Easing into Autumn

---

Easing into Autumn



Kastana in Kastania

The chestnut festival is in full swing when we arrive at 1pm .....parking away from the village we walk up the hill to this beautiful , ancient settlement full of wonderful byzantine churches and usually quiet alleyways with shuttered houses. The path into the main square has tables laden with local crafts and natural products sold by local people and we can smell the chestnuts toasting on the huge fire and bags of them are handed to new arrivals free of charge.... we discover a new love for them (is there any food I don't love I ask myself?!). We are greeted with loud traditional greek music, live from a large stage erected in the central square which is full of people, long tressle tables with benches for communal enjoyment of Parea (company), food and drink and to observe the dancing and music. Live traditional bands in turn sing accompanied by bouzouki and other instruments , the music festive and lively at times, haunting and ancient others and always groups of men , women and children getting up to dance with flair in the traditional way . Xenous (foreigners!) take part too , we didn't, too unsure and a little nervous, although we needn't have been as there is no judgement here.... locals, greek visitors from near and far and travellers mingle together and pass the time pleasantly in the warm sunshine ( yes on the 21st October it still feels like summer), eating slow roast pork sold by the 100g or the kilo !, souvlaki, greek salad , bread , chips or oven potatoes, all perfectly fresh and gorgeous from a stall , washed down with beer, water and wine. We chat to lovely Dutch and Scottish couples who are friends from a nearby village, they inform us of their experiences here as we share our stories. Then our friend Stavroula from Aghios Nikolaos with whom we laugh and talk happily and who's mother hails from this village, we meet some of her relatives there too-and Maria our lovely car hire lady who welcomes us and a few other people along the way . We stay to watch the local traditional dance groups and then meander home early evening feeling replete and having had a wonderful experience once again of this culture and it's fabulous people.... We go to bed excited for a trip to fetch our lovely Julia from Athens airport and decide to stop en route for more culture at Ancient Corinth.

Ancient Corinth is mesmerising , it's hot again and we wander slowly through the ancient ruins on dusty paths where St Paul once walked . This antiquity is one of so many amazing sites in the Peloponnese and is so interesting . It's plans and the museum full of artefacts enable us to imagine the times gone by from it's beginning in Neolithic times through to the Roman. Acrocorinth towers above it but we were too late for entry onto the site so we set off for Loutraki for a walk along the sea front and a cool drink before heading off to meet Julia's flight. The weather is cooling and rain descends.....

We spend a wonderful week with her, talking and catching up, drinking coffee slowly and gazing at the sea , meandering along the coast road to Aghios Nikolaos, walking beyond to Stoupa, swimming in the sea on the few good sunny hours we had each day and eating and drinking . So wonderful to share precious time when we are so relaxed and unhurried and to share our experiences and hers since we have been away. Also to just give her a rest and to watch her unwind siga siga (slowly slowly), sadly without Imi who was working hard to enable this time.... that's love isn't it? We and julia miss her , however to have such time with your adult children is such a gift. The week is interspersed with Julia and Arvin mercilessly ribbing me (their favourite amusement when together!) and Julia being her most patient self amidst much laughter whilst helping us to learn the greek alphabet! (do our brains retain anything for longer than half an hour these days?!!), and hours spent over early evening drinks playing backgammon and cards.....and even though the time is spent slowly, another week slips by too quickly and before we know it she is leaving. Another drive to Athens again in torrential rain and when we say goodbye I feel myself well up ,a little wistful for home maybe and so grateful for this time with our girl.

The evenings draw in now as the clocks go back here an hour as in U K (who knew! we didn't!) and the evening air is a little chilly for sitting out . We have a few days of rain, wind and overcast skies, but don't mind a bit . We potter, walk , learn greek and pontificate , read , nap and watch the sea the sky and the mountains together. It's time to move down to the house below. Right above the sea but lower down so more protected , with a solid verandah covered with a wooden roof , cosy furnishings and a proper kitchen ...... we will do it in a day or two maybe...First we decide to hike a small mountain , up a small Kalderimi , to a small village . Only a 45 minute hike says the hiking map , easy say we......

