Karitaina Castle - new best friend

 As we approached Megalopoli we stopped briefly to change drivers and as I walked around the car, I saw a high peak in the distance that appeared to have a fortress atop, see above, and so we decided to trust to good fortune and explore.  The flower in the foreground is Valerian and appears to be similar to Foxglove Digitalis used in heart medication.  We learned the Karitanians use the flowers and leaves to brew a relaxing tea.

We retraced our steps a short distance and found the sharp left turn leading up to the village just below the castle.  We parked and began a climb up the several hundred feet to the The Frankish Castle of Karytaina which was built in the mid-13th century on this steep rocky outcrop by Geoffrey of Briel.  Geoff was a knight of the first order but a bit of a bad boy, too.  He took the wife of one of his feudal tenants to Italy for a bit of shopping and fun.
                                  See the stereograms above and below.

As we descended we stopped at a cafe for espresso and met Vickie, a Greek woman.  She learned her English at the foot of a tutor for four years.  She told us the village was inhabited by about 100 old people and that all the younger people had left.  Tourism was very slow.  Her job was to work the cafe 10 hours each day for a wage of 25 Euros a day.  She works 30 days a month and her 18 month-old daughter is cared for by her mother.  She lives with her extended family on their farm where her husband grow vegetables and raises goats and sheep.  They grow and make everything and contribute any money to support her sister who is at the University.  She and Anna quickly bonded, and I think Anna especially liked Vickie's enthusiastic celebration of them both being "Greek women".

Temple of Apollo Epikourius (Bassae)

I think The Temple to Apollo at Delphi was the high point of antiquity, although the 4-5 other ancient sites were all worth the effort.  And for some of them, it was an effort.  For example, our second stop, at Bassae, Temple of Apollo Epikourious, perhaps the most studied of all because of its beauty and the unique design of the inner rooms, was only a few miles from the Ionian Sea coast at Kalo Nero, but took us nearly 2 hours up and up and UP! a winding narrow road to the top of Mount Kotylion 1,131 meters above the Sea, a decidedly remote location.

We are at Apollo Epikourious at Bassae, where we viewed the tented Temple (acid rain protection), and chatted for some minutes with the gentleman who for 6-7 years has been in charge of the restoration of this World Heritage site.  This one atop another windy peak.  After exploring the site for an hour, we drove away on our path to Nafplio, the 19th Century capitol of Greece.

The stereogram below is particularly good and I can see to the inner room of Epikourius in 3D

Olympia Archaeological Site, Archea Olimpia 270 65, Greece

Driving these high mountain and very winding roads, sometimes with only one lane proves to be a challenge.  Anna & I share time behind the wheel.  We reached the ancient site of the olympic games late in the afternoon and decided to spend the night and visit the site in the morning.  Turned out to be a good idea as the morning was cooler and there were many fewer visitors.

We are now in Nafplio, the old capitol city (1821-1834) before Athens, and one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the sack of Constantinople by Western European invaders during the Fourth Crusade.

The original Olympic site occupied several acres and work to uncover more of it continues today.  We chatted up a teacher from Bethesda MD whose 25 or so senior project students, sons and daughters of U.S. State Department officials, were being led through the site by another teacher. Perhaps preparing the next generation of diplomats for European Union discussions.  As was the case with Delphi, the admission fee for both the site and the museum was 19 Euros and provisions had been made for "senior discounts".  Ah! Except for anyone over 65 with a passport outside the EU.

The Museum preserves the extraordinary statuary from the Temple to Zeus

Delphi - The Temple of Apollo

Pictured on left are the 6 remaining columns from the Temple of Apollo.  The cult, the Oracle (who from inside the Temple inhaled an unknown vapor arising from the floor and began to articulate in strange unknowable terms), and

graces the top of this complex.

High mountain setting.

The Treasury of Athens

the Treasury of Athens aside, I was astounded by the location of this ancient treasure.  It is impossibly high, perhaps 3,000 feet in the mountains above a valley carpeted with olive trees.
These two closeup shots of the columns, below, are shot inches apart and they form a stereogram.  If you view them side by side, then focus into infinity in an attempt to merge the two images, you may be able to see the columns in three dimensions.

Antinoos

Mistral redux

After two nights at Monato Hotel on the Kathisma beach Lefkada, we have a plan.  Returning to Lefkas we struck a deal with Yianni at Budget on a rental car to be dropped at the Athens Airport on June 12.  Tonight we are lodged at the Hotel Mistral on the North beach of the Corinthian Sea.  We will explore Southern Greece after a visit to Delphi, the Temple of Apollo and the nearby museum.

The bridge crossing the narrows of the Corinthian Sea provided an amusing moment when we missed the turn for Itea (Anna may claim that I missed the turn, but wasn't she navigating?). Anna wisely suggested that I pulled off the toll line to avoid paying the 13 Euro bridge fee (!) to see if we could improve our lot.  She had spotted a small auto parking area with a pay phone.  She jumped out and yelling across two lanes, she explained to a bridge guard that we were intending to go to Itea.  The guard, a jovial, heavyset man in a yellow safety jacket (think a Greek version of Jackie Gleason in his bus driver uniform), yelled back, "Go to the phone and press 2. Tell them you are a terrible driver and made a mistake. They will help you." Customer service went into action and we were waved across all 8 lanes into the Northbound direction and resumed our drive.


