Smoky Smelly Thursday

In Greece, there is this day called TsiknoPempti. Tsikno comes from the word tsikna, that is the smelly smoke coming from the barbecues when ones cooks meat. Pempti means Thrusday.

So on TsiknoPempti, which is celebrated about two weeks before the carnival, people gather around and barbecue meat and sausages and drink lots of wine and alcohol in general and get dressed, something like a try-on for the carnival with a focus on food!!

Patras is Greece's capital in what concerns the carnival manifestations. So whatever is related to the carnival, it is celebrated here in its full glory!

TsiknoPempti is not an exception and the whole city becomes a huge barbecue!! It's a foggy day in Patras this day!! People place small barbecues on the streets and cook souvlakia and sausages and the alcohol flows like there is no tomorrow! And music and dance and lots of crazy stuff is also involved!

This photo is taken in a small alley in the center of Patras, which has become so foggy by the tsikna!


Kodak Tri-X 400 b&w film, developped in TMax Dev., scan from negative.