Saturday March 14, 2009
Downtime destinations
By SONJA MUSTAFFA
Socrates said to seek the truth and lead a good life, and so we shall when in Greece.
Ela (come on)! We’re going to the islands, and believe me, they’re as beautiful and serene as the brochures depict.
As our bus of journalists and travel agents departed for Port Piraeus, I peered out the window to see bustling Athenians swaddled in their winter coats headed to their workplaces for another day of pressure.
I could relate to them because in a couple of days I, too, would be at my desk, tapping furiously on the keyboard to meet deadlines, brain food close at hand.
A home in Hydra which was striking in its simplicty. As the catamaran — called Platytera — chugged across the Saronic Gulf to our first port-of-call, Hydra (about three hours away), peace enveloped me. Sailing across the deep blue sea was like drifting away from worldly problems. I had to savour every moment of this respite from the office.
The approach to Hydra harbour stole my breath away. I couldn’t stop clicking my camera! The island houses, whitewashed cubes with brightly-coloured windows and doors, were stacked up the hill slopes, forming an amphitheatre. Coming in to anchor, Platytera was the centre of attention.
As we disembarked, we could see shopkeepers getting excited and putting on their best smiles for us. The harbour front is occupied by souvenir shops, cafés, tavernas and bakeries. You’ll find sea-sponges on sale as sponge-fishing is one of the industries in the islands.
The pavement was dotted with hopeful pigeons, cats, dogs and donkeys. The smaller creatures with imploring saucer eyes hoped to be fed. They melted our hearts. Squeals of delight came from some young Japanese girls who crouched down to pet the animals and take pictures with them.
As there are no cars or motorbikes — only a garbage truck — on this island of roughly 3,000 people, the main mode of transport is donkeys, which are the beast of burden for anything that needs to be transported up the steep lanes that wind around quaint homes, some dating to the 18th century.
The Meteora monasteries look melded to the sandstone hills. On each of the three islands we visited, we were only given an hour or so to walk around, so most of us got no further than the souvenir shops. Should you get to stay longer, you could go snorkelling, fishing or exploring around the beaches, coves and bays.
Accommodation at some of the homes and hotels can be arranged through a tourist agency. The tranquillity here attracts and inspires creative types.
Poros, our second island, seemed to have more cafés, so you could hang out here and look fashionable sipping a latte as yachts and boats pass by. There’s a temple here dedicated to Poseidon (the god of the sea), but we didn’t visit it.
On Aegina — also known as Pistachio Island because it is a big producer of the nut — we visited the Temple of Apheia (goddess of wisdom), which mirrors the Parthenon in Athens.
The Church of St Nectarios draws pilgrims, as do the other island churches and monasteries. There are some 1,400 Greek islands scattered in the Ionian, Aegean and Crete seas. Traditionalists are attracted to the museums and feast days of saints. Did you know that the Apostle John is said to have written the Book of Revelation on the island of Patmos?
The St Barbara nunnery. As it was winter, many islands were closed to tourists, but in warmer seasons they are crowded with holiday-makers and merry-makers. Every island offers something different, like golfing, caving, medieval castles, archeological sites, a soak in a medicinal spring or sunbathing.
Aegina, about an hour south of Athens, is a weekend getaway. What most amazed me about the island was that despite the heavy traffic of fishing boats, ferries and cruise boats, the emerald coloured water in the harbour is so clear you can see the seabed and fish swarming around the wharf. Given the heavy maritime traffic, one wonders how the water is slick free.
Rocky refuge
The road to Meteora (central Greece) was impressive because it was smooth and scenic with olive groves and baby-blue lakes on one side and snow-dusted mountains (the Pindos range) on the other. But nothing prepared me for the amazing sight ahead.
Millions of years ago, the Thessaly plain in which Meteora is situated, was an inland sea. When the water flowed out, it left behind a fertile valley now cultivated with wheat and cotton and “the Rocky Forest of Greece”. The discovery of fossils and sea pebbles in the area prove the existence of the sea.
Hermitages and monks started appearing in the area in the 11th century. In the 14th century a monk named Athanasios united the monks in a brotherhood and built the first monastery on a sandstone rock 613m above sea level.
In the centuries that followed, monasticism grew, so more monasteries were built on the rocks. The 17th century, however, saw decline and abandonment. Out of 24 monasteries, only six are still inhabited by monks (the Great Meteoron, Agia Triada, Agios Nikolas and Varlaam) and nuns (Agios Stephanos and Roussanou/ St Barbara).
Enjoy a folkshow, lunch and freedom of movement on the three-deck Platytera. In the olden days, monks and supplies reached the monasteries via hanging ladders or they were winched up in nets. Nowadays, visitors can use the hundreds of steps hewn into the rocks.
Be warned, though, there is a dress code (long skirts for women, trousers for men) and you don’t want to risk being turned away after all that effort. Although rock-climbing is permitted here, with routes rated “advanced”, you’re not allowed to enter the monastery this way.
We were led into a church in the Great Meteoron Monastery. The monastery covers an area of 50,000sq m.
The incense-filled vestibule is covered with richly-coloured frescoes depicting the persecution of Christians and the indescribable tortures they suffered at the hands of pagans, Romans and Greeks. And in the nave were frescoes illustrating the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.
The spiritual energy of the painters seem trapped in these rooms. In the former, I felt a chill go up my spine looking at gruesome scenes of Christian martyrs being slain, boiled and beheaded. In the latter, I sensed the rejoicing in each inch of work.
Every monastery has its own collection of frescoes, relics, old manuscripts, etc. While it’d take an entire day or two to visit all of the monasteries, you must take note of opening times. We had just enough time to see the church and terrace that looked out to Thessaly.
It would have been nice to linger a little longer in this Unesco World Heritage Site.
o The familiarisation tour of Greece was organised and sponsored by Parlo Tours Sdn Bhd (03-2274 7877). Air travel was provided by Gulf Air
(03-2141 2676). The one-day cruise by Hydraiki Naval Company with folk show and lunch cost €95 (RM449). Great Meteoron Monastery entrance fee: €2 (RM9).
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