Hellas But Not Least

Goodbye Greece, Adieu Athènes

2011-06-30T08:55:00.000+03:00

Chania

2011-06-27T08:43:00.000+03:00

Final stage of my trip to Crete. By bus, Rethymno-Chania : 6,20 euros.

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Rethymno

2011-06-25T15:41:00.000+03:00

Iraklion-Rethymno by bus : 7,60 euros. 1h30.

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Rethymno is a really nice little town which, even more than Iraklion, has kept a lot of its historical monuments, among which a lot of the Ottoman and Venitian period. The most impressive being the fortezza built by the Venitians to protect the old city :

In the middle of the fortress is also the Ibrahim Khan Mosque, which serves nowadays as an exhibition center :

From the beaches on the East, the fortress is even more impressive and looms like a huge shadow over the city :

And yes, the beaches are as good as it seems :) Clean sands, clean water, and lot of waves :)

The old city is really worth a visit with its narrow streets and the wooden galleries on the facades of the houses :

And let’s not forget the Venitian port :

Nor the remains of the Muslim community :

And if you are a solo traveller, don’t hesitate to go to the YOUTH HOSTEL of Rethymno. Best company, best staff and best advices for the best of trip.

Iraklion Archeological Museum

2011-06-24T23:10:00.000+03:00

The Archeological Museum of Iraklion is probably the second largest in Greece. This is where most of the treasures discovered in Minoan ruins have been gathered, so it’s a mandatory step after Knossos. However, it is likely you will only enjoy, like me, the temporary exhibition, the museum being renovated. Here are some of the treasures on display.

And finally the Disc of Phaistos, a disc of clay, printed with symbols, whose meaning remains a mystery :

KNOSSOS

2011-06-23T19:30:00.000+03:00

The main advantage, when you take the ferry to Crete, compared to the plane, is that you arrive in Iraklion center, a hundred meters away from the main bus station, which can take you to any city in Crete AND to the ruins of Knossos. You can jump off the ferry, leave your backpack at the bus station for 2 euros, and jump into the bus for Knossos for 1,5 euros. Simple as that.

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Knossos is only 20 minutes from the city center. My advice is to go as early as possible, because after 10am, the buses arrive regularly to unload hundreds and hundreds of tourists groups on the site and there is a good chance that you might see nothing more than a crowd after that.

Knossos is quite controversial because Sir Arthur Evans, who purchased the site and made his mission to bring it back to life, chose to reconstruct some parts on his own assumptions. So, there must be today almost as much concrete in Knossos as original stones from the Minoan dynasty. It gives a good glimpse of what the temple should have looked like but some details must be taken with a bit of salt.

These paintings and frescoes are all copies of the originals, which are being saved in the archeological museum of Irakleion, which boasts some of the greatests artefacts of ancient Greece and that next post will cover !

Iraklion

2011-06-22T18:53:00.000+03:00

Last month in Greece, and last visit of a Greek landmark : the island of Crete. From Piraeus, for 36 euros, a normal ferry will bring you in 8h30 to the largest city of Crete : Iraklion.

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Iraklion is not a fantastic city. It has become with time, like Athens, a city devoted to concrete, but the old city still has some nice architecture, from the Venitian period mainly, like the Loggia, siege of the municipal office :

Here is the church Saint-Titus :

Here is Saint Minas church :

Here is the Fountain Morosini :

And of course without its fortifications, the city would never have sustained a 22 years siege against the Ottomans :

Last but not least, here is a treat for the french-speakers :

Thessaloniki : Heptapyrgion and Alexander the Great

2011-06-10T16:31:00.000+03:00

Thessaloniki has the most impressive fortifications remains I have seen, after the ones in Istanbul.

Of course, you’ll need to climb up the slopes of the city, to reach the Trigonion tower (right), and the Heptapyrgion (Seven towers) fort, on top of the city.

The Heptapyrgion was the main fort, and in more recent history it has been used as a prison :

The main entrance is decorated with several stone carvings :

As well as with an Arab engraving :

Last but not least, let’s get back to the sea front for the statue of Alexander O Megas, Alexander III of Macedonia :

Thessaloniki : Agia Sofia, Agios Dimitrios, Alcazar and Agora Modiano

2011-06-09T16:05:00.000+03:00

Istanbul is not the only city to have its Agia Sofia.

