Greek Holiday…..(some updates below!!)

Well we have just returned from our two-week holiday in Greece with the Grigoria’s family.

We had a great time at Kalavryta, Patras & Athens, visiting places like the Cave of lakes, Olympia (the home of the Ancient Games), the Achaia Klaus Winery and finally the Acropolis just to name a few.

More details and images to come once I’ve finished writing them up………so stay tuned!

Athens - Panthaon & Rain....

Today’s plan was to visit the final piece of the puzzle…..the Acropolis but unfortunately due to the late summer thunder storm weather it wasn’t to be.

So instead Grigoria’s shopping opportunity had come and we headed for the city centre.

Tomorrow is another day so we’ll try again then…

Athens - City Tour....

Although we’ve been in Greece for almost two weeks now we actually haven’t seen anything of Athens, so today we did!


From the apartment we walked directly through the city centre, starting at the National Library, which along with The National & Kapodistrain University and the Academy forms part of the so-called “Neoclassical Trilogy” of the city.
Built between 1887 and 1902 it houses the most complete public library in Greece.

From the University we walked through the main shopping streets to the Parliament Building. This Neoclassical styled building was built between 1836 & 1840 originally served as a palace of Otho, the first king of Greece.
In 1884 & 1909 it suffered fire damage and was later abandoned by the Royal family.
It wasn’t until 1935 that the National Assembly moved in and today it still serves as the seat of the Hellenic Parliament, containing offices, the National Assembly room, the President's Office, the archives and other such services.

From the Parliament we walked into the National Gardens which consist of 15.5 hectares of peaceful gardens, something which is very rare in Athens! However Grigoria’s parents’ apartment is very near the second and biggest garden in the city (Pedion Areos).

The National Gardens are located between the Parliament building and the Zappeion, they are the home to duck ponds, a small zoo, botanical museum, a small café and childrens' library and playground.

Further on we came across to the neighbouring Zappeion Exhibition Hall, which is considered to be one of the finest examples of late Athenian classical architecture.

The initial purpose was to act as an exhibition hall in conjunction with the first modern Olympics. Over the years it has been associated with significant events in Greek history and today it is used by the Greek President on formal occasions.

Onward down the road we came across the Panathenaic Stadium, which is widely recognised as symbolic to Greece & particularly Athens.

It was first built for the athletic competitions of the Great Panathinaea Festivities 300-329 BC. Its natural position sites between the hollow grounds of two surrounding hills, Agra & Ardettos.
However the horseshoe shaped construction was later formed between 140 & 144 AD by Herodes Atticus, giving it a track length of 204.07 metres and width of 33.305 metres with a seating for 50,000 spectators.
During the Roman times the stadium was used as an arena, later at the end of the 19th century (1896) it was restored to host the first modern Olympics.
Today it is more of a heritage site, although the cleanly laid track surface did suggest that it could even still be used.

After all of this site seeing it was time for lunch and at non other than one of Grigoria’s favourite cafes. After the delicious food we headed back to the apartment for a very restful evening.

Patras & Around.....

Patras is the third largest city in Greece with a quarter of a million inhabitants, located northwest from Kalavryta (1.5hrs), 215km west of Athens.

The city is built at the foothills of Mount Panachaikon (and home of panachaiki, Grigoria dad’s football team) and looks out towards the gulf of Patras. The city is known as the ‘Gate to the West’, as it is the main port connecting Greece with Italy and the rest of western Europe,
Patras is also home to the University of Patras where Grigoria’s aunt Tina is a Geology professor.

Throughout Greece, Patras is best known for its carnival, which takes place every year in the early spring and has crews and floats from all over the Peloponnese and Greece.

Today we decided to head into the city centre and by chance we managed to time the finish of the Patras marathon before heading out to Achaia Claus winery (http://www.greekwinemakers.com/czone/winemakers/Ahaia.shtml) which dates back to 1860.

The place was fantastic, certainly the oldest and probably one of the best winery’s I’ve been too. Its historic old stone / timber building village had an amazing atmosphere and overlooked the city and sea.

As our tour guide showed us around the complex Grigoria acted as an interpreter (by accident) for others & myself in the group! I appreciated it and others did too! Especially the owner who by the end gave Grigoria a complimentary bottle of wine for her services, which was added to the couple we bought before heading back into Patras city centre.

