Προηγούμενη σελίδα

Δύο Ολλανδέζες γυναίκες δίνουν μια λεπτομερή και πλήρη εικόνα της ζωής, στο πράσινο ορεινό νησί της Θάσου στο βόρειο Αιγαίο πέλαγος. Οι κάτοικοι της Θάσου έμαθαν από τους προγόνους τους να ζούνε σε αρμονία με τη φύση και να χρησιμοποιούν ότι αυτή προσφέρει απλόχερα. Περιγράφουν τη χλωρίδα και την πανίδα, την κουλτούρα της ελιάς, τη μελισσοκομία, το ψάρεμα και την παραγωγή τοπικών προϊόντων. Καθώς συζητούν με γηραιότερους γείτονες, μαθαίνουν για τις γεμάτες δυσκολίες ζωές τους. Η μουσική, η τέχνη, οι πεποιθήσεις και τα παραδοσιακά πανηγύρια δεν ξεχνιούνται. Οι συνταγές, οι ιστορίες, τα ποιήματα και τα ανέκδοτα συνθέτουν σε αυτό το βιβλίο ένα ”ζωντανό” μωσαϊκό και έναν ξεχωριστό τουριστικό οδηγό. Ένα στολίδι για όλους όσους έχουν μια αδυναμία στην Ελλάδα.

Η Roos Gruwel ταξίδεψε στη βορειοανατολική Ευρώπη σαν φοιτήτρια. Μετά την ολοκλήρωση των σπουδών της στην Ολλανδική γλώσσα και στη Βιολογία, εργάστηκε ως δασκάλα στη τριτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση. Όταν μετακόμισε στη Θάσο το 1987 μαζί με την Truus van de Mast (απεβίωσε το 1998) ξεκίνησαν έναν ορειβατικό σύλλογο. Η Roos έγραψε ορειβατικούς οδηγούς σε τρεις γλώσσες και ξεναγούσε ορειβατικές ομάδες για πολλά χρόνια. Καθώς έμαθε πολλά από τους ντόπιους του νησιού, σκέφτηκε ότι αυτή η γνώση δεν πρέπει να πάει χαμένη. Έτσι ήρθε η ιδέα να γράψει ένα βιβλίο για το νησί. Ευτυχώς η Roos γνώρισε την Βαρβάρα και μαζί το υλοποίησαν.

Από το σπίτι η Μπάρμπαρα Γιαννάκου – Teunissen έμαθε να κοιτάζει πέρα από τα σύνορα και από μικρή ήθελε να μάθει ξένες γλώσσες και να ταξιδέψει. Στη διάρκεια της ζωής της στη Θάσο της άρεσε να ακούει τις ιστορίες από τους γηραιότερους για τη ζωή τους στο παρόν αλλά και στο παρελθόν. Θαύμαζε την εμπειρία στη ζωή και τις ικανότητές τους. Με την Roos μιλούσαν πολύ για τη ζωή στο νησί. Η ευρεία γνώση της Roos για τη φύση και η δεξιότητα στη γραφή της Μπάρμπαρα τις έκαναν να αποφασίσουν να γράψουν αυτό το βιβλίο για τον άνθρωπο και τη φύση στη Θάσο.

 

Two Dutch women give a detailed and full image of life on the green, mountainous island of Thassos in the North Aegean sea. The Thassian inhabitants learned form their ancestors to live in harmony with nature and to use everything it offers so generously. They describe the flora and fauna, the olive culture, bee-keeping, fishing and the manufacture of local products. As they talk with elder neighbours you learn about their hard lives. Music, art, believes and traditional celebrations are not forgotten. Recipes, stories, poems and anecdotes make this book a lively mosaic, and different travel guide. A jewel for all those who have a soft spot for Greece.
Roos Gruwel travelled as a student to south eastern Europe. After her studies in Dutch language and Biology, she worked as a teacher on highschool. When she moved to Thassos with Truus van de Mast (died in 1998), they started a hiking enterprise in 1987. Roos wrote hiking guides in three languages and guided hiking groups for many years. As she learned a lot from the people of the island, she thought this knowledge should not be lost. So came the idea of writing a book about the island. Fortunately Roos met Barbara and together they accomplished it.
At home Barbara Giannakou-Teunissen learned to look beyond frontiers, and as a young girl she wanted to learn foreign languages and travel. During her life on Thassos she liked to listen to the stories of elder people about their lives now and in the past. She admired their life experience and abilities. With Roos they talked a lot about life on the island. Roos’ wide knowledge of nature and Barbara’s writing ability made them decide to write this book about man and nature on Thassos.
ISBN

978-618-5246-04-4

Αριθμός σελίδων

306

Διάσταση βιβλίου

16x24cm

ΟΙ ΣΥΓΓΡΑΦΕΙΣ

Roos Gruwel and Barbara Giannakou-Teunissen have both spent over twenty-five years on Thassos,
a Greek island in the North Aegean sea.

Roos travelled to Greece and the Balkans as a student, in search of new worlds to explore. After an education in biology and Dutch language and literature, she worked in secondary education for seven years. When the smaller schools started to disappear, she decided to migrate, and live closer to nature. In 1987, she came to the island of Thassos, together with Truus van der Mast. They initially worked in hotels. After a few years, Roos boldly went and started a hiking business. She wrote a hiking guide in three languages, and guided groups from Western Europe. She knows the hiking routes on the island like the back of her hand. She actively took part in the live of the islanders, which involves the olive harvest, folk dances and gathering food from nature.
Gradually she learned how these people live in - and along with – nature, which yielded great stories, to share with guests in the hiking groups. To immortalise this valuable body of knowledge, writing this book came as a natural course of action. When Truus passed away, the development of this project stagnated. Luckily she came to meet Barbara and they soon decided to write this book together.

Barbara studied Spanish language and literature and spent thirteen years as a social-cultural worker for Spanish immigrants in Utrecht, the Netherlands. She moved to Thassos in 1989, together with her Greek husband, returning to his birth place. Going from city life to an outdoor life on a Greek island village is a great transition. She worked here as a Spanish teacher and as a representative for Dutch and German tourists. In her own words: “I have always been a villager. I was born in a village at the Veluwezoom, at the boundary between the forests and fields. I learned to widen my gaze to other countries, and travelled through Western Europe and Latin America at a young age. I love to communicate with people of all ages, professions and cultures. The human being has always been a central theme in my travels, but outdoor life has been a great appeal too. Taking care of your own food, physical activity, having time and taking time, for everything, for a chat with the neighbours, a hike, a book, making music, preparing food, and good company. Over here, I have been cooking Greek food from the first day onward. Nature and the islanders taught me a lot. It is the least I can do, to pass some of this on to others.”