terça-feira, 4 de agosto de 2009
domingo, 2 de agosto de 2009
quinta-feira, 30 de julho de 2009
Pelion Peninsula (Arredores de Volos)
The Greek Gods knew that the Pelion was special. The home and birthplace of the half man half horse centaurs, though of a fearsome reputation, they had a deep knowledge of plants and herbal healing. It was a centaur, Cherion, who was entrusted with educating heroes and demigods such as Hercules, Achilles, Jason and Theseus, all mighty warriors. A profession where possession of such skills might be handy!
Here it is easy to see the connection between myth and historical fact. It only takes five minutes on one of the many ancient paths or ‘kalderimia’, that still link the isolated communities of these majestic mountain forests, to recognise many of the herbs and plants, used medicinally by the ancients, as well as the centaurs, growing in profusion amongst the trees.
The Pelion Peninsula is unique, still largely unknown to foreign visitors, but long recognised by the Greeks as a national treasure to be appreciated and preserved. One can recognise the Pelion on the map as the long peninsula with a claw like promontory at its southern end that divides the Aegean Sea from the Pagasitic Gulf. Cut off in the North by the Pelion Massif, the only easy access by land is a narrow corridor from the great plain of Thessaly to the west at the head of the gulf through the city of Volos. The mountains, snow covered in winter (there is even a ski resort on the flanks of Mount Pelion), feed the many rivers and streams. The region is one of the most fertile and verdant in the eastern Mediterranean.
The Pelion is famous for its fruit, particularly apples. In the springtime when the blossom appears and the native chestnut, oak and beech trees are bursting into leaf, the colours and textures are simply breathtaking. In the full heat of summer the tree cover means that the temperature is at least five degrees less than out in the open.
One of the great pleasures of a holiday here is to be able to enjoy lying in the sun on a beach with the clear Aegean waters lapping at your feet, before moving to relax in the cool shade of an ancient chestnut tree. September is apple picking time, the orchards are laden with fruit of every colour, whilst the cooler nights turn the forests above into a sea of russet and gold.
The inhabitants of the Pelion, despite a long tradition of independence from the ‘mainland’, are extremely hospitable and friendly. It is the only region in Greece that remained autonomous throughout the centuries of foreign intervention. Even the usually fearless Ottomans left these mountain villages well alone.
Standing on the beach at Mylopotamos, the mouth of a narrow and precipitous ravine, one can easily understand how even the fiercest Turkish general would think twice about committing his warriors to an assault up the twisting steep and narrow trails!
By the 19th century, they had not only survived but many had become prosperous through selling their produce to the increasing population of Volos, a fastgrowing port and industrial centre at the head of the Pagasitic Gulf.
Wealthy merchants built distinctive large mansions in villages such as Vizitsa and Makrinitsa, each trying to out do their neighbour with colourful embellishments on the upper walls and ornate stained glass windows, enjoying an exclusive eagle’s eye view over the Gulf and the Thessaly Plain.
By the early years of the 20th century, roads were built up into the hills and a railway line was constructed linking Volos with the important village of Milies. Designed by an Italian engineer, Evaristo de Chirico, the narrow gauge line with its graceful viaducts and arches later figured in the work of his son, Giorgio de Chirico, the famous surrealist painter who was born in Volos. The line remains in use to this day as far as Ano Lehonia on the coast and is a deservedly popular tourist attraction.
Small family-run hotels can be found along both coastlines, taking advantage of the many coves and quiet bays, each with beaches of white pebbles or sand. There are a wide variety of tavernas and restaurants which have opened, many offering such delicacies as wild boar and desserts based on the local fruit. The infrastructure of the Pelion is improving steadily, but money exchange and ATM machines are still often hard to find outside the larger towns, so be prepared!
Perhaps the best way to explore this fascinating region is on foot, using the ‘kalderimia’ mule track network. Although by car the recently improved roads leading into the mountains are no longer a driver’s challenge. As one local put it, when asked about the road up to the apple centre of Zagora, ”Ah, it’s ok, but it’s like a politician, many twists and turns!”
The Aegean coast though rugged, has a number of delightful small villages. Some are no more than a cluster of silver roofed stone cottages above a small cove which make a perfect base for exploring gentler paths that often follow the shoreline past pristine beaches.
