Tuesday 6th May 2008

We had decided to spend two nights at Finikounda and have a relaxing day today. After a late start we walked the mile and a half into the village and were very pleasantly surprised. The main road had bypassed the village and we had not realised how pleasant it was. On the advice of a fellow camper, we took a side road up a low hill to a chapel with lovely views and then descended a narrow twisting lane through old houses to the port. Fishermen were painting their boat in bright green and with a yellow sun on the bow whilst broadcasting very pleasant Greek music to the whole of the port through a loudspeaker mounted on the cabin. The harbour and beach front is lined with tavernas and cafés and, although there are a number of campsites and some rooms, it is difficult to see how they could all make a good living. I indulged one of my many weaknesses and had an ice cream whilst we explored the harbour and the shops.
We returned for a late lunch of barbecued pork chops and then I decided to do some shopping. I had decided to make stuffed aubergines using a recipe from a classic, idiosyncratically translated Greek cookbook. The recipe requires small, thin fruits and I had specially bought some in Leonidio, which is famous for this type of aubergine. This will be tomorrow's dinner. Earlier in our Peloponnesian travels, in the northern village of Planitero, I had bought some stone-ground flour from a watermill and I was keen to make some bread from it. This turned out to be very successful, producing a close-textured loaf of excellent flavour and with that typically Greek golden colour. Warm bread for tea – lovely!
Meanwhile, Jane had been threatening to go for a swim, but I have heard this before and suspected that she would only get as far as paddling and decide that it was too cold. She set off determinedly for the beach (all of 30m away) suitably equipment with towel and dressed in swimming costume and returned some time later proclaiming that the “water was lovely”. Unfortunately, there were no witnesses and I have no photographic evidence of what was Jane's first swim of the Odyssey.
Photos: Finikounda beach from the chapel – the campsite is about halfway along the beach; An old house in Finikounda; Putting the finishing touches to the sun symbol.