Another day in Areopolis! Upside of staying in the same place is that we have time to wash our smalls and don’t have to worry about re-packing our bag every morning, bit more relaxed, so another day.. not so bad.

Today we are off to explore Cape Tenaro at the southern most point of the Mani Peninsula, have a bite to eat in Gerolimenas and then venture into the hills and to the tower village of Vathia.

• K: just realised that agnieszka sikorska made my lovely lamb mousakka yesterday. what ever happened to those days whec cook labels said made by david jones etc..
• H: It makes it sound like it’s been made by a local 😆.  Might have a look in cook for one.
• K: it was alright, more 🥔 than 🍆

Cape Tenaro – Greece’s Lands End, mentioned in Homer’s ‘Iliad’, rocky promontory known as the ‘Sanctuary of the Dead’, where the ancient Greeks believed the souls of the dead entered Hades.

Lots of rubble ruins and evidence of a roman villa with a lovely floor mosaic. A beautiful 30-minute walk on an uneven path, maybe not for H & J, takes you to the lighthouse at the end of the world, maybe built by Palamedes!! Or not! The Lighthouse was built in 1882 by French and it was renovated in 1950.

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Gerolimenas – small picturesque fishing pоrt on the Mani peninsula with οld stone buildings and a bаckgrοund of fishing bоats and bluе seа. Nice spot for lunch with tavernas and cafes. Saw a big fat lizard when wandering around.

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• H: See we are having a rave afternoon in vatheia 🕺🏾🕺🏾
• K: to tell truth I’m lost as to where I am.. so chilled all days are merging into one. feel like I’ve just finished day 5
• H: 😆 when does stifado cooking begin?
• K: not had lunch yet! 😂
• K: prob in half an hour..
• H: 😃
• H: Love the pic of the rusty boat.
• K: Yes was a bit fed up with scenery, not sure why there are no, what I call interesting photographic opportunities in Greece, eg: washing, graffiti and drying octopus.

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Vathia – A dramatic and photogenic Mani tower village, once famed for its olive oil. The towers are a unique example of folk fortification around the Greece.

Built high up on a hill with panoramic views, Vathia is considered a monument to the region’s architectural heritage of the 18th and 19th centuries, during which most of Vathia’s towerhouses, two or three floors of stone buildings, were built. Many had machicolations from which scalding oil or water was thrown over the main door when invaders tried to breech defence. The presence of such towers created an impregnable wall of protection.

Now, mаny оf thе hοusеs аrе еmptу or ruinеd, some rеstοrеd оr built in thе sаmе stуlе sο that thеy lоοк original, Greek investment opportunities! why not it’s a tourist hot spot waiting to be mined to its full potential!  Yоu саn wаlк intο thе аbаndоnеd hοusеs, experience the eeriness of silence in the empty wаlls аnd the сrеаκing dоοrs. ? mmm maybe tourist hot spot and silence don’t go together.!

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• K: am a little worried about J, she’s gone very 🤫 u don’t think she’s done a bunk with zorba. theodopolis, our lovely guide tells me that she’s had a bit of a bust up with Carol over who gets to sleep near the window.. or was it a 🚪 ! with a window thingy in it.. sometimes I struggle to understand his English
• H: Theo does tend to mumble at times. Have you noticed he’s been making a lot more hand gestures lately. I heard that Carol makes J sleep on the floor so that she can push the two beds together to make one giant bed.😁
• K: stufadi slowly cooking but I reckon it needs another hour, tastes very winey. 😆 Odd, but I thought I saw Theo wearing a wendy house on his head! must have been some weird Greek hat or maybe just a bad dream!
• H: 😂 happy funky saturday 🍷
• K: not thing much of tonight’s olives. think they’ve been pickled in brine.
• H: 🥰 😝 dont like olives even when had a few 2 many sherberts!
• K: I know, all the more for me and J 😋
• H: I’ll just had more tzatziki dip😋
• K: urghhhh! Nice bit of swing..
• H: Well I’ve experience in that dept 😆. Am trying out my moves😁 Been doing a lot of 🕺🏾this evening 😁
• K: was trying my flapper moves out..
• H: Yup me too 😆. This greek bar is groovin tonight. Nice of craig to make the trip
• K: just a shame about the olives.. oh well better luck tmrw.
• H: This malmsey wine is delicious 😋
• K: ooo hang on I haven’t got to taste that yet.. be with you in a second. mmm OK in small doses, yes does remind me of madeira, James and his mum used to love the stuff..
• H: 👍 monemvasia is actually quite impressive the way the geography just lends itself being a good place hide and to defend. Thought the aerial photos showed the layout well 😁. 😁 this blog is just reaffirming why we picked the peloponnese 😁 Is the stifado ready?
• K: it’s ready and delicious.. quite rich mind.. and quite clovey in flavour. maybe I should have taken them out the marinade before I cooked the meat. I did it in the oven HBs say on stove top..

Oh! Just had a text from C, she’s popping around for an aperitif!

K: Yasou, Love the 4 shot glasses and I bet the ouzo has aged very well. Your olives look far better than the ones that me and J have been served tonight, am sure they’ve been pickled in brine. Will definitely try another bar for aperitif tomorrow. Love to Skotia.K 

• K: I see back home they’re off to a 9barrow concert.. much better to be here I 🤔 🎶
• H: Much cheerier I would say 😁. Cloves are quite a strong flavour. So how many portions will u get out of it do u reckon?
• K: lots.. I reckon 1/2 measures would have been better. maybe 8 portions at most.. I’ll be eating it for weeks to come. such memories of Greece.
• HMD: You Greek ladies – not too much oozo!
• K: bill 🐶 loves the stifado, he’s been hanging out at the dishwasher and now done a pre wash. 😍 jazzy b; …ooops just sent that message to a complete stranger that was looking for seed potatoes 🥔
• H: This is what J’s has been upto 😆

• K: 😂 😂 not social distancing then, just watching monsieur zorba take his kit off..
• H: Did you know nana and demis have sung together?
• K: no.. what did they sing. 🎶
• H: To gelakaki. Just found it on you tube 😆. So it’s a night of nana demis & jazzy b!
• K: or valerian and the city of a thousand plants omg… 😱 🙈

mmmm..what can I say, it’s been a long day.. reminds me of holidays in a greek beach resort, when a drunken version of ‘tug of war’ or the ‘drunk waiter’ were the way to have fun… To much ouzo, its time for my bed 😴😴😴 a real bed.. not a sun bed!!!