Tuesday 7 April 2015

Pera Panda in Galaxidi



The first thing we did every morning after breakfast was to walk along Pera Panda. It's a 2.5 kilometre walk by the sea, embracing the pine woods that are situated across the bay.





The views are fantastic.



 
 
All along the walk, sandwiched between the rocks, are tiny, tiny sandy bays, with steps leading down, where I presume people swim in the summer. The locals call them skoules 
 
 




This one has a single umbrella and changing cabin






Each bay has a name - this one is called Monia. The plaques helpfully provide a drawing of the bay




Plenty of benches to sit and admire the views.






This one is called




Monia Mikri, Small Monia, as opposed to simply Monia that we saw earlier



 


Reading in between admiring the view.




I didn't have a book with me, but I sat here for a while and absorbed the beauty around me: on my right the mainland



 
and on the left Galaxidi
 
 
 
 
During one of our walks we entered the pine wood - luscious green vegetation, something we miss in the summer when everything dries up
 
 
 


the whole of the forest floor is covered with wild flowers, particularly poppies at this time of year




 
it was enchanting
 
 

 
 
reminiscent of a Monet painting.
 




Looking closer

 


After a while we came upon, what else in Greece? a little church




and a windmill which is now a bar







 
Lots of other species of wild flower too,
 
 
 

 

These look like miniature bluebells
 
 
  

The windmill was as far as we could go so we retraced our steps





and continued on our way



 
until we reached the figure of a woman and her two children, gazing at the sea and waving goodbye
 
 
 

 
It's a memorial to the Wife of the Seafarer.
 




The pine trees are fresh and healthy






looking closer



 
Right after the sculpture, a small island
 

 

 
On the forest floor are some plants that I can't place - flower blubs, I think. I wonder what this place will look like in a few weeks' time
 
 
 
 

 
On the other side of the road some more blue flowers
 
 


We soon arrived at much larger beach - this is where most people come to swim, the locals told us

 
 

 
rather than this much larger beach which is at the end of the walk
 

 


which is also where the pine wood ends and the olives begin.




 
On our last day, on the way back from our walk, we came across this swimmer
 
 
 

 
change of stroke.

 
 
 

 
As we turned the corner, Galaxidi would come into view
 

 
 
one last look at the pine wood and the wild flowers on the ground
 
 
 

 
 
more poppies
 
 
 


 
a misshapen pine trunk, beaten into this shape by the winds
 
 
 


and back to Galaxidi.



2 comments:

  1. A delightful quiet before the crowds of Easter!

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    1. Indeed. Talking of Easter, this will be my first one in Greece for quite a long time - looking forward to it, and looking forward to a quieter, calmer Athens.

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