Photographs of nature, places and objects that have caught my eye.

Φωτογραφίες απο την φύση, απο τόπους και αντικείμενα που μου χτύπησαν στο μάτι.

Friday, September 14, 2012

A walk on Mt Pelion. Step I. Μια βόλτα στο Πήλιο. Βήμα Ι.

Mt Pelion in central Greece is a unique mountain. Since ancient years, it is surrounded with myths. It is here where the Centaurs were living. Mythical, wise creatures, half horses, half men, were living in the shadows of the woods, sometimes helping and teaching people, sometimes fighting with them. From those woods, Jason and his Argonauts, built their ship Argo, to sail far away, to the end of the known world, to get the Golden Fleece back. Its valleys and streams are still believed to be crowded with fairies and nymphs.
 In our days, the mountain is still covered with dense woods, the lower slopes cultivated and producing the best fruit, Greece is producing. Lower, slopes are covered with old olive tree groves, which reach the sea level.
I like the area and have visited it several times. Last time I was there, I felt a little adventurous and wanted to walk the old paths, from where I was staying, to another small village, Drakia, the one showing you above.
It took me some time, and I never reached the village as, just a little before entering it, I took the wrong turn and bypassed it and ended up at.....
Anyway. I will take that path again, this time with you and relive my adventure, showing you what I saw myself.
Το Πήλιο είναι ένα μοναδικό βουνό. Από τα πολύ παλιά χρόνια περιβάλλεται από μύθους και δοξασίες. Εδώ ζούσαν  οι Κένταυροι, μισοί άνθρωποι και μισοί άλογα, πλάσματα σοφά και άγρια. Άλλοτε δίδασκαν και βοηθούσαν τους ανθρώπους και άλλοτε τους πολεμούσαν. Από τα δάση του Πηλίου ο Ιάσων και οι Αργοναύτες του έκοψαν ξύλα να ναυπηγήσουν την Αργώ και να ταξιδέψουν στην άκρη του κόσμου για να βρούν και ν' αρπάξουν το Χρυσόμαλλο Δέρας. Πιστεύεται πως ακόμη και σήμερα οι κοιλάδες και ρεματιές του βουνού είναι γεμάτες με νύμφες και νεράιδες.
Σήμερα, είναι από τα λίγα μέρη στην Ελλάδα που απέμειναν με πυκνά δάση. Οι χαμηλώτερες πλαγιές του βουνού είναι καλυμένες από οπωρώνες που παράγουν τα νοστότερα φρούτα, ενώ πιο χαμηλα, μέχρι την θάλασσα, φτάνουν οι ελαιώνες.
Είναι ένα μέρος που μ' αρέσει και το επισκέπτομαι όποτε βρω την ευκαιρία. Την τελευταία φορά που βρέθηκα εκεί, είπα ν' ασχοληθώ με την περιπέτεια και να περπατήσω από εκεί που έμενα, τον Άγιο Λαυρέντιο, μέχρι το κοντινό χωριό την Δράκεια που βλέπετε στην πρώτη φωτογραφία. Η απόσταση δεν είναι μεγάλη και είναι μέσα στις δυνάμεις μου. Αλλά στην Δράκεια δεν έφτασα ποτέ. Όπως βάδιζα στα αρχαία μονοπάτια, λίγο πριν φτάσω στο χωριό, έστριψα λάθος και αντί στην Δράκεια, βρέθηκα αλλού....
Μαζί, θα περπατήσουμε ξανά το μονοπάτι και θα ξαναζήσουμε την περιπέτεια....
Old chestnut trees over the path.
Παλιές καστανιές σκεπάζουν το μονοπάτι.
...and all around the path, the tall trees...
κι ολόγυρα τα πανυψηλα δένδρα....
...some stream beds now dry....
.... στεγνές κοίτες χειμάρων....

(... to be continued...) (...συνεχίζεται...)

13 comments:

Carole M. said...

well it's certainly a place filled with magic Costas. Thanks for showing us your journey, I love the walks and seeing other parts of the world like this; a virtual walk! Would be nice to see some water over the old stream-bed wouldn't it? Chestnuts look so healthy; I wonder if the wild-boars live around there and enjoy them when they've fallen to the ground

Mary Howell Cromer said...

How interesting the stories of the land.
Bless you, taking the wrong turn after walking to reach your destination and yet... just look at the beauty that you discovered along the way, spectacular. have a Happy weekend Costas, Take care~

Δημητρης said...

Η φύση σε όλο της το μεγαλείο,όταν δέν παρεμβαίνει ο άνθρωπος.
Είναι ωραία η Ελλάδα μας,ο΄τι κι αν τής κάνουν.

betsy said...

I think of Greece as a land of myth and dreams- the center of the Classical world. When I was a little girl my mother gave me Edith Hamilton's "Greek Mythology" and "The Greek Way". I still have those books- after 50 years!

Some of New England's most beautiful wild orchids have names from myths- "Arethusa" and "Calypso". I looked for them in the woods and bogs of New Hampshire for years, but never found them-

Greece's history is deep, measured in thousands of years. Our history in this country seems shallow by comparison.

TexWisGirl said...

beautiful, thick woods!

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Woods with a clear atmosphere.

Sylvia K said...


Greece is such a wonderful land, so rich in history, magic, mystery, beauty! I will never forget the time I spent there! Thanks for the memories, Costas! Have a beautiful weekend!

Sylvia

Magia da Inês said...

¸.•°`♥✿彡✿♥`°•.¸
 ┊  ┊  ✿
 ┊  ✿
 ✿
Em primeiro lugar quero dizer que a dália do cabeçalho é uma das fotos mais lindas do seu blog.
Andar numa trilha, com uma vegetação deslumbrante, numa floresta cheia de contos e mitos... ar puro, cheiro de mato, só faltou água no leito dos riachos.
Bom fim de semana!!!
Beijinhos.
Brasil.

Montanagirl said...

Love the variety of trees and the walk you took us on!

Pat Tillett said...

What a beautiful and natural place. Do you know the name of the tree with the spiky balls in it? It's very interesting...

Shirley said...

Hello again! I absolutely love to hear mythical stories like this. I can just imagine how much you would have enjoyed your walk through the old paths, you must have felt like an explorer of a lost land. Thanks for sharing your route – wonderful to see :-)

I’ve spent a magical summer following an Osprey family (chat in my last blog) I was wondering do you see Ospreys with you?

Fotini Kouzoumi said...

Υπέροχες φωτογραφίες!!! Ζούμε σε μια τόσο όμορφη χώρα, γιατί δεν το εκτιμούμε αυτό?

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Sometimes, a wrong turn can lead to unexpected beauty in nature as you have shown us here today, Costas. I also liked the spiky tree.