Discovering the Mani Part II

Happy 5th anniversary to Olives and Islands blog! Celebrating five years of writing about my travels in Greece and abroad, as well as culture in and around Athens and more. Xronia polla! Many years!

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I ended my blog post last September on the Mani saying that George’s Sea front suites in Neo Oitylo (Itylo) awaited us for another visit as there was so much we didn’t get to explore! This year we returned though this time without our children.

So this post really should be read with last year’s post, Discovering the Mani, which goes into more historic and literary detail about this beautiful region of the southern Peloponnese.

We combined our Mani trip with another visit in the Peloponnese, working on our house for a few days in Arkadia, in the mountains outside Megalopolis, an hour or so from Kalamata.

From Kalamata the road goes up toward mighty Mt. Taygetus and winds around until it leads down to charming Kardamyli with its little stone houses by the sea, and past the house that Patrick Leigh Fermor and his wife Joan built, now a museum, near Kalamitsi beach (visited last year).  Leigh Fermor’s house is where the dinner scene from the movie “Before Midnight” was filmed.

The road takes you past Stoupa, probably the most built up resort of the area. This is the Outer or northwest Mani. Then the road climbs up and passes through many villages in the hills, including Oitylo (Itylo), chief city of Mani in the 17th century that was also mentioned by Homer in the Iliad and by travelers of Byzantine times. From here the road zigs and zags as you look down across the grand sweep of the bay.

Neo (New) Oitylo is like a resort in the process of being developed – houses and small guesthouses are thrown here and there in a haphazard kind of way. The main attraction is the long partly pebbled partly sandy beach, a couple of cafes off the beach, a mini market, two tavernas by the sea and a souvlaki place.

The place we’re staying at is run by kind hosts George, a former admiral, and his wife Voula. Again we have the captain’s room, with the binoculars, the wheel and compass on the verandah.

You could just hang around here, enjoy the view, swim and have lunch at one of the tavernas, but for the adventurous, Mani offers so much to explore.

Oitylo and further south is known as the Mesa “Inner” Mani, to some the “real” Mani, with the fortified towers that symbolize the area.

Closest to Neo Oitylo is Limeni, just around the bend, a gorgeous little village, much photographed and discovered lately, now with a few upscale fish restaurants. If you swim here, you need to be careful of biting turtles.

A few kilometers from Limeni you reach Areopolis, present capital of the Mani, named for god of war Ares (Mars).

It was in Areopolis that the 1821 Greek revolution began. There are reminders of the Revolution all around the town, like this painted box outside a bakery (with excellent spinach and various kinds of cheese pies), which shows the oath (orkomosia) the Maniots took.

And nearby is a sculpture with the slogan Niki i thanatos (Victory or Death) etched on the flag. This slogan differs from the revolutionary cry in the rest of Greece, “Freedom or Death,” the reason being is that the Mani residents were left much more alone under the Ottomans than other parts of the Peloponnese. The mountainous inaccessible terrain was certainly one reason, but it was also the spirit of the Maniots, who considered themselves descendants of the ancient Spartans, and didn’t allow anyone to mess with them! Although the Ottomans built a few towers just to show their presence, the Maniots mostly had self-government through local chieftains or Beys.

The Revolution was declared by Petros Mavromichaelis, the last Bey of Mani, in the main church of the town, the Taxiarches or Church of the Archangel, on a Sunday after the service —

It’s a pleasant town to walk around with its cobblestone streets and stone buildings against the backdrop of the mountains.

It’s full of cute spots to have a coffee or eat and little corners, all with stone architecture.

The stone towers you increasingly see in the landscape were protection not just from foreign invaders but neighbors, who were even more of a threat, as they fought each other over precious land. And these blood feuds or vendettas could go on for generations.

If it’s your first visit, the Neolithic era caves at Pirgos Dirgou are a must. Go early if you can. In the summer months you’ll have to wait hours — very few tickets are given online, but as we learned in our last year’s visit, you can always have a swim at the nearby rocky beach while you wait. From a loudspeaker, you can hear your number being called, easily giving you time to dry off, change out of your wet bathing suit and scoot over to the entrance, where you’re fitted with a life jacket for the first part of the tour, a subterranean lake. From little boats you marvel over the delicate filigree looking stalactite formations.

In the land part, a Homo sapiens skull was found in this cave dated to 210,000 years ago, the oldest in Europe.

