Poros Excursions - Methana and the Volcano

50ks from Athens by road, in sight of Poros, is a dormant volcano.  The last known explosion was in 258 BC.

An eruption was suspected but not confirmed in 1922. That's odd. Suspected.  Volcano explosions you'd think would be very obvious. An ash cloud, a rumbling.  No explanation that I can find

Under the volcano

Megalohori, the big village, surrounded by tiny hamlets with picturesque names (to us) like  Mouskes and Kounoupitsa, Kameni Hora (the burnt village) and Vathi (the deep harbour) 

Megalohori, on the side of the mountain, is the village under the volcano where K's mother was born. The village has one narrow road which winds through old village houses, a big church at one end and the cemetery at the other end

The old thermal spa and baths, resulting from volcanic activity

When I arrived in 1976 the spa was in it's heyday.  In July and August the over-60s made a beeline for the sulphuric bathes which specialised in treating arthritis and rheumatism

There were rows and rows of basic boarding houses.  You got a room with a bed and a bathroom down the hall.  The stay and treatment was subsidised by the government.  My inlaws got a summer bonus for 'bathing' whether at a spa or on holiday at the seaside. It was believed, and still is by the elderly, that if you went dipping in the sea at least 20 times over the summer you'd be free of winter flu and seasonal ailments.  So my m-in-law would tell me, though she didn't go 'bathing' .  Water was for drinking only

The old boarding houses have been boarded up, abandoned and are falling down.  

 Modern Methana is a popular destination, easy to get to by road from Athens, with lines of waterfront cafeterias and eating places beside the sea.  There are modern hotels and the usual plethora of Airbnbs

The Spa closed down many years ago.  I imagine it needs millions to upgrade it.  The sulphuric water from the spa flows into the sea across the road and many people swim there in summer and winter.  The sea is a milky blue from the sulphuric gases.  I've always wanted to have a swim there too but my chauffeur whizzes quickly past.  The area around the spa smells of rotten eggs, that healthy sulphur smell that the NZ town of Rotorua is famous for

Back to the volcano.  There is a hiking path up to the crater.  Another place I've never been but children and grandchildren have climbed up there.  It's a popular trek

The Methana volcano is still considered to be active.  Just because the volcano has been quiet for thousands of years doesn't mean it's safe.  New studies show the volcano is steadily accumulating huge amounts of magma deep below the surface.   Experts that are observing the volcano say there doesn't seem to be imminent danger of an eruption but the volcano is not extinct

Methana is only 45 minutes from Poros and we have visited many times.  The beaches look inviting from afar but are mainly covered with sharp volcanic stone.  We visit of course to sit beside the sea at a taverna and enjoy a summer breeze, some fresh seafood and a glass of local wine.

Methana, like all Greek towns and villages is steeped in history with an abundance of ruins.  

The Castle of Faviero, the remains of an Acropolis, the Chapel of the Virgin Mary built with wine and mud and perched on a rock above the sea.  Many years ago we went to this little chapel for the baptism of the daughter of K's cousin.  We all went on a fishing kaïki carrying the wee babe, baptismal font and the Priest with us. 

There are numerous walking tracks and small settlements to visit

    

Poros Pics

 

Neighbours sit out in the evening in their private, back street, square to gossip the evening away under the bougainvillia

Nadia's Place

    There are curious little places to stay all around these backstreets

Wonderful for first time visitors who want a true taste of greek living

Love to all???? 

No red lantern hanging over the door

The police have parking problems in these narrow back streets

Steep dirty steps going up to the Police Station offices.  At least they've put in a rail to grab hold of

At Home

 

A bunch of oregano hanging out to dry

Morning coffee 

Orpheus the gentle giant

He goes walkabout now and again when his master is at work

He's named after Orpheus, in ancient Greece a poet and musician whose lyre could charm trees and animals

Our guardian of the gate

The last rug hanging out to dry

It didn't take long in this summer heat

Now rolled up and stored in plastic till November

My solar summer fountain

Framed by geraniums and a wild grape vine which grows bigger and stronger every summer.  No grapes yet though 

A Tight Fit

 The car ferries are busy especially on weekends.  There is a queue of cars on the Galatas side waiting to cross to Poros and often a queue on Poros with cars waiting to go onwards to Athens or Nafplio

It's a 10 minute ferry ride 1,30 euros for foot passengers, 7.40 for car and driver

If there's a queue the cars and trucks are packed on tight

The parking guys are good. You're stopped literally at the last minute before you bump into the car in front

Packed to the gills

Bikes and scooters fill in any spaces

If one trucks jolts a few inches forward there'll be a chain reaction and we'll all end up in the water

The doors can't be closed of course

Thankfully this day the ride was smooth and uneventful. It's a 10 minute crossing. 

