digitally composited image, 2006

Pella, Macedonia, Greece, May
Lilies

The Aliakmon River drains into the Thermaikos Bay of northern Greece. It banks are filled with black, white and gray pebbles that have traveled the river’s route from the heart of mountainous Macedonia, from where my father’s parents emigrated.

The people of the broad plains collected these pebbles to make the intricate mosaics that documented the natural wealth and heroic lore of the region. It was from Pella, the ancient Hellenistic capital that Alexander left to conquer the known world. He had walked on the mosaic floors of those villas. These have been excavated during the past thirty years.

Down the road a field of day lilies was in bloom.