The Monastery just outside of Lefkas complete with an aviary, gardens and lines of visitors reminded Anna of her early childhood experiences at church in Agwam.


Our hosts at Monato provided omelets for breakfast and great cappuccino drinks both hot & cold.  Despite the cooler weather, Anna got in a good swim.  We began to look forward to our new plan, and the insensitive betrayal of both Eric and Martha receded into the past.

Sea journey ends

May 23, 8am - I write from Lefkas on the Ionian island of Lefkada where we arrived to a beautiful sunset last evening.


We have left the boat, and Eric and Martha behind.  A very enjoyable but physically challenging 12 day crossing from Port St. Louis to the Ionian island nearest to Ithaka has completed. Our decision to proceed by land gives us the opportunity to fashion a new plan and enjoy our trip together.  We leave with some sadness having to forego the promised visits to the fabled islands of the Aegean.

Houston this is Vonitza, we have a problem

We may jump ship. Nerves have become frazzled and everyone is a little on edge. The isle of Kefalonia has been made so attractive*, we may go ashore with our bags, bid farewell to Eric, and... come what may.  We are enjoying an evening pizza in Vonitza, all the while making enquiries into TripAdvisor for an alternative plan.

*Martha seems to have a bit of jealousy surfacing and may wish to have her man to herself.  I'm frustrated by the lack of any interest in Eric to include us in his plans to make ports, or to discuss his plans once we arrive.  Eric seems exhausted from the Messina episode which earned him a bit of latitude now spent.  There are frequent emotionally incontinent responses from Martha who seems to believe Eric has magical powers, and sees herself as a Shaman.

P.S. This is not an unexpected turn of events as 4 personalities in 100 square feet for 12 days can be a bit of a challenge.

έχουμε φτάσει!

May 20 1pm - Bonitza, GR

We are close to the village of Bonitza where we will meet Eric's friend Luc and his wife, Francoise, who are anchored in the central bay of the city.  More later...

We meet Luc and Francoise for aperitif. She was au pair in Seattle in 70's and Luc at 73 retired 8 years from Channel 2 French TV.  Both have good English;  Luc's charming exchanges with Anna had everyone laughing.  This, our first night on Greek soil, was a most enjoyable evening that ran to a midnight trip to a Taverna for a final round of drinks.  Tensions seem to relax a bit.

The Cyclades come slowly as we motor Sicily's North shore- May 17 6pm

TO HOMER
By John Keats

Standing aloof in giant ignorance,

   Of thee I hear and of the Cyclades,

As one who sits ashore and longs perchance

   To visit dolphin-coral in deep seas.

So thou wast blind;—but then the veil was rent,

   For Jove uncurtain'd Heaven to let thee live,

And Neptune made for thee a spumy tent,

   And Pan made sing for thee his forest-hive;

Aye on the shores of darkness there is light,

   And precipices show untrodden green,

There is a budding morrow in midnight,

   There is a triple sight in blindness keen;

Such seeing hadst thou, as it once befel

To Dian, Queen of Earth, and Heaven, and Hell.

Anna chose this Keats poem.  It's a little early to post it but I liked it so well that I couldn't resist.  We now are on a course direct to Greece.  (Later the plan is change and we learn we will anchor in the Straits.) It will take until Tuesday mid-day to cross so no cellular or wifi until then.

We saw a floating bale wrapped in black plastic with straps and a radio antenna float by.  Both Anna and Eric thought it was drugs.  Later that same night we came across a very large ship with no IES (identifying signal) and as we neared the vessel, they turned off their lights and thus disappeared completely.  Another suspected drug shipment.  Later in the day a military helicopter flew low over us

Under power, we head toward the Messina Straits.

Before and after Lipari

We are visited again by a small bird.
 I splashed some water from a bottle onto the deck next to it and flicked a couple of bits of bread his way.  To my everlasting surprise, the bird flew up and alighted on my fingers and gave a couple of pecks at the remains of the bread.

Later, after lunch, the fishing reel began to buzz loudly as tuna #2 attacked the lure.

This little fellow, about 2 kg, was quickly dispatched, filleted and readied for the promised feast with Luc and Francoise.

After the thunderstorm we approach Lipari

We left Lipari under a soothing sunset.

Eric announced a plan to anchor in the Straits of Messina 35 miles East.  This plan seemed reasonable to all.  But we lost good wind, and when we reached the Straits it was 11pm. The Captain was uncertain that a previously relied upon anchorage was sufficient and pressed on to another, also unsuitable for undisclosed reasons.  Then we approached a mooring dock, a private yacht club perhaps, and the attendant (it's now 1am) quoted 88 Euros to tie up.  Unacceptable.

We move on down the Strait to the toe of Italy.  I slept for 3 hours and took over at 5 am for Eric who had stood the watch all night.  We continued through the second night and by 8:30pm yesterday we crossed the Ionian all of us recovered thanks to our new favorite sport...napping.

Le Raz de la Merciere at Lipari

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