Wildflowers and a Mighty Wind:
Nine days in the Peloponnese and Athens.
Nine days in the Peloponnese and Athens.
Greek Independence Day (March 25) on the Mani
In the wee small hours of the morning, long before the sun came up, the
wind howled with the chaotic fury of a runaway freight train. It wasn't an
annoying noise; it was a fearsome one, and it woke Chris from a sound
sleep more than once.
We arose with the sun and showered (Chris got the cold shower this
morning) and went for breakfast at the lodge. It was a very nice breakfast
buffet that greeted us there, complete with feta, tomatoes, and olives, fried
dough, yogurt and honey, cereal, and strong coffee.
We departed around 10:00 to explore the Mani peninsula. Our first stop,
Diros Caves, was unfortunately closed but not because of the holiday,
ironically enough, but because of the wind! Entrance to caves is by boat,
and the waves were too much that day.
Undaunted, we ventured further south along the main road, snapping
photos as we went. We found ourselves off the beaten path and onto some
rougher roads a few times, winding our way through one tiny, rustic village
after another. It was in a hamlet called Dru (which looks like “Apu” in the
Greek alphabet) that we finally ran out of road and headed back to the main
drag--which, itself, is just a winding two-lane road.
Again, like everywhere else we went, every hill and dale was completely
covered with an endless variety of wild flowers. We finally exited the car for
a walk at the seaside town of Gerolimenas; it was still quite windy but the
sun was out and it was actually quite pleasant. We snapped a few
pictures, admired the octopus drying outside of one restaurant and the
brilliant aqua color of the water in the bay, strolled a bit, then returned to the
car.
We ventured even further south, and even further off the beaten path. We
stopped to take numerous photos at the scenic semi-ghost town of Vathia,
looking for just the right vantage point and light. We walked around the
town a bit, although barking dogs kept us from exploring all points.
At some point near the southernmost tip of continental Europe, we hopped
out of car to take photos of the majestic coastline near Porto Kagio and it
seems the map (our trusted and treasured Road Editions Peloponnese
map!) must have spread its wings in a valiant effort to be free—and
succeeded. It was inspired and coaxed into action by the unrelenting wind,
we reasoned. But we are intrepid voyagers, not prone to dwelling on
setbacks.
We drove as far south as we possibly could, then decided to head back
toward Areopolis. Inspired by those drying octopi, we returned to
Gerolimenas for lunch. We walked by a few restaurants and stopped in
one with someone at the door: Epilekton; a tiny tavern on the seaside with
6-7 tables and a couple of good-looking waiters (so say Allie and Marisa,
anyway). We enjoyed our Greek salad (surprise), fried meatballs with
cheese on pita, octopus balls (Chris wondered aloud what they do with the
rest of the octopus); beer, ½ liter of wine and coke for 27 Euro; dessert (a
simple local specialty made with semolina, cinnamon and sugar) was
gratis. A very nice meal, overall.
We headed back toward the hotel, avoiding goat herds and dodgy drivers
along the way. Once back, we played an epic Uno game in the homey hotel
lobby with a couple of drinks each. Other guests were lounging there, and
many looked like they hadn't moved all day. We decided not to let inertia get
the better of us and to take a short drive to Kelefa, a large ruined Turkish
castle from the 1600s that overlooks the bay. Once there, we explored a bit
on foot…but it was difficult to stay upright due to the wind.
Returning, we took the shorter but extremely steep drive down to the shore
road. We noticed areas of fire damage all around, even around the smaller
towns.
After a while, we headed out for dinner in Areopolis. By now, we have
figured out how to drive into the town and where to find easy street parking
near the village square. We headed straight for O Barba Petros, which is
listed in the Michelin book as the best restaurant in town. We are not
inclined to argue with assessment, either. It is a traditional taverna, where
there is no menu; you go into the kitchen, they show you what’s cooking,
and you order by pointing and nodding a lot. We left it up to the proprietor
for the most part, including the wine – a local rose, which was excellent.
