Saturday, 13 May
Dolora and I were up early. We took a walk through town hoping to find a grocery store to pick up a few items for lunch. We picked up things that looked good but would probably be a little surprise based on our grasp of the Greek language. Back for an outdoor breakfast overlooking the Ionian Sea. Today was warmer than yesterday but mostly cloudy.
After breakfast, Ioanna led us on a back-road tour to old Kardamyli. We started with a walk down to the town pier and then to the backstreets. Her knowledge of the Greek plants and flowers made the walk enjoyable. The group stopped to visit Christo, 90, who chatted and shared a photo of his father. His mother lived to be 119. In his youth, he won first prize in the 400 meter race for the Peloponnese. The walk finished at old Kardamyli. The fortified complex was designed to protect the clan from attack by other clans in the area.
From there Dolora, Barbara and I followed the rocky path up to Agia Sophia, a byzantine church built in 1453. The views on the way up continued to leave us in awe. Unfortunately, the church was closed but we stopped for a lunchtime snack in the shade. A group of German hikers also stopped. The trail down was blocked by a landslide so we walked along the road for a while to Petrovouni where we rejoined the paved stone trail with switchbacks. Back to Kardamyli to complete our three and half mile hike.
After a quick stop at our room, Dolora and I decided walk through town and ended up stopping for coffee and ice cream. We visited a couple of small shops on our way back. Several folks were enjoying the weather and scenery in the chaise lounges by the sea. After a discussion about dinner it was agreed we would have an ouzo tasting in the courtyard with the welcome bottles from our room. After some lively discussion we were off to Psaras Restaurant for dinner. Dolora shared a large fish with some of the others while I enjoyed marinated octopus and grilled sardines. The waitress prepared the large fish by removing some of the bones and eyeballs to eat. Dolora tried an eyeball. I don’t think she will have another.
It was a short walk back to the hotel before turning in for the night. Tomorrow we head to Monemvasia. It was not warm enough to test the water today. We have two more stops with beach opportunities…
