Despite my good intentions of actually writing the Blog on a daily basis, I am posting part 5 of Tra Bhui's adventures in Greece in mid October as I sit looking out over the Mediterranean from a balcony in Istanbul. Our summer travels have lasted a bit longer and have become a bit more extensive than originally expected and it is only now that I have a chance to turn the many notes and pictures that we took into a Blog article.
Hopefully time will now allow me to get our Voyage in Greece finished albeit it will appear in stages as we head north. I still have not decided whether our overland journey home from Greece will appear here or in our 'Travelling" blog - perhaps it will appear in both, but that is something for the future!
______________________________________________________
Our voyage resumes -
Finikunda
 |
| Tra Bhui - tied up for a few days in Finikunda while we live it up ashore |
 |
| With little shelter and shallow water, a long anchor line with port and starboard bow warps were required |
Friday 3rd June
Our accommodation at Dion Zois was fantastic. As late deal secured
us a good price and so we decided to stay for 3 nights as the high winds were
forecast to last until Sunday.
 |
| Our accommodation awaits |
 |
| Dion - Zois - our apartment was on the LHS |
 |
| Gardens complete with pool |
We had stayed at Finikunda 10 years or so earlier when we had a
water sports holiday with the kids. At that time the now “Golden Beach Hotel”
was one of Neilson Holidays water sports centres and we spent a fabulous week
sailing and windsurfing.
Both Kathleen and I had good memories of that holiday and we were
keen to see Finikunda again.
After a good night’s sleep in a proper bed we did not surface until
8.30 hrs. – 3 hours or so later than usual. After a quick trip to the supermarket
and bakers we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast after which I spent a few hours
catching up on e-mails and updating our Blog
After lunch we walked a few miles to a beach on the other side of
town where we went swimming – or at least Kathleen did, for once I was the one
content to sit in the sun!
After showering back at the apartment we went in to Finikunda and
enjoyed a very nice meal at a restaurant overlooking the bay.
Miles
today 0
Total miles 489
Saturday 4th June
 |
| "Mares Tails" warn of the approaching weather front |
One long lie is enough! Waking earlier than on Thursday I woke
Kathleen just before 7.00 hrs. to go for a run. This was my first run in a few
weeks as my regular morning runs in Kazakhstan had been curtailed by a chest
infection and despite good intentions we had not so far got into the habit of
regularly running when on Greece. Our main excuses included - being anchored at the bottom
of very steep hills, it being too hot or having to start too early!
After a shortish run around the village which ended at the bakers we
returned to the apartment bearing fresh bread for breakfast.
After breakfast Kathleen was keen to go for a walk having felt that
she had spent too long of late sitting still. After clearing up our breakfast
things we set off to explore the surrounding area by blindly heading off down a side road
leading towards the hills.
 |
| We walked inland - climbing to the village of Evangelismos |
 |
 |
| View from the hill behind Finikunda |
7 hot miles later we reached the village of Evangelismos which is
situated 380 m (1246 feet) above sea
level . Wearing flip flops this was a mean walk! To my relief I managed to persuade Kathleen
who was set on walking down the other side of the hill to the town of Methoni
(another 6 miles away) that going back the way we had came was a better option –
for me at least, and that if we walked to Methoni and back, not only would I need
hospitalisation, but Kathleen would be left to get Tra Bhui home on her own!
 |
| The village cemetery had a magnificent view |
By the time we arrived back in Finikunda it was long past lunch
time, never the less we found a café / bar which was only too pleased to serve
us a Greek Salad to share.
 |
| Finikunda main street |
Back at the apartment, I finished the last Blog post while Kathleen
used the outdoor pool after which we ate out again in Finikunda
 |
| Enjoying our time ashore |
Miles
today 0
Total
miles 489
Sunday 5th June
Having watched the forecast over the last few days it had become
obvious that the current strong south westerly winds were going to extend
beyond today. Our next planned destination was Methoni as small town just
outside the bay in which Finikunda sits. The forecast indicated a brief lull in the winds which would last until mid morning. This was the window we needed!