The Pagasitic Gulf coast is more sheltered and typically Mediterranean, with olive groves and pine trees overlooking the sand and pebble beaches. Exploring this coast by small boat is a delight or one can take a caique cruise down to the ‘claw’ of Pelion at Trikeri, with its small island and monastery.
Even in July and August, when people from Athens and Thessaloniki arrive to escape from the summer city heat, the Pelion never seems overcrowded, nor loses that sense of being a world apart. Those who live here are determined that it never will.
Highlights:• Horse back riding from Arghalasti• Take a ride on the mountain steam train from Ano Lehonia to Milies• Cruise the Pagasitic Gulf on board a gullet to beaches & Trikeri island.• Enjoy the magnifi cent sandy beaches on the eastern coastline• Take the Pelion Tour, exploring the seaside resorts and the mountain villages of Tsangarada and Milies• Experience the cosmopolitan city of Volos from its archaeological museum, the municipal gallery to the shops and atmospheric waterfront walks in the evenings• Take your own motor boat to explore the hidden beaches and islands of the Pagasitic Gulf• Take a guided tour walking tour from Agia Kyriaki.• Walk the Milies - Potistika path to enjoy views of the Aegean Sea and the Pagasitic Gulf from the peakline• Diving school in Trikeri• Take a trip to Meteora and its incredible mountain top monasteries
Here it is easy to see the connection between myth and historical fact. It only takes five minutes on one of the many ancient paths or ‘kalderimia’, that still link the isolated communities of these majestic mountain forests, to recognise many of the herbs and plants, used medicinally by the ancients, as well as the centaurs, growing in profusion amongst the trees.
The Pelion Peninsula is unique, still largely unknown to foreign visitors, but long recognised by the Greeks as a national treasure to be appreciated and preserved. One can recognise the Pelion on the map as the long peninsula with a claw like promontory at its southern end that divides the Aegean Sea from the Pagasitic Gulf. Cut off in the North by the Pelion Massif, the only easy access by land is a narrow corridor from the great plain of Thessaly to the west at the head of the gulf through the city of Volos. The mountains, snow covered in winter (there is even a ski resort on the flanks of Mount Pelion), feed the many rivers and streams. The region is one of the most fertile and verdant in the eastern Mediterranean.
The Pelion is famous for its fruit, particularly apples. In the springtime when the blossom appears and the native chestnut, oak and beech trees are bursting into leaf, the colours and textures are simply breathtaking. In the full heat of summer the tree cover means that the temperature is at least five degrees less than out in the open.
One of the great pleasures of a holiday here is to be able to enjoy lying in the sun on a beach with the clear Aegean waters lapping at your feet, before moving to relax in the cool shade of an ancient chestnut tree. September is apple picking time, the orchards are laden with fruit of every colour, whilst the cooler nights turn the forests above into a sea of russet and gold.
The inhabitants of the Pelion, despite a long tradition of independence from the ‘mainland’, are extremely hospitable and friendly. It is the only region in Greece that remained autonomous throughout the centuries of foreign intervention. Even the usually fearless Ottomans left these mountain villages well alone.
Standing on the beach at Mylopotamos, the mouth of a narrow and precipitous ravine, one can easily understand how even the fiercest Turkish general would think twice about committing his warriors to an assault up the twisting steep and narrow trails!
By the 19th century, they had not only survived but many had become prosperous through selling their produce to the increasing population of Volos, a fastgrowing port and industrial centre at the head of the Pagasitic Gulf.
Wealthy merchants built distinctive large mansions in villages such as Vizitsa and Makrinitsa, each trying to out do their neighbour with colourful embellishments on the upper walls and ornate stained glass windows, enjoying an exclusive eagle’s eye view over the Gulf and the Thessaly Plain.
By the early years of the 20th century, roads were built up into the hills and a railway line was constructed linking Volos with the important village of Milies. Designed by an Italian engineer, Evaristo de Chirico, the narrow gauge line with its graceful viaducts and arches later figured in the work of his son, Giorgio de Chirico, the famous surrealist painter who was born in Volos. The line remains in use to this day as far as Ano Lehonia on the coast and is a deservedly popular tourist attraction.
