September 20: Arrival in Stemnitsa
Restored by three days in a house in Kamena Vourla, we packed up to head south.
Our route took us back through Thermopylae and up and over the plateau of Mt. Parnassos, where we hiked last spring. We drove past the Unesco-listed mer des oliviers (“sea of olives,” though that term evidently belongs to another olive grove in Spain that’s trying to get UNESCO listing too) that we walked through on the way from Delphi. We stopped for coffee in Itea, where we finished last year’s hike.
Last year, we left Itea and headed back east to Athens. This time, we went west!
Driving on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, we passed Nafpaktos, where a couple of weeks earlir we’d spent a lovely Saturday with our friends the Coundoussias.
Then we reached the bridge to Patras.
After a brief section driving back east toward Corinth, we left the highway and headed straight south. Into the mountains.
The roads instantly became narrow, curvy, and steep. Autumn was starting, and the air cooled as we climbed.
Then we plunged into the mountains proper. It takes a long time to get anywhere in Arkadia! Though the distance was well under 100 miles, it took us all afternoon to arrive at our destination.
Stemnitsa is a village of red-roofed stone buildings spilling down a hillside with the requisite mountaintop churches. Stemnitsa is known for metalwork, especially gold and silversmithing. There’s even a school of silversmithery that attracts students from all over Greece.
We spent the night at Guesthouse Belleiko (or Mpelleiko), run by the lovely Mrs. Nena. (It’s well worth reading the description of the guesthouse on the website. Sing, Muse!)
That evening, we walked down the hill to grab dinner at one of the two tavernas. On the walk, I saw these bright yellow crocuses:
Our local contact, Stratos, joined us after dinner. He gave us detailed instructions for the trail, including water sources and the places known for aggressive dogs. He also gave us a dog whistle. And recommended that we carry a stick.