An early rise allowed me to
visit the bank and collect freshly baked bread for breakfast before
Kathleen woke.
After breakfast while I carried our barrels of clothes and Peli case
with computer and cameras the 1 km or so back to Tra Bhui, Kathleen gave the
apartment a final clean and waited to meet George the owner and pay for our
stay.
With Tra Bhui ready for sea again I took the opportunity to have a
morning swim while waiting for Kathleen.
 |
| Time to move on - Departing Finikunda |
Leaving Finikunda at 9.40 hrs. we motored hard against the 26 plus
knot headwind (so much for the lull!) and steep wetting seas until we reached Methoni just before 11.00
hrs.
 |
| Approaching Methoni once we were in the shelter of the bay |
Approaching the Methoni from the sea shows the town in all it’s grandeur
with the Venetian fortress dominating the headland.
We found a sheltered anchorage amongst the local boats just under
the fortress’s walls. Because we were far enough from shore and as we were not
overlooked we decided that we would not need the tent tonight – there is
something special about sleeping out side with just the stars above you, to say
nothing of the effort saved by not having to unpack, erect, dismantle and
repack the tent!
 |
| Tra Bhui anchored in front of the Venitian Fort |
As it was now lunch time we stopped at a little café bar in the town
square for a coffee before setting out to explore the fortress.
Back in town stopped at a café that was so much on the beach the
water lapped around the entrance steps. Here we enjoyed a cold drink and a
Greek Salad while we made our plans for the afternoon.
 |
| Land side approach to the fort |
Methoni
has been identified as the city Pedasus, that Homer mentions under the name
"ampeloessa" (of vine leaves), as the last of the seven
"evnaiomena ptoliethra", that Agamemnon offers Achilles in order to
subdue his rage. Pausanias knew the city as Mothone, named after either the
daughter of Oeneus or after the rock Mothon, which protects the harbor, and
mentioned a temple to Athena Anemotis there.
 |
| Did the Venitians also have a "cubist" period? Restored store room |
 |
| Landward fortifications |
The
Oinoussai complex of islands protected the port of Methoni and at the same time
stopped the large sea turbulence. Along with the rest of Messenia, the town
gained its independence from the Spartans in 369 BC. During the 4th century BC,
Methoni was elaborately fortified and continued to remain autonomous well into
the Imperial Roman era, when it enjoyed the favor of some emperors.
 |
| Partially restored / preserved buildings |
As
with other Mediterranean coastal settlements, Methoni was likely heavily
affected by the tsunami that followed the 365 Crete earthquake. Roman historian
Ammianus Marcellinus wrote that as a result of the earthquake some ships had
been "hurled nearly two miles from the shore," giving as an example a
Laconian vessel that was stranded "near the town of Methone.
During
the Byzantine years it continued to remain a remarkable harbor and one of the
most important cities of the Peloponnese, seat of a bishopric.
The
Venetians had their eye on Methoni (Modon) since the 12th century, due to its
location on the route from Venice to the Eastern markets. In 1125, they
launched an attack against pirates, who had captured some Venetian traders on
their way home from the east, and who were inhabiting Methoni at that time.
 |
| Impressive sea gate |
 |
| So impressive we photographed it again! |
The
Venetians took over the town in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, and
secured recognition from the neighbouring Principality of Achaea through the
Treaty of Sapienza (1209). A Roman Catholic bishop was installed in the local
see. The Venetians fortified Methoni, which developed into an important trade
center with great prosperity. Methoni became the important middle station
between Venice and the Holy Lands, where every traveler stopped on their way to
the East. A pilgrim who went by in 1484 admired its strong walls, the deep
moats and the fortified towers.
 |
| Looking up inside the harbour guard tower - the wooden floors are long gone! |
In
the 1490s, the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II gathered his forces against Methoni.
On the August 9, 1500, Methoni fell, after having been in the hands of the
Venetians for about three hundred years.