Small family-run hotels can be found along both coastlines, taking advantage of the many coves and quiet bays, each with beaches of white pebbles or sand. There are a wide variety of tavernas and restaurants which have opened, many offering such delicacies as wild boar and desserts based on the local fruit. The infrastructure of the Pelion is improving steadily, but money exchange and ATM machines are still often hard to find outside the larger towns, so be prepared!
Perhaps the best way to explore this fascinating region is on foot, using the ‘kalderimia’ mule track network. Although by car the recently improved roads leading into the mountains are no longer a driver’s challenge. As one local put it, when asked about the road up to the apple centre of Zagora, ”Ah, it’s ok, but it’s like a politician, many twists and turns!”
The Aegean coast though rugged, has a number of delightful small villages. Some are no more than a cluster of silver roofed stone cottages above a small cove which make a perfect base for exploring gentler paths that often follow the shoreline past pristine beaches.
The Pagasitic Gulf coast is more sheltered and typically Mediterranean, with olive groves and pine trees overlooking the sand and pebble beaches. Exploring this coast by small boat is a delight or one can take a caique cruise down to the ‘claw’ of Pelion at Trikeri, with its small island and monastery.
Even in July and August, when people from Athens and Thessaloniki arrive to escape from the summer city heat, the Pelion never seems overcrowded, nor loses that sense of being a world apart. Those who live here are determined that it never will.
Highlights:• Horse back riding from Arghalasti• Take a ride on the mountain steam train from Ano Lehonia to Milies• Cruise the Pagasitic Gulf on board a gullet to beaches & Trikeri island.• Enjoy the magnifi cent sandy beaches on the eastern coastline• Take the Pelion Tour, exploring the seaside resorts and the mountain villages of Tsangarada and Milies• Experience the cosmopolitan city of Volos from its archaeological museum, the municipal gallery to the shops and atmospheric waterfront walks in the evenings• Take your own motor boat to explore the hidden beaches and islands of the Pagasitic Gulf• Take a guided tour walking tour from Agia Kyriaki.• Walk the Milies - Potistika path to enjoy views of the Aegean Sea and the Pagasitic Gulf from the peakline• Diving school in Trikeri• Take a trip to Meteora and its incredible mountain top monasteries
sexta-feira, 24 de julho de 2009
Delos, terra sagrada
Assinalada ainda hoje como uma ilha sagrada, Delos encerra importantes vestígios arqueológicos, visitados por milhares de turistas, sobretudo a partir de Mykonos, o porto mais próximo. As ruínas – de templos, teatros, estátuas, pórticos – cobrem quase a totalidade do território, fazendo recordar os tempos em que a ilha assumia um lugar de destaque no panorama religioso e político do Egeu. Delos começou por ser procurada pelos Iónicos para celebrar os seus rituais, passando no século V a.C. para as mãos dos atenienses. Este povo acreditava que a ilha teria servido de berço a Apolo e que, por esse motivo, seria de todas a mais sagrada . Esta seria, aliás, a razão da sua localização central face ao restante arquipélago (daí a denominação de Cíclades, as ilhas que rodeiam Delos). Sacralizaram–na ao ponto de aí proibirem qualquer nascimento ou morte, tendo, finalmente, acabado por deportar a população para a Ásia menor. Após os gregos, passaram ainda pela ilha os macedónios e os romanos, que a elevaram a um dos mais importantes portos do Mediterrâneo, onde se comercializavam principalmente escravos. O seu carácter sagrado haveria, no entanto, de lhe ditar a má fortuna: em 88 a. C. o rei Mithridates entra em guerra com os romanos, ataca a ilha e assassina 20 000 habitantes num só dia, arrasando os templos e santuários. Delos nunca viria a recuperar deste rude golpe e, após mais alguns ataques de corsários que passaram a dominar o Egeu, acabou por ser totalmente abandonada.
