- We stayed three nights in the beautiful village of Kardamyli. It’s in the north west corner of a region called the Mani which occupys the central of three peninsulas jutting out along the southern edge of the Peloponnese. The mighty Taygetos Mountains rise to 2,407 metres and run through the middle of the Mani providing a stunning backdrop to its coastal villages, including Kardamyli. We arrived after a long, hot day of sightseeing en route from Gialova so checked in to the hotel, freshened up, and enjoyed a wonderful taverna dinner on the waterfront.
- Patrick Leigh Fermor, the acclaimed British author /scholar/ soldier, lived in Kardamyli for many years. He fought with the Cretan resistence during World War II and his book Mani is an ode to the region and its people. The Fermor’s housekeeper in Kardamyli was a lady called Lela and it was her family taverna that we ate in that evening.
- Next day the locals advised us to go to Foneas Beach which has a distinctive rock outcrop sitting in a small bay. Very pleasant. In the afternoon we headed up to the small village Kastania which has a number of tiny churches from the Byzantine era. We stopped for a drink in the village square, and Julie got to practice her Greek with the locals who were very welcoming. A fun day.
- Next day I dropped Julie at Ritsa Beach and went for a walk in the foothills behind Kardamyli. Visited the church and village of Aya Sofia. Later in the day we walked up to Old Kardamyli which sits just above the modern village. The Mani is famous for its stone tower houses that were built when it was a wild place ruled by clans with chieftans, and many have been restored.
- We found our stay in Kardamyli a bit short in the end. The combination of villages, churches, beaches, tavernas, mountains, and walking paths is a winner, and we’d love to come back and give the Mani more time someday.
