PLATEFUL AND PLEASED

(Part 4)   

IT'S NOT ALL GREEK!

[NOTE: This write up covers travels over the last three years - old to now. Basically archived pictures and notes that were shaken up, dusted and voila......] 

SEDUCTIVE SANTORINI

Like Alexis, the protagonist of 'Zorba the Greek' by Nikos Kazantzakis, the intention was to go out and live life to the full, to do 'heaps and heaps of things' during the Greece trip. Well, the intention didn't have a good start or rather the only 'intention', after landing at Athens and heading straight to Santorini, was how to lug the luggage down to the place we were booked in, because what lay ahead was a steep trudge down through a narrow route with tons of old stony steps often seeming manually polished because of the wear and tear over the years. To think that there was one soaking in the absolutely stunning vista all around and perdition popped up.  But sticking to the original 'intention' turned out to the best option.

All of the cussing and fuming evaporated instantly on stepping out of the room and seeing what lay ahead. At the risk of sounding superfluous it was like seeing the unfolding of a masterpiece art work.  It was late evening with a colour palette of gold and tinges of rust and orange, the Aegean Sea simmered a golden-silver hue with little land formations here and there, the sun setting in the distance - pure magical. It was then one realised that there couldn't have been a better address than the one we had booked because it was built into in one  part of the caldera slope. Yes, there is still an active volcano in Santorini and in fact, the world famous island is itself a creation of volcanic activity and actually sits on the rim of the caldera.

The fruit of labour is sweet it is said and that was abundantly proved in the morning when what had seemed like a looming structure the night before turned out to be the Skaros Castle or Rock, the famous landmark in Santorini directly ahead in an almost straight vision line. The whining about the luggage bit seemed puerile then. The  accommodation address meant getting to the castle would involve a walk down and making the ascent to the rock. The castle was built by the Venetian ruler, Marco Sanudo as a military stronghold and the story goes that in its 600 years it was never conquered! Obviously the location  on the ledge of a rock high up with an all around view of both land and the Aegean sea  made it foolhardy for any enemies to approach.

The walk down was through winding narrow lanes bordered by the now famous blue and white coloured homes and hotels and the final climb down through rocky steps and all the while, the Aegean Sea spread out in front made a mesmerising company. The ascent to the castle had to be paused every few minutes just to take in the jaw dropping natural beautiful canvas all around. Skaros Castle was constructed totally out of stone and within its small periphery there were said to be hundreds of houses, churches and monasteries but over the centuries volcanic eruptions and earthquakes took toll and what remain are ruins that are nonetheless, quite impressive. A little confession - though a board made it clear that access to the castle after a certain point was dangerous and extremely forbidden, one disobeyed it. In defence one can only say it was a very slow and cautious climb and the view of the volcano and the caldera from the top was beyond stunning.  

As with all universal top tourist destinations, Santorini comes with the positives and negatives. At the cost of sounding like a whining calcitrant child and despite being a tourist, at times one felt like asking the throng of tourists to stay away from where we were especially in and around Fira, the capital, Oia and the beaches. But I guess that is the way the tourism economy works.

But even in the midst of the hustle bustle on the busiest street in Fira, one can be stopped in one's track by something that reminds one that essentially Greece is an ancient civilisation bursting with history and tradition. Like the Catholic Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. In comparison to the world famous church, Three Bells of Fira (officially The Catholic Church of Koimisi Tis Theotokou) directly above the cliffs of western Santorini with its three bells, blue dome and the dazzling view , the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist with its baroque style architecture, a white dome, an ornamented bell tower and above all, the unusual colours of grey, blue and beige makes a quiet but striking impact.

THREE BELLS OF FIRA

All of Santorini is not tailored for the tourists only and a drive around away from the hot spots reveals an island that can claim other proud features like vineyards and wineries. Lower your eyebrows and remove that smirk - yes there are vineyards and wineries all over the world but most don't have the island's volcanic soil- at times almost black - and its unique climate. Wine production in the island is said to have begun in 1500BC surviving earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and today, its white variety of white grapes- the indigenous Assyrtiko, Athiri and Aidani- are renowned worldwide. Interestingly, one learnt that thanks to the volcanic soils, the vineyards in the island do not have to fear louse attack because it cannot survive in such terroir. Cheers to that!

 Just how much the volcanic eruptions has imparted unusual facets to the island can be seen at the Perissa Black Sand beach.  The eruption had covered the whole island in volcanic lava and ash resulting in the unique beach.  The sand is actually black and contrast that with the crystal clear waters and what you get is an amazing work of nature.