Two appetizers, including eggplant with potatoes, carrot, etc., baked in a
casserole; and tsatsiki, were both good. Then, we enjoyed beef and
tomato over spaghetti, lamb with artichoke sauce, and tomato and pepper
stuffed with rice, pine nuts, and spices. An excellent and satisfying meal,
again with gratis dessert, which Allie termed “flippin’ sweet,” whatever it
was. Marisa's favorite meal of the trip. Total: 38 Euro.
Towards the end of our meal, we struck up a halting conversation with a
local woman at a table near ours. She and her husband were the only
other patrons there besides us. We made note of the fact that the picture
on the wall was a famous American painting (Edward Hopper’s
Nighthawks), and that the original was hanging in the museum in our
“hometown”. The lady told us of her visits to the U.S., and we talked of our
travels. Though the conversation lurched slowly through three different
languages, it was the perfect way to wrap up our day.
As an aside, we'd long wondered what we would encounter on Greek
Independence Day. Crowds? Parades? Closures? The answer was, not
much. There were flags flying in towns, but that was about it. The evening
in Areopolis was very quiet.
We returned to the hotel to digest and pack our bags. There were very few
guests staying that night (in fact, we very well may have been the only
ones), and it was very quiet and dark. We gazed out at the clear night sky
and counted the multitude of stars shining down on us. Interestingly, 20
minutes later, it was raining.
It was still windy, but not howling quite so much. So we slept well.
Next: Monemvasia: a one-way trip to the past
See all of our Greece photos
our travels
home
contact us
In the wee small hours of the morning, long before the sun came up, the
wind howled with the chaotic fury of a runaway freight train. It wasn't an
annoying noise; it was a fearsome one, and it woke Chris from a sound
sleep more than once.
We arose with the sun and showered (Chris got the cold shower this
morning) and went for breakfast at the lodge. It was a very nice breakfast
buffet that greeted us there, complete with feta, tomatoes, and olives, fried
dough, yogurt and honey, cereal, and strong coffee.
We departed around 10:00 to explore the Mani peninsula. Our first stop,
Diros Caves, was unfortunately closed but not because of the holiday,
ironically enough, but because of the wind! Entrance to caves is by boat,
and the waves were too much that day.
Undaunted, we ventured further south along the main road, snapping
photos as we went. We found ourselves off the beaten path and onto some
rougher roads a few times, winding our way through one tiny, rustic village
after another. It was in a hamlet called Dru (which looks like “Apu” in the
Greek alphabet) that we finally ran out of road and headed back to the main
drag--which, itself, is just a winding two-lane road.
Again, like everywhere else we went, every hill and dale was completely
covered with an endless variety of wild flowers. We finally exited the car for
a walk at the seaside town of Gerolimenas; it was still quite windy but the
sun was out and it was actually quite pleasant. We snapped a few
pictures, admired the octopus drying outside of one restaurant and the
brilliant aqua color of the water in the bay, strolled a bit, then returned to the
car.
We ventured even further south, and even further off the beaten path. We
stopped to take numerous photos at the scenic semi-ghost town of Vathia,
looking for just the right vantage point and light. We walked around the
town a bit, although barking dogs kept us from exploring all points.
At some point near the southernmost tip of continental Europe, we hopped
out of car to take photos of the majestic coastline near Porto Kagio and it
seems the map (our trusted and treasured Road Editions Peloponnese
map!) must have spread its wings in a valiant effort to be free—and
succeeded. It was inspired and coaxed into action by the unrelenting wind,
we reasoned. But we are intrepid voyagers, not prone to dwelling on
setbacks.
