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.

Tuesday 17th May 2011 – Gortys, Lousios Gorge, Greece

As we were driving from Dimitsana yesterday, Jane was reading the Blue Guide and discovered that it was a special day for Prodromou today. Every monastery and church celebrates its saints day and Prodromou's is August 29th. However the 17th of May is the saints day of St. Anthanasius of Christianoupolis (a local saint) and this is the dedication of the church in the precinct of the monastery. When we stood outside the motorhome in the morning, we could hear the sound of chanting drifting up from far below. We drove down round the many bends until we reached the full monastery car park and we parked on the road just outside. There is quite a long walk (about 15 minutes) down to the monastery and we were quite convinced that we were nearly there when the track took us in the opposite direction to the chanting. It soon became clear that we had been misled by the echo from the other side of the gorge and we soon arrived at Prodromou in its dramatic position part in and part under the cliff.
The church was overflowing with some of the faithful sitting in seats outside. We joined them and listened to the service for some time before we walked over to the monastery itself. This was quite intriguing with the rock of the cliff often forming the walls of the rooms. The monastery probably started life as a cave hermitage in the 12th century but the main monastery was built in the 16th and 17th centuries. The guest accommodation was built 1860, still built into the cliff. The tiny main church within the monastery is built into the rock and has some lovely frescoes inside the church and the rock outside. We were presented with coffee, cake and biscuits and sat on the balcony watching the view and enjoying the treats.
The service finished after at least three hours and the congregation made their way down to the monastery precinct where they were given coffee and an interesting roll of deep-fried sweet batter sprinkled with cinnamon. I was offered one and shared it with Jane – an experience but we wouldn't search for another one. The congregation chatted for a while with the many monks, priests and a bishop before they filed into the monastery building and sat down at long tables. Here they were treated to a full meal with oven-cooked lamb with small square pasta served in a tomato sauce.
We met a Danish couple with their young daughter who were the only other foreign tourists at the monastery. Simon worked for the Danish National Museum and Mette had been involved in aid work mainly in India. In fact they had both spent about three years in India, some of that time with their daughter Bertha. Mette told us about her time in the remote parts of the country where she had seen many different weird and wonderful rituals including animal sacrifices and people experiencing mystic fits where they were able to commune with the spirit world. For such a young couple, they were well travelled and had some amazing tales to tell.
Jane walked back to Henrietta whilst I walked down a path to the depths of the gorge. I had intended to walk to the other monastery, Philosophou and this would have been quite easy, but time was getting on so I simply went down to the river and then walked back up (a long way up) to the motorhome. On the last part of the walk I met Mette, Simon and Bertha again and had another long chat. Bertha was unbelievably well behaved. She was fascinated by everything around her – the donkeys at the monastery (she spent about half an hour feeding them with grass) and anything to do with nature – she had quite a collection of wild flowers by the time that we got to the car park. She had walked all the way to and from the monastery and spent hours there without a single complaint.
After a very late lunch we headed on to the ruins of Ancient Gortys just a little further down the gorge. We looked at the remains of a ritual bathing place and the Temple of Asclepieion. The site was important for many centuries, even into the Roman times as it was said to be the place where Nymphs washed the infant Zeus. In fact it is thought that is why the river was named Lousios, as it means 'wash' in Greek. We walked up to a bridge over the river just below the Prodromou monastery and inspected the 'watermill and fulling-tub of the Monastery of Prodromou' just beyond the bridge. This was quite fascinating as it had been built partly in a cave where a strong spring emanating from the cliff provided the water power before flowing into the Lousios River.
The very quiet car park provided an excellent wild camping spot for the night.
Photos: The monks' cells at Prodromou; From Prodromou looking towards Philosophou; This tiny chapel was once a hermit's cave and still contains frescoes painted by the hermit; Old Philosophou Monastery seen from the walk down to the bottom of the gorge. It was deliberately designed to blend in with the cliff of the gorge so that it could not be seen by raiders. It is no longer occupied and is sadly decaying.