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Children's crossing in Greece
Kithira, V.2002; pict. T. Vandendriessche
While most Children's crossings in Greece are of a modern type, some older designs can stil be found. The older design is clearly superior to the more recent creations which are rapidly declining towards match-stick drawings.

The weathered find from Kithira is an excellent showcase. Notice the detail in the drawing. These are real children carrying a bookbag which is far too heavy. They have a face, realistic legs and clothing and hair. Look at the hair of the girl: a gloomy day turns bright, this is collector's heaven —Monsieur Jean - coiffeur is certainly preparing the launch of a new fashion in his salon.

Additional observations:
+ It is the girl who cares for the boy. She doesn't drag him like on signs of the UK-group. She just protects him.
+ The bags on the old sign are on the outside. That is almost never the case but for countries like The Gambia and Zimbabwe where the girl also is in control.

 Weathered team members will readily notice that the panel at hand carries a famous brand! The baseline of the triangle features the Pirelli logo with the long P stretched out almost across the entire width.

Other sponsored signs can be found in France and Austria.
 
Rhodes, Eleousa, 1997 Meteora, Kalambaka, V.2008; pict. H. De Meyer
 
+ On the modern signs positions and responsabilities are swapped. The design comes closer to the old drawings from many other European countries where the boy is responsable (f.e. Portugal).
+ The new drawing also adheres to the convention : if the boy holds the arm of the girl then she holds her book-bag with that arm. The bookbag is therefore found in between both persons (f.e. Brazil, Belgium, etc.). That's of course not possible if they hold hands (f.e. Italy, Belgium).

 
Konitsa, V.2008; pict. H. De Meyer Konitsa, V.2008; pict. H. De Meyer Ioanina, V.2008; pict. H. De Meyer
 
Weird things are going on in modern Greek roadsigns. Some of them cause of a vehement exchange of ideas within the team. I'm not expecting a consensus any time soon.
 
The sign from Kalambaka shows apparently normal children — that's how we prefer them, at least on road signs. Now take a closer look at the boy's head, the back of his head in fact. Isn't that a second face? Could this be Janus? He came from Greece, we all know that. Did the artist wanted to show that the boy in caring for his sister is growing from youth to adulthood? Who shall tell?

The next find shows the start of several trends.
+ First the children are slightly inclining forward. They are upright in Konitsa and eventually they incline backward in Ioanina.
+ They are gradually losing their smooth curves and become rather unrealistic: the heads, the boy's foot, his hand.

 Several new features pop-up in the center sign.
+ The arms appear interrupted. Some people in our team think these are reflective safety armbands. I think it's a slot where the another child's hand can click in so they keep together (even form lines during class walks).
+ Did you notice that the girl succeeded in smuggling a sledge hammer out of her father's shack? I find this particularly disquieting, given the way some schools make it to the media.

The Ioanina couple has a problem: key and lock don't fit! But their parents supplied them with reflective legbands to improve their safety. Notice: the bands go on each leg. Then why not on each arm also? That's easy: because the arms are equipped with slots, not with armbands. QED
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More roadsigns from Greece: Men at work - Falling rocks