Author: Katerina Papathanasiou

Life by Katerina Papathanasiou
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Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy products in their original composition

600-Year Old Pharmacy Sells Catherine de’ Medici’s Perfume

Just a stone’s throw away from Florence’s busy Santa Maria Novella train station stands a 600-year-old pharmacy that started as an infirmary. This establishment is renowned for creating sweet-smelling elixirs and skincare products that draw customers from around the world. Beyond selling modern-day perfumes and cosmetics, Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is a preserve of ancient monastic history and tradition. Read along to find out more about this unique, centuries-old pharmacy that may be the oldest in the world today.

Travel by Katerina Papathanasiou
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man playing the guitar at Atlantis Book's main entrance

Greece Is the Word—Discover the Magic of Santorini’s Atlantis Books

Greece has served a pivotal role in the areas of history, philosophy, democracy, and especially language. For a time, it was the center of the world—a cultural mecca with an influence that lives on to this day. In addition to its storied place in time, Greece—particularly the island of Santorini—boasts an aesthetic backdrop unrivaled by any place on Earth. It is remarkably difficult to resist its beguiling beauty. Just ask the owners of Atlantis Books.

Culture by Katerina Papathanasiou
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Naked woman submerged in water surrounded by four TV devices

Social Distancing and Isolation Through Anna Radchenko’s Lens

Humans weren’t made to live in isolation. Being social and forming meaningful relationships has a positive effect on mental health. In fact, the impact of being social is so profound that it can help to ward off depression and even lower the risk of dementia. What does that mean in a world where being social can also mean sharing a potentially deadly disease? When trendy catchphrases are “social distancing” and “stay home,” can virtual connections be as meaningful? Photographer and director Anna Radchenko seeks to explore these ideas in her two capsule-photography series, “The Melancholy Rooms” and “Baby Cribs.”

Culture by Katerina Papathanasiou
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dog posing for a photo next to the castle Anonymouse MMX built at Bradda Head on the Isle of Man

Swedish-Based Art Collective Creates Magic on the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man, a tiny, self-governing British Crown dependency situated between Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales in the heart of the Irish Sea, features prominently in Britain’s history of scintillating storytelling. A proud population of around 80,000 Manx occupy this mythical territory, and most are keen to preserve its rich connection to traditional fairy folklore. And they’ve recently gotten some help from an outside source.

Life by Katerina Papathanasiou
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billy barr growing his garden inside his Gothic cabin

billy barr: The Snow Guardian of the Colorado Rocky Mountains

By 1973 billy barr was the only permanent resident of Gothic. A year into his stay in Gothic, barr started to document the weather, mainly as a way to pass the time. For more than 40 winters, he has kept meticulous notes on the behavior of the snow in the area. Twice a day, barr collects information on snowfalls, temperatures, and the animals which come in and out of his area of the Rockies.

Travel by Katerina Papathanasiou
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bathtub in abandoned house at Kolmanskop ghost town

Kolmanskop: Inside the Eerie Ghost Town of Namib Desert

By now, you have seen reports on the news of once-thriving cityscapes and bustling urban areas reduced to stagnant wastelands as COVID-19 coronavirus infections spread. New York’s Time Square and Piccadilly Circus in London, two neighborhoods typically choked with throngs of people all day and every day, currently stand vacant. These images are not too dissimilar to the desolate views of Kolmanskop, a ghost town in southern Africa’s Namib Desert.

Life by Katerina Papathanasiou
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astronaut on a toilet seat

Mayday: An Astronaut’s Guide to Learning to Cope With Isolation

There are a select few who know the pains (both physical and mental) associated with prolonged periods of isolation. Astronauts like Scott Kelly, who spent time on the International Space Station, and D. Marshall Porterfield, NASA’s former Space Life and Physical Sciences Division Director, are all too familiar with the concept of coping with a life spent, periodically, at arm’s length (or longer). Here are some tips on how to live with those overwhelming feelings of loneliness—straight from the experts.