Alonissos, The Painter's Circle

Alonissos stretches low on the horizon, its ochre shore anchored against a wide stretch of cobalt.

A deep quiet seems to settle over everything here. The warm ochre and terracotta of the shore hold their own against all that blue. You can see the little flecks of white where light catches the waves and the fronts of the buildings. See how the paint is smoother on the water, but gets thick and textured on the stone? It lets your eye drift from the rough ground out into the open sea. The light comes in so gently from the side, shaping things without any harshness, letting the cool shadows gather in the hollows. A small sail, way out there. The hour holds itself, unhurried, and the quiet of the circle rests at the edge of the water.