Like all tourist attractions, Santorini too plays respect to every kind of world cuisine apart from the traditional Greek one, but it was the gyro that completely took hold of my taste buds. The connoisseurs, the gourmets and even the gourmands may mutter 'how pedestrian' but that simple warm pita bread packed with thinly sliced meat, cooked on a vertical spit, and topped with onions, tomato and tzatziki sauce just spoke a language of wholesomeness and distinct taste. Paired with charred olive oil slathered big peppers and the island's distinct wines , one couldn't have asked for more. But yes, there were other dishes too after all, one person's repeated table choice is another person's ......

MY MY MYKONOS

 
When you are in Rome Mykonos it is the unwritten law that you got to party at least once. After all, this small Cycladic island (976 square miles or 2,528 sq km) is not dubbed the party animal of Greece for nothing. So the first evening itself saw us at a so called well known party venue. Hmm, there were the usual spirits flowing, DJs and hordes of party goers, interestingly of all every age. There were plenty of female hostesses urging the crowd to get up shake a leg. A little off centre of the dance section was a broad plinth  where the more enthusiastic lots would climb up and jive to glory. Then, a young woman, high on whatever decided to live it up by removing her skimpy top and throwing the piece to the crowd. What was amazing was that one of the DJs from the left side literally flew to stand before her, dancing rhythmically all the while covering up her displayed assets till her group members managed to whisk her away. That was some fast thinking, fast moving and chivalry alright. 

The Kato Mili windmills on the landmark hill in Chora has by now been photographed and filmed to death and yet it still evokes an undeniable charm. Probably the island's most famous sight by now, the six windmills stand in a row overlooking the Aegean sea near Little Venice. There can be no denying that the island is exquisitely beautiful especially the main town Chora - all whitewashed walls, narrow cobbled alleys, wooden windows painted blue, small wooden balconies and that abundance again of brilliant bright bougainvillea. Then there is the 18th century quarter Alefkandra or Little Venice with more imposing homes 

If that wasn't enough, Mykonos has its own unique unofficial mascot, Petros (Peter) a white pelican who struts around like a sovereign inspecting his kingdom and appears to have run of the place.  There's an interesting story behind it - sometime in the 1950s a pelican who was hurt after a heavy storm  was saved by a fisherman, named Petros  and before long he became the island's mascot. The first Petros was  a pink pelican and the tradition continues. The current Petros  for some reason he decided to walk into the waterfront eatery the day we were lunching. He first walked up to the management behind the counter - he clearly knows in keeping the bosses  happy - then casually stepped up, crossed the little corridor into the kitchen; maybe he didn't like what he saw because he then sauntered off  to the next one!

When the Aegean waters were virtually lapping the frontage of the restaurant it was only given to put gyros into temporary abeyance and dive into seafood. And Mykonos didn't disappoint despite the little niggling doubts if we were walking into tourist traps. 

   

 ENDURING ATHENS

As we headed for the Greek capital, for some strange reason one wondered if what poet John Milton wrote centuries ago, (1671)would still hold true

Athens, the eye of Greece, mother of arts
And eloquence, native to famous wits
Or hospitable, in her sweet recess,
City or surburban, studious walks and shades...

(Paradise Regained, IV)

It did and it did not. So much of Athens is old or rather the ruins of architectural wonders, some sections modern-ish and some a blend of both and at least one corner of the Greek capital steadfastly trying to keep alive their heritage alive. Natural calamities especially earthquakes and above all, that eternal pestilence - war - when mankind annihilate not just lives but everything else too seemed to have taken a very heavy toll on much of its historical monuments. 

The Acropolis stands tall like a crown of the city but a damaged crown. Designated a cultural UNESCO World Heritage site (1987) : "The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments are universal symbols of the classical spirit and civilization and form the greatest architectural and artistic complex bequeathed by Greek Antiquity to the world." What remains of that is a living proof. The only wish one had after queueing long and literally inching up, was to possess a wand which, with one discreet wave would immobilise the 'selfie' takers for eternity!

At the Parthenon or what was left of the temple dedicated to  Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin), goddess of wisdom and war, one failed to find any rhyme or reason  for what I felt was just vandalism of the most brutal kind.  The temple is considered to be the best work of the Greek origin Doric architecture order but what remains is the basic structure and columns. Incidentally, what is called the 'Elgin Marbles'  at the British Museum are from the Parthenon and some other sculptures are said to be in Paris (Louvre Museum) and in the Danish capital too.  

Remember Maria Callas acknowledged as one of the most influential opera singer of the 20 the century?  At the foothills of The Acropolis in one of the parks was her statue and I don't know why but one felt as if she had relegated to distant memory

If The Acropolis made one feel blue for the ravages, it was even worse at the Temple of Zeus. In brief, only fifteen-sixteen columns remain but the towering columns clearly point to the rich history of the nation. Thankfully, the museums of which we visited two -The Acropolis Museum and the National Archaeological Museum relate to some extent why John Milton sung paeans to Athens. 

