Tuesday 24th May 2011 – Zaritsi, near Paralia Tirou, Greece

Although we were next to the road, it was quiet during the night and we slept well until the farmers went off to their fields just before 7 o'clock. Goat bells sounded around us although we couldn't see them until they appeared in the road beside us. We exchanged a wave and 'Kalimera' (good morning) with the goatherd who was a lady and, unlike the one in The Sound Of Music didn't look lonely at all. She controlled the herd without a dog, using whistles and calls to move them or to stop them eating the parts that they shouldn't, such as the olive trees.
We drove on south descending until we reach the plain just before Geraki. Here we turned towards Geraki but turned north before reaching the town. This is a more major road with more traffic than yesterday's road where we only past one tractor in the first 30 miles, but it still couldn't be classed as busy. We stopped in Kosmas and took a look around the pretty square but otherwise the village is not terribly interesting. Whilst we were there, two Belgium motorhomes arrived but soon left on the road towards Leonidio. I was surprised to see then come back a couple of minutes later but then a full-sized tour coach came down the hill and parked in the square. I say that it was a tour coach and it certainly looked the part but then I realised that it was actually an enormous motorhome converted from a coach and complete with a roof of solar panels. A young couple (late 20's or early 30's) emerged – this was their full-time home and there were in Greece for just three weeks. Negotiating the narrow roads in Kosmas was difficult but they would never have got through Kastanitsa yesterday. I hate to think what their fuel bill was like but they were Swiss and obviously had some money behind them.
A whole group of Belgian motorhomes then arrived in the main square and totally blocked the main road through the village whilst they tried to decide which way to go. It was an organised tour (they all had a number displayed on their windscreen) but the organisation obviously didn't run to knowing the route! We gave them a few minutes start before we also headed towards Leonidio.
A few kilometres out of Kosmas we started an extremely long descent from the mountains to the coast. I remember this from other holidays when we were always driving up from Leonidio and the climb seemed to go on forever. At each hairpin bend we would catch sight of the trail of Belgian motorhomes snaking its way below us. A long way down this road we came across one of my favourite monasteries in Greece, Elonas, which is also a very important pilgrimage destination for Greeks.
Elonas is now a convent and its location is stunning. Built into an overhang on a sheer cliff is has wonderful views over the gorge and mountains. As normal, it has a foundation myth and, of course, a miraculous icon. The icon and a lit lamp was found in the 16th century in a cave in the cliff and the people wanted to build a chapel for it but decided to put it in a more easily accessible position. They moved the icon down the cliff but each night the icon moved itself back to the cave, telling them that they had to build the chapel there. It is an interesting monastery with a nice church full of lamps but it is its position that makes it a 'not-to-be-missed' sight.
We had never been along the coast south of Leonidio and took this opportunity to do so. We drove to Poulithra (very small harbour with pleasant looking tavernas and a bar) and then back to Plaka with its pretty harbour and equally good-looking tavernas. I spotted some motorhomes parked north of the harbour and we walked over to find an official camperstop with 3 British motorhomes parked in it. These were the first British motorhomes that we had seen in Greece this holiday and there were three of them! There were seven motorhomes in total and the price was €5 or €7 with electricity. There were toilets and showers, although we didn't inspect them, as well as fresh water and dumping facilities. Very close to the beach and harbour and reasonably easy access to Leonidio (probably too far on foot), I think that it is good value for money and we have certainly noted it for future reference. We had a long and very pleasant chat with one of the couples, Roland and Christine(?) who live near Bath probably only 20 miles from us. Roland was also the archivist for the Yetties, a Dorset-based folk group that Jane (Dorset born and bred) and I (Dorset bred) know well. The group has just retired after more than forty years and Christine said that Roland doesn't quite know what he is going to do with himself! They were a lovely couple and we could have spent all afternoon talking to them ........ come to think of it, we nearly did.
On the way back to the car we passed another huge luxury Swiss coach that had been converted into a motorhome. This was even more modern that the one in Kosmas with solar panels and a massive satellite dish.
On then past Paralia Tirou to the campsite at Zaritsi where we had our choice of pitches and were given some oranges for squeezing. I love fresh orange juice and this, straight from the tree was delicious.
Photos: Elonas monastery in the cliff high above the valley bottom; The view from Elonas.

