"The people who live on the coastline of the Mediterannean Sea, usually work as fishermen, sailors, merchants, olive oil producers, vine growers and now they also work with tourism and ecotourism. The same applies for the people who live on the Greek islands and seaside villages "
 Eleni,11 years old
 
Eleni is a pupil of the 6th grade and together with her classmates decided to work on this project. 
They collected information about the sea proffessions and the life of the people who live by the seaside.
They named their project "Living by the sea", they gathered pictures and they wrote the story of an old man, named Konstantis. 

“Konstantis, the old man”

“It is Sunday morning and Konstantis, an old-man now, drinks his ouzo with sardines and octopuses  at the kafenio * coffee house , listening to a sea song, “Blow little wind, blow…” while old memories from his childhood when he lived on his favourite island become alive again: small boats, yellow nets, swimming and diving with the other boys, fishing with his grandfather, talking with the lighthouse keeper in the sunset. He has still got the taste of his mum’s fish soup! Happy moments!

But sad memories also fill his eyes with tears: the time of farewell with sad faces in the house. He remembers his Mum with tears in her eyes  packing his Dad’s things for his next taxithi*sea trip  in the faraway  seas. His father was a captain in a cargo ship and Konstantis might not see him for a long time, maybe months or years. He remembers his grandfather’s silence, his own crying and his hugs to his father, begging him not to leave.

He remembers stories about faraway seas and harbours, stories about risky sponge men and sad farewells; but then the joyful welcomes and the fun he had in the fairs of his island with all that music and dancing all day and night long!

Konstantis, an old man now, gets nostalgic of those days. He knows that those days will not come back, but they will stay alive in his mind and heart as long as he lives”.

This story is dedicated to every child who has got a grandfather like Konstantis, the old-man.....


P.S.Τhe story depicts the hardships of the Greek people who tried to  make  a living working with the sea as fishermen or seafarers. They tried to support their families working on small boats or on cargo ships, staying away from their beloved ones  for months or even years. They even worked as spongemen diving into the depths of the sea looking for sponges, putting their life at risk. Life wasn't easy for the Greek families for many decades. However there were also happy moments, with the happy sound of the church bells, with a lot of dancing and singing when the men of the island came back home safe with their pockets full of money and presents for  everyone, for little Konstantis, too...