Week 3 - The Mani - Part I

In the early morning on the third Sunday we drove to Zante town to get the ferry back to the mainland, it was again a pleasant journey and we arrived back in Kyllini ready for the longest journey on the adventure. Retracing our steps to Kalamata, I drove while Mr Deany navigated and slept some. We hit Kalamata's busy sunday traffic and left Messinia taking the beautiful winding road towards the lower mani. It was a long drive, almost 6 hours and the scenary changed from lush green cypressa trees and olive groves to bare mountains resembling the surface of a far away planet. The touristy villages became fewer and as we approached from the steep road heading down into Karavostasi we wondered what lay ahead. On arrival in Karavostasi we checked into our accommodation which was compact but nicely furnished. We immediately headed for one of the two tavernas in the resort and spent a couple of hours recovering from the journey with the aid of several cold Amstels. The evening was spent chatting to a lovely lady from Athens called Zoie, who I was able to test my Greek on and she reciprocated with her very good English. The following morning we both felt unhappy as the resort was very isolated, the accommodation seemed crowded with the walls being paper-thin and every syllable of neighbours all around being heard. We decided to go for a drive to see if there was more to see in the surrounding area which would make our stay more bearable, but we drove and drove and it was around an hour later that we found somewhere with a supermarket, chemist and a selection of tavernas. We had actually driven back up the way we came and ended in Agios Nikolaos which seemed warm and friendly and decided, there and then, to go back, pack up, and relocate to this place.

A couple of hours later we were back in Ag Nik, we followed signs for accommodation to rent and knocked on the door of Yiota who drove us to see her house just outside of the village. This accommodation (Skafidakia Villas) was lovely, inexpensive, light and airy, beautifully furnished with spectacular views over to Messinia and was situated in a lovely olive grove. We both felt a sense of relief and headed back into the village stopping in at what would be a regular haunt over the next couple of week, the Niriides cafe bar.

The cafe bar is right next to the sea, furnished with turquoise curtains, colourful lanterns, candles and seashells and the staff here were absolutely lovely. They serve delicious milk shakes and snacks plus draft Alfa beer in ice cold glasses. The village of Ag Nik is wonderful, a very traditional little fishing village and not touristy at all, a real snapshot of Greek life. There are a couple of well stocked supermarkets, harbour side tavernas serving cheap but delicious food and local wine, a couple of chill out cafe's and watching the local fishermen banter with each other and take out their fishing boats became a daily routine. We particularly enjoyed The Hidden Garden taverna, where the beef in tomato, rabbit stew, kalamari, briam and rose wine were very tasty.

Another fantastic thing we discovered in the local supermarket was the Kalamata brewed raisin brandy. This stuff is very pleasant and became the evening tipple of choice but would always be accompanied by gasps of shock as the first drop of this lovely raisin-y stuff takes your breath away.

From the veranda of Skafidakia Villa we would watch the spectacular red sunsets over Messinia and this place certainly put our holiday back into relaxation overdrive.

We explored other parts of The Mani and one particular day drove for around 5 hours exploring. We headed for Gythio, via Areopoli, and stopped for refreshment here, Gythio is a lovely ferry port and is reminiscent of a cornish fishing village, certainly a great place to stop off if you are heading for Monemvasia. Just to add here that while the distances of the journeys on the map do not look too long, the fact that the roads are so windy and take you through such spectacular mountains and valleys means it usually takes you twice as long as you expect to get to your destination. We decided that we would head for Sparta and in fact the road from Gythio to Sparta is fairly straight and we found our way there very quickly. Sparta is actually a fairly unexciting typical Greek city with very little in the way of historical ruins or monuments to connect you to the Spartan battles and we found ourselves (directed by the Routh Guide) heading towards Mystras which, in contrast, is breathtaking.

When you first see the fortress on top of the hill and the village below you know this is going to be something exciting. As you drive through the village at the bottom you climb steeper until you start to see the fortress and some of the majestic buildings within the palace grounds. We stopped to take pictures and take in the views and then decided to hit the road again.

We decided to make the infamous drive from Sparta to Kalamata taking the only route through the Taygettus mountains and this was to be one of the most memorable journeys of the adventure.
This 60 km drive takes you through pine forests, inhabited caves and past honey sellers as the road bends and winds, through tunnels carves into the mountain side, you climb higher and higher and with each turn of the road you think the view cannot get any more stunning. As you descend you can see for miles and miles and then you start to climb again. We stopped several times to take pictures and I wish I had a quid for every time one of us said "wow!"