The
Venetians returned under Francesco Morosini in the 1680s during the Great
Turkish War, but the second period of Venetian rule did not last for long. In
1715 the Turks launched a siege again, but during this second period of Turkish
rule the decline was complete.[citation needed]
 |
| Kathleen wanted me to pose in this shaft of light, but she is a far better model |
 | ||
Nowadays
the walls of the fortress, even though in ruins, continue to be impressive. The
castle of Methoni occupies the whole area of the cape and the southwestern
coast to the small islet that has also been fortified with an octagonal tower
and is protected by the sea on its three sides. Its north part, the one that
looks to land, is covered by a heavily fortified acropolis. A deep moat
separates the castle from the land and communication was achieved by a wooden
bridge. The Venetians built on the ancient battlements and added on and
repaired it during both periods that they occupied the castle.
The
east side of the walls also reached initially to the sea. Nowadays, a long
strand of beach lies in front of a large part of it. Parallel to the east wall,
up to the Bourtzi, there was a pier and this is where the small fortified
harbour was formed (mandrachio), while the big one was to the northeast where
ships could be pulled. The long east side has suffered many repairs, performed
on the initial venetian battlements of the 13th century, mainly during the
second Venetian occupation and the Turkish occupation. In one of the towers
parts of the Byzantine fortification are preserved.
 |
| Not sure about the slab above my head! |
On
various parts of the fortification there are Venetian emblems with the winged
lion of St. Mark and inscriptions. This is the case on the north part of the
Loredan battlement, where there is an inscribed plaque from the time when
general Loredan was in command in the Peloponnese. On the north wall, on the
right of the main entrance, there is also a plaque with the coat of arms of the
families of the Foscarini, Foscolo and Bembo, to which the inscription denotes
the construction of the Bembo battlement, just before 1500.
 |
| This was an internal wall! The Fortress is pretty impressive! |
Leaving the fort aside there really is nothing much in Methoni. It
is a pleasant little town like many we had stopped in so far As it was Sunday
most of the shops were shut and the few locals that we saw had either joined
the early tourists on the beach or were sitting in cafes putting the world to
right.
In need of petrol, I rowed back out to Tra Bhui for our 5 fuel cans
and then we set out to walk to the petrol station which the pilot guide assured
us was nearby.
Just as we were leaving the beach a large group of Harley Davidson
motor bikes arrived in town. The thirty or so bikes had Macedonian number
plates and were obviously touring Greece. To some a Harley Davidson is the ultimate
in cool transport. To me they have are akin to John Deere tractors (albeit a
John Deere is probably more technically advanced), in that they are loud
oversized and just plain ugly.
Despite allegedly putting a man on the moon, America appears to struggle when it comes to motor vehicles and is way behind Europe and Japan when it comes to cars and bikes. Anyway enough of my Harley rant, back to getting fuel!
Despite allegedly putting a man on the moon, America appears to struggle when it comes to motor vehicles and is way behind Europe and Japan when it comes to cars and bikes. Anyway enough of my Harley rant, back to getting fuel!
 |
| Tra Bhui at anchor in the bay |
Wandering back through the town we explored many of the streets
before ending back at the beach.
We ate at a restaurant in the square after a pre dinner drink at the
bar next door. We had enjoyed our day in Methoni, but it would be time to move
on again tomorrow.
Miles today 6
Total miles 495
Monday 6th June
Waking to a clear blue sky overhead we were up early and off to the
garage to get our fuel.
“Nearby’ is relative term and the pilot books author obviously had
never had to carry 5 full fuel cans back to his yacht – in fact do yachties
ever carry fuel? It appears to me that they simply pull up at a pump or order a
tanker to come to them! Easy life for some!
With our tank full again and 3 cans in reserve we were all set to go
and managed to raise our anchor at 07.45 hrs.
The wind had dropped overnight and again we were faced with no wind,
so under power we motored out of the bay and after rounding the headland we
started the northern leg of our journey.
 |
| Passing the fort as we head northwards |
Turning north again was a bit of a milestone. Although we still had
a good distance to go we were now heading in the direction of home.
