Saturday, October 18, 2014
Fishinthepan (Tavari-Lesvos, Sept 2013)
Have you ever experienced, while been in this organized world with its tight schedule (actually you know really it's in your mind) and then unexpectedly you find yourself in a spot where things are flowing more natural and easy, unpredictable and time doesn't move so straight? I know, you're probably thinking about Osho Afroz. Well, yes, and then, Afroz didn't root accidentally in this island. So, I'm talking today about discoverous routes that you can ake in the islandof Lesvos and find yourself in places like Kyr-Panagiotis fish taverna. Those who get impressed by the light will constrain themselves in the fancy tavernas that flock one side of the Tavari bay. At the end of the other side, just in front of the small port for the fishing boats, a blue door and three tables on the sand under the tree and dim light. Panagiotis works alone but he always has company. The day these photos were taken, a few old fishermen and a couple from Belgium that come every year after year and seem "adopted by him. If there is fish-that is if Panagiotis caught stuff in his nets-you eat. If the weather was bad, you starve-that's why we always call before going.
Soon as we gave our starving order, I went to the kitchen to chat with him. While he was frying today's catch the Belgian lady was making the salad. If she wasn't there, I would be making it. Cause that's how it goes here. Ofcourse, it's not like this with everyone. But he and I are friends. And then, mostly, if not always, friends come to eat here and enjoy his company. So he's frying the fish in the pan that looks smoked from history and the cats are gathering out of the window. It's a little strange to see a strong man like him-very strong in his 70's- to demonstrate so much attention and care for cats. But, I understand that he has chosen to live alone in this part of his life, and, cats have the advantage of not talking, if you know what I mean.
And it's strange to realize, that even thought I knew he was a sailor before he came back to live here, yet I had an image of him in my mind, as the fisherman who hasn't been a lot far away from the range of his nets. But that day I was there with the very good friend Tarla from Israel and the guy goes "where are you from?" "From Haifa". "Oh, I've been there, I also had a loverwoman there". And he starts reciting the places and harbours that he's been to, all around the globe, and in everyone of them there was a woman (he been loyal to each one of them) and while I'm listening to their conversation I'm like: "my human, we should be fishing the pan and you should be teaching this stuff"!!! So, for me, going to his place is not just about eating fresh fish from the net to the pan, been there is also coming to a resourseful state...
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