For lunch we went at the sailing club fish restaurant for another amazing meal of fresh fish and in true Greek style we then rested for a couple of hours.

Afterwards we headed out to one of the famous ‘summer’ cinemas, which seemed like a good idea at the time but only 5mins in to the film it started raining! Luckily it stopped quickly enough for us to continue watching the film – Pirates of Caribbean 2.

To end our big day Grigoria’s Aunt Tina put on a big cheese platter, wow the food in Greece!

Olympia - Home of Ancient Games....

With our original plans in disarray we decided to spend more time with Grigoria’s family by firstly doing a day trip to Olympia and then back tracking to Patras to stay with Aunt Tina for two nights.

Olympia (Home of the Ancient Games) is some 200km’s south west of Kalavryta, 1.5 hours due south along the coastline from Patras.

A few solid hours later, in the car, we arrived in the new (relative speaking) Olympia village to taste the local (more touristy) cuisine before embarking on the mammoth task of visiting the archaeological site (of ancient Olympic games) & the ancient museum. http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21107a/e211ga02.html


Today Olympia is also the headquarters of the International Olympic Academy, the original altar (situated at the Temple of Hera) still lights the Olympic flame (done with the convergence of sunlight onto a metal reflector) before it is transferred every four years to the city that hosts that particular Olympic Games.

Something on the ancient games now….The origin of the Olympic Games is linked with many myths. According to legend, the Olympic Games began in 776 B.C. when Ifitos made a treaty with Lycourgos (the king and famous legislator of Sparta) and Cleisthenes (the king of Pissa).

The decisive event in the Treaty was the development of the Olympia sanctuary as a Panhellenic centre and the agreement of the "sacred truce". That meant that all fighting in the Greek world would cease for as long as the Olympic Games were on.

In the beginning the games lasted only one day and comprised of only one event, the running of one Stadion, but gradually more events were added resulting, towards the 5th century B.C., in the games lasting for 5 days.

During this time all Greeks who were free citizens and had not committed murder or heresy, had the right to take part in the Olympic Games. The victors enjoyed great honour and on returning to their cities their compatriots pulled down part of the walls for them to enter.

It was said that they were also given special privileges and high office. The institution of the Olympic Games lasted for twelve continuous centuries and was abolished in 393 A.D.

The first contemporary Olympic Games took place with great glamour in 1896 in Athens, in the Panathenaic Stadium and since many cities around the world have had the right to host the games, the most recent in 2004 was again Athens. As we walked around the ancient Olympic site, I was astonished of what still remained.

Given that the Romans occupied this area for years and the numerous earthquakes had demolished what remained standing of the Temple of Zeus, the original footprints and column base still exist. With the assistance of information signs we got a good understanding of it was originally like – Wow!


With a proportion of the arched entrance to the running track still remaining and I got a really good idea of what it would’ve been like for an athlete to walk through the tunnel, out into the open amphitheatre stadium filled with 45,000 cheering spectators.

Of course I had to line up on the stone start line and later celebrate my lone victory with some foreign spectators taking in my achievement.From the site we headed to the more modern Museum which housed some of the most important stone statues, bronze figurines, and temple fresco formations which were all once in place on the site.

Arguably the most famous, and breathtaking of them all, was the marble statue of Hermes by Praxitelis.

Unfortunately due to Roman occupation, pillagers and the British many pieces remain abroad – what a shame!Late afternoon we left the sites and headed back to Patras to stay with Grigoria’s Aunt Tina for a couple of nights – Wow what a fantastic day!

Rest & Recovery....

After yesterday’s (mis)adventures we decided that today would be all about rest & recovery. With that in mind I decided to help Grigoria’s mother fix an annoying door latch and clean up some loosely cut long grass, with Grigoria’s (begrudged) help of course!

Then some chicken soup, rice & bread before some well deserved sleep...

The Trip that wasn't to be.....

Today we were meant to travel from Kalavryta back west towards Athens to Korinthos, then catch a bus and drive 4 hours south down the Pelopenesse to the coastal town of Monemvasia.

