Despite being next to the ‘main’ road, it was a very
peaceful night and we didn’t really notice any traffic until after 07:00 – I
can only assume that lorries use the motorways that would be a much greater
distance but probably quicker and more fuel-efficient.
We continued on the 111 through mountain scenery until we turned off at Levidi
to find the site of Ancient Orchomenos of Attica. The site is on a hill with a
view over two fertile plains, surrounded by mountains. It dates back to, at
least, the 8th Century BC and at that time it was the seat of the
kings of Arcadia. We drove through the narrow streets of the hamlet of
Orchomenos and found the marked parking area. The acropolis was also signed and
we walked up hill to find a reception building. We weren’t expecting that and
even less the friendly greeting in English from the custodian who told us that
she would give us a guided tour. The lady had studied Ancient Greek at
university and her knowledge of the site and area were very good. It was great
to have the extra information beyond the information boards and to have someone
to answer our questions. We were particularly impressed by the bouleuterion,
the meeting place of the city council (the Boule) where political and practical
decisions were taken. The building was on the edge of the agora (market place)
and would have had a row of columns inside. Windows on one side gave light and
breeze, as well as views of the plains and mountains. The theatre on the side
of the hill just below the bouleuterion shared those lovely views.
The guide also told us that the ancient Greek name for the city meant ‘many
sheep’ and that still applied today. I mentioned that we had seen many herds
controlled only by dogs and no shepherd. She told us that some farmers used
drones to monitor their flocks whilst they also used tracker chips on the dogs.
Great to see how the traditional farmers are adopting modern technology.
We had intended to go on to Mantinea, another site about 30 minutes away but we
knew that it closed at 15:00 and we would be short of time to see it. Instead,
we had lunch in the van and then continued on our route to Githio. This took us
past the, now closed, Mantinea site but opposite the site Aghios Fotini is an
intriguing church, actually a combination of church and temple. Built in the
1970’s and 80’s, it is eccentric both inside and out and it is well worth a
visit. The mosaics inside were fun and the two buildings in the grounds were
also interesting. Although it is opposite the archaeological site and it
appears to incorporate many ancient features, none of the material was taken
from the site.
We drove on to Gythio and the Gythio Beach Campsite. The site is next to the
beach and won the ACSI Greek Campsite of the Year award for 2024. The
facilities are excellent and it is very popular – we got one of the last
pitches, a rather small one but we had the promise of a better one tomorrow.
The site also has a restaurant next to the swimming pool and we had an
excellent meal in the evening. As we ate our meal, we were lucky enough to be
entertained by two musicians playing very good Greek music. This was probably
provided primarily for the two organised motorhome tour groups (one Dutch and
one German) that were staying at the site.
Photos: An altar at Ancient Orchomenos of Attica – our guide showed us that the
builders had carved letters on the blocks so that they could be assembled in
the correct order; The bouleuterion; The enormous North Stoa where business and
trading took place; The Archaic Doric temple below the Orchomonous site – as is
often the case, the pagan site has been taken over by a Christian chapel;
Aghios Fotini; The interior; One of the buildings in the grounds; Gythio Beach
Camping – a step up from the normal standard of sites that we stay at!; Evening
entertainment – you will have to imagine the music.
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