5 May - Farewell to Mainland Greece

OK... I know it has been a while since an update... but we have been busy!! Here it goes...

Theview from Platamon

Our mainland tour of Greece was coming to an end.  We drove from Katerini to Athens.  We stopped again at Platamon Castle.  This time we got to have a look inside. The castle has seen a couple of lives.  As is common (in Greece), the early castle was built over with a later castle (a Venetian Castle of circa 14^th /15^th  century).  The castle’s purpose was warning/protection against pirates in the Aegean Sea.  The view is fantastic (would have been more fantastic if not for poor weather).

Platamon Castle... up close.

Back on the road!  A few hours driving interspersed with a couple of comfort stops.

Thermopylae

Then we stopped at a section of coastal plain.  Many centuries ago it was very narrow but now it has broadened because of silting from the river to the north.  We were at Thermopylae!  There is a statue of King Leonidas, commemorating the defence of the 300 Spartans (and a couple of thousand other Greeks) against the million strong Persian army of Xerxes.  The site is very simple, there is no museum just the statue and a second monument to the other Greeks, and a storyboard that gives the basic facts.  Regardless, it was still ‘special’ to be at Thermopylae knowing the history and the now iconic status.

 

Farewell to Anthony!

On the bus!!  Last leg to Athens.  We went to a restaurant (not far from Piraeus… the port of Athens).  Some more great food! And time to farewell our bus driver, Anthony. There are a few protective rules about who works on Crete and therefore we would get a new Cretan driver.  Anthony, was an excellent bus driver… he could get the bus into locations, park and turn around when most of us ‘back seat drivers’ thought it impossible.  In addition to that, he was a great guy who was prepared to help… and he had become a friend!  So it was a sad moment.

The ferry to Crete.

Anthony’s last task was to take us to the pier to catch the ferry.  The ferry was a monster: several hundred people, semi-trailers, and hundreds of cars.  Our tour group were booked into cabins.  It was a case of a couple of nightcaps and off to bed… we would wake up at the port of Hania in Crete!

4 May - Pinios Gorge/The Vale of Tempe

The day promised to be another 'big day' for the military part of the tour.  The area we are in saw two significant actions: one by the Kiwis at Platamon; and the second was a combined Australian/Kiwi action at Pinios Gorge. The latter being one of the most significant in the whole campaign.

The Castle- Bonnydoon?

The first battle at Platamon was in the shadow of the walls of a crusader castle (one of the best preserved in Europe).  We received a brief and had some discussion about what a good job the Kiwis had done. Really... we Aussies were saying nice things about the Kiwis!!

Holy water

Next, we were off to Pinios Gorge... so I thought!  We stopped at a small church on the way.  It apparently has special healing powers associated with it, and people make pilgrammages to bottle the water.  Karen got her bottle!

The storm cometh *^#@!!!

Then, we were off to the Gorge.  By the time we got there a storm was looming.  I was anxious to get out and walk the ground BUT the storm broke just as we arrived at the point intended to view the battle.  No storm was going to stop me... so I donned my bright blue poncho and headed up the hill.  I looked around and realised that no one else had got off the bus!! Wusses!  With the interests of the group at heart (not really)... I continued on, I wasn't going to miss out!  I took some photos and returned physically dampened but not my spirit.

Guess who playing with puppy?

The folks on the bus had made their own entertainment... the driver had rescued a small fluffy puppy from the road!  People were fussing over the dog... just no commitment!

I reluctantly reboarded the bus. The weather continued to worsen! So we moved off to the next event.  I was disappointed to not be able to scour the battlefield area.

I was going to share, really!

Next stop... lunch.  A nice little restaurant tucked away from the highway.  The food was fantastic and the servings were GENEROUS! A little red wine washed it down.







 
Then we visited a small village nestled on the minor slopes of Mount Olympus.  There is no through traffic and only 12 people live permanently in the village.  It was a beautiful little alpine village.  Some photos...

Then it was back to the hotel.  Another walk around... still trying to walk off lunch!








A good day dampened by some poor weather!

3 May - Travel Day

The day was essentially a travel day from Kozani to Katerini... with a little bit of rest at the end of the day.

We travelled  across the Aliakmon River and then through the mountains via the Servia Pass. Katerini is a coastal town that overlooks the Aegean Sea.  So Karen even got to stay at a beach resort (sort of).  Our room had a generous view of the Aegean!  I'll be trading on this for a while!!

During the 'rest time', Karen and I went for a walk around the town.  There were a stack of tourist shops... with the usual: statuettes of Greek Gods; religious icons; Hellenic/Spartan mini-helmets; flags; evil eyes; and other trinkets! There were an unusual number of fur shops... which seemed out of place at the beach! Whatever!

Map update below:

2 May - Wow Day

Why wow!  To start with, we visited the battle site of Vevi Pass.  Over the period of 10-12 April a battle was fought between a reinforced 19 Brigade and the German SS 1^st Panzer Division.  The Commonwealth forces gave a good account of themselves, but were eventually forced back.  There are some interesting aspects to the battle and a couple of controversies.