We drove as far south as we possibly could, then decided to head back
toward Areopolis. Inspired by those drying octopi, we returned to
Gerolimenas for lunch. We walked by a few restaurants and stopped in
one with someone at the door: Epilekton; a tiny tavern on the seaside with
6-7 tables and a couple of good-looking waiters (so say Allie and Marisa,
anyway). We enjoyed our Greek salad (surprise), fried meatballs with
cheese on pita, octopus balls (Chris wondered aloud what they do with the
rest of the octopus); beer, ½ liter of wine and coke for 27 Euro; dessert (a
simple local specialty made with semolina, cinnamon and sugar) was
gratis. A very nice meal, overall.
We headed back toward the hotel, avoiding goat herds and dodgy drivers
along the way. Once back, we played an epic Uno game in the homey hotel
lobby with a couple of drinks each. Other guests were lounging there, and
many looked like they hadn't moved all day. We decided not to let inertia get
the better of us and to take a short drive to Kelefa, a large ruined Turkish
castle from the 1600s that overlooks the bay. Once there, we explored a bit
on foot…but it was difficult to stay upright due to the wind.
Returning, we took the shorter but extremely steep drive down to the shore
road. We noticed areas of fire damage all around, even around the smaller
towns.
After a while, we headed out for dinner in Areopolis. By now, we have
figured out how to drive into the town and where to find easy street parking
near the village square. We headed straight for O Barba Petros, which is
listed in the Michelin book as the best restaurant in town. We are not
inclined to argue with assessment, either. It is a traditional taverna, where
there is no menu; you go into the kitchen, they show you what’s cooking,
and you order by pointing and nodding a lot. We left it up to the proprietor
for the most part, including the wine – a local rose, which was excellent.
Two appetizers, including eggplant with potatoes, carrot, etc., baked in a
casserole; and tsatsiki, were both good. Then, we enjoyed beef and
tomato over spaghetti, lamb with artichoke sauce, and tomato and pepper
stuffed with rice, pine nuts, and spices. An excellent and satisfying meal,
again with gratis dessert, which Allie termed “flippin’ sweet,” whatever it
was. Marisa's favorite meal of the trip. Total: 38 Euro.
Towards the end of our meal, we struck up a halting conversation with a
local woman at a table near ours. She and her husband were the only
other patrons there besides us. We made note of the fact that the picture
on the wall was a famous American painting (Edward Hopper’s
Nighthawks), and that the original was hanging in the museum in our
“hometown”. The lady told us of her visits to the U.S., and we talked of our
travels. Though the conversation lurched slowly through three different
languages, it was the perfect way to wrap up our day.
As an aside, we'd long wondered what we would encounter on Greek
Independence Day. Crowds? Parades? Closures? The answer was, not
much. There were flags flying in towns, but that was about it. The evening
in Areopolis was very quiet.
We returned to the hotel to digest and pack our bags. There were very few
guests staying that night (in fact, we very well may have been the only
ones), and it was very quiet and dark. We gazed out at the clear night sky
and counted the multitude of stars shining down on us. Interestingly, 20
minutes later, it was raining.
It was still windy, but not howling quite so much. So we slept well.
Next: Monemvasia: a one-way trip to the past
See all of our Greece photos
our travels
home
contact us
South tip of the Mani, near Porto Kagio
Octopus drying in Gerolimenas
Oitylos
Kelefa Castle, near Areopolis
Areopolis
Vathia
Fire damage near Areopolis
Greece home
The voyage to Nafplio
Mycenae: Bronze Age equinox
To the theater! Epidaurus
Madness? This is Sparti! (and Mystras)
Greek Independence Day on the Mani
Monemvasia: a one-way trip to the past
Athens is calling
A rainy day in Athens
Our big, fat Greek finale / the journey home
Hotel reviews, air, driving, and other logistics
Logistics con't, and some final thoughts
The voyage to Nafplio
Mycenae: Bronze Age equinox
To the theater! Epidaurus
Madness? This is Sparti! (and Mystras)
Greek Independence Day on the Mani
Monemvasia: a one-way trip to the past
Athens is calling
A rainy day in Athens
Our big, fat Greek finale / the journey home
Hotel reviews, air, driving, and other logistics
Logistics con't, and some final thoughts