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In conversation | Cultural ambassador

Bottom: “To
Mr. Franklin
A. Ford”
(performance
for G. Seferis).
Κάτω: «Προς τον
κύριο Φράνκλιν
Α. Φορντ»
(παράσταση για
τον Γ. Σεφέρη).
Does Kavala inspire you? How?
Of course it inspires me, otherwise I would not be able to do
anything. The city of Kavala is marked, one could say, by the
tobacco era. That was its golden age, the Inter-War Years. It
was a cosmopolitan city, with the bittersweet essence of to-
bacco. I walk around cities. You can inhale the energy of a city
by aimlessly through it, walking without a purpose really, tak-
ing a dog for a walk, where in this case the “dog” may be you,
as you may not have a dog. That is what I say, in jest. They ask
“Where are you going?” and I answer “I’m taking the dog for
a walk”, and I am the dog. Well, the dog guides me, and al-
ways discovers something along the way. If you let him roam
around something always turns up, so I trust the dog’s nose.
What parts of the city must people definitely visit?
The ancient theatre of Philippi, the archaeological site which
search of adventures, and he’s not Sinbad the is now protected by UNESCO, the castle, the docks, the Old
Sailor. He wants to return to his home, his Town (Panagia), the boatyards, Profitis Ilias Church, the route
homeland; so in a sense, he wants to return to from Palaia Kavala, the water way trail, Kamares – all of these
himself, which is very important. “The Odys- are must-sees, and ideal for aimless wanderings. Kavala has
sey” will be strewn on the beach, in the boat- been blessed geographically and has abundant energy, which
yard, in the lighthouse, because it has a ma- just requires discovering. The great Kavala experience involves
rine theme. It will be heard in translation, and walking, listening to the sounds of the tobacco warehouses.
of course in the Modern Greek of the inimi- Make a map of the warehouses and walk alone, no telephone,
table Maronitis, as well as in the Cretan and to listen to the voices, sounds and whispers of Kavala back in
Pontic dialects by Giorgos Psychountakis and the day. Tie a piece of rope from the first to the last warehouse
Giorgos Kotanidis respectively. Many people and walk, without a phone, to listen to the sounds and mel-
will participate, various rappers will perform; odies, with your nose wide open, to smell the tobacco. And
it will be a large-scale artistic event based then, take a walk around Panaghia, that amazing part of the
around “The Odyssey”, almost like a cele- city that has remained intact, not torn down like other parts, Maria Kalogiorgi
bration. I think Kavala puts on its best outfit so that you can admire the city from above.
every summer and wears its Festival. Έργάζεται στο θέατρο τα τελευταία τριάντα πέντε χρόνια

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