Taking a walk in the north of Ithaca
close window to return to winter on ithaca
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Fri 18 Nov - The day started with rain pouring heavily over the northern island, so the locals set themselves up for a day indoors, but this month of November has had surprisingly strange weather, weather more suited to the season of Spring than that of Autumn. Moments after the heavy downpour, the sun came out and within an hour, there was a fine day ahead. Couldn't waste this opportunity so hOME ithaca greece went for a walk, and guess what? You're coming, like it or not.
 
Lounging around Margarita Cafe
We started off with a quick look in to Margarita Cafe in Stavros, where we said "Hi" to a couple of old locals while they waited for Maria to make their Greek coffee. A quick pic and it was off into nature. With the recent rains, I thought it best to stay off the muddy paths and headed for Pilikata, where the road is made in places and stony in others. Shouldn't get too bogged in the mud there. The views at Pilikata are just stunning. Green slopes with olive groves that are well taken care of, and sea views towards Aphales and down to Frikes, with Polis bay shimmering behind and below.
 
 
 
 
 
Above - The small ruin Chapel on Pilikata Hill, where one of Ithakis' oldest civilizations was settled. Signs of this civilization are scattered throughout the area which is now settled by the modern Ithacan with his grand villas and estates. Exoghi stands like a tower to the skies behind the Chapel, having warded off the heavy morning skies that approached it's slope. Pilikata fields are green and lush, and the slopes gently roll through Cypress and Olive trees towards Lahos and eventually Frikes in one direction and Platrithia and Aphales, with the neighbouring island of Lefkada in the distance, beckoning, to the north.
 
.
 
..
Right/Below - View across to Platrithia from Aghios Vasilis
The dark skies that delivered the early morning rain made their way towards the mainland, and Frikes was finally to be decorated with a glimpse of golden sunshine with the approaching blue sky lifting the mist.
The dirt road winds down the mountain side in a gentle decline, awe inspiring views at every turn and behind every bush. No industry, no traffic, only the hush of nature with the occasional rustle in the bush as it gets caught up in the breeze. Deep in the fields stand cottages, 100 year old stone cottages that survived the earthquakes of '53, and house each new generation born under their roofs. They are closed up to keep out the rain and then opened again to let in the sun so that the increasing damp has an opponent. Most of the islands' olives have been picked, but there are branches to be pruned, so that next years' harvest can get a good start. We stopped for a chat with a man in a tree "How's your father? How's your mother?" took a few more pics and continued down to Lahos.
Dramatic skies, with billowing clouds, puffing out like giant fairy floss, and nothing but clear views all the way to the blue horizon, it's easy to feel weightless in the beauty of it all.
..
.
.
Across the valley the church bell, high over Platrithia, tolled 1, reminding all it was almost time for lunch.
 
 
 
 
 
In Lahos we caught up with Dimos, the local taxi driver. He was painting his house. His intention was to touch it up here and there, but when he realized the big difference a coat of paint made, he continued to give his recently acquired house the face lift it had needed for more than 10 years. Neighbours passed by and congratulated him on making the neighbourhood more beautiful, "It looks pretty good doesn't it" he admitted, looking very pleased with his labour of love.
Next stop? A big puddle to wash the clay off my shoes. Most (enough to build a clay hut) had already been wiped on grass and rocks, but this stuff sticks like glue and takes more than a wipe to get it out of the grooves of my footwear, and so ended our walk, it was time to hitch a ride back up the hill. Back to the pc for me.
 
A break from a hard mornings' work
____________________________________________________________________________________________
close window to return to winter on ithaca - Greece