By Nicolas Bard

Just outside Serres, on Mount Kerkini and at an altitude of 278 meters, the lower Poria, one of the most picturesque villages of Serres, are built. This small village, which now has about 400 permanent residents, is very close to the beautiful Lake Kerkini, which is one of the most important birds of birds in our country. As can be easily understood, the area stands out for its great natural beauty, but also for yet another special feature: the paintings that “dress” the settlement from end to end, and represent life there, as they were in the past.

In front of the facades of old shops, Eleni Karafloudi and Kleoniki Zidou took the initiative and within a few months gave life to these closed shops with their… brushes. The once silent village has gained life again, and those who pass through there to admire the paintings and photograph in front of these special creations. Once the village was full of life and the two women wanted to somehow imprint this lost glamor, so that it would not be forgotten by anyone. Especially now that the village day by day is shrinking …

In the majority the inhabitants of the village are now elderly and retired. They look at their place with brutal eyes to be deserted, but they do not leave there. They love their village and want to see it again come to life. They remember melancholy in the old days, which, though difficult, had each other and a lot of love. She helped them overcome everything and stand on their feet. The village once had 300 children at school, and there you could find everything: from cafes and butchers to hairdressers, blacksmiths, grocery stores and grocery stores. Now, few stores are open to serve locals and visitors.

The village’s Cultural Association provided some colors to Helen and Cleoniki, the masters helped renovations on the exterior of the buildings, and the two women put all their art and passion to put color again in the village. And they did! Wherever you turn your gaze, you will see a beautiful painting out, telling a story and traveling you back in time. You will see figures smiling, vibrant colors and a widespread sweet melancholy, which will undoubtedly put you in thoughts about today and tomorrow. The purpose of these paintings was to instill life in the old, empty buildings and to capture the life that once existed in the lower Poria.

The village is referred to as Porors in Strabo’s “Geography”, while most residents in the area are refugees from Pontus, Eastern Romulus and Asia Minor. In the majority, the inhabitants are farmers and farmers, faithful to their traditions and very hospitable, while the patron of the village is Saint John the Baptist celebrated on August 29th. About 14 kilometers outside the village is the artificial lake of Kerkini, formed in 1932 by the creation of a dam on the Strymon River. The lake today is an important wetland, protected by the Ramsar Convention and belongs to the Natura 2000 network.

In the wider area of ​​Kerkini we find many species of mammals, such as the jackal, the wolf, the wildcat, the otter, the weasel, the roe, the hare, the wild boar and much more. There are also 10 species of amphibians and about 20 species of reptiles. The aquarium is also extremely rich, as there are 30 species of fish, most notably eels and ticks, while about 300 bird species have been recorded in the area around the lake. The silver pelican and the lag them live there are unique species in the world, and are threatened with extinction. In the lake, of course, there is also the largest population of buffaloes in Greece, estimated to exceed 4,000.

The afternoon stroll through the lake, as the sun sets and the creature is painted in vibrant colors, is one of the most beautiful images you will see. Stop for a few minutes, enjoy the vastness of the lake, take a deep breath and take a break from the fast and demanding rhythms of our lives. This may be the best gift you can make to yourself.