Today would be a relatively short day as we were heading towards
Pylos which was only 9 miles away. We had chosen Pylos as according to the
pilot book it had a sheltered harbour
and with strong southerlies forecasted for tomorrow we planned to hire a car
there and drive up to see Olympia.
Pylos lies just inside the mouth of Navarino Bay the entrance to
which is marked by a large sea arch in the
rock formation across it’s mouth.
Navarino Bay is the site of arguably the most important and decisive
sea battles which helped shape Greek as we know it today
 |
| After the gales had passed we were left with no wind again. |
The
Battle of Navarino was a naval battle fought on 20 October 1827, during the
Greek War of Independence (1821–32).
An
Ottoman armada, which, in addition to imperial warships, included squadrons
from the eyalets from Egypt, Tunis and Algiers, was destroyed by an Allied
force of British, French and Russian vessels. It was the last major naval
battle in history to be fought entirely with sailing ships, although most ships
fought at anchor. The Allies' victory was achieved through superior firepower
and gunnery.
The
context of the three Great Powers' intervention in the Greek conflict was the
Russian Empire's long-running expansion at the expense of the decaying Ottoman
Empire. Russia's ambitions in the region were seen as a major geostrategic
threat by the other European powers, which feared the disintegration of the
Ottoman Empire and the establishment of Russian hegemony in the Eastern
Mediterranean. The precipitating factor was Russia's strong emotional support
for the fellow-Orthodox Christian Greeks, who had rebelled against their
Ottoman overlords in 1821. Fearing unilateral Russian action in support of the
Greeks, Great Britain and France bound Russia by treaty to a joint intervention
which aimed to secure Greek autonomy (a popular cause in the West) whilst
preserving Ottoman territorial integrity as a check on Russia.
The
Powers agreed, by the Treaty of London (1827), to force the Ottoman government
to grant the Greeks autonomy within the empire and despatched naval squadrons
to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to enforce their policy.
The
European allies had hoped to resolve the conflict by a simple show of force,
but upon arrival their squadrons were immediately fired on by the opposing
Egyptian and Turkish naval force. British Admiral Sir Edward Codrington’s
squadron led the European counterattack, and within hours the Europeans’ superior
artillery completely annihilated the Turkish and Egyptian fleets. The Turkish
defeat was so complete that in 1828, they began to evacuate Greece, and in 1832
Greece won its independence after nearly 400 years of Turkish rule. the Allied
commander-in-chief, Admiral Edward Codrington, aimed at coercing the Ottoman
commander to obey Allied instructions.
The
sinking of the Ottomans' Mediterranean fleet saved the fledgling Greek Republic
from collapse. But it required two more military interventions, by Russia in
the form of the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–9 and by a French expeditionary force
to the Peloponnese to force the withdrawal of Ottoman forces from central and
southern Greece and to secure Greek independence.
 |
| Sea arch off Pylos |
As we approached Pylos the wind began to fill in from the north, at
up to 14 Knots on the nose, this was the start of the gales forecasted for
tomorrow. Stopping for some photos of the sea arch we did not linger long and
made our way into the bay and the shelter behind Pylos’s harbour which we
reached by 09.45 hrs.
The harbour at Pylos is fairly large compared to most of the others
we had visited. With few harbours on the coast line to the south of us capable
of accommodating yachts, Pylos was obviously a popular stopping point as its
deep if not too clean waters could accommodate some pretty large vessels. Of
course the harbour (or marina as the pilot book told us) contained an eclectic
collection of vessels ranging from old naval re-fuelling tankers which were on
their last legs to numerous small local fishing boats.
After circling the harbour twice looking for a suitable spot – a lot
of yachts had moored alongside which took up all the available quayside and
seeing the intricate web of ropes and chains that covered the bottom, I was reluctant to drop
our anchor to go stern to as I could foresee it becoming well and truly
entangled.
