Mytilene, Caïques in Harbor, Crowd

Mytilene's quay at midday, caïques packed three deep, the crowd drawn to the water's edge.

There's a gentle energy to this port, a feeling of life moving at its own pace. Your eye just follows the crowd gathering along the waterfront. The people are just gestures, quick strokes of paint. And see how the whitewashed buildings in the distance soften into the air? The colors are so clear—that deep azure sea against the warm wood of the boats. The brushwork is confident on the rigging, but then it seems to dissolve into light on the water, with thick little dabs of paint catching the sun. The hum of a working port carries softly across the bay, settling into the slow rhythm of an ordinary afternoon.