Arcadia

Arcadia is the mountainous heart of the Peloponnesos, the southern peninsula of Greece.
It's name has been synonymous with an idyllic and pastoral beauty ever since.

From Galaxidi it was not far to drive to the ferry that took us across the Gulf of Corinth from central Greece to the Peloponnesian Peninsula.

See how crystal blue the water is!

It was late October, remember, and we were in the high mountains, so we got to enjoy the changing color of the leaves.
Look at the beautiful colors on this roadside open-air cafe!

As brightly colored as the leaves were the buildings of Arcadia: here, the church of Klitoria (above left) and a restaurant in Dimitsana (above right).

The drive through the mountains was precarious at times, but with spectacular views!

We stayed three nights in the village of Dimitsana, a very picturesque place on two adjoining hills, with steep and narrow streets and stone houses.

Believe it or not, this was the street to the apartment where we stayed. Brian drove up and down it each day, as did the locals, although we were inches from the walls of the houses on both sides!

One of the days while we were in Arcadia we drove south from Dimitsana through the Lousios River valley to Stemnitsa, another charming village.

The whole of the valley was delightful.

The wildflowers in bloom provided bursts of bright colors.

One of the most unusual sights that day was the ancient Temple of Bassae. It was built in the fifth century B.C. and dedicated to the god Apollo.
Sadly, it almost collapsed in 1975 and since then has been enclosed in a large tent to protect it from the elements, so it is a less than impressive sight.

You can see how the columns lean at dangerous angles.

 

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