Telling my version...

I had done some research and had a few ideas that needed to be confirmed/denied by seeing and walking the actual ground.  The weather we had was perfect… a mild 22-24, light breeze and great visibility.  The soldiers of ’41 had different weather (even though season-wise we were only 20 days apart… global warming notwithstanding!), for them it was near 0degrees overnight, there were snowstorms, the ground was frozen (which didn’t make much difference because most of the site is rock).

Standing on the same ground... +70!

 I felt especially privileged to be able to provide some advice and perspective to the daughter of an Australian Sergeant who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (the medal ranked immediately below the Victoria Cross) for leading a successful platoon counter-attack during the battle.  For all who were there… it was special to reach back in time and gain a better understanding of the battle.  And for some it was extra special!

For me, the money for the tour was now justified!

But wait there’s more… and its different!

We drove from Vevi through some  ‘holding action’ positions on our way to Kozani (a major regional city)… and on to the village of Ano Komi (pop. 2000ish).  A relationship has grown up between the Military History folks and some groups within Ano Komi (church reps, cultural group).  So… we were welcomed to the village by the local Bishop (83 years of age, on his sick bed), a delightful gentleman, and then by the families of the cultural group.

Some of the food - Round 1

This was special… we were ushered to some tents, we were offered wine, we were offered a stack of traditional food that the ladies had prepared, we were offered a saffron ouzo (a special local drink – very good for removing tooth enamel and taking away your breath!), we were offered more wine, more food… 

The younger girls

Whilst being wined and dined, we were entertained by some young ladies (12-14 years) in traditional costume performing traditional dances.  The music was played in the tradition way… very, very loud.  The music of central/northern Greece is different… there are strands of middle eastern sounds, other sounds from central Europe and then there were odd similarities to Celtic music (I loved it! Karen didn’t mind it… I much prefer it over some of the more heavy cat-strangling sounds we heard in the south).  To be technically correct the dances and music were from Macedonia.

The older girls

The next group of dancers were a little older (15-17 years).  They wore a slightly different traditional outfit and they performed dances from Thrace (northern Greece).  Both groups of dancers were brilliant!! 

Then… it was time for all to join in!!  Once again, Karen quickly picked up the dance steps and was moving like a cast member from Zorba the Greek!  I on the other hand demonstrated some serious commitment and persistence… for someone who dances like a person with three, crippled left feet, lacking any sense of coordination. One, two, one, two, one two three four!  Couldn’t it be just be left, right, left, right… I can handle that!  Not to worry, we all had fun!

The ‘fun’ continues… the senior ladies of the village then danced and sang (I was humbled by such feats of coordination).  This of course, and almost tragically, required an Australian response… a quick whip around of the group to determine what song we knew the words to! You probably guessed it… Waltzing Matilda!  (I still think we could have got away with the Angels ‘Am I ever Gunna see Your Face Again’).  Well, we cranked out a couple of choruses… and the locals grimaced… maybe smiled but I am pretty sure it was a grimace.  [WARNING: when asking a group of people whether they know the words to a song… be prepared to test what words they actually ‘know’… I have never heard so many different versions of Waltzing Matilda]  If the swaggy hadn’t  jumped in the billabong, I think he would have done so to end our singing of the song!

So all is going well… you now have a group of over-fed, little bit tipsy Australians who haven’t created a diplomatic incident!!

We then received a briefing on the Krokus flower which is a local specialty product – Saffron (the world’s most expensive spice… dearer than some illicit drugs).  Now for some of those following the blog this saffron stuff has great healing power: anti-inflammatory; memory; anti -cancer; and so on!  So google Kozani Krokus if you want to remember to make the swelling go down!

Then it was a quick trip to the hotel… change into party clothes for more…. Food, wine and dancing!!

Karen dancing!

Some of the food - Round 2

Our hosts from Ano Komi had a dinner for us.  More traditional food (universally declared as the best food any of us had had whilst in Greece), more wine (the white was pleasant enough, the red was a bit ‘fruity’ for moi! And fortunately there was no more local Ouzo), and a live band (complete with bazouki player and vocalists: the band was great!).  Of course, this could only lead to one thing… more being over-fed, moving beyond tipsy… and for me, even more uncoordinated humiliation on the dance floor (so what! more white please! Hic).  Sadly, the night came to a close… and for some strange reason (possibly built on the deluded success of our earlier performance) there was a compulsion to sing Waltzing Matilda… again! (by the way, there had been no further agreement on the words).  If that was not enough, one brave soul tried to explain the story of the suicidal sheep thief… which doesn’t even survive translation to some English speaking peoples!

Everybody had a fantastic night!!!  This was a fairly unique experience that we had… Karen and I both felt very fortunate to share the genuine warmth and graciousness of these folks!

So, from the start of the day to the end it was…. Wow!  Just loved it!