Well that was the plan anyway but sometimes plans just don’t eventuate…….For a couple of days now I have been suffering from a minor case of stomach pains but today (of all days) it exploded into more severe pains, so here we were en route to Korinthos and I’m suffering from sharp stomach pains! Oh great!

After some deliberation and the very thought of being stuck on a bus for 4 hours we decided it was wiser to head back to Kalavryta and see a doctor.Before I even realised Grigoria’s mother had called a friend and asked him to call the head doctor at the hospital to be ready to see us upon arrival.

So here I was on our lovely Greek holiday lying in a hospital room being pocked and prodded, it wasn’t exactly what I had signed up I thought!?
The diagnosis…..well not worth mentioning but the end result meant I would be spending the next 48 hours on chicken soup, rice & bread.

So with Monemvasia now off the itinerary, I think we’ll move to ‘Plan B’……some ancient ruins…

Lazy Day.....

After our busy past days as tourist, today we felt we’d lighten the load and only visit two sights, firstly the Monastery of Agia Lavra then followed by the monument of Independence.

The monastery of Agia Lavra is 4,5km away from the village. On the right-hand side of the monastery’s court lies the little chapel where the Greek revolution against the Ottoman Empire was launched in 1821. The current monastery is the third version since the revolution: the first was burnt, the second destroyed by an earthquake, various fires and the invasion of the German troops in 1943.

Historical items that have been saved are stored in the Gospel, albeit not in perfect condition. The collection includes a considerable number of crosses made of precious stones, bibles, paintings and other such items of religious worship dating back to 1600. Unfortunately the monks had only just started preserving or maintaining the building themselves so the chapel is currently in need of some real work.

Only a short drive north to the Pertient Hill was the Monument of Independence,
The monument is dedicated to the Heroes of the Revolution of 1821, and commemorates the sacrifice of those who fought in the war of Independence. Every year, on the 25th of March, commemorative celebrations are held including the re-enactment of the gathering of the Greek war chieftains and the raising of the Revolution’s Banner (Grigoria’s dad apparently used to take part in those as a child).

Apparently on a good night this is the place to come, lye down on your back, look up and you’ll see the Milky Way, so close you can almost touch it, but I wouldn’t suggest it during a storm otherwise you’re likely to get your bum burnt from the lightening!

The rest of the day we relaxed at home, then visited the family’s good friends Thanasis to spend time with his family before Grigoria & I head off tomorrow to Monemvasia for four days.

Rack & Pillion Train...

As Kalvryta was always a tourist village and, in our days a skiing base during the winter season, back in 1889 Greek authorities decided to construct a train line from the coast (Diakofto) up through the mountains to the village. Initially it was pulled by a coal engine but since 1965 it has been driven by a diesel engine.

Today it is extremely popular with the tourists and in some cases more favoured than the twisting road which winds its way some metres above. Although the train line is shorter than the road route at 22km, the 750mm wide track still takes a leisurely 15mins longer to weave pass the mountains and the raging river below.

The rack is a centre double track with grooved teeth which allows for a cog wheel (beneath the train) to grip against, for the purpose of pushing / pulling. The train only uses the rack at the steepest parts of the journey.

Today we enjoyed the comforts of first class (front seat of the carriages) from which we had uninterrupted views of the sights unfolding in front of our eyes. Personally, I found the trip to be very peaceful and fascinating.

Thinking there would be plenty of things to do at Diakofto, we opted for a 3.5hrs stopover in the coastal town. This wasn’t to be… After we spent an hour or so by the sea front we set out to find the main square of the village. Grigoria was looking for a church, as apparently all Greek villages have one!, which failed to materialised so after a while we gave up, decided that this was quite possibly one of the most boring towns ever and drowned our sorrows at a delightful ice cream parlour.

Before our return trip Grigoria’s Aunt Tina met us at the train station on her way back to Patras.

Thankfully the return trip up the mountain was a tad more exhilarating watching the train really working to pull the two carriages up the gorge and back into Kalvryta.

To the Caves & Beyond......

Today we ventured into and beneath the ground, for a moment of amazement at one of Greece’s geological gems.
The ‘Cave of Lakes’ (http://www.kastriacave.gr/) is situated 17km’s south east of Kalvryta near the village of Kastria and today the operation happens to be run by one of the Grigoria’s good family friends Thanasis.

