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Day 4: Through the Mountains
Day 4: Through the Mountains
Today was mostly a travel day through the mountains. We learned that Greeks put little shrines alongside the road where loved ones have died, similar to the way Americans put crosses and flowers at the sites of roadside fatalities. We also learned that Greeks don’t like to have personal debt. They restrain from credit cards and avoid loans even when building a home. That explains the many partially completed homes we saw in the countryside. Many were just the concrete frames with iron rods sticking out of the second floor to accommodate the future addition of another level. Rather than taking a loan to build the whole home, they build as they can afford to do more.
The cog train was out of commission due to a landslide, so we took the bus route instead. In some ways, this may have given us better views as we were higher up on the mountainside, above the tracks. We made a number of stops on the way. The first was a quick stop at a very large bakery, and yes, we had to purchase some sweets! Then it was on to Kalavryta and its monument to the tragic Kalavryta Massacre. The event is sometimes referred to as the Holocaust of Kalavryta since all but 13 people survived in this slaughter during WWII.
From there, we drove to Planitero for lunch. It sat next to a really cool grove of twisted sycamore trees and a fish hatchery. We had a meal with various appetizers and a mail course of trout. Iris showed us how to debone the fish, and we all did it successfully. The fish was very good, and once again, we left with full stomachs. After these stops, we drove to our destination of Lagkardia. As we entered the mountainside town, we could barely make out the buildings in the fog. As we got closer and the fog began to lift, we saw the cozy town dramatically appear nestled into the hillside.
Kalavryta
Kalavryta
Good Work, Abby!
Good Work, Abby!
Those Trees!
Those Trees!
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