From Kalamata, we drove back to Ag Nik, via Kardymilli and Stoupa. This was a truly memorable day.

After a false start, we had a fantastic third week based in Ag Nik, the accommodation was wonderful, the village was friendly and had everything there we could possibly ask for.

The sights and scenary in this peninsular are something to behold and by this stage of the adventure I had truly begun to realise that I had missed out on so much by just going to the islands in the past.


The mainland is a place to inspire and contemplate on the history Greece and I would certainly love to spend time in Ag Nik again, but we were about to make a short journey into Stoupa for the final week. To follow ...

Week 2 - Zakynthos

The ferry journey to Zante was lovely, it took about 1 hour 15 minutes and was very straightforward and so nice to approach the island in a way other than via the airport. Just turn up at the ferry port, buy inexpensive tickets, drive on and then find somewhere comfortable to sit and enjoy the ride. The ferries depart at exactly the time stated (I understand they are strictly regulated and fines imposed on those companies not adhering to the set times). I was quite scared by the prospect of the ferry journey because the last time I had taken this form of transport was when I was at school and all my classmates were very seasick enroute from Dover to Bologne, however, I really enjoyed it and the air-conditioned bar was a welcome respite from the fierce morning sun.
On arrival in Zante we drove to Amoudi and secured ourselves a room for the week (costing 40 euros per night). The rooms are those to the right of The Last Resort bar, they are currently being refurbished and are clean and well equipped although unfortunately, I do not know the name of the accommodation. We spent the next five days with Emma & Vinnie showing them the sights of the island, the shipwreck, shopping in Zante town, driving around the island to show them the best views.
The view of the shipwreck was spectacular.


We had some lovely meals at tavernas in Alykanas and Amoudi, the best were Amoudi Taverna (the new owners are doing a great job and the food here was superb), Ovelix Grill (the big variety of meats always hits the spot), and The Lemon Tree Garden with it's lovely garden. We had a lovely time sunbathing on Alykanas beach where the water in the sea was warm and Emma and me spent hours bobbing about on lilos just chatting. The heatwave really began to kick in and one day it reached 48 degrees celsius.

The funniest part was when we were coming back from the shipwreck and we drove round the corner to see a little old fella selling honey and fruit. When he saw us he shouted 'tutti fruitti' and we screeched to a halt, all in unison shouting 'tutti fruitti!!' in reply. We spent time buying honey and cherries and feeding the lovely little pony and donkey he had tethered next to his stall.

We had a lovely time with Emma and Vinne and were sad to see them leave on Thursday, but we spent the next few days chilling out, snorkelling at Redskins beach, and more shopping in Zante Town.

This was a very relaxing and enjoyable week, although we know the island very well, having visited more than a dozen times, it was very nice to be able to show someone else what we love about the place and see people we have got to know well over the years.

Thanks to EBF and Dimitris for adding a new dimension and fresh eyes to an old familiar island.

The following Sunday we got the first ferry from Zante back to the mainland, again enjoying the journey immensley and the third week was just about the start with an extremely long journey and disappointment when we arrived at our destination. To follow .....

Week 1 - Messinia

On Sunday 17 June, we flew to Kalamata to spend the first week of our Greek adventure in Messinia. We stayed at Saint Fridays in Gargarou, the villas here are set in olive groves and are well off the beaten track. The complete lack of mass tourism in Messinia makes for a very pleasant, rural, totally Greek, experience and a basic grasp of holiday Greek does not go unused here as in many of the villages there is no English spoken. The hospitality received at Saint Fridays is very welcoming and while the accommodation is basic, this does not detract from the whole experience. The setting of the villas is so peaceful with only the sounds of local wildlife and it is very conducive to complete relaxation. The best thing about the the villas is the view laid out before you and the very enticing day bed on the verandas. I could wax lyrical about this for ages but basically such is the panoramic view, as far as the eye can see in all directions, you find yourself just in quiet contemplation as you spend endless time watching the fishing boats moving around the bay or changes in the clouds over the mountains and trying to mentally capture every little piece of the beautiful picture before you. I cannot recommend this accommodation and local villages highly enough, this was a great start to the holiday.

We spent a few lovely days in Koroni as the tavernas on the harbour are excellent and the shops in the tiny streets of the village are fascinating. There is a bank and post office and the fortress is well worth a visit. Pylos is lovely with it's square and venetian buildings, as is the fortress town of Methoni. The natural crescent shaped lagoon at Voidokilia with it's perfect sandy beach and crystal clear waters is stunning and also recommended is Zanga beach with the taverna just across the road. The beach is clean and the only hurdle is getting across the shingle to get into the sea (dive socks or jellies recommended to avoid pain!).