There is Plaka almost at the foothills of the Acropolis with it seamless blend of ancient neoclassical buildings, its cafes and restaurants and shops. Add to it the Monastiraki Flea Market, a storehouse of antiques and its quite an attractive package. And above all,  Anafiotika a neighbourhood so distinct that is like a perfect slice of history. If Plaka was all buzzing, Anafiotika, just above it on the slopes of the Acropolis hill, all hush and quiet. Think small whitewashed houses, doors and windows in bright shades, narrow winding alleys, sunning cats and those bougainvillea again and you might conjure up this tiny quarter of Athens.  Its history is equally riveting. It goes that in the early 19th century, the then King Otto wanted to renovate the place after the Ottomans were ousted; he got in carpenters from the Cycladic island of Anafi for the task. The workers needed to stay somewhere and the northern rocky slopes of the Acropolis was where they built their houses in the style of those they had left behind and called the area Anafiotika or Little Anafi. Some of the families are said to be direct descendants of the original inhabitants. It was obvious that the residents have had to pay a heavy price for their address; a number of signs request visitors to keep quiet!

In matters of the plate one went back to the recently discovered gyros and yes chargrilled peppers too. Of course, it was not just those two but more varieties including a quick Chinese to make more time for the flea market.

¿Qué haces aquí, Pablo?"

   AYE AYE ISLANDS
  (Hydra, Poros, Aegea)

Like all visitors to Athens we went island hopping too - three in one day on what are called the Saronic tours. It was a noisy ship that ferried tourists with the complete package -food, drinks, dance performances and music which was cleverly chosen to cater to different nationalities.  

HYDRA

Hydra in the Saronic Gulf was the first call of port. Even before we reach there is curiosity because since the 1950s there has been a complete ban on vehicles and cycles and only donkeys/ mules, sea taxis and boats are permitted. Sure enough, two mules are the first to greet us. Here again it was as if Greece has the copyright on dazzling blue skies, blue waters and picture perfect scenes. If that wasn't enough, Hydra is built like an amphitheatre on a slope, rising up from the harbour, with the houses and mansions, monasteries and churches mostly the the three bells one overlooking the gulf. Incidentally, one gave up counting snazzy yachts moored at the harbour

More cobbled paths and stone steps and away from the harbour circle the usual cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops,  Hydra has the look and feel that makes one lazily walk around admiring the old stone houses and villas and just soak it all especially the distinct aroma of the island's special neranja oranges dotting the streets, squares and just about everywhere. In fact, in a pocket sized squares it was not just neranja but other citrus trees making a heady combination.  The trees are not tool tall either and it's difficult not to pluck a couple or so.  Bound by time, the exploration was limited but one aspect stood out, as we walked up higher and higher, apart from a few shops, a couple or so mules ferrying goods, we hardly encountered any locals walking around. It was as if there was an undisclosed pact among them to vanish as soon as ship and ferry loads of tourists appeared on the horizon!

POROS

Pinewood forests and I have a near umbilical cord connection, it is my childhood and part of my youth and pine trees take me to my roots. There we were thousands of miles away and as soon as we landed in Poros, our second call of port,  forests of pine trees carpetted the slopes as if to say, 'hello old friend'. As if that wasn't a welcome enough, the pine trees were almost similar. Couldn't figure out why the brochures touted the clock tower located on the hilltop amidst pine trees and prickly pears, as the landmark of Poros.  Shoudn't it have been the pine forests!

In Poros fits in perfectly into the cut-paste blue waters, blue skies and amphitheatre mould but instead of one there are two islands- the smaller Sphaeria and the bigger Kalaureia linked by a short road bridge. That time limit came into play again and one really regretted not being able to walk to the island's famous Lemon Forest, the only one in the country. What one learnt was that it was not only continuous forest but several small orchards redolent with the scents of lemon and orange trees with some watermills in between and a waterfall as well. Sigh!

AEGINA

If it was pines in Poros, it was pistachios and more pistachios in Aegina, the last island of the day trip and another island in the Saronic Gulf. The pistachio is  the koilarati variety and unique to the island. And plenty of olive groves too. Like the earlier two islands, Aegina is the same story of blue skies, blue waters, rising slopes, traditional architecture, inviting beaches, in brief picturesque in every sense. Archaeological monuments wise too, Aegina had plenty to offer. The outstanding one being the Temple of Aphaia dating back to the 500 BCE and evidently it escaped extensive damage. According to the description plaque, the nymph Aphaia was worshipped on the island and ' she was thought of as the daughter of Zeus and was similar to the virgin goddess Artemis'. Located on a verdant hill , the Temple is said to form an equilateral triangle with the Parthenon and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, making the 'holy triangle' of the antiquity. The Temple's pediments were apparently originally decorated with Trojan War sculptures. Unfortunately, like the Elgin Marbles, most of them were stolen and can now be viewed at the Glyptothek museum in Munich.