Kalderimi's

It's Tuesday , the sun is shining but it's windy so off we go . This path and route is nearby and looks easy , will fit in well as it's nearly midday and we will move tomorrow. So we set off by car to trachila (we have walked and cycled there many times). We set off on the nearest path to Thalames , it's pretty vertical !! Okay no worries we say , we will stop and rest .... Now these ancient mule paths are no easy walking as I think I have mentioned before . They need sturdy footwear as they are very old, stones and rocks , the occasional collapsed wall or boulder, round the occasional edge of a gorge, and often overgrown in places with thorn bushes. It's a good hike up , with two churches on the way , very old, very small and very beautiful. The views are spectacular , the path and route unclear at times and with offshoots sometimes causing confusing but on we go. It takes over 2.5 hours not 45 mins ! Okay maybe we are a bit slower although we definitely don't saunter, and less fit certainly than many , but more fit than we have been in years...... so we get up to the village and have a quick beer which is welcome refreshment and rest time. We decide to stop only for 20 mins as it begins to rain and the sky darkens. We only have a light jumper each but it stops quickly and so we set off , deciding to follow the google maps path which is one of the other paths leading down the mountain back to trachila as it is only a couple of hours till the sun begins to set.... an hour down our new route, I stumble on a loose rock and fall, cutting and bruising my leg and hurting my wrist as I land. We take a short break while I recover and decide to slow our pace to avoid further injury and as the path meanders down the mountain it seems to lengthen as the light falls we realise we probably will not make it back before sunset. The light fades and we use our phone torches to light our immediate area but once again the path splits, becomes unclear and we to and fro trying to retrieve the route but meet with much bracken and thorn bush, huge boulders, broken down walls and realise we are lost and disorientated...,. and it is properly dark . The rain begins again and we decide after much hesitation to call emergency services. In Kalamata? No it's in Athens and the operator doesn't understand our location. Slowly we explain and he tracks our location to the Mani Peninsula and transfers responsibility to the Fire Service here .... We speak to them . They reassure us the teams will be on their way, our gps is giving an incorrect location 50km away (not helpful!) but they get where we are ... We are grateful and scared.... Bush rustling , howling dogs in the distance, aware of the risks and cold in the evening air .I recall the recent tragic death of a Bristish lady in Northern Greece , killed by a pack of wild dogs. The lights for Trachila are tantalizingly close but the terrain doesnt enable our descent ..... We wait with regular communication and 3 hours from sunset the teams (yes 2 fire rescue teams, 1 Local rescue team, a local guide and the police) with the help of our torch and theirs they locate us and walk us safely back to the village . We can't stop apologising for the trouble we have caused, are deeply embarassed and I have to admit to being deeply shaken , in shock , shaking and tearful. Arvin all the while was calm , strong , reassuring and kept me warm . I was so grateful for him and for these people..... as we get back to the village we see the villagers have come out to assist and with worried expressions greet us warmly, and clap and smile slowly when they see we were relatively unharmed. The details the police and fire service required were written on a scrap of paper(not a form in sight!) and after reassurance and lifting us to our car with offers of warm drinks we limp home, our pride and bodies sore and wounded, our spirits shaken but full of grateful humility for the generous help and warmth of these people again. We vow not to hike these paths again but as we slowly recover we think we may soon attempt again , but more equipped, and only early in the day ..... 48 hours on and we are feeling ourselves again!

We move the next day remarkably into our new home for the next 7 or 8 weeks and we are settled and happy here and ready for our trip on Monday to meet Peter , my brother in the lovely Monemvassia so until next time folks.....ease into autumn with us xx

---

Comments

[eve]

Love it!
I'm also loving every step of your days. love xxx

[Mike & Ann Hardiman]

Glad you are OK after your adventure up the mountain. an understand how scared you were as we took a short route in a car in South Africa!!! No mobile either. Take care and keep to the easy paths. Love to you both of you xxxx