A local fisherman seeing that we were unsure of where to moor called
to us and indicated an empty spot next to his boat where we could tie up to
someone else’s fixed moorings. Having
been assured that the moorings would not be required by their owner over the
next few days we made a bit of a hash of parking as our bow line missed the
buoy and we had to reposition ourselves for a second attempt.
Although the pilot book implies that Pylos is a marina, the planned
toilets, showers and other such facilities have never been built so it is
nothing more than a town harbour.
The town of Pylos was built in the 1830's outside the walls of the
Neokastro, one of the best preserved Castles in Greece. The castle was built
during the Turkish occupation of the area (1570's) to protect the port and
natural harbour at Pylos and was one of the key strategic strongholds used to
control the south west Peloponnese.
 |
| Lenticular cloud formation on hill behind Pylos |
Unfortunately the Castle was shut on Mondays but not knowing that we
spent a good bit of time walking around
it and up the main road beside it looking for an open gate to get in. Although poor compensation for not getting
into the castle we did come across the impressive 1 km long elevated aqueduct
that had been to supply the castle with water.
Pylos was quite a busy town but still pleasant enough. Once Tra Bhui
was tied up and the tent erected we set off to find the car hire office as we
needed to confirm an internet booking that we had made to hire a car for
tomorrow when we planned to drive to Olympia.
The booking confirmed apart from trying to get into the castle we
spent the rest of the day wandering around the town, drinking coffee, eating
lunch and admiring tug boats, large blue water yachts and overland vehicles (our next project).
Miles Today 9
Miles Total 504
Tuesday 7th June
We woke to a wild and windy morning. The promised winds had arrived with a Force 6 plus south westerly whipping up the sea across the bay. A good day to be tied up in the shelter of Pylos.
We had arranged to collect our hire car as soon as the office opened
so at 8.00 hrs. we became the first customers of the day. Our small black Hyundai
while not something we would buy ourselves was perfectly fine for a day hire
and soon we were heading north towards Olympia
 |
| Driving inland towards Olympia |
The roads were quiet and as we were not in a great rush we dawdled
along admiring the scenery. It was different looking from land to sea given
that for weeks we had been looking from sea to land.
From Pylos, Olympia lies just under 80 miles away by road. The
countryside along the way is generally unremarkable, but pleasant enough. We
passed through a couple of small towns; Marathopoli and Kyparissia (we stopped
briefly in Kyparissia as we wanted to look at the harbour which would be our
next port of call with Tra Bhui) as we headed northwards.
Arriving in Platanos which is
the small town adjacent to the Olympia site we parked the car on a side street and went in search of coffee
before our visit.
 |
| "Olympia" - in case you cannot work it out! |
Platanos has a population of under 800 persons, however that number
must be increased at least ten fold on a daily basis with bus loads of tourists
coming to visit Olympia. Sitting outside a small coffee shop we watched
numerous buses arrive with tourists. Most of the buses appeared to be bringing
tourists from cruise ships to the
Olympia site. Going by the bus numbers there were between 30 and 40 buses
associated with a single cruise ship which must equate to somewhere between
1200 and 1600 people per ship and there was more than one ship visiting,to say nothing of other tourists from elsewhere.
After purchasing our tickets we made our way down a cobbled road to
the main entry gate. Here tour groups were gathering to make their way in a
clockwise direction around Olympia. Wanting to avoid the crowds we set off anti
clockwise and for the most part managed to avoid being in the same place as
these large tour groups.
Stopping to take a photograph of Kathleen with the standing remains
of a temple behind her we were accosted by a lady wearing a badge and blowing a
whistle. It appeared that Kathleen who was standing on top of a large flat
stone was breaking one of the site’s rules – no standing on stones.
