Palace in Wonderland

Traditionally in these parts, one lives in the local town or village and has a plot of land somewhere farther afield. If the plot of land contains a significant quantity of almond, plum or olive trees it may also contain a little stone cottage comprising four walls, a roof, one window, one door, a fireplace and a bed. This is so that when the weather is too hot and sunny or too cold and rainy to continue with the harvest it is possible to take shelter, make something nourishing and have a little lie down until such time as work can continue.

If the plot of land contains livestock there will be some kind of animal shelter made from an assortment of recycled materials. This is one of a collection on a plot of land belonging to Nikos Amazonias (Amazonian Nikos). This is not his real name and neither is he really Amazonian, but the Greek habit of naming children after their grandparents means that cousins all have the same name, and because people hardly ever move away, there ends up being several people in the village with the same name. So nick-names are adopted. 

This plot is particularly eye-catching but notoriously difficult for a rank amateur such as myself to photograph, I have made many attempts. Nikos is without doubt the most original shed builder in the neighbourhood and likes to decorate his plot with strange characters. It is quite difficult to make out the 4' high Disney princess to the left of the shed. She has replaced the giant fairground teddy bear which slowly rotted away.

I love the imagination used by the locals when recycling. My favourite touch being a flip-flop reincarnated as a gate hinge. Maybe I'll blip that one day :-)