Sometimes, a journey of a few kilometres – from the serpentine roads at the foot of Mount Ziria under the Corinthian sky, through the most fertile plains between the shadows of Helmos, Durduvana, Saitas and Oligirtos mountains- can turn into a whole journey.
The road literally embraces Mount Kyllini, or Ziria, as it is also known. Poplars and elegant cypresses, pine and fir trees adorn the landscape. Passing through Karyes, a village sprawled out on the left and right of the road, the smell of roast meat from the crowded taverns permeates the cabin of the car.
Groups of friends and families have already filled up the tables, while their cars have filled up the parking lots. Sunday in the village. At the intersection near Sarantapicho, the soil is bright red. Large rocks and tree roots rise from the steep slopes.
Heading south now, with Ziria on my left, I realize that I have reduced the speed of the car a lot. Yellow and orange autumn leaves sway on the tree branches near the village of Kato Tarsos, still holding on before the autumn breeze carries them to the ground, starting a new cycle of life. With the dark blue sky as a background, the entire image seems to have sprung from the imagination of a painter, a lover of excess and intense contrasts.
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At an altitude of 1200 metres, the village of Goura, whose main square is dotted with tables, is bustling with life and activity. The sunlight is reflected on the walls and bell tower of the imposing Church of Pammegiston Taxiarchon, which frames one side of the large square.
Coffee, drinks and the complimentary mezedes (an assortment of small hot and cold dishes) add flavour to the atmosphere and liven up the mood. The locals are mainly farmers and stock breeders, but there are also many entrepreneurs involved in the burgeoning tourist industry. There are two possible origins of the village’s name; either it comes from the Arvanitic (dialect spoken by Albanians of Christian religion, settled in Greek territories) word “goura” meaning stone and referring to the area’s rocky terrain, or from the Greek word “gourna” (in Greek “γούρνα”) meaning “trough”.
Among the sights of the village are the mansions of the Oikonomou-Goura, Sarli and Mourti families, built in the 19th century.
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South of Goura, between the ridges of the mountains, lies the valley of Feneos. Since ancient times, the area has been completely dependent on the water and the flow of the rivers Olvios and Doxa.
Depending on the season, the valley was filled with more or less water, forcing the inhabitants of the surrounding settlements to move higher or lower. Ancient Feneos was founded around 1100 BC and flourished until it was plundered by the Romans. The abundance of water has created one of the most fertile valleys, a lush area throughout the year, always changing according to the season – from the dry yellow of summer to the cloudy green of the misty veil that covers the area, creating a unique and absolutely cinematic eerie atmosphere.
Feneos is famous for its pulses, such as beans, lentils and yellow split peas, as well as for its fruits and walnuts. The imposing bulk of Helmos in the distance seems to protect the flawless geometric fields of the valley as I gaze at them from the courtyard of a tavern on the outskirts of Goura. From the stone bridge on the right of the frame, to the depths on the left, where the horizon is lost in the blinding sunlight, the valley of Feneos seems endless.
Just outside the village of Messino, at the outskirts of ancient Feneos, a farmer is vigorously whipping the sturdy walnut branches, dropping the precious fruits on the green, freshly watered ground. Soon, he will take a long walk under the shadows of these giant trees and collect them, filling and weighing his baskets, painting a picture of a process that has been repeated over and over again for thousands of years.
I take the dirt road that starts from the edge of Goura and leads to the artificial Lake Doxa. For four kilometres, fine powder-like dust floats everywhere, sprinkling the leaves along the roadsides and changing their colour. I hurry to close the windows, frantically pressing the window switches, before a speeding car overtakes me, throwing dirt into my car.
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From this side, the beauty of the lake is not revealed until the last few metres of the dirt road. It has of course previously left its hint behind the artificial dam filled with gravel under the summit of Mt Helmos.
Finally the dirt road ends and another world appears in front of me. A world born from the imagination of the most elegant auteur. Its beauty is indescribable. Plane trees cover the peripheral paved road, painting with their shadows surrealistic shapes on the ground, almost reaching the lake shore. Colourful tablecloths are spread on the ground, the picnic is interrupted only by laughter. Makeshift swings made of thick rope complete this carefree scene.
Cyclists pass by, horses offer themselves for short or longer equestrian rides, fancy yellow water bikes, (www.exploreziria.gr ) cross the emerald waters reflecting the towering fir trees on the opposite bank– the ultimate setting of a peaceful life.
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The short dirt road that connects the lake shore to the chapel of Agios Fanourios, located almost in the middle of the lake, the local produce vendors, the cheerful same-day visitors who take millions of selfies from every angle and the pilgrims are just a few finishing touches to the greater canvas of this unexpected landscape.
Ascending towards the monastery of Agios Georgios, on the slope above the lake and at an altitude of nearly 1,000 metres, large buses full of pilgrims slowly take the turns, reflecting the age we live in.
The monastery was built in 1693, but a fire necessitated its renovation in 1754. Its structure immediately evokes devotion and religious awe: the arched entrance, the inner stone courtyard with its wooden inner balconies and handmade railings, the interior of the church with its ornate wooden altarpiece and the modest light coming in through the small windows.
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The smell of candles and incense brings time to an absolute standstill, redefining the visitor’s place in this world. Serenity is supplemented by a lovely treat, namely rose spoon-sweet (traditional sweet preserves), that awaits each unique visitor before they reach the third floor balcony and, seeing the view unfolding before them, realize the insignificance of their existence.
At this point of the map, philosophizing is unavoidable.
At the junction in the village of Karteri, on the border of Lake Stymphalia, the signs offer two options. With a few kilometres of a wonderful, mountainous, almost “Swiss” route between black fir trees and an endless view of the plain on my right already behind me, I decide to follow the outer route, with the lake on my left.
My satellite navigation system informs me that in a few kilometres I will be able to turn left in order to reach the Environment Museum of Stymphalia in time, since it is already late in the afternoon and I have to make it before closing time.
It’s early October and the mythical lake, made legendary by Hercules’ Labours and the notorious Stymphalian Birds (Hercules’ foes), is still dry, full of reeds dancing to the wind’s command. I pull over to the side of the road and turn off the engine, now receptive of the area’s mythical atmosphere.
A flock of countless sheep and an indeterminate number of sheepdogs fill a multidimensional image, while a mash-up of barks, bleats, the shepherd’s whistle and the incessant rustling of the reeds make up the soundscape.
The navigator sends me to cross the lake vertically, following the rural dirt roads: a lonely, quiet route, with few signs of farm work along the way.
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Looking through the viewing binoculars at the Environmental Museum’s veranda towards the route I had just travelled, I try to piece together the puzzle of the incredible alternation and composition of images I witnessed during this journey.
And as I stand in the modern building that celebrates the love for the environment, I realize that what remains is the wealth of the Greek land, of human positive activity, of environmental consciousness and the union of all this with tradition. A truly unique experience.