What remains of the Aphaia Temple, especially the towering Doric columns build a picture of a majestic structure and above all, the expansive view from its premises of the Saronic Gulf is mesmerising. The cafe, on the way down, boasts of eye catching stone furniture and one doesn't know whether to accept at face value the claim that it was fashioned out of the scattered large stones found around in the Temple compound . It however, offers pistachios, pistachio products and some very addictive pistachio ice creams.   

How does one explain faith? Is it even possible to hold a civilized debate on the topict? One was at the Church of Agios Nektarios (Saint Nectario), one of the most widely known and revered Orthodox saints in the country and struck up conversation with one of the locals who had come to pray; Saint Nektarios she said, was a miraculous healer and people travelled from all the world to seek his blessings. She claimed that the faithful who prayed at his marble tomb where he was buried in one of the little chapel in the monastery premise could hear his blessings when they put their ear to the tomb. I googled that later and it appeared to be true, the belief of the faithful that is! Unfortunately, the time schedule factor deterred one from visiting the all female monastery.

   

NAPFLIO AND ITS OLD WORLD CHARM

Sometimes the name can be a bit misleading. Nafplio was the first capital of (newly born) Greece for a decade and a year from 1823. The town's name goes back to the Byzantine times when it was old Napoli di Romania or new town of the Romania.  One is ready to stand corrected but compared to the islands the small town in the Peloponnese Peninsula and barely two hours drive from Athens, seems reluctant to push its way in the top of the pop tourist list and thank god for that. Less crowded and a more authentic Greek vibe. 

However, we decided on a detour before heading for Napflio and it resulted in one of the most surreal experience - looking down from a small bridge into the amazing made made Corinth Canal, described as an engineering marvel that revolutionised sea trade and rightly so. Imagine a project that took 25 centuries from conception to completion! The canal connects the Isthmus of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. The history of the canal is eye popping - in 600 BCE the then  ruler of Corinth, Periander thought of the canal so that ships could avoid circumnavigation of the Peloponnese and thus shorten the route. Unfortunately,  he could not execute it. It was during the Roman rule (31 BC to 180AD) that Emperor Nero revived the project and literally struck the first blow with a golden pickaxe. It was however during the French occupation that the canal was finally completed in 1893 though it was inaugurated in 1882. The canal measures 6.3 km long with a depth of 26 ft and the width varies from 69ft at the bottom to 82 ft at the surface. It was quite an unbelievable experience, sort of Gulliver and the Lilliput tale type, to look down from  a bridge and watch a ship pass by!

Nafplio has an individual charm of its own, a no-hurry, no-worry kind  with narrow streets, Venetian houses and neoclassical mansions, museums and more. The huge and historic Syntagma Square at the centre of the town lined with neoclassical structures, tavernas, coffee houses, shops is inviting enough to sit down for hours and watch the world pass by. The Square is of significance because one learnt that this was where the Athenians rose up against King Otto in  September 1843 to demand a constitution.

The major attraction of Napflio is the Palamidi Castle on a crest of a hill  216m above sea level, that was built by the Venetians in the 18th century as a prison!  It has been dubbed a masterpiece of military architecture. There has been some hair splitting over whether it is 999 or 991 steps carved into the rock that leads to the castle. Thankfully, there is the easier way of  driving up to a parking spot and walk on from there. Apart from the historical importance as this was where the Greek revolutionary leader Theodore Kolokotronis was imprisoned, it also offers a breath taking view of Napflio and the Argolic Gulf. 

Traditional fare it had to be - after all, one cannot live on gyros alone- and the Pidalio Taverna in the old town of Napflio, at the foothills of Palamidi Castle left no room whatsoever for any complaints. The eponymous salad called for repeats, it was that scrumptious proving yet again that the unofficially established rule is not to go overboard with fresh ingredients. Also what at first glance looked like an unappealing porridge turned out to be a delicious wholesome trahanotto, the Greek version of Italian risotto but instead of rice it was pebble shaped grain made from cracked wheat and cream cheese made with sheep milk in place of parmesan.  The management grandly offered desserts on the house but one had a stinking suspicion it was because of the repeat orders.

Wish one could have had the same feel good experience at Lake Vouliagmeni.  It was not a planned trip, it was accidental and a happy one one presumed till we were politely told no entry without payment. One had absolutely no issues with it, but one only hoped we had been told about it while we were seated at the Cafe at the entrance and paying for highly priced coffees and eats. For the record the lake, to the south of Athens, is supposed to a flooded limestone cave with rocky cliffs in shades of yellowish browns and made by underground mineral currents with a constant temperature of 24degree C. Besides, no one was inclined to swim or lounge around or avail spa services.  There are ways an one managed to click some pictures minus the hefty entry fee. And if one can say so the pictures are 'priceless' literally! 

  

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