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.