (that’s what the others call her, she herself doesn’t understand)… I had forgotten about these notes, but a few days ago something led me to look at them again. And I feel like I want to share some things I have inside, maybe some people will find them interesting or even helpful. If they still seem useless to you, throw them in the corresponding bin.

I’ve always heard people say “Have experiences! As many as you can!” or “People are their experiences” or “Try this, that, the other…” and other similar expressions. But I wonder if people understand what this phrase means or why they say it. What comes to my mind is that people think they have been given a sack and the purpose of life is to fill it with stuff. The more and more crazy they can be, the better. To leave full… And is this the meaning of life? Or that they will have a happy and peaceful life anyway? Something is wrong with me…

Indeed, experiences are a beautiful thing. It’s nice through different situations to discover things about the world and maybe discover something about yourself. It feels great to be old and feel like life didn’t pass you by without seeing enough, that you won’t leave complaining that you didn’t experience enough. But I have my doubts that there is any substance to it. The real peace, the bliss. If this is an insatiable desire for things, then you will take it with you after this life. I feel like most people have gone into a hunt for experiences, it’s more like a hunt for happiness.

The truth is, whether you pursue it or not, life is an experience in itself. The most fantastic experience you will live! And you are not spared, it will bring joy, sorrow, loves, friends, enemies, health, sickness, separations and death (another great experience, which most of us do not know how to experience). How many of us really enjoy death…? And I’m telling you again, you can’t save it, it will bring a lot of things!

And even that you live, that you exist, that you wake up and drink tea or coffee with that wonderful, characteristic aroma, that you breathe, that you see the sunlight, the mountains, the sea, other people’s eyes… the touch of your loved one’s hand, hearing a good piece of music, laughing, crying (especially this one)… these are great experiences that most people have not discovered, take for granted . The awe, the excitement is gone! People seem to have forgotten that these in themselves are gifts. They do not see it because there is too much dust added to their eyes and they cannot see clearly. To protect themselves from pain, people wear armor, so that the bad things don’t touch them (separation, something that makes them angry, something that scares them), but that way they don’t even get through the beautiful things (the babbling brook, the laughter of a child, the caress of their partner). Where did people’s sensitivity go? If only they would find the courage to throw away the armor!

It’s about whether you really know how to live. I mean if there is quality in what you live, if you live it consciously, with the understanding that “My God I really live! And that’s enough.” Quality not quantity. This is of course an existential question and I apologize if I have already tired some of them. But I will continue.

What I have understood so far in life, which meditation has helped me a lot, is that ultimately man does not have a sack to fill with a cartload of stuff. He is the sack himself. And no one cares about the sack, everyone cares about what’s in it! No one cares to see how big the sack is, what material it is made of, is it soft, hard, how many dimensions does it extend, the three known or more, does it have any holes or patches? What is this sack anyway?! Where did it sprout from?!

Man is not the rain, the sunshine or the clouds. Man is the sky. And whatever the weather is today, the best thing to do is to enjoy it. Enjoy it while it lasts. But never forget that this is heaven. He is infinite.

If today he has sadness to enjoy sadness, if he has happiness to be able to enjoy happiness, consciously. Many are not able to enjoy this with awareness either.

Man is not his experiences. He is the one who has the experiences. So shall we begin to deal with its essence, the material of which it is made?

I think the issue comes in when things become an end in themselves. And this can happen in love too. That is, when you set love as your life goal. I recently realized that I did and it was a big shock to me! I mean, okay, who doesn’t want to love and be loved?? But ultimately whether you aim for love, or to earn a lot of money, or to gain prestige is the same thing. The spiritual teachers, of course, say that what we have inside us is “longing” for love and not “desire”. It has a different quality. It is from the heart and not from the mind. But what can I say… When the desires are of the mind, of the wicked, life has a lot of pain and it seems like an agonizing vicious circle from which you never escape. And it would be a great relief if these desires stopped suffocating us and paining us at the thought of not living them.

And in panic the man asks: “Am I going to leave without having tried this and that and the other?!” So what; That doesn’t matter, what matters is that whatever comes you know how to live it. You know; Do you master the art of living? Not chasing life, but recognizing that you already have it? Not to chase love, but to recognize that you already have it hidden within you, at the core of your being?

Hmm so I don’t know what else to say. Maybe all of this doesn’t even matter… It’s just some thoughts and some realizations. The desires of the mind are a difficult part, a great suffering… but it is everyone’s choice… There are also the desires of life, where does she want you, there are the desires of the heart and I confess that from now on the thoughts are not coherent my, so i’ll stop…

Maybe I just wanted to remind you this: right now you are somewhere, whether you are sitting in a chair or on the couch, maybe you are on a bus, maybe you are lying in bed, it doesn’t matter, just leave all the goals and the desires of the mind. Do it now, try it! Close your eyes and smile. Let the silence or the commotion around you enter you. Be a watcher! And when you get up from where you are sitting, you observe yourself in space. Enjoy your existence. Take time to realize that you are truly alive! That’s reason enough to celebrate. You don’t have to go anywhere or worry about the future. You just have to know how to live in the moment and a fragrance will emerge… Life is not somewhere else or tomorrow.

Life is here, now.