Not a really intricate design on the outside, it’s like a proto-christian church. And was by the way changed to a Mosque after the capture of the city by the Ottomans in the 15th century. Like most of the Orthodox churches, the inside is much more impressive.

However, this church comes arguably second in importance for the town, after the one of Agios Dimitrios, who is the saint of the city itself :

Bear in mind that the original church was destroyed during the great fire of 1917 and most of its mosaics lost, but the church has not lost its importance.

Thessaloniki has also remains from the Ottomans period, like the Hamza Bei Mosque. Built in 1467, it is the largest Mosque in Greece.

And just in front of this Mosque is also the Skepasti Agora / Bezesteni, a bazaar in the most Oriental-like style with its little cuppolas, which was deemed one of the best in the Balkans :

Last, on the east of the Aristotle Square, make sure to visit the Modiano Market, it took its name from Elie Modiano, a member of the Jewish community who designed the roof arcade for this place which is the real supermarket of the whole town:

End of Part II

Thessaloniki : Rotunda, White Tower and Aristotle Square

2011-06-08T18:45:00.000+03:00

From Meteora, you can go to Thessaloniki by train, for 16,10 euros. It will take a bit more than 4 hours, depending the delay you will get at Paleo Farsalos, a station in the middle of nowhere, where you’ll have to catch another train.

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Thessaloniki owes its name to the half-sister of Alexander the Great, who was married to one of his General Cassandros, and the reason why I’m copying this from Wikipedia is to try to express how old this city is and how much it has seen during its long history, but the best way is to quote this excellent article from the GUARDIAN : But then there is Salonica, Selanik, Solun and Salonika, the New Jerusalem, the city that was once a candidate to be the capital of a Jewish Promised Land, the second city of the Byzantine empire and later of the vast Ottoman emirate when it was up there with the Ming as the most dominant, dynamic dynasty on earth. This is the city that is the real capital of the Balkans, its missing heart, the lodestar of a whole swathe of the eastern Mediterranean, from the Adriatic to Alexandria.

First of all, as in Athens, the most impressive remains of Antiquity have been left by the Romans, and the main one is the Rotunda. It was built by the Emperor Galerius when he ruled his part of the fractured Empire from this city and later served as a church :

The Rotunda has been damaged by earthquakes but some mosaics have been preserved :

Directly in front of the Rotunda is the Galerius Arch, which commemorated his victories against the Persians :

And then when you continue straight on in Gounari street, you stumble upon the ruins of the Palace of Galerius :

Keep going to the see and turn left and you’ll find the Tower that is for Thessaloniki what the Eiffel Tower is for Paris : its symbol. It’s on the top left hand corner of the picture.

The White Tower, as it is known, guarded the city walls, and later on it became a prison, and is now the point where the demonstrations against the political and economical crisis in Greece focalize their troops, just like on Syntagma Square in Athens.

For 3 euros, you can get inside and there is a very complete exposition on its levels about the history of the city. And of course, you have a great view from the top :

Go on on this big street along the street and you will end up at one moment on the Aristotle Square, the main square of the city. It was built in the 1920s after the great fire which destroyed a big part of the city in 1917, and tried to create a kind of architecture which would, i think, be a testimony of the cultural melting-pot of the city :

End of Part I

Meteora

2011-06-06T13:47:00.000+03:00

To go to Meteora, you can take the train from Athens. There is a train at 8:21 am every day. 5 hours more or less and 14,60 euros. You can also take a bus from Ktel Terminus B in Athens. Timetable and price here. However, the bus stops at Trikala. You have to take another bus or train to get to Kalambaka and Kastraki, where are the Meteora monasteries.

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The trip by train is a bit slow sometimes and don’t expect it to be on time when you arrive, but at least you’ll have the opportunity to see the mountains of central Greece.

And as soon as you arrive in Kalambaka, prepare to be overwhelmed :

And the icing on the cake, if I’m allowed this expression, are the monasteries. There are only 6 of them remaining, but that’s quite enough for your legs. Be sure to check which ones are open which day. For example, Great Meteoron is closed on Tuesdays.

Greek protests in front of the Parliament

2011-06-03T13:13:00.001+03:00

Following the example of protests in Spain, Greeks have set up a camp on Syntagma square, in front of the Parliament and the heart of the capital. Here are some photos.