Assinalada ainda hoje como uma ilha sagrada, Delos encerra importantes vestígios arqueológicos, visitados por milhares de turistas, sobretudo a partir de Mykonos, o porto mais próximo. As ruínas – de templos, teatros, estátuas, pórticos – cobrem quase a totalidade do território, fazendo recordar os tempos em que a ilha assumia um lugar de destaque no panorama religioso e político do Egeu. Delos começou por ser procurada pelos Iónicos para celebrar os seus rituais, passando no século V a.C. para as mãos dos atenienses. Este povo acreditava que a ilha teria servido de berço a Apolo e que, por esse motivo, seria de todas a mais sagrada . Esta seria, aliás, a razão da sua localização central face ao restante arquipélago (daí a denominação de Cíclades, as ilhas que rodeiam Delos). Sacralizaram–na ao ponto de aí proibirem qualquer nascimento ou morte, tendo, finalmente, acabado por deportar a população para a Ásia menor. Após os gregos, passaram ainda pela ilha os macedónios e os romanos, que a elevaram a um dos mais importantes portos do Mediterrâneo, onde se comercializavam principalmente escravos. O seu carácter sagrado haveria, no entanto, de lhe ditar a má fortuna: em 88 a. C. o rei Mithridates entra em guerra com os romanos, ataca a ilha e assassina 20 000 habitantes num só dia, arrasando os templos e santuários. Delos nunca viria a recuperar deste rude golpe e, após mais alguns ataques de corsários que passaram a dominar o Egeu, acabou por ser totalmente abandonada.
quarta-feira, 22 de julho de 2009
Sabiam que...
O berro bruscamente lançado por Pã durante a guerra em que Crono é destornado pelo seu próprio filho, Zeus, e que aterrorizou os Titãs, deu origem à palavra "pânico".
"Conhece-te a ti próprio" - Oráculo de Delfos
O primeiro oráculo de Delfos era conhecido geralmente como Sibila, embora seu nome fosse Herófila. Ela cantava as predições que recebia de Gaia. Mais tarde, Sibila tornou-se um título dado a qualquer sacerdotisa devotada ao oráculo. A Sibila apresentava-se sentada na rocha sibilina, respirando os vapores vindos do chão e emitindo as suas frequentemente intrigantes e confusas predições. Pausanias afirmava que a Sibila "nasceu entre o homem e a deusa, filha do monstro do mar e uma ninfa imortal". Outros disseram que era irmã ou filha de Apolo. Ainda outros reivindicaram que Sibila recebera os seus poderes de Gaia originalmente, que passou o oráculo a Têmis, que depois o passou a Phoebe. Este oráculo exerceu uma influência considerável através do país, e foi consultado antes de todos os empreendimentos principais: guerra, fundação das colônias, e assim por diante. Era também altamente respeitada em países semi-helênicos como Macedônia, Lídia, Cária e até mesmo Egipto. O rei Creso da Lídia consultou Delfos antes de atacar a Pérsia, e de acordo com Heródoto recebeu a resposta:
Se você o fizer, destruirá um grande império.
— '
Creso achou a resposta favorável, atacou e foi completamente derrotado (resultando daí, naturalmente, a destruição de seu próprio império).
Alegadamente o oráculo também proclamou Sócrates o homem mais sábio na Grécia, ao que Sócrates respondeu que, se assim era, isso devia-se a ser o único que estava ciente da sua própria ignorância. A afirmação está relacionada com um dos lemas mais famosos de Delfos, que Sócrates disse ter aprendido lá, γνωθι σεαυτον (gnothi seauton, "conhece-te a ti próprio"). Um outro lema famoso de Delfos é μηδεν αγαν (meden agan, "nada em excesso"). No século III d.C., ante o domínio cristão crescente na região, o oráculo, por motivo desconhecido, declarou que a divindade não falaria lá por mais tempo.
Se você o fizer, destruirá um grande império.
— '
Creso achou a resposta favorável, atacou e foi completamente derrotado (resultando daí, naturalmente, a destruição de seu próprio império).
Alegadamente o oráculo também proclamou Sócrates o homem mais sábio na Grécia, ao que Sócrates respondeu que, se assim era, isso devia-se a ser o único que estava ciente da sua própria ignorância. A afirmação está relacionada com um dos lemas mais famosos de Delfos, que Sócrates disse ter aprendido lá, γνωθι σεαυτον (gnothi seauton, "conhece-te a ti próprio"). Um outro lema famoso de Delfos é μηδεν αγαν (meden agan, "nada em excesso"). No século III d.C., ante o domínio cristão crescente na região, o oráculo, por motivo desconhecido, declarou que a divindade não falaria lá por mais tempo.
segunda-feira, 20 de julho de 2009
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