We promised to reveal the secret of Kastoria’s wealth: it was somewhat improbably based on the fur trade. We understand that, initially, people in Kastoria caught beavers and made them into coats – but then they ran out of beavers. So they started importing pelts, particularly mink, from elsewhere (maybe Denmark before they had to kill all the mink?) and became expert at stitching them together. Although fur became less popular in the West, the place was still extremely popular with Russians – until their economy tanked. So the town has lost thousands of jobs, but there are still fur factories and shops all over the place – mostly advertising their wares with what look to Sue and me like posters from another time and place. (Russian hooker chic?)
Just so you don’t get a one-sided view of the Kastorians’ attitudes to animals, there are however, many, many very friendly geese in town – clearly well-fed and well-loved.
Waw. The byzantine plus Russian hooker chic – what a mix! Good fun xx
This is the pleasure of being here – tiny churches inside car parks, Greek Orthodox priests in full garb everywhere surrounded by girls in leisurewear so close-fitting that they don’t appear to be wearing underwear (perhaps they’re not?), tasteless town art and exquisite frescoes – and tonight we discover that the hotel has turned on the heating because the temperature has dropped to 25 in the day. Such contradictions.
I’m imagining the people in the fur shops as fat men with cigars, and heavily jewelled and accented women. Tell me you went in?
Love the photo of the lake
I wish we had, but we were a bit intimidated by the heavy furs in the window and overall air of seedy elegance. Current holiday attire plus camera would have indicated that we weren’t serious!
Extraordinary story. The ads and the poster women look just like the ‘real thing’ in Poland and Hungary in the 90s.
At one stage, the workshops in the town were handling 90% of the global mink trade which seems completely extraordinary to me…
Perhaps they could make up for the lost fur sales by going into foie gras production – equally cruel and equally loved by the mindless rich!
This would NOT be well received by the goose and duck loving people of the town….and the geese are currently v trusting..