Mediterranean Home

I spent some time here during my time in Kythera Greece. The beauty of the white washed homes with blue shutters never gets old. Originally they painted the houses white to make the stone, that the houses were built from, cooler. The blue paint for the doors and shutters was left over from the paint used on the fishing boats. In the middle of the 20th century, in order to slow down the spread of cholera, the Greek authorities made it compulsory for the houses on the Greek islands be painted white with Lime which acted as a disinfectant. Apparently around the 1960's it was a law at one stage that all houses be white washed with blue shutters to encourage patriotism and nationalism. It really does look every so beautiful. The rules are more relaxed now but even so, this tradition continues. Greece is a country steeped in history, blessed with beauty and a great subject for a painting.