1 May - Florina to Xinon Neron and back

We left the hotel and paid a visit to the local Border Guard unit (Greece-FYROM).  The post is manned by soldiers of the Greek Army.  We received a brief on operations and threats.  Obviously, there was only so much they could tell us.  I spoke to the Greek Brigadier (ie local commander) about whether the Greek Army studied the 1941 campaign... he offered some strong and emphatic views on the relationship between the senior Greek and British commander.

Next, we went to the small village of Xinon Neron.  In 1945, a small monument was erected in rememberance of the soldiers of the Australian 6th Division which had fought in the locality in 1941.  The memorial was in some disrepair which was a pity.  The tour coordinators conducted a brief formal wreath laying.

Off again, to another small village for lunch (Drosopigi) .  Food was good, the servings were very large and the prices were ridiculously cheap!  Next  to the restaurant was a small, owner operated museum.  The museum 'owner' gave the group a brief on the history of the village.  They were essentially a group of people looking to live in peace but had suffered at the hands of many.  During 1944 they suffered doubly.  The local partisans wanted the village to support them in the fight against the Germans.  To force them into cooperation the partisans executed some captured German soldiers so that Germans would take reprisals against the village.  The Germans obliged... by burning the village to the ground!  Fortunately, most of the villagers escaped to the hills as a precautionary.  Unfortunately, a number didn't.  The museum owner told how the village elders had requested that the German soldiers be spared as they were very young boys (possibly younger than 16).  The Partisans made the boys strip as part of the humiliation.  The boys hugged each other and then the Partsians executed them.  A sad and tragic story from a part of the world and a place in time that is virtually unknown!

 We were due to visit the battle site of Vevi Pass which I have a strong interest in. It was getting late and the visit to Vevi was delayed... I was a bit worried/disappointed that we wouldn't get enough time to 'walk the ground' of one of the battles I was MOST interested in!

Just a reminder... the tour group also has a progressive tour report, click on link below:
http://www.militaryhistorytours.com.au/site/ONTour/Tour_1_May_2011G.asp

30 April - On the road again!

The 30th was a travel day... from Kalabaka to Florina.  Florina is near the border between Greece and FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).

FYROM is a more acceptable term than acknowledging the 'other' Macedonia. The history of Macedonia and the 'ownership of the name is as sensitive as 'issues' with Turkey!

Florina was where the Germans entered Greece in 1941.  The Allies had expected the Yugoslav Army to hold the Germans back but the wily Germans defeated them in a handful of days... which required an adjustment of the allied defensive lines.

View from Florina toward Greece

The restaurant is the building uphill.

Lunch was interesting... we surprised the restaurant!! There was no other customers and only one staff member.  The tour coordinators, the guide and the bus driver all helped to take orders and serve.  The overwhelmed staff member had rung for emergency help which eventually arrived!


Bottomline: the day went like... eat, drive, eat, drive, eat, walk (around Florina), sleep!

29 April - Meteora

We had dinner at the hotel on the night of 28th... who would have thought: mousaka, souvlaki, salad (oddly without olives!) and each table received a small jug of Ouzo.  I had a cold and thought I should have some Ouzo for purely medicinal reasons... Ouzo is NOT a cure for the common cold!

Monastery

Kalabaka is at the foot of the Meteora rock formations.  The strange formations were once 'islands' in an inland sea that covered much of Greece a few tens of thousands of years ago as opposed to the more recent 350 BC.  The history says that caves in the rock formations were first occupied by hermits, later monks and then the monks built the monastries circa 13-14th century.  Today there are only six active monasteries/nunneries.  We visited one monastery and one nunnery.

Whoa!! hold me back!!

Karen had to wear a skirt to enter both (monastery/nunnery)... they had some very stylish skirts that could be worn over jeans.  I, of course, have attached a photo Karen looking stunning!

The monastery we visited

The monastery only has six to ten monks living there.  The monastry has become a combination of museum and church... complete with touristy trinkets and religious icons!

Nunnery...Been there!

Next, we whipped around the top of the mountains and got to the nunnery. It was not as large as the monastry, or as old.  The church and gardens were beautifully kept!  The view from the monastery/nunnery was stunning... we looked across the Plains of Thessally!

Nuns doing century old traditional nun work

 There were no photos allowed inside either of the churches at the monastery or nunnery... the icons are painted in a very strict and controlled style... Byzantine/Greek Orthodox.

The food!

In the kitchen!

Then, we were down the hill for.... you guessed it food (lunch)!  We went to a restaurant in Kalabaka, its novelties were the food was from 'northern Greece' and everyone wandered through the kitchen where you were served!  There were a few different dishes (which was nice) and the seemingly ubiquitous... mousaka!

After lunch we visited a site that had been briefly established by the Commonwelth forces in 1941 but no action occurred.  There was some very nice bridges which appealed to the combat engineer in me!

Late in the afternoon was a visit with the local Mayor, but because I was feeling pretty crook (with a cold) we opted to have a little lie down.

The Plains of Thessally!

Dinner was a quiet affair as drugs and rest started to kick-in to combat my cold. An early night!