Winter is harsh in the villages of Arcadian Mount Mainalon. The dense forests of firs sigh by the weight of the snow and the sceneries are alpic. These villages during almost all winter are covered by deep clouds. (In order of appearance: 1. Davies, 2. Piana, 3. Chrysovitsi, 4. Stemnitsa, 5. Dimitsana, 6. Alonistena, 7. Arkoudorema, 8. Kardaras, 9. Mainalon Mountain, 10. Arkoudorema)
A historical village of Gortynia with traditional houses made of stone, surrounded by the fir forest of Mount Mainalon, in Arcadia. Gortynia is where the 1821 Revolution against the Turks began. The village has an amazing folklore museum, one of the best in Greece. Villagers produce local, homemade dairy products, pasta and jams. It is an ideal location for winter and summer vacation.
The ski resort Ostrakina is located on a plateau of the highest peak of Mount Mainalon, which has an altitude of 1,981 meters. There is a mountain lodge and four ski runs, starting ranging from an altitude of 1,650 to 1,850 meters. Mainalon has over 50 peaks and has been praised by Goethe for its unequaled beauty. It was also was the cradle of the 1821 Revolution against the Ottoman Turks. According to ancient Greek mythology there lived the goat-footed god Pan.
"We created our rescue team in 2001, intending to help people in danger. Our first mission was a winter night patrol on Maenalus Mountain. We were driving slowly in the mountain's snowy streets with one of our fellows' car, looking for people trapped in the snow".
Tricorpha is a range of mountains in the east section of Maenalus, where the rebellious Greeks used to entrench themselves. The rebels' barricades are saved until today at the tops of two mounds and thrill all the visitors. It takes more than half an hour of uphill trek on a really rugged terrain to go to each one of them.
"My father is passionate about mountains and snow. Since I was a forty day-old baby he used to carry me on his shoulders and take me to the highest tops of the mountains. My mother didn't agree with that, but she had patience, she couldn't do otherwise. So I have the same passion. Even my wife was tested before I married her, she had to love the snow and learn how to ski".
"I studied economics and my dream was to work with agricultural associations, but I ended up being an accountant in a plumbing association. I didn't like this job, I didn't like Athens either, and I was always looking for a chance to leave. I couldn't feel free in this city, I couldn't assimilate the images and the messages, and I was totally lost. When I became 28 years old I realised that I had been walking the wrong way and decided to reset my odometer. I was done with education and I was done with the jobs that didn't offer any meaning to my life".
"I leave the keys on the door so that my friends can get in. I don't care if a stranger gets into the winery and takes one or two kilos of wine. I liberated myself from this stress; I don't even need a dog to protect me. I once had one who used to bark and scare people; that's why I gave him to a friend".
“Every night, after the sunset behind Maenalus Mountain, the wind stops blowing and extreme calm surrounds us. The only sounds that can be heard are those made by little frogs living in the lakes around. On Sunday night, the ribbiting mixes with the sounds of the cars from far away, as they return to Athens.”
Theodore Kolokotronis died in Athens on February 3rd, 1843. His remains were laid out in a church in Athens, so the public could pay its respects. While the great general was on his deathbed, an unknown artist casted his face. This way, the facial characteristics of Kolokotronis, also known in Greece as the “Old Man of the Morea*”, were salvaged. This historical and valuable cast is kept at the Historical and Ethnological Museum of Athens.
Tsakonians are an ancient Greek tribe with Laconian roots who took refuge in Kinouria of Arcadia in order to avoid Slav invaders and Frank conquerors in the Peloponnese. They have been living there ever since and they still use their tsakonian mother tongue a Doric dialect. Tsakonians are famous for their uncompromising spirit, their huge love for their country and their business success amongst the broader Balkan area.
"My great-grandfather was traveling from Crete and because of the rough sea, the ship stopped at Maleas Cape of South Peloponnese. He lived a big adventure that he used to talk about all the in the following years, he used to talk about it so often that we gave him the nickname Maleas. That is why I am also called Maleas".
At the end of August, the aubergine feast takes place at Leonidio, where more than a ton of aubergines are prepared in countless variations. The night of the feast the best food receives prizes by the judges and afterwards there are festivities. Eating and drinking until dawn is a just part of the traditional feast.
Thousands of native and foreign visitors pass in front of the long tables, where there are hundreds of pans and pots, and try a great variety of aubergine recipes. The elegant and imaginative women of Leonidio, with their intense personalities, are the stars of the day.
