Who invented Lego?

Delphi and Meteora were both wonderful sites to visit, but again involved climbing into the heavens. We have learnt that Greece is a very mountainous country, involving extensive travel between the various historical tourist attractions. Whilst we prefer independent travel, a bus tour on the mainland allowed Adrian to enjoy the countryside, rather than focus on hair raising traffic and winding roads. 

Delphi was very impressive, although no hot water at the hotel for any of the guests at the commencement of the day was not so impressive. Getting to Delphi involved a steep ascent. Just when we thought the road could go no higher, there was another turn. We were in awe of George, our driver. 

Lower site at Delphi - function of the round building is unknown

Much of the information given us in Greece has focussed on mythology and the gods and goddesses,  their power and the respect Greeks had for them. We learnt about the Delphi oracle. The"Pythia" (oracle) would be seated next to a hole in the ground inside the Temple of Apollo from which vapours would arise. She would chew on olive leaves and go into a trance-like state and start chanting gibberish. Priests would act as "interpreters", conveying the meaning of the Oracle’s pronouncements to those seeking answers to their questions, giving them guidance in their future decision making. They would return to their homes to make some sense of what they'd been told.  A lot of the mythology helped the Greeks explain the world in which they lived. 

Above the Temple of Apollo

Treasury house at Delphi

At one of the sites at Delphi we have proof that the Danes did not invent Lego in 1932 as described in Google, but it was the Greeks in the 4th century BC. 

Ancient Lego

 

Then on to the plains of Thessaly which lead to the celestial heights of Meteora. Adrian experienced motion sickness at the top, feeling dizzy from being so high. The monasteries would normally be peaceful places to visit but with busloads of tourists cheek by jowl in the very small interior spaces, albeit retaining the appropriate sense of respect, it wasn’t very serene. The artwork was stylised and portrayed some very graphic and brutal scenes. Barbaric times!  And within a small ornate chest inside a cabinet was displayed the top part of the skull of St.John the Baptist…supposedly. For those who know their bible, he lost his head at the hands of Salome.  The gardens were beautiful though and the views absolutely stunning. How could they build those monasteries up there? Originally there were 24 but now only 6 remain, where nuns or monks reside. 

Monastery at Meteora

Hanging on for grim death

The rocks of Meteora

Taking time to smell the roses

We met some really nice people on the bus tour including two young French couples. They were very interested to hear about our previous travels in their country and it gave me further opportunity to practise my French. We also met a couple from New York and two young Mums from San Diego travelling in Greece, whilst their husbands looked after the children. 

 

It was a long ride back to Athens on the last day. En route, we learnt that a protest was planned in Syntagma Square less than 100 metres from our hotel. Things were heating up as the bus tried to get us as close to our hotel as possible and we saw police armed with protective shields. Not sure of the reason for the protest but we think it was related to the ship going down with African refugees off the coast of Greece, apparently headed for Italy. Suffice to say the roads were closed and we had to haul the suitcases the last 200 metres past the square where a crowd had gathered with loudspeakers blaring, just prior to the scheduled start of the protest. We headed out for dinner and saw another crowd approaching with banners and loud speakers, chanting their protests. We didn’t stick around to see what happened when they met up! Maybe on the same side,  but who knows?

 

Instead we had an enjoyable last meal in Athens with a view of the Acropolis and seated adjacent to the Ancient Agora and were treated to some fabulous Greek music – Guitar and Bazouki. The Bazouki player was brilliant, fingers moving so fast. Some spontaneous dancing from two women from Cyprus who were dining at the restaurant, was good to watch. 

We saw again one of the French couples from the tour and they stopped to eat where we were dining. They made a point of bringing their glasses of wine to our table to say "cheers'  and on bidding them Adieu afterwards, they enveloped each of us in a three cheek kiss. And we didn't even know their names. Such a pleasure to meet such lovely people. 

 

Today the sun is shining and we have arrived in Santorini.  The next 12 nights will be spent on three islands in the Cyclades and we expect it to be very relaxing.

En route to dinner

Sunset in Santorini from our restaurant

 

 

Singing in the rain

The past four days has kept us on the move every day on a bus tour of mainland Greece , staying at a different hotel each night and travelling big distances. As the tour was bilingual - French & English - our tour guide Dimitra had to say everything twice, but it provided great aural practice for my French. Our bus driver was George...of course. It is the most popular male name in Greece. 