We’re heading south along the west coast. Our first stop is a village called Eremos, meaning appropriately “desert,” as there are mostly shrubs, amidst some olive trees. Here the olive trees surround this 13th century church, Agia Varvara (Saint Barbara), I’d love to know how it came to be built in this remote spot.

Our friends Roz and Simos, who have a house in a Mani village, have told us about an amazing “black hole of Mani” that’s “not too far” from the church, where you park your car and walk along a dirt path. So we did: water, hat, suntan lotion, closed shoes and off we went. Right away you pass a ‘plantation’ growing frangosyka, the prickly pears that grow wild all over the peninsula. This guy is protective about his frangosyka, with a sign saying “electric fence.” (Seriously, what would someone do with these?)

We keep trekking along, the midday sun beating down on us. Our phone data isn’t working and we can’t tell how far we are from the hole. After about 20 minutes, (thinking of tourists that have disappeared this summer trekking in the heat), we realize we have to give up. There’s not a human anywhere, but we can hear signs of rustling off the road that make us a little nervous.

This cavity in the earth is actually formed from a collapsed cave. Roz and Simos were kind enough to send us some of their photos. Here we have another reason to return as they promise they will take us there personally!

After giving up on the elusive hole, we stopped in nearby Mezapo beach. Oh that crystalline water, like a sweet wet caress on our dry parched skin. But it’s the usual rocky Mani beach where getting in is a challenge! You really need the shoes that you can wear into the water.

Some rocky beaches we swam at last year (on the east side of the Mani)

We’re on our way to Cape Tainaron (Tenaron), but first we’re stopping at Marmari Beach, one of the few long sandy beaches on the Mani, that we didn’t get to last year. We pass by Gerolymenas, and many olive trees and cypresses. Once Mani’s main port, Gerolymenas (meaning “old port”) wears the feeling of the past with its decrepit old stone buildings, now mixed with new concrete.

On to Marmari, marveling at the scenery from the road of small and large coves here and there.

One of the few sandy beaches on the peninsula, Marmari is also one of the few organized beaches as well. The water is delightful with gentle waves and a perfect temperature. we don’t want to get out!

Looking up, you see the Marmari Beach Hotel, built in a Mani tower style.

Nearby Cape Tainaron or Tenaron, also known as Cape Matapan, is the southernmost point of mainland Greece (Peloponnese) and the second most southern point of mainland Europe.

In classical antiquity this was the site of the city of Taenarum, a once bustling hub of maritime trade. In ancient Greek mythology, Taenarus, who founded the city, was credited with establishing the city’s important temple of Poseidon, god of the sea (Neptune). Cape Tainaron was believed to be the gateway to the Underworld and nearby are remains of a cave, according to mythology, that claimed to lead to Hades. In modern times, naval battles were fought here.

Again, you park the car and you hike. By now it’s nearly 6 pm so the midday heat has mellowed. To the left of the hiking path are ruins of a temple of the Oracle, well over two thousand years old. There’s a sign pointing this out but no other information is given about this stone temple.

About a 10 minute walk from where the path starts, are some 1st c AD Roman floor mosaics, This circular mosaic is known as the star of Aria, the name of the beach below.

The water seems an even deeper blue color against the dry brown rocky hills.

The red earth path is not at all level, it goes up and down hills and valleys. There’s something very romantic about reaching the “land’s end” and though we wander for a while, we didn’t really expect to take the whole 45 minute path to the 19th century lighthouse, and then return. So once again, I thank Roz for her photo and the lighthouse walk is on the list for next time, along with the hole!

Near the parking, a donkey stood patiently, maybe guarding the frangosyka.

Back to Areopolis, but we couldn’t seem to find our way! We were going around and around the mountains with their dramatic views. The roads are mostly well paved but often signs are non-existent.

We knew we had to pass the tower settlement of Vathia, and from there, the road would take us back toward Gerolymenas, but we couldn’t find the right road and no one to ask … Meanwhile we could see Vathia off in the distance as a tease, but we couldn’t seem to get there.

A visit to Vathia is another must. It’s a traditional fortified settlement from the 18th and 19th centuries, with its towers against invaders, pirates or the Ottomans. We explored it last year close to sunset, a magical time. This is looking down at Marmari Beach, about 2 kilometers away.

(See last year’s blog for more photos and history on the settlement.)