Monday 23rd May 2011 – Somewhere south of Kallithea, Greece

I went to see Eleni, the campsite owner, to pay for our four nights. I had negotiated, with difficulty, the price down from €24 to €20 but when I gave her the €80 she insisted on giving me back €10 with a big smile and a big 'thank you'. However that wasn't enough. We were just filling the van with water when Eleni appeared on her trademark tricycle clutching a bottle of green olives from her garden. They were in strong brine with a layer of oil floating on top. We were given strict instructions as to how to prepare them for eating: remove the olives and soak in water overnight; slit the olives and soak in vinegar for eight hours. Can't wait to try them but we will probably leave them until we are back in England and want to savour the flavour of Greece.
We took Henrietta into the village and parked up to do some shopping. First on the list was another visit to the Evi-Evan wine cellar to buy some more olive oil. It was Maria's day off but her daughter (Eleni?, the engaged one rather than the married one) was there and she was able to confirm that the road that we intended to take south was asphalted the whole way.
Taking a road south west out of Aghios Andreas we headed for Kastanitsa, climbing steeply and passing only bee-keepers tending to their hives . This was Maria's home village where she lived before she emigrated to Canada and she told me that it is very pretty. She was quite correct, it really is lovely. Traditional houses spill down the hillside that is topped by the ruins of a tower (alt. 900m) that commanded views down the valley and over to the sea. The view was very hazy today but we could just make out the outlines of islands (Spetses, Spetsopoula and Hydra) and the Didyma Peninsular of the mainland. The village was deserted, a mixture of tasteful modern, renovated old and semi-ruined houses all with traditional, very heavy, stone-tiled roofs. We found the main square well hidden amongst houses on the ridge and chatted to a very friendly taverna owner. We were the only people there and he explained that almost all of the houses were holiday homes, many owned by families who originated from Kastanitsa but had moved away to find jobs. He said that it is very quite at this time of year but in July and August it is crazy and the square and his taverna are packed. He wished us a good holiday and we returned to Henrietta, grateful that we didn't have a larger motorhome as we negotiated a sharp, narrow bend in the village before heading south.
Just above Kastanitsa (yes, climbing again) we travelled through a sweet chestnut forest with chestnuts still littering the road. Then came miles of lovely pine forest with mountains either side. We climbed to about 1500 metres before descending to the village of Tsintzina where our excellent Anavasi 1:50,000 map showed a large number of marked trails. We saw a number of signs marking the trails from the road and I think that this would be a very good centre for walking. It was here that we came across the first signs of the very serious forest fires of 2007(?). A large sign announced that the European Union is funding a project to rehabilitate the forests of Mount Parnon and it soon became clear how big a project this must be. We went through at least 11 miles of burnt forest where the undergrowth was recovering but no new trees were growing. Very occasionally a few trees had survived the fire but otherwise only bare, blackened trunks rose from the ground. We had planned to wild camp in this area but it wasn't very attractive so we headed on to Kalithea that had been spared from the fire and found a pull-in just south of the village in sight of the ruined but impressive 'Pirgos', a tower with a high-walled enclosure.
Photos: A sight that we have seen many times on this sojourn – bee-keepers at work; Kastanitsa viewed from the ruins of the Kapsambeli Tower; The only traffic that we saw in Kastanitsa passes through the square; Not all of the houses in Kastanitsa were renovated but this one has got a satellite dish!; This farmhouse was rebuilt after being destroyed by the forest fires, the evidence of which can be seen all around it.