In Messinia on Sunday's all shops are closed and in most villages there is a goat roast at a local taverna, this is well worth a try but don't forget about the shops being closed and make sure you stock up on essentials (beer, wine, coffee, etc!) In Harakopio on Sunday it is market day and many locals set out their stalls of fresh fruit, vegetables, plants and preserves from the early hours of the morning, in the centre of the village. The local wine is cheap and well worth investing, unlike other regions where we have tried some very dubious local brew, the local wine in Messinia was consistently good, particularly the rose wine.
The local tavernas are inexpensive compared with more touristy areas of Greece and the food is good. Many village tavernas are Greek kitchens where there is no set menu and you are invited into the kitchen to choose from the day's freshly prepared food, recommended is Nico's (opposite the church) in Harakopio.

If you are looking for a totally relaxing, laid back, off the tourist track, break this is the place to go. The pace of village life here is very pleasant and makes you totally wind down. One week of this tonic is not enough! If you are looking for frenetic nightlife this may not be the place to go!

By the end of the first week we wanted to stay for another week, but the adventure was to continue as, in the early hours of the following Sunday morning, we drove 3 hours north to the ferry port of Kylini to board the ferry to Zakynthos (Zante) where the next part of our odyssey begins .... a review of week 2 will follow soon ...

Baaaack

Back home this morning! Over the next few weeks I will start to upload some of the many photos I have taken over the month holiday and will start to write more detailed reviews of each of the four weeks we experienced with recommendations/favourite stuff and some business cards we gathered on our travels. Just to say that the 'Rough Guide to Greece' was absolutely spot on in it's detail of the places we visited and the 'Road Editions' roadmap of the Peloponnese, which is now surgically enhanced with lots of sellotape, was a navigational godsend. I will write more soon before it all becomes a dim and distant memory ... luv Jools

Busy doing nowt!

It is so tiring doing nothing! Actually I am now struggling to fit into my shorts and am starting to crave for a salad that is not swimming in olive oil or a meal served without chips ... sad eh?! The weather has been brilliant for the entire stay and we have had sunshine every day not a spot of rain, although I understand that this is not the case in the UK. Mr Dean is currently enjoying a bottle of Newkie Brown and I am trying to decide how much stuff (olive oil, honey, greek spices) I can fit in the case to bring back! We have discovered a local Raisin Brandy, made in Kalamata, which is absolutely fantastic stuff ... blows your flip flops off! Hope everyone is ok, see you all soon ... luv Jools

Favourites!

Kalispera, I have managed to delete the favourites in the left hand nav and because the layout is in Greek I have not the patience to sort it out until I return. If you are looking for the pics in my moblog the link is here ... http://moblog.co.uk/blogs.php?show=15186. Yesterday was very chilled although we had the most inedible meal in the evening that I think we have had in all of Greece. We have had a brilliant morning driving to the most southern part of the Mani to see the tower houses in the hilltop village of Vathia, it was absolutely spectacular and I have posted some pics to the moblog. We stopped in Gerolimenos on the way for some refreshment and watched the huge tankers out at sea as they pass across what is the most southern part of mainland europe. Thank you to anyone who sent me a birthday text yesterday it was much appreciated. Love Jools

Greetings from Stoupa!

Happy birthday to me! Hello there, we are now in Stoupa for the final week it is very busy here, the beach is wall to wall with people and the smell of factor 15 is rather overpowering, a little too touristy for my liking but the accommodation is spacious and has very nice views. We stayed last week in Agios Nikolaos which is wonderful, a little fishing village with a couple of lovely chill out cafe's and excellent tavernas. The sunsets from our apartment were just spectacular. One day we drove the 60 km or so from Sparta to Kalamata along the mountain road and it was the most stunning drive ever the scenary was wonderful. We were suppose to spend last week in Karavostasi but having driven for almost 6 hours from Kyllini, having left Zante, we arrived to discover there was nothing there! and the accommodation was rather intimate!! Both of us felt uncomfortable and after a rather unhappy encounter with the owner we paid up and left with a trail of dust behind us. I am off to buy some bubbly now to celebrate this evening (Mr Dean has found some Newcastle Brown at 6 Euros a bottle (around 4 pounds!) so he is happy but it might break the bank before long). Hope everyone is ok ... luv Jools