Eventually and before dark, fortunately we found the right road…

Visiting Skamnaki

Skamnaki, the village of our friends, is in the heart of the inner Mani. Like so many villages in rural Greece, it has mostly old people now. Children have scattered to other places, some come and visit in summertime and stay in their houses that they’ve kept up. Some village scenes:

In a café called Mikro Parisi (love the name), villagers gather to drink, eat, talk, play tavli (backgammon) and enjoy the quiet scenes of nature.

We sat in the coolness of Roz and Simos’ garden with their olive trees, frangosyka and large lemon tree, drinking wine and wondering where to eat.

We decided on the Psarotaverna (fish tavern) Katsikaros in Skoutari on Agia Varvara beach, named for its 12^th century church. I would love to hear more about the story of these exquisite little Byzantine churches.

The taverna is epano sto kima as they say, right on top of the water and right on the sand. 

The menu was a tactile 3 D experience, it actually seemed like something you might make in summer camp in arts and crafts, but so much better than anything I could ever do!

The table filled with kalamarakia, grilled octopus and sardines, fava (yellow split pea puree), horta (wild greens), potatoes and fried peppers. And more wine…

It was a calm night, and as the sky darkened, several fishermen took oars and rowed out to their boat to fish for the night.

What a beautiful evening it was, lovely food, seeing our friends and sitting under the stars on a warm summer night by the sea.

Karavopetra

Neo Oitylo itself, where we’re staying, has the Mavros Peiratis, “black pirate” taverna, with its octopus catch display, seen earlier, and Karavopetra, which is on two levels. The first night we ate there was very windy but the 2nd night it was calm enough to sit right on top of the rocks in the sea. You could almost reach out and touch them.

Owner Nikos, in his white jeans and tennis shoes and sea blue shirt, runs around and makes sure everything is shipshape and customers eat happily.

 lt’s also used as a music bar. The music selection is super for us with a jazz selection with Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck and Billie Holliday, as well as Manos Hatzidakis.

At one meal we ate melitzana (eggplant or aubergine) baked in the oven with feta, atherina (bitesize fried fish) mixed salad and kolokithokeftedes (zucchini fritters).

The second time we tried their fresh grilled kalamari and shrimp saganaki, shrimp baked in tomato sauce with feta. And eggplant again with feta, a cheese that seems to find its way into numerous recipes! Their crusty whole grain bread, so tasty, is perfect for sopping up the delicious saganaki sauce.

And not to forget the refreshing watermelon and peach slices or fresh cherries they bring you at the end. I think that even if you’re not staying in Neo Oitylo, Karavopetra deserves a special trip to eat there.

Leaving the Mani, we headed northeast toward Gytheio (representing the 3rd part of the Mani, Laconian Mani), another pretty town with neoclassical houses along the port.

I’ll end with a poem from a few summers back on what you face when you get back from vacation:

VACATION GLOW

They say it fades quickly the vacation glow
That after the next day you’re wondering again
What to do with the eggplants waiting for you

Patient, wrinkled and alone in your refrigerator bin.
When you open the fridge, you sniff
At the sweet sour smell of the half watermelon

left behind, you touch a lemon with a fine coat
of green dust. Making a supermarket list,
off you go, always forgetting the potatoes.

There, your only concern was where to dine
at night under the stars, and your secret worry
that you’re bursting out of your bathing suit

that you bought just last year. You look over
your photos once more, why did I take
a picture of that tree? Ho hum, another

Gorgeous beach, what was its name?
To be honest, there are those moments
when you tire, when in fact you yearn for the return

to your house, to quiet mornings
on your balcony surrounded by your plants,
with the tzi tzi tzi of the cicadas

and reassuring landscape of satellite disks
air conditioning units, solar panels and antennas
among the cypress and poplars, where you can think
and dream of your next vacation.

Actually, we cooked our wrinkled lonely looking eggplant or aubergine that was waiting for us. So, here’s our own take on baked melitzana with feta. Fresh tomato sauce. Lots of red onions to sweeten it. Capers. Fresh basil. Kali orexi! (Bon appetit!)

Greek summer is a special time, but last month was the hottest June on record. Don’t underestimate the sun and the heat. Onward summertime!

And congratulations to the Greek basketball team that qualified to participate in the Paris Olympics — go Hellas!

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Sherri Moshman Paganos is a writer and former educator, inspired by her life in Athens, where she and her husband are happily retired and enjoying their travels in Greece and abroad. You can check out her writing — fiction, non-fiction, poetry and articles here.