Cascades, bridges stone forests and stairs

We are exhausted from yesterdays exertions in the mountains, so today we are looking forward to a mixed bag of touristic sites that the area has to offer.

It is the weekend and quite a few people are around. Last night, we parked Dora just below the village of Mikro Papigo, in a nice little layby, it was much flatter than the car park in the village, where our dinner can slide precariously across the table. While in our layby we noticed quite a few cars stopping and everyone getting out and disappearing through a small gate. This morning we have decided to check out what they were looking at.

Are we glad we did. We find the most delightful little slot canyon.

The rock is layered in thin slabs which have been eroded by the small stream that runs through the canyon.

It is like the contours of a trekking map, each layer cut vertically, with the river slicing through it.

As the water cascades through the layers it creates beautiful patterns.

We explore up through the canyon, we are quite early so no one else has yet to arrive. We are all alone.

It is incredibly peaceful except for the sound of rushing water.

We hop from one side of the canyon to the other, constantly crossing the rushing water.

Eventually we reach a point where we can get no further, a dramatic waterfall, with vertical sides makes further progress impossible.

As we pass back down the canyon I grab the camera and try and capture some of the amazing ripples created by the water as it passes through these wonderful eroded riverbeds.

It reminds us that we have yet to publish some of our better photographs on to Pinterest. We started at the beginning of the trip, and some, especially the ones of the Brecon Waterfalls have been re-pinned many times.

So watch this space, we may soon get around to uploading some higher resolution images.

Hopefully the small collection, we will put together sets of six, will become a nice memory, a small photographic album of the trip which we can share with you.

What a whirlpool.

The millennia it must have taken to erode that rock.

Bubbling away, soon to join that super clean water in the gorge we visited yesterday.

It has been a great start to the day, so unexpected.

Not in the guide, and it is these little found experiences which are so special.

The ones that stay in your memory for so long.

We head out of the valley we have been staying in for the last three days. Three days is a long time for us. It seems like we have been here forever, but there are other parts of Zagori we want t o see.

We pass back over the bridge where we saw the rafters three days ago, now there are three motorhomes here, with their chairs and tables out, enjoying themselves.

The river is as blue, clear and clean as always, it is so tempting to think you might plunge in, but far too cold for that.

The local restaurants are expecting a big crowd today, it being Saturday. I hope everyone is up for a barbequed sheep’s head.

We stop at a point where you can overlook the Vikos gorge. This is as close as most people get to it, even then they look exhausted as they haul themselves along the 200m footpath and back.

But along this road are more amazing geological formations. They call this area the stone forest, we didn’t know what to expect.

I suppose it is an apt name.

But what created these? Is it still water erosion, or wind and rain?

Our next stop and as always we are on the hunt for bread for lunch. The villages around here are pretty much shop free. I don’t know how these guys survive, maybe they all shop online and get home delivery.

The village is Dhilofo. It is very cute and very remote.

We stop in a restaurant.

Any idea where we might get some bread?

You could try the van, he might be driving around. (so that’s how they get stuff, they do get home delivery, we remember seeing the van a couple of days ago).

Oh no, he’s already passed, you could try the guesthouse, she may be making some.

 

She isn’t, or the bread isn’t ready yet.

In the end the guy gives us half a loaf. We offer to pay, but he won’t accept anything.

They are so generous around here, and genuine.

Our next stop another bridge, this time an old one, a traditionally built one.

They are quite famous for there stone bridges around here.

Not from the era of traffic and cars, the largest things this would take would be a horse and cart.

And you can see why. Really elegant,

with an economic use of materials. Bit worried about the lack of balustrades though, and not sure it would take Dora.

Further downstream and another one, this time bigger and with water in the riverbed, so it looks and feels more like a bridge.

The longer span makes it even more elegant.

You can see why some people prefer the old to the new, but the one behind can take tour buses carrying 40 tourists. Things have moved on.

And who is that angelic figure crossing that bridge?

Still a limited balustrade, you need to keep tight rein on the children around here.

This is the one on all the postcards.

And there is that angel again, she keeps reappearing.

Now this photo meant I had wet feet, and nearly dropped the camera.

The things we go through to write these blogs!

My fault for balancing precariously on slippy rocks in the middle of the river.

But soggy or dry shoes, it is worth it.

Wow, it has been a heavy touristy day as we have been vying with the tour buses for parking space. Our last stop is the village of Vradheto and will be where we spend the night.

Vradheto also sits high above the gorge, and until the 1970’s the only access was via a stone staircase which hugs the sides of a rocky cliff.

That is why we are here, to walk that staircase.

Now remember, everything for the village came up these stairs; food, drink, building materials, clothes etc..

They say it takes an hour to go from Vradheto to the next village, but Dora is at the top so we are just going to walk down to the bridge and back up again.

The bridge at the bottom is not so spectacular.

But it has been a nice walk and now for the upward bit.

Another couple of trekkers have been following us. We pass them on our return. We eventually get chatting. They are from NW Greece, Olympus (on our list of mountains to do) but are researching the area so they can take tourists on guided walks. We take his card, it might be useful, and if you want a guide on Mount Olympus contact Nikolas Karagiannidis: www.olymp-pantheon.com

The staircase is a stunning construction, but also goes to show the amount of progress that has been made in the last fifty years.

The road is a real engineering triumph, although it would be quicker to walk up or down the stairs rather than drive Dora along the road as it has to take such a torturous route to get to the village.

Tomorrow we look forward to another three hour walk into the gorge, this time to one of the less well travelled tributaries which feed the Vikos gorge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GDR