Sunday 22nd May 2011 - Paralio Astros, Greece

We have enjoyed our stay at the Thirea Campsite and Paralio Astros is a pleasant place so we decided to stay for another night. The decision was influenced by the fact that there is a Triathlon taking place in the village today. It is the tenth year of the event that this year will see over 150 athletes swim for 1.9km followed by a 90km cycle and finishing with a 21.1km run, all without a break. We walked into the village and found the centre of the activities set out on the promenade outside the school. Watching the cycling and running (we had missed the swim that started at 08:00) was quite exhausting and after a further exploration of the main street, we walked back to the campsite, constantly overtaken by runners clutching bottles of water and energy drinks. These were issued by the organisers at the school and this is where the competitors left their bikes to start the run. They also ran passed the school twice before finishing the race on the third time. This meant that there was plenty of opportunity for rehydration and to collect water-soaked sponges that they either squeezed over themselves or stuffed up their tee shirts so that the water would be slowly released as they ran. It looked like total agony and I certainly would struggle to do any one of the three stages let alone all of them one after another. We went back to relax after all the exertion and cooked swordfish steaks on the barbecue.
We had discovered an Internet café in the main square so in the evening we went in for a drink and a catch up on emails and the blog. I had a frappé (cold coffee) for €3 and Jane had an enormous glass of white wine for €2 (I can't fathom their pricing structure) – very good value with one and a half hours of Internet use. We couldn't resist a fairly rare opportunity for a giro pitta on the way back to Henrietta.
Photos: The triathlon cycling stage; Passing the finishing post but still another lap to go.

Saturday 21st May 2011 - Paralio Astros, Greece

After cycling in to get some lovely warm, fresh bread for breakfast, I decided that it was a good day for cycling. I cycled back into the village to the wine shop and had a long chat with Maria, ending up with 5 litres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5 litres of rosé and a litre of her olive oil. Oh, and a piece of that same deep-fried sweet batter that we were given at Prodromou Monastery. Both of Maria's children celebrate their name day today as May 21st is the name day of Eleni and Konstantinou and Maria had just bought the sweet for their name day celebrations. After dropping those back at the motorhome, I headed away from the village and soon left the asphalted lane on a dirt track signposted to Aghia Anastasia. This was a typical, small countryside chapel but, unusually these days, it was not locked and I was able to see the pretty interior. As always, there were many icons, two of which were of Aghia Anastasia and on one of these hung many tin plates with symbols of eyes and limbs given as offerings by the sick asking for cures from the saint. The iconostasis and the most important icons were decorated with wild (now dried) flowers either from May Day or Easter or both.
After more unsurfaced road I briefly joined the main coastal road before leaving again at the spring that feed Lake Moustos. The spring and lake are said to have medicinal properties and, in Summer, many people bathe in the waters. In truth, in the heat of the Summer, many of them just enjoy being in the cool water. The lake is also a nature park and an important area for migrating birds. As I cycled down the side of the lake there were many hides but there was nothing to see at this time of the year except for fish jumping and swimming in the lovely clear water.
Having reached the sea, the track moved slightly inland through a huge area of olive groves, scattered with signs saying 'No Hunting'. Eventually I arrived at the coastal road at Korakovouni and took the quicker route back on the asphalted road.
It was definitely barbecue weather so I cooked the pork chops, aubergine and courgette and that was accompanied by some excellent lemony roast potatoes cooked by Jane.
Photos: Aghia Anastasia – the Greeks are very proud of their chapels and they want them to be seen – note the 'Stop' sign in the olive tree; The outflow of the Moustos Lake; We have seen this many times in Greece but never in England – all of the sheep make a huddle, normally under a tree, with their heads in the centre. It looks as though they are having a major discussion.

Friday 20th May 2011 - Paralio Astros, Greece

Another very relaxing day with a walk into the village and up to the ruins of the 13th century castle of Zafiropoulos. From the castle it was possible to pick out through the haze the castle above Argos and the lovely port of Nafplio.
Dinner was slow-cooked rabbit in white wine, olive oil and tomatoes.
Photos: View of Paralio Astros from the castle – Thirea Camping is in the trees just beyond the houses.

Thursday 19th May 2011 - Paralio Astros, Greece

A very relaxed day driving from one end of Paralio Astros to the other with a stop in the middle to wander around the centre. We found a wine shop where they sold wine from their own vineyard – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a blend of the two. In addition to the reds, they also had a rosé which was a Cabernet-Merlot blend. We tried them all and both decided that we preferred the Cabernet Sauvignon. The lady and her husband were from Canada but both born in Greece. Her husband had decided to leave his job in Canada and come to Greece to start a vineyard. He had no experience of growing grapes or making wine and started the vineyard from scratch just a few kilometres from Paralio Astros. A bold decision! I think that his wife would rather have been back in Canada but they had made a very good job of the wine – some of the best Greek wine that I have tasted. We could buy a 70ml bottle for €7 or a 1.5 litre plastic bottle of draught wine for €3.50. We chose the latter.
At lunch time I cooked a fresh fish bought at one of the fishmongers in the village and the remainder of the day was spent reading and relaxing.
Photos: A traditional taverna in the village; How did the Wendy House get here?