It's Easter in Greece

2011-04-20T22:03:00.006+03:00

And the merchandising of the Greek football clubs is in full swing ! Choose your eggs.

Santorini – Nea and Palia Kameni

2011-04-14T14:30:00.000+03:00

Eventually, the last excursion was for the volcanic islands of Nea and Palia Kameni, in the center of the archipelago. There are multiple offers to go there by boat, some include just the visit to the first island, some to the hot springs on the second island, some a complete tour of the caldera, etc…

To go there, you first need to go to the Old Port and I advise you to have good shoes if you don’t want to slip into donkey’s dung.

As soon as you reach Nea Kameni, the first island, the biggest one, you realize you are entering into another world : the place is desert, there is a kind of reddish meager vegetation growing on a magma of lava solidified thousands of years ago:

Just behind Nea Kameni, is the sister island : Palea Kameni. As its name indicates, it’s older than the big one, and it’s famous for its hot springs. You can actually swim to it… And I did it… And i can tell you it’s not THAT hot that it deserves a swim :-P

And that’s it for Santorini. Here is a last picture to conclude :

Santorini – Black beach, Ancient Thira and Red Beach

2011-04-13T18:55:00.000+03:00

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Once you have seen Thira and Oia, it’s time to head southward, in direction of the airport, situated near Kamari, a town more quiet than Thira and which has a real black beach, a beach made of volcanic stone. It’s especially striking from above :

If you take the airplane to come to Thira, like I did, Kamari will be the first town you’ll see, and also you’ll see the mountain :

On top of this mountain, not very conspicuous on this video, are the remains of the ancient Thira town, which was the real center of the island, a thousand years ago, but first to reach it you’ll have to climb up that road :

And when you arrive on top of that, you can see the other side of the mountain, towards the town of Perissa :

But first, it’s worth visiting ancient Thira and the huge remains left :

Once it’s done, it’s time to head to Akrotiri, on the south-west tip of the main island. On your way, enjoy the panorama :

And at last, you can relax on the Red Beach :

End of Part II

Santorini – Thira and Oia

2011-04-12T18:37:00.000+03:00

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Santorini is a little archipel of 4 islands of the Cyclads, which is famous for being the remain of a former larger island destroyed by a volcanic eruption more than 3000 years ago. Nowadays, it is the icon of Greek tourism.

The main towns are Thira and Oia, both built on the edge of the cliffs, overlooking the caldera :

In the middle of the caldera are the two volcanic and deserted islands of Palea and Nea Kameni. To get down to the old port of Thira, you can take a cable car, take one of the dozens of donkeys, or walk through the dung all the way down the stairs :

The city of OIA, on the most north-west point of the main island, is famous for its sunset, which was, I must say, a bit underwhelming, but it’s the intricate architecture of the houses along the cliff which is really something to wonder about.

At sunset tourists are crowding the place, while trendy locals are doing yoga…

End of part I

Poros

2011-01-21T11:49:00.000+02:00

On the way to and back from Spetses, your ferry will probably pass through the straits between the island of Poros and the Peloponnesus shore, and that’s a pretty nice scenery.

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Spetses

2011-01-20T20:25:00.001+02:00

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This island is counted as one of the Saronic Gulf islands, even if it is, as the map shows, quite totaly outside the Saronikos Kolpos. Count 71 euros to go and come back by ferry to and from this island (3 hours more or less).

The moon above Hydra.

Athens Zoo

2010-12-09T20:43:00.001+02:00

Actually, it’s called the Attiko Parko, the Zoological Part of Attika, but anyway, who is fooled ? It’s the zoo of Athens :) If you want to go there by bus or metro, be careful : you need to go to the station Doukissis Plakentia (the line of the airport), then take the bus 319, until the townhall of Spata, and after the 320. When you’re in the 320, be extra careful because there is actually very very signs indicating the zoo itself. Ask the driver.

This is actually quite a nice place, with a wide range of animals to see, from the birds to the reptiles, through the big cats, and of course, the common poultry and rabbits let loose in the paths of the zoo. Here are some specimens.

Entrance : 15 euros.