During our
visit we saw and heard numerous occasions where officious members of staff
intervened when visitors stood on or even sat on any of the innumerable bits of
stone which litter the site. While I can
accept that people should not stand on or climb on the standing remains, most
of the bits of stone were simply large bits of undressed rock and would take
hundreds if not thousands of years to be effected by the occasional visitor
standing on them! The roadways and pavements were also made of rock, but there
was no restriction on standing or walking on them!
 |
| Arched entrance to the arena |
Later when we were sitting on the grass banking which surrounds the
events arena we were entertained by unwitting visitors who stood on a large
piece of rock set into the banking opposite us.
This rock was an ideal place
from which to photograph the arena, but obviously that was prohibited! Whereas
a simple rope or light chain barrier placed around it would have prevented
visitors standing on it, the Greeks had chosen to build a observation post
about 100 m away from where a member of staff could blow their whistle. As the
whistle was often ignored – probably due to the unaware visitor having no
reason to think they were doing something wrong, the member of staff had to
walk down to the rock and personally tell the visitor off. No sooner had said
member of staff walked back to their hut than someone else had stood on the
rock necessitating further whistle blowing and a walk back down the hill to
speak to the visitor.
Perhaps a sign would be an idea??
 |
| Events Arena |
 |
| Ready-Steady------ |
 |
| Yes we did run it - there and back - and in flip flops - keeping with the footwear of the times |
The potted history of Olympia:-
From
remains of food and burnt offerings it is thought that the site of Olympia a
has a history of religious activity dating back before the 10th
century BC, although it was not until the 8th century BC that the
first Olympic festival was held there, and not until 776 BC that the first of
the traditional games that we would recognize were held
The
earliest evidence of building activity on the site dates from around 600 BC. At
this time the Skiloudians, allies of the Pistans, built the Temple of Hera. The
Treasuries and the Pelopion were built during the course of the 6th century BC.
The secular structures and athletic arenas were also under construction during
this period including the Bouleuterion. The first stadium was constructed
around 560 BC, it consisted of just a simple track. The stadium was remodelled
around 500 BC with sloping sides for spectators and shifted slightly to the
east. Over the course of the 6th century BC a range of sports were added to the
Olympic festival. In 580 BC, Elis, in alliance with Sparta, occupied Pisa and
regained the control over the sanctuary.
The
classical period, between the 5th and 4th centuries BC, was the golden age of
the site at Olympia. A wide range of new religious and secular buildings and
structures were constructed.
The
Temple of Zeus was built in the middle of the 5th century BC. Its size, scale
and ornamentation was beyond anything previously constructed on the site.
Further sporting facilities, including the final iteration of the stadium, and
the hippodrome (for chariot-racing) were constructed. The Prytaneion was built
at the northwest side of the site in 470 BC.
In
the late classical period, further structures were added to the site. The
Metroon was constructed near the Treasuries c.400 BC. The erection of the Echo
Stoa, around 350 BC, separated off the sanctuary from the area of the games and
stadium. The South Stoa was built at the southern edge of the sanctuary at
approximately the same time.
The
late 4th century BC saw the erection of the Philippeion. Around 300 BC the
largest building on the site, the Leonidaion, was constructed to house
important visitors. Due to the increasing importance of the games, further
athletic buildings were constructed including the Palaestra (3rd century BC),
Gymnasion (2nd century BC) and bath houses (c.300 BC). Finally, in 200 BC, a
vaulted archway was erected linking the entrance of the stadium to the
sanctuary.
During
the Roman period, the games were opened up to all citizens of the Roman Empire.
A programme of new buildings and extensive repairs, including to the Temple of
Zeus, took place. In 150 AD, the Nympheum (or Exedra) was built. New baths
replaced the older Greek examples in 100 AD and an aqueduct constructed in 160
AD.
The
3rd century saw the site suffer heavy damage from a series of earthquakes.
Invading tribes in 267 AD led to the centre of the site being fortified with
material robbed from its monuments. Despite the destruction, the Olympic
festival continued to be held at the site until the last Olympiad in 393 AD,
after which the Christian emperor Theodosius I implemented a ban.
The
Temple of Zeus was apparently destroyed around 426 AD following an edict by
Theodosius II enforcing the ban on pagan festivals. The workshop of Pheidias
was turned into a Basilica and the site was inhabited by a Christian community.