The caves themselves were first discovered in 1964. They first opened to the public in 1965 and are feted by scientist worldwide for their extraordinary rock formations, the result of centuries of water erosion. To date the caves consist of 1.5km explored tunnels/lakes, however only 500m is accessible to the public via gantries, bridges and suspended walkways.
Although the rock formations and lake terraces were amazing I found myself wanting to get a leg on, on the way out, with the sight of bats flapping about!

After the exercise of the caves we (more like I) were ready for some lunch which Thanasis had kindly arranged for us.
Typically for the area we dinned at an amazing fish restaurant. Like I found in Egypt, fresh farmed fish is rare and something to savour when you get the chance. This particular restaurant farmed trout in the fresh rivers of mountain water.

By now everyone had their favourite way for the fish to be cooked and I went for a combination of baked with almonds – stunning! A short walk to settle the food and we were heading back home to Kalvryta.

Later in the evening we met Grigoria’s Aunt Christina for some more typical Greek food of aubergines, meats and salads, which closed a great day nicely.

Kalavryta...

Yesterday’s travelling took its toll on us and today neither of us wanted to do much other than sleep. But with the brilliant view from the house it would have been a disgrace to stay in bed.

So after some time Maria, Grigoria and I wandered down into the village which was just as pleasant as it looked from above (the house is to the side of the mountain, higher than the village).

The village has a rich history; it featured prominently in the Greek war of Independence and suffered terribly during World War 2. The town has fortunately maintained some of its old charm, especially the main church (whose bell rings every 30mins) and the primary school building. With a population of 2000 – 3000 typically everyone knows each other families, which means that I inevitably caused a bit of a stir (a good one of course!).

Today Kalavryta is the hub of 64 local villages so it is the main centre for banking, administration, police and the judiciary. Along with these amenities the town also is home to many small grocery supply shops, stocking fresh pasta, mountain herbs, honey and the famous Kalavryta feta cheese.

After an hour of walking around we decided it was time for me to try a typical (if not overloaded!) Meze platter, joined by Grigoria’s Mum and Aunt Tina.

Some time later the siesta beaconed and I found myself napping for a staggering 3 hours, it seemed that the Greek lifestyle was catching up on me! I think I can get used to this in such a peaceful town.

London - Athens - Patras - Kalavryta

When we first planned this trip we knew that the first day or so would be very busy. Although it went smoothly, it did indeed live up to our expectations!

In order to maximise our holiday we left London directly from work and made a late night journey to Athens. With the usual delays (which we always seem to incur), we didn’t arrive until 3am by which time we were both craving for some sleep.

From the airport it was a very entertaining taxi journey with the driver telling Grigoria all about the new road works in the city and casually driving at 150km/h! In what seemed like 10mins we arrived at Grigoria’s family inner city flat for a quick 2.5hr nap until another the taxi arrived to take us to bus station for our next destination.

Grigoria’s mum & sister were based in Kalavryta (3hrs away) so we took the 8am bus from Athens to Patras (a major port city) along the northern coast of the Pelopenese.

When we arrived in Patras Grigoria’s mum, sister Maria & aunt Tina happily welcomed us. Grigoria had the enviable task of renewing her passport so Maria, her aunt and I decided to head towards Olga Square (in the centre of the city, were a young Grirgoria once played) for a drink and some people watching (which the Greeks seem to do a lot).

From Olga Square we headed to the local sailing club with their superb seaside fish restaurant, where Aunt Tina is regular http://www.sailingclub.gr/ This was only the second time I’d had freshly grilled (& baked) un-filleted fish and real treat for sure.

Following lunch we drove the 1.5hrs from Patras inland and up-hill to Kalavryta, which is, located 35km from the coastline at an altitude of 750m.

Kalavryta http://www.kalavrita.gr/ is the where Grigoria’s father grew up as a child and the location of their family home. I found the small town very welcoming/relaxing and in some ways rather like my home town in New Zealand.

The family house reminded me of a ski lodge villa with the use of timber post/beams and rafters, a concrete structure and very nicely furnished. A place which was homely and very much the family’s pride and joy.

The remainder of the day we relaxed enjoyed the view down to the village before dinner, and then some well-deserved sleep.