Excursions on Samothraki
By Helen Grubner. Filed in Uncategorized |
A Greek island close to Turkey in the north eastern corner of the Aegean sea, perhaps best known for the statue “Nike of Samothrace”. Discovered in 1863 at the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, if you want to see it, you will have to visit the Louvre in Paris. It is nearly 11 feet tall, winged, headless and armless.
Samothraki attracts mostly Greek tourists, as well as “hippies” who stay at organized camping sites near Therma. The pristine nature of the island and the many waterfalls and rock pools where even nude swimming is not frowned upon obviously appeals to these alternative people.
I am staying in the port town of Kamariotissa from where the local buses take you to all corners of the island. Yesterday morning I caught the first bus to Fonias… anticipating I had two and a half hours to walk the Fonias Gorge before catching the next bus back as far as Therma. Fonias – “the killer” sees massive floods in the Spring and over time, these waters have opened up tree trunks and created a dramatic landscape.
I started out okay meeting some of the local wild goats of which there are large numbers, as well as sheep and came upon another froggy paradise! However, it wasn’t long before the path became unnavigatable for me so I instigated a change of plans and set out to walk the 5km to Therma, meeting more friendly goats along the way. In comparison to the arid lands of the Cyclades islands, Samothraki is amazingly green. The aroma of wild thyme and oregano filled the air as I walked the coastal road.
At last in Therma, a small hillside village amongst lush foliage and probably best known for its sulphur springs, I thought… I cannot let myself be beaten by all paths today. So, after looking around the village, I set out for Gria Vathra, making it to the first rather insignificant waterfall and rock pool, however, then content to catch the bus back to Kamariotissa for a well earned rest.
This morning I took my first bus to Paliapoli to visit the Sanctuary of the Great Gods. This is where the Kaviran Mysteries – ceremonies took place. We know very little about the nature and purpose of the mystical ceremonies, therefore the Gods, namely Kaviroi, remain extremely enigmatic. I feel that I walked on sacred ground today.
My other excursion today was to Chora, a village located on the slopes of Mount Saos and built amphitheatrically on the ruins of the medieval castle of the family of Gattiluzzi. The 2 storey houses are constructed in such a way as to allow all to benefit from the sun and as I walked the cobbled streets, I came upon Maria Ververi-Krause who invited me into her private folklore museum… the house she grew up in. Maria… author, poet, painter, singer – a very charming and beautiful woman.
At the moment I’m thinking I will spend my last two days in Greece for now, relaxing… we will have to wait and see!