We stopped at the Corinth Canal and encountered a cranky coffee man who seemed to enjoy shouting at his customers.  First it was the turn of the poor woman from Hervey Bay. God alone knows what her crime was. Then up I trotted, feeling safe, paying for my coffee at 3.50 with a 5.00 euro note. But no, that was not good enough. He wanted me to produce 50 cents as he "didn't have the right change"! Then he only gave me back 1 euro. So I stood my ground. Further abuse followed and then Adrian rocked up with his palm open with coins and he snatched what he needed, noting we were together. Adrian said to him "be happy' and so he was sent packing with a mouthful as well. 

Corinth Canal linking the Ionian Sea to the Aegean Sea

Ancient theatre at Epidaurus

A highlight of the day was seeing the Theatre of Epidaurus, an open air amphitheatre dated 4th century BC. Unfortunately drizzly rain had started. As tourists wandered along the seats, clapping their hands to test the acoustics, Adrian urged me to sing a few bars from the gravel "stage". So I sang a bit of Ave Maria. I don't think people knew where the sound was coming from, but everyone listened and they applauded. Later when asking Adrian if he could hear me, the guy from Hervey Bay replied "well I could and I'm deaf'.

Then on to Mycenae, a significant archeaological site from the second millennium BC before stopping for the night at Olympia. 

Entrance to the city of Mycenae

The real "Wilson" - can you spot him?

Adrian enjoyed recreating the character "Wilson" from the US sitcom Home Improvement which our family enjoyed in the 1990s.

The ruins of Ancient Olympia were only unearthed in the latter part of the 19th century by German archaeologists, when Greeks took control once again of their land from the Persians. Winners were presented with their trophies in front of the Temple of Zeus. Each winner brought great honour to his region, community and family. 

Stadium at Ancient Olympia - no seats for the spectators!

Columns from the colonnades adjacent to the training grounds.

Temple of Zeus as it appears today

Corfu Town and beyond

Visited the old fortress in Corfu Town which provides great views over the city. Its history dates back to the mid-6th century AD, when the ancient city of Corfu was destroyed in barbarian incursions. The current form of the Old Fortress's fortifications is mostly owed to the defensive works done during the period of Venetian rule (1386-1797)

View of Corfu from the top of fortress

In the old fortress in Corfu Town

Church of St George in the old fortress

We visited the Church of St Spirodon, the mummified remains of whom are entombed in a silver casket. He is much venerated on Corfu as their patron saint and the Corfiots have great faith in his powers of intervention. We have noticed in the Greek Orthodox churches the ritual of kissing all the icons. I noticed one man kiss the casket of St Spirodon at least 4 times. Perhaps St Spirodon may have a lot to answer for in spreading COVID. 

 

Forgot to mention that when we returned the car rental in one piece, we were severely scolded for not producing the "paperwork". "It must remain in your car at all times" we were told. Adrian shrugged and told them he did not know where it was and more scolding followed. But he kept his cool...just. Apparently if the police pull you over,  you must show the "paperwork". In all the fracas...fortunately no imprisonment on this occasion...I left my beach shoes behind. But a detour in the taxi today allowed me to reclaim them for more use at rocky beaches.

Celebrating the safe return of the car with an ouzo on the famous Liston

A surprise around every corner

On our final full day on the island of Corfu and without a car, we decided to catch a ferry to the nearby island of Paxos. Both Paxos and its tiny neighbour, Antipaxos boast magically clear, light blue waters. We had originally planned to go on a tour, but it was booked out. Dodged a bullet there, as the boats were packed, with loud music playing and no chance for any independence. From the small town of Gaios on Paxos, you can catch a water taxi to Antipaxos which returns to collect you later in the day. The trip to Paxos was very fast on a hydrofoil – one hour (35 euro per person), which was our only option. The return trip was by slower boat – two and a half hours – at less than a third of the price. 

A colourful scene in the port of Gaios on Paxos

Clear blue waters of Voutoumi Beach on Antipaxos

Waiting for the water taxi

Our water taxi

Our final evening we dined at the Bougainvillea restaurant. Impeccable service, delicious food and wine (red house wine was excellent). After paying the bill we were presented with two glasses of cumquat liqueur, gratis, something that is often done in Greek restaurants. 

Bougainvillea restaurant

 

Ah!!!