Archaeological
evidence suggests that small scale Olympic events (possibly in Christian guise)
were still being held secretly until Justinian's plague and two earthquakes
devastated it by the mid-6th century. Repeated floods ensured that the
settlement was finally abandoned altogether in the early 7th Century.
Over
time the site was buried under alluvial deposits, up to 8 metres deep, long
thought to be the result of river flooding. Modern research hypothesizes
instead—based on the presence of mollusc and gastropod shells and foraminifera—
that the site was buried by ocean waters resulting from repeated tsunamis.
The
exact site was re-discovered in 1766 by the English antiquarian Richard
Chandler.
The
first excavation of the sanctuary at Olympia was not carried out until 1829, by
the French "Expedition Scientifique de Moree".
Since
the 1870s, the excavation and preservation of Ancient Olympia has been the
responsibility of the German Archaeological Institute at Athens. The first
major excavation of Olympia began in 1875, funded by the German government.
Excavation
was continued in a more limited way between 1908 and 1929 but a new systematic
excavation was begun in 1936 on the occasion of the 1936 Summer Olympics in
Berlin.
1. Northwest Propylon, 2. Prytaneion, 3. Philippeion, 4. Temple of
Hera, 5. Pelopion, 6. Nymphaeum of Herodes Atticus, 7. Metroon, 8. Treasuries,
9. Crypt (arched way to the stadium), 10. Stadium, 11. Echo Stoa, 12. Building
of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II, 13. Hestia stoa, 14. Hellenistic building, 15.
Temple of Zeus, 16. Altar of Zeus, 17. Ex-voto of Achaeans, 18. Ex-voto of
Mikythos, 19. Nike of Paeonius, 20. Gymnasion, 21. Palaestra, 22. Theokoleon,
23. Heroon, 24. Pheidias' workshop and paleochristian basilica, 25. Baths of
Kladeos, 26. Greek baths, 27. and 28. Hostels, 29. Leonidaion, 30. South baths,
31. Bouleuterion, 32. South stoa, 33. Villa of Nero.
 |
| Inside the museum |
While we enjoyed our visit to Olympia I think I was more impressed
by the ruins at Methoni which only cost 2 Euros to get into and which were far
better preserved more extensive, quieter and more dramatic.
Heading back to Pylos we decided to take a route which ran more
inland as we wanted to see more of the Peloponnese land area. The road was
almost deserted as we drove through the barren countryside towards the distant
hills. As we climbed into the hills we realised that to make a loop inland
using the main roads was going to take too long so after stopping in the dramatic mountain village of Andritsaina for lunch we took to the back roads and headed
south west to rejoin the coast road at Giannitsochori a few miles north of Kyparissia.
Where we stopped for ice creams.
The back roads were to say the least dramatic as they clung to the
hillside while passing through miles of empty countryside which was devoid of
any form of life. Occasionally we would come across a small village. These
villages looked to be reasonably prosperous. Houses appeared to be reasonably
maintained and while a lot had their shutters closed there were enough
obviously occupied to show that village life still thrived in the middle of
nowhere. What we could not figure out, was what people did for employment as
there was no signs of industry or agriculture.
This question was answered for us later in our journey when a local
explained that many houses in the country side and at the seaside were in fact
second homes for residents of Athens, or they were family homes which had been
handed down to children who mainly lived elsewhere. As for income for those
living in these isolated communities that came from either EEC subsidies (it
appears that you can get a farming subsidy if you have land, but do not in fact
farm it) or state pensions (in Greece they have a totally bizarre system where
a pension can be handed down to the next generation – no wonder they have a
financial crisis!)
Arriving back in Pylos late in the afternoon we had time for another
wander around town before dinner.
Miles
Today 0
Miles
Total 504
Wednesday 8th June
With the previous day’s gales having passed we departed Pylos at a
fairly leisurely 09.15 hrs. We were again heading north and for the next two
days we would be following the coastline towards Katakolon from where we
planned to cross to the island of Zakynthos. The coastline was predominantly
sandy beaches, very exposed to any southerly or westerly winds and with few
harbours or sheltered anchorages.