Visitors all get out and climb up to the top deck to take photos and chatter excitedly about their holiday. 

 

Sometimes we are held up waiting for the ambulance taking a patient to a hospital on the mainland.  We don't complain about that.  

If the big oil tanker turns up full of fuel for the 2 Poros petrol stations there's an extra sailing. The tanker goes on by itself.  No other cars or foot passengers allowed.  So we all wait while it takes the tanker over and returns. 

Sailings are every half hour from 7 in the morning till 10.30 at night, in the summer

Navy Dining

 Our Navy taverna beside the sea has opened for the summer season

We went one evening to see what's new 

Red wine, not Ks favourite. That's all they had that evening. 

 We did get real glass tumblers 

They're economising

Plates are made of paper

Cutlery is nasty bamboo stuff

Bamboo knives won't cut meat and the forks feel rough on the tongue

'Date night' said Poppi when she saw the photo

Sorry Poppi, I hate that expression 

We went out together to eat and socialise 

It's still very cheap. 

We are sure to find some of Ks old Navy mates

Mid summer there's usually a breeze, the full moon lights a silvery path along the sea.  

A couple of pork skewers, a small plate of tzatziki, a bowl of greek salad and we enjoy a pleasant night out. Under 15 euros for the whole experience . 

I've prepared for our next night-out. In my capacious *Sport-Billy bag I have a container with a small shaker of salt, 2 small, metal, forks and a knife which cuts.  Cuts souvlaki.   

*Sport-Billy and his magic bag

From Where ???

 Local summer fruit is just appearing in our markets.  Meantime our  grocer has an abundance of fruit from all over the world

Grapes from Egypt

Expensive at 6.20 a kilo. They're out of season here

Expensive lemons from Egypt

At least they're not from Turkey

Our own lemons this year haven't done well at all

I bought 2 lemons, pieces, not kilos, as a stop gap

Apples from Italy

The variety is kikou

I don't buy these because

Apples from.. 

 Poland are the cheapest and full of flavour

Variety Jona..... Maybe Jonathan in English

Pineapple from Costa Rica 

Not a bad price for a genuine exotic fruit

Pears from Chile

Variety Packham

I didn't get the price but I wouldn't buy them anyway. Next to them was a case of perfectly good Greek pears

The best potatoes are from either Cyprus or Egypt and the price is right

Greek apricots are now in season for 2.50 a kilo

Nectarines are just appearing as are

 melons and watermelons

Grapes and figs are in season late July and August

Summer fruit is greek

Tomato prices have come down from 4 euros to 2.50

Zucchini and aubergines are now a reasonable price.  Our garden is producing these as well.

 

I'm cooking stuffed tomatoes and peppers, Briam (Greek ratatouille), Imam (aubergines with tomatoes and onions), fried zucchini and moussaka 

Gun Shots

 Our crazy neighbour has been shooting up the neighbourhood again, celebrating with his girlfriend. We could hear the loud music and then came the rifle shots.  5 very loud reports then 3 more and another three. A few minutes later another barrage. Very close by. 

There's that tremor of fear. Celebration?  Pot shots at goats?  Or someone on a rampage? 

This on the day when a shooter in Athens  received a life sentence for a similar 'celebratory' volley which took the life of an innocent child.  A stray bullet hit 11 year old Marios while he was enjoying  festivities at a school 2 kilometres away.

Bullets which go up must come down. Shooting in the air used to be a tradition at weddings and baptisms and this isn't the first time it has ended in tragedy. Years ago at a wedding in Crete it was the bride who died.

Here I go inside, close the door and hope it's not  a rampage.