Pelion is Gorgeous in the Rain- things to do in Zagora, Kissos, Vizitsa, Milies, Portaria.

Pelion is dazzling in the sun, but it takes a rainy day for it to really shine. We found the dramatic snow-capped mountains-meet sea scenery and postcard-perfect villages even more romantic in the rain. 

Have a Tsipouro in Zagora-

Whenever it rains at home it feels like perfect weather for red wine. Well, in Pelion, it's perfect weather for Tsipouro- the distilled grape spirit, usually scented with anise- a sort of turbo-ouzo. In Pelion, it is served in individual bottles- maybe so you can keep track?- and always enjoyed with meze or classic dishes. We loved Tsitsiravla- a wild local green served with a shocking amount of garlic:

cutting through garlic seems to be one of Tsipouro's many marvelous properties.We had enjoyed the classic Pelion dishes at Patis.

Bella Aglaida of the Vizitsa Women's Cooperative gave us a tour of their workshop,
and jars of ethereal 'glyko koutaliou' to take home. We also bought more Tsitsiravla!

Visit the Vizitsa Women's Cooperative:

A beautiful thing in Greece: groups of women in rural regions form their own organizations to preserve recipes and local food ways- museums of edible culture, taste memories, and delicate skills. Vizitsa's cooperative started five years ago- local women invested their own money to create a workshop and kitchen where you can take lessons and shop for local handcrafted foods, like the "glyko koutaliou"- spoon sweet- made with local fruit.

Kissos and Milies have fabulously beautiful Churches:

Agia Marina of Kissos

From the outside, they look like village churches- white painted walls, the classic slate roofs of Pelion. It's like opening a jewel box- the Churches are surprisingly opulent inside. This is a testament to Pelion's wealth (much of that from the cotton industry of Egypt, which they developed), and discretion- Pelion was a privileged area in the Ottoman period, but still....

We had an excellent tour of the Church of the Archangel, built in the early 18th C- the interior the work of a single monk from Mt. Athos, who took 33 years (as the life of Christ) to paint it. Years of soot had covered the frescoes almost entirely in blackness. An earthquake had revealed the genius of an underground acoustic system.

St. Christophoro as depicted with the head of a sheep,
emphasizing the beauty of his soul 

Portion of the ceiling of the Church of the Archangels, Milies.

Take a train-

TBG Family mothers and daughters- here we are with Passion for Greece

There is a narrow gauge (60 cm!) steam train between Ano Lehonia to Milies that will take you for a scenic ride in the mountains. Guess who built it?! Here is a clue:

Love Song, 1914

Evaristo De Chirico- father of the artist Giorgio. 

Visit Portaria-

Yes, even in the rain. Portaria is high on a mountain and I have heard the view is outrageous. We really didn't miss it- it was all damp grey romance with those fabulous slate roofs

Dine in front of a roaring fire in a classic Mountain Inn-

At the Kritsa Gastronomy Hotel in the plateia of Portaria, you can taste the best of the region- classic dishes like sausage of wild boar, roast pork in sauce, wild greens with eggs. Refined mountain dining- worth going for the meal alone, and the kindest hostess! The Kritsa Gastronomy Hotel is a destination in itself.

Eleni Karaiskou, our hostess at Kritsa, and her fantastic chef

We experienced all of these things thanks to the great planning of John Grigoras of Spyrou Philoxenia, who arranged our bloggers trip. We stayed at the Aglaida Apartments- traditional architecture and fabulous views!

From Mama Mia beach to a snowy peak- the Ultimate Greek Weekend.

Where is Drinking elevated to a form of art? Drinking Tsipouro in Volos.

Read More »

Loving Pelion- the Ultimate Greek Weekend Destination (Part I- Sunshine)

You know how they say it's about the journey, not the destination? In Pelion (in Greek- Πήλιο "Pilio") it's both. Called the mountain of the Centaurs, Pilio forms the curved peninsula that defines the nearly enclosed Pagasetic gulf. With the coves and rocky beaches of the open Aegean on one side, the gulf on the other, the snow capped mountain above, and the woods all around, getting from one place to another is a pleasure in itself. The best vacation deal in Greece is the 5.60 € bus ticket from Volos to Tsagarades- the first half hour hugging the sea, then a steady climb through forests, postcard villages, and glimpses of the turquoise waters below. 

We're here on a special trip- our Travel Bloggers Greece Anniversary celebration, hosted by the hospitality group Spyrou Philoxenia and the Aglaida Hotel. John Grigoras of Spyrou Philoxenia has planned an ambitious and generous itinerary, which fills up even more as invitations mount. We get to meet a lot of wonderful people. Pilio can offer a staggering range of experiences over the course of a single day- here are some of ours-

Tsagarada

This beautiful village overlooking the sea, snowy Tsagarada is our home for two nights. The well - maintained roads of Pilio are narrow, and few, navigated by the world's most skillful bus drivers. No superhighways mar the landscape. But there is an alternative transportation route: stone pathways - in use for hundreds of years - connect the villages. After a breakfast at the hotel of traditional dishes- cheese pies and στραπατσάδα -strapazada- the region's popular egg and tomato scramble eaten at any time of day - we set out for to the next village on foot. 