In Ruins

2010-12-04T12:54:00.003+02:00

Extracts from The Guardian of December 3rd

The temple of Poseidon at Sounion is one of Greece's most romantic ruins. Immortalised by Byron, who carved his name into one of its columns, it is among the country's greatest crowd-pullers, drawing more visitors than any other site in the Attica area surrounding Athens after the Acropolis.

But the 5th-century BC treasure is also a picture of neglect, its sandstone fortifications, once the glory of ancient Greece, a jumble of stones reinforced by metallic supports.

For three years, a study painstakingly outlining the walls' renovation has lain on the desk of Dimostheni Ziro, the architect in charge of the department overseeing restoration of ancient monuments. Yet it has done little more than collect dust.

"Monuments don't vote," he says ruefully. "And this is a country with a disproportionate number of them. Even at the best of times we are hard pressed to preserve our cultural heritage but the economic crisis has clearly made things worse because now it is people who need help first."

(...)

Across Greece, temples, towers, castles and ancient theatres have fallen victim to the ravages of time and neglect with some so severely damaged by earthquakes that they face collapse. Cuts in government spending have seen more museums close, nationwide, than at any other time.

But private initiative is making a mark, with individuals stepping in. "More and more people in Greece understand that in the absence of [official support] they have to play a role if they wish to safeguard the future of monuments in their localities," said Costas Carras, who runs Elliniki Etairia, a conservation society that has been likened to Britain's National Trust. "We raised 65,000 euro for the 4th century BC tower on Kea which only a few years ago had been standing to its full height – the money has been vital in saving a monument that literally faced collpase."

Epidaurus and Methana

2010-11-26T09:59:00.001+02:00

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From Nafplio, you have the choice : you can go on to the rest of the Peloponnesus, or go to Mycenes, or Argos, or head to Epidaurus. And that’s what I did : renting a car, and hitting the road to the site of the Ancient Theater.

Of course, when we think about Epidaurus, the Theater is the first thing to pop up in our mind, just like the Eiffel Tower pops up in our mind when we say Paris, but Epidaurus was not only this. It was a kind of health and medecine hub, a bit like Delphi was a divinatory hub. This is where Asclepius, god of medecine, was born, according the legend. Therefore, it was thriving, and could afford his own stadium :

After Epidaurus, I went on to the volcanic island of Methana, which is not really an island, being still linked to the continent by a tiny isthma large enough to let the cars go, but still…

The volcanic aspect of the island probably explains why, on entering the town, you’ll see a blur smelly pond on your left, which smells like rotten eggs, probably sulfur, and which, i guess, gives its name to the place.

Nafplio

2010-11-22T12:30:00.000+02:00

As soon as I was back from Istanbul, my wanderlust took the best of me, and I took off to Nafplio for the weekend.

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Nafplio is a really nice little city in the Gulf of Argos. It was the second capital of Greece, from 1829 to 1834, right after Egina. The location of the city, on the slopes of two sharp hills, were perfect for an Acropolis in ancient times, and afterwards for fortifications. The city was in control of Byzantines, then Franks after the Crusades, then Venitians (as can be seen with the images of winged lions everywhere in town) and last by the Ottomans. This is where Ioannis Kapodistrias, first head of State of modern Greece, took office, and where he was later assassinated.

Mots clés Technorati : Nafplio,Palamidi,Argos,Kapodistrias

Byzantium / Istanbul

2010-11-19T10:31:00.000+02:00

After quite a time without travelling these past months, I booked a plane for ISTANBUL in the middle of November : perfect weather, people really nice, no hassles and no worries, loads of things to see, it was really perfect. I took too many pictures to add them all here, but i will try to select the best.

Mots clés Technorati : Byzance,Istanbul,Constantinople,Turquie,Turkey,Byzantium,Topkapi

YMITTOS

2010-10-13T23:48:00.000+03:00

View of Athens from Ymittos, the green hills eastwards :

Pnyx

2010-10-05T21:34:00.001+03:00

West of the Acropolis, the Pnyx stands, the meeting place of the Athenian assembly and therefore the birth place of democracy.

HYDRA

2010-05-14T09:13:00.000+03:00

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Hydra is the third island of the Saronic gulf I have visited so far. It’s not properly speaking into the Saronic Gulf, and also quite different from any other island for a lot of reasons, the main one being that cars are not allowed other there. The main transportation mean : donkeys !

It costs more or less 50 euros to get there and back, in fastboats, and takes 1h15 minutes.