Temenos: A Last Gasp in Messinia

“Should I stay or should I go now? If I stay it will be trouble, if I go it will be double. So come on and let me know, should I stay or should I go?"

The Clash

Not quite ready to stay goodbye

Before leaving Spetses, the morning after the Spetses Mini Marathon, Nia met a few more of her third cousins as we made our way down to the ferry landing. These are the children of my second cousins. Their parents were my mother's first cousins. If you're confused, so is Nia!

The family monastery from above--Ayios Panton

View to the mainland Peloponnese, a 3000-meter swim

The new ("old calendarist") nunnery

In the morning we had coffee with my Uncle Kyriakos (my mother’s 1st cousin) and his wife’s caregiver, who had just returned from a foray to the mountain, where she gathered snails and new wild greens. Foraging is a passionate occupation for rural Greeks, especially those of a certain age. The greens are especially nutritious and flavorful, and there are dozens of varieties.

After landing by ferry in the village of Kosta, we found our little red buggy and set off across the Peloponnese, stopping in Greece’s first capitol, Nauplion, for a quick tour of the Palamidi, the massive fortress built by the Venetians in the early 1700s, which was taken and then completed by the Ottomans--following the Venetian architect's original plans--and was then retaken by the Greek Independence fighters in 1823.

West walls of the Palamidi fortress

Prison island in Nauplion Bay

View down to modern Nauplion

Famous for its 999 stone steps to the summit, we yielded to opted for the auto road that snakes its way up the back of the rock edifice.

From Nauplion we headed through modern Argos, past the massive ancient walls of the Mycenean city of Tiryns, one of the Greek Bronze Age citadels, then onto the National Highway.

We arrived at our spitaki (“little house”) with enough time to unload and head down to the beach.

Heading back down the mountain from Koroni, to our house in Akritohori

Fall has come--greening up for Messenia's "second Spring" and the olive harvest

A casual guard in sensible shoes at the fortess gate

The fall rains have begun, altering the character of this place. The local farmers—and everyone here is a farmer—are so pleased by the downpours, which precede the olive harvest. The olive harvest, as explained in earlier posts, is the centerpiece of the new season, involving just about everyone—adults, children, the elderly, and an array of foreign workers (mostly Bangladeshi). Olive oil has been the currency of Messinia for the past 3000 years.

In these final days, we are sparing no opportunity to eat good food. Last night we drove over the mountain to the village of Kaplani, where we enjoyed some fantastic village fare. The “assorted meat plate for two” includes homemade village sausage, lamb, beef, chicken, and pork--a veritable carnivore's paradise. It is served with grilled pitas, sliced tomatoes and onion, and a bowl of tzatziki (cucumber, yogurt, and garlic dip). We also treated ourselves to a local type of grilled cheese called talagani, which is unique to Messinia.

Private island of Spetsapoula, opposite our family's ancestral property

Dinner for two (12 euros)

Tomorrow, as the weather deteriorates again, we will head to Kalamata, the queen city of Messinia, to do some shopping, find my running club (to pay my dues for the past two years), and explore some very fine museums, including the textile/tradition costume museum, and the archaeological museum. And, just perhaps, locate a tattoo shop.