Photography by Konstantinos Sofikitis

8

Some places resiliently resist the passage of time, retaining their essence despite the relentless flow of time. Pindos is one such place. Here, on the rugged slopes of Baros and Verliga, time flows differently, paced by the slow steps of mules on cobblestone paths and the sun painting the mountain peaks.

For nearly a week, we roamed these landscapes, seeking moments where light, scenery, and human presence weave a unique narrative. From dozens of photographs, Konstantinos Sofikitis selected twelve magnificent images that form a visual diary of this experiences.

“When you arrive in Pindos,” he explains, “the first thing that strikes you is the light. It’s different here – clearer, sharper. Each hour of the day brings its own color palette. Dawn unveils soft pinks and oranges sliding across the slopes, midday light is harsh and revealing, and dusk… dusk is magical. Mountain shadows stretch like ink over valleys, while the last rays of sunlight gild the peaks.”

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His photographs capture this light’s transformation and the coexistence of the majestic and the everyday. A winding road threading up the slopes resembles a fine thread stitched into the mountainside. Elderly women chatting on a balcony, framed by stacks of firewood and clothespins, evoke timelessness, a scene that could belong to any decade of the last century.

“What captivated me most,” Sofikitis says, “is how nature and humanity have found balance here. Stone houses seem to emerge organically from the rock as if they’ve always been there. Paths follow the earth’s natural curves. Even the animals—the mules standing proud at the cliff’s edge against the sunset—are inseparable from this landscape.”

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“Each photograph I selected tells a different part of the Tzoumerka story. There’s the grandeur of the mountains and the intimacy of small moments. The solitude of the peaks and the warmth of human presence. I wanted to show that this place isn’t merely a breathtaking backdrop – it’s a living, breathing entity that evolves yet remains constant.”

This journey serves as a reminder that places still exist where time flows at a different pace. Where the past isn’t a distant memory but a living presence harmoniously coexisting with the present. These images aren’t just records of a landscape—they’re portraits of a place that continues to tell its story, in its own, unique way.