 

Corfu Town (Kerkyra)

We are now at Corfu Airport awaiting a flight back to Athens after a wonderful 4 night stay in Kerkyra. So what have the Wandering Willies been up to since last we posted an entry. Stopped en route from Paleokastritsa at the sandy Mirtiotissa Beach - clothes optional. Those that wanted to work on their overall tans could bare all, while others kept their bits covered. Probably one of the most scenic beaches on the island and very peaceful. The clarity of the water was such that no snorkelling gear was need to see the colourful fish. 

View from The Pink Panther at Pelekas where we lunched

We managed to negotiate our way up the narrow streets of the old town of CorfuTown  to our accommodation at Locanderia, a small boutique hotel to find our room was on the top floor - up 45 steps.  Then headed to a local bar to enjoy an ouzo just before 7:00. We could hear the sound of brass instruments which seemed to be playing different tunes in different keys and then the church bells started. Then the timpani kicked in! We couldn't stop giggling at the cacophony.

As we still had a car rental we spent the next day exploring the north east of the island. Again the roads were narrow and winding. Adrian was missing his scooter. 

The Corfiots know how to grow bougainvillea and the scenes in the old town are full of colour and old world charm. The influence of the British, Venetians and the French is obvious in the grandeur of the buildings and the culture.

Road leading up to our accommodation

Colourful bougainvilleas are everywhere

Ouzo is cheaper than ginger beer or iced tea

 

Where the bloody hell are we?

What a wonderful stay we’ve had in beautiful Paleokastritsa on the west coast of Corfu. 

View from our window in evening

Wandered down to the port on our first night and stopped to enjoy an ouzo. Adrian said “just sip it”. Good advice! I noticed Adrian looking intently at me and I thought “how romantic” but then he promptly informed me that one of my eyes had changed colour to blue! Maybe just a reflection of the azure blue all round us… or maybe it was the ouzo.  

 On our first full day we ventured out in our little car to explore the beaches north of us. Suffice to say we were not overly prepared for the number of hairpin bends as the road led up and up and was very narrow.  We didn't get out of second gear. Certainly, there were times when we wished we had rented a Fiat Panda or a scooter. 

 

The beaches on Corfu are tucked away and not all easily accessible. At times we had no idea where we were. We saw three beaches that day  - resort beaches at Agios Georgios Pagon, Sidari and Roda. To be honest they were all pretty awful – sun lounges galore and the beaches uninspiring. 

 

Lunch at Nikos family Restaurant at Roda was a delight though. I had read about this little place back in Australia. It was not just the food we enjoyed but the warmth of the hospitality. The mother in the family, Lucy, proudly brought me her gluten free orange cake. I mentioned my recipe and she was keen to have it. She stopped to chat and was generally interested in our planned travels in her country. She brought us two limoncellos to try which she had made, followed by two other non-alcoholic drinks in shot glasses.  Then as we left, she presented us with a box of Greek cumquat sweets and hugged us both. Just genuine Greek friendliness. 

 Adventures on Monday took us to a beach much closer - Limni Beach - but not before the navigator had directed the very calm driver up the narrowest streets we have every encountered in a village to a dead end. But the master of the three point (sometimes five point) turn kept his cool. The navigator was slightly less calm. Despite the assistance of Google Maps,  we often said “Where the bloody hell are we?”

Walking through olive groves to Limni beach

Beaches on both sides

Then on to Giali Beach which was way too inaccessible for us. Apart from the slippery slope down the hill which threatened our physical safety, those coming back (all younger than us by a good 40 years) informed us that we would have to climb down a ladder using a rope to get to the beach.  And it was a long way down at the bottom of a cliff face. Discretion is the better part of valour. The sign says it all!

 

Went in search of the famous 14^th Century Paleokastritsa monastery which I was sure was up 11 km of hair-raising, winding roads, only to discover that it was a mere five minute drive from where we are staying. Still, we saw Angelokastro (fortified castle) atop the highest point. How did they every build there?

Angelokastro

Today was a no drive day. We walked to the monastery – beautifully calm, with lovely gardens  - and spent a pleasant afternoon on the beach snorkelling and watching some of the local teenagers clamber 15-20 metres up the rocks to jump into the sea. 

 

Tomorrow we head back across the island to Corfu town for a 4 night stay.

Shoulders must be covered 

At Paleokastritsa Monastery

 

Last dinner at Alipa by the port

 

 

The downside of Greece!