Wednesday 18th May 2011 – Paralio Astros, Greece

Today we travelled a little further over to the eastern coast of the Peloponnese. Jane plotted a route over a minor road starting just south of Stemnitsa and travelling through Hrisovitsi into the city of Tripoli. After half an hour we passed the second vehicle, so it wasn't exactly a busy road but it was a very good road and a pleasant drive through pine forests. Tripoli itself, and we went straight through the centre, was busy but it wasn't a problem and we were soon heading towards Tegea that we had visited earlier in the month. We wanted to check out the museum as it was closed when we were there before but we expected that as nearly all museums are closed on Mondays. It was locked again but something was happening inside. A posted told us, in Greek, that something was happening there at eight in the evening but this event was for school children. Looking through the windows we could see an actress dressed in a costume talking to the children but it was obvious that there were no artefacts in the building. Given that this was the most modern building that was labelled 'Museum', it was obvious that the museum was now closed and the artefacts had been moved, probably to Tripoli. Still, we had been able to buy another 1.5 litres of the excellent rosé wine (€2.50) from the local shop on the main road so all was not lost.
We continued on this road towards Astros until we came to Loukous (Grove) Monastery, also known as the Monastery of Christos Soter. It is actually a convent and is beautifully kept. The gardens are full of flowers including a profusion of roses and lilies that filled the air with a lovely perfume. Unfortunately, the church was locked but we were able to admire the exterior with its many ancient blocks of Ancient Eva that was only a few metres away. Pillars, capitals, carved blocks and a statue from the town were also displayed around the courtyard and there used to be many more before they were taken off to museums.
Across the road from the convent, looking like a building site with a massive crane perched above it is the massive site of the Villa of Herodes Atticus. Covering an area of over 20,000 square metres and hugely ostentatious it has been compared to Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli. Herodes Atticus was a Greek from a rich family who took Roman citizenship in the 2nd century AD. He became even richer and built villas all over the place. A lot of money had obviously been spent consolidating the site and preparing to construct a roof over it. Large concrete piers had been built all around the massive central courtyard (no doubt with gardens and pool), the crane was there to put the roofing in place and huge numbers of wooden panels (for flooring?) lay around. There was a tall fence all around the site but the main gate was open with an unlocked padlock hanging on it. There was nobody on the site so we went in and spent some time looking around. It was quite obvious that no work had been done on the site for some time so it is anyone's guess when it will be finished. Still it was great to be able to look around and it could be a fantastic site when the work is completed. Make a note to return in 20 years or so! The scale of the site is daunting and I was particularly impressed by the extensive bath complex with the heating and water flows clearly visible. Under the protective gauze and aggregate we know that there are mosaics. If all of the protected areas are mosaics then it should be spectacular when they are on display.
On then to the town of Astros where we found the archaeological museum. It was closed and had been for some time – since the earthquake (“seismos”) said the curator indicating the shaking with his hands. We were intrigued to know when that was but he had kept the garden in beautiful condition – the lawn was like a billiard table and the flowers were lovely.
Next was the beach resort of Astros, Paralio Astros where we found the rather drab looking Astros Camping. The very high, all covering eucalyptus trees, combined with the dull weather made it all look rather dingy. It was very cheap at €15 but not very inspiring. I cleaned my bike that was covered in dust from the journey and set off to have a look around the campsite on the other side of the village. The village itself was very pleasant and the Thirea Campside was a great improvement – brighter, much better facilities, closer to the village and a better beach. I had a chat with the owner and managed to negotiate a reduction from €24 to €20. I said that we would bring the motorhome the next day.
Photos: Loukous Monastery; An overview of the Villa of Herodes Atticus – the huge area with the concrete piers is only the inner courtyard; One of the temples within the villa.