Join me on my travels in Greece

Join me on my travels in Greece​

It is more than 25 years since I first set eyes on the cotton fields near Thessaloniki in Greece. How wonderful to see those endless carpets of white tufts. The sun was low in the sky – the perfect light for the photos of our natural colour creations. The next time I saw cotton fields was on our visit to Gujarat in India. There too I gazed in wonder at the tall bushes loaded with soft fluffy cotton balls. We met passionate people there who were teaching others how to grow cotton organically. It is about reviving knowledge of crop rotation, natural fertilisers and innovative irrigation using methods created in Israel, where the desert has been made to bloom.

Read more:
Manufacturing »   Washing & care »

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Organic cotton

Organic cotton

Almost all our jersey fabric has been made in Greece for many years. Back in the early 90s, a group of men got together and decided to start developing organic cotton production and farming. One of them had a lab in his cellar where he worked on producing dyes from plant materials. Such a long time ago!

 

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Jersey knit fabric

During our trip to Greece, we also visit the factory where the jersey fabric is knitted. Unbleached yarns are being wound, rolled and knitted as far as the eye can see. Knitting machines are set up to produce the designs required. We take photos and videos of the scene. They’ll be useful back home as documentation. Everything we see is highly digitalised and state-of-the-art. Such a difference to how it used to be when the factory was filled with dust and noise from the machines.
 

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We are shown around and are impressed by the large treatment plant next to the dyehouse at the Colora facility in Thessaloniki. All of the purified water from the factory is transferred to the municipal water treatment facility for further purification. Fibres and sludge from the process are formed into hard blocks and then sold and used for surfacing roads.


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Charming Thessaloniki

Located on the coast of the Aegean Sea, the city of Thessaloniki boasts a rich cultural scene and an ancient history from the Byzantine era, and other periods too. Here you can sit drinking coffee outdoors all year round - unless cloudy skies bring heavy rains, of course.

 

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The many fascinating shops in the narrow alleyways sell handwoven baskets, turquoise and orange hand-painted crafts, spicy foods, pastries and much, much more.

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The Museum of Byzantine Culture

was a real treat. When we visited it, there were massive sculptures in the museum’s courtyard which were absolutely fascinating. It was like travelling back through time to ancient Greece.

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Sandanski

Sandanski

This is the location of the Venus garment factory. A white building with green trees, a small chapel and a hillside with solar panels. Diana and I go out on the terrace where there are tables for eating lunch. There are lemon trees growing on the hillside - forgot to take a picture.

 

Employees are driven to and from work by a bus provided by the factory, as there is no public transport in this small town. The factory is certified/inspected.

 

Read more about certifications and our green values »

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We loved the harbour and seafront in Thessaloniki. Olive trees, a lighthouse and harbour warehouse, and a mirror-like sea before the rain poured down.

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Are you a #gudrunista? 

Share your style, tag your posts with #gudrunista and follow us on Instagram @gudrunsjoden. Maybe we’ll use your picture on our website or in our social media channels! 

Looking for inspiration?
Meet other colourful Gudrunistas here »