We planned to head to the harbour at Kiparissia some 26 miles
further north, which we had stopped to look at it yesterday when we drove to Olympia.
This large sheltered harbour had plenty of room and was close to the town which
sat on the hill above it.
As so often appears to be the case in Greece, gales are followed by
days with no wind so we had no choice but to motor. From our position 2 or 3
miles offshore we were able to watch a fairly dramatic thunder storm that was
giving the coast a good soaking. It was odd to be enjoying sunshine while only
a mile or so away gigantic bolts of lightning were arcing from the black clouds
to the landmass below. Fortunately the nearest we came to the rain was about
half a mile and so we evaded a soaking.
About 6 miles before Kiparissia the wind picked up from the south,
which allowed us to raise our sails and run before the wind until we reached
the shallows off the harbour mouth at 14.30 hrs.
Ancient writers took note of Kiparissia’s (Cyparissia's) beautiful
situation upon the side of the range of mountains, which run along this part of
the Messenian coast. Upon the narrow summit of the rocks later occupied by a
castle built in the Middle Ages, stood the ancient acropolis.
The harbour grew out of what was in ancient time probably a small natural harbour, first extended by a stone mole, traces of which can still be seen on the shoreline.
In 1460 Kyparissia came under Ottoman control, and remained so, with
the exception of thirty years of Venetian rule, until the Greek War of Independence,
which began in 1821. This period saw the enlargement and development of the
harbour.
 |
| Although derelict this was an interesting boat - we could not work out its origins - North Africa somewhere? |
The history of the harbour in recent times is unclear as little if
anything appears to be written about it. The outer breakwater is obviously a fairly
recent addition and creates what must be the largest area of protected waters
on this part of the coast. The inner harbour is shallow, probably too shallow
for a lot of yachts, but is home to quite a number of small local fishing
boats. As to the rest of the harbour it is empty. There are no signs of much
usage nor are there any signs of a larger fishing fleet or of it’s use by
larger boats.
The harbour is however home to a large number of Loggerhead Sea
Turtles!
 |
| A Turtle swims by |
On entering the harbour I spotted what I at first thought were large
fish moving just below the surface, but I quickly realized that they were
turtles as soon as an inquisitive head appeared to see who and what we were. At
this point any interest Kathleen had in berthing Tra Bhui vanished and we
circled the harbour for a while watching the turtles swim by. Eventually I set
Kathleen adrift in the dingy while I secured Tra Bhui alongside the quay and
set up the tent for the night.
 |
| Alongside in Kiparisia |
It appears that Kyparissia Bay which extends as far as Katakolo cape
to the north and Kounelos cape to the south hosts the second largest nesting
population of the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta Caretta in the Mediterranean.
We were not sure just why there were so many turtles in the harbour itself –
had they swum in and could not find there way out, was there food there, did
the enjoy the sheltered waters or did they just enjoy watching humans and their
boats as much as we enjoyed watching them?
With Tra Bhui set for the evening and Kathleen having returned
reluctantly with the dingy from turtle watching we climbed up the hill to the
town itself.
Kyparissia is now a modern busy Greek town and proved to be a big
change from the small seaside villages that we had been staying beside to
date. Despite it’s size it had a nice
atmosphere and after catching up on e-mails and making some calls on Skype at an outside bar in the town’s square we found a small pizza restaurant with outside
tables in the street where we enjoyed a fairly good Greek pizza (Greek pizzas
are generally not that good, as they normally appear to be made with a topping
that has no tomatoes and includes at least a pound of cheddar cheese – think
heavy cheese on toast).
Unfortunately our time in Kyparissia did not allow us to climb to
the castle, which overlooked the town from the hill above. I think Kathleen was
more disappointed by this than I was!
Miles
today 26
Miles
Total 530
No comments:
Post a Comment