Hiking on a 17th C path-
Nikos, our guide from Trekking Greece, is very well-informed- he gives us some history of the region (he also gives us walking sticks to navigate our snowy path). The richness of nature ιs matched by rich architecture - Αρχοντικά - aristocratic homes speaking of a prosperous history rooted in the cotton industry of Egypt (fascinatingly boosted by the American Civil War- with the world's leading cotton exporting nation out of the picture, the already strong Greek industry lead the market). There is little Ottoman influence here. It was untouched until the 17th C, then Murad IV (Sultan reigning from 1623-1640), called "Murad the Hunter" for probably various reasons (he was notoriously brutal)- one of which was actually hunting- delighted in the wild boar, and the region itself and gave it as a present to his mother, forbidding anyone but locals (and the few Viziers who collected taxes from them) to live here. This quality of charmed separateness remains to this day.

Family trip- Daughter Mei Mei with Odysseas Asithianakis (son of Dimitris of 
Photography Traveler)

Marissa of Travel Greece, Travel Europe and Mei Mei
descending into a rocky cove.

It's an easy and exciting hike- a leisurely hour and a half if you don't endlessly stop to gaze and take photos, but of course we do- and you will too. The stone path- sometimes steep enough to be really glad Nikos gave us walking sticks- brings us through dense woods opening up all the time to dramatic sea vistas, waves churning in snug coves, waters so pale opalescent green from above you think it must be summer. It also takes us from the 17th C to the ultra-present- via ...Hollywood. 

Damouchari

Damouchari cove- site of scenes from Mama Mia- is really more like a film set than nature. 

It's a cold January day, but the generous Greek sun is already heating up the golden rocks, begging you to take off your jacket, even wade a little- providing a sharp contrast for the winter pleasures of the afternoon.

Zagora-

On our way, we get another taste of mountain hospitality. Zagora is all plane trees and stone houses, smoke from wood stoves in the air, gray slate roofs and a pretty church. We are given a warm welcome by Sakis of the Hotel Owners Association of Magnesia with a classic Pelion lunch at Patis- wild mushrooms, σπετσοφάι- spezofai- (sausages with peppers and tomato), some greens we love and have never seen before and have to ask the name like three or four times until we get it right- τσιτσίραβλα- tsitsiravla are the leaves of a wild pistachio shrub, pistachio in color, too, served with a small handful of chopped garlic. It would seem bold but the table is covered with individual serving size bottles of τσίπουρο- tsipouro- the region's even bolder spirit.

Chania

Not to be confused with Chania, the Venetian town of western Crete- that one is Chaniά; this one is Chάnia. Zagora has a light dusting of snow. As we zig zag up the mountain, the landscape whitens, branches bent under the weight of the snow. The cleanly plowed road has walls of snow half a story high and the sky is like a pearl. When we arrive at the ski resort, we climb a mountain of plowed snow- no slush, no dirt just- while powder that squeaks when you walk on it and makes perfectly packed snowballs. I've heard you can see the sea from the snowy peaks as you're skiing but nothing has prepared me for what that actually looks like- pure white with the sea shimmering gold in the distance.

After a stop for coffee at the charming mountaintop hotel Manthos, and the cutting of the Travel Blogger's Greece Vasilopita (the Greek New Year's cake with a coin hidden in it for good luck) we wind down the hill in the dusk, time for one last stop.

Church of Agia Marina, Kissos

Kissos
We reach Kissos in darkness but the snow covered charm shines through in the night. Chrysoula of Travel Passionate has been to the Church and says it's wonderful. (Is it open though? No matter- this is our driver's village and he can find the priest if the church is locked). It is wonderful-  

The church is rustic and modest from the outside- stone and a slate roof characteristic of Pilio. But open the doors and it is  all opulence- Pilio wears its wealth discretely.

Travel Bloggers Greece were guests of the Aglaida Apartments- a collection of cottages and small buildings all in traditional Pilion style situated in a stunning location with views to the sea. We were equipped with a kitchenette, phone, and television.

The hotel's traditional slate roofs, with the Aegean in the distance.

Pilio in winter is cold- if you visit in the snowy season (and you really should- that combination of the Aegean + snowy peaks is out of this world), bundle up. But don't worry- a roaring fireplace and a warming tsipouro are never far away.

Next up- Pilio in the rain, and endless dining- a romantic winter Sunday.

Where is drinking elevated to a form of art?: Drinking Tsipouro in Volos.

Read More »