Blame it on Homer, my impression that Greece was all about the sea. Even before I ever set foot in the country I knew of its myriad islands and endless coastline. Accordingly, the Greece of my prior visits had mainly consisted of sun baked islands rising from aquamarine waters, warm sand beaches and gleaming white cubist villages punctuated by indigo domes. Add a plethora of archeological treasures in various stages of restoration, bountiful dinners of taverna fare and soulful rebetika music. I felt I had Greece covered.
An irresistible proposition
We are headed into the Pindus Mountains, the spine of the Greek mainland.
Our itinerary wends up and down steep slopes on roads that are little more than dirt trails.
That was before I came across Tripology Adventures, an off-road travel company that has been leading self-drive caravans of four-wheel drive vehicles through Central Greece and other remote, history-rich areas of the planet for over two decades. The eight-day itinerary went from Athens to the Pindus Mountains, the southeast to northwest labyrinth of high ridges and deep valleys that forms the spine of the Greek mainland. The impenetrable forests of its central region, the Agrafa (Greek for unchartered), allowed it to maintain its autonomy throughout the four centuries of Ottoman occupation. During World War II it became a center of resistance against Italian and then German invaders. This wild, sparsely inhabited region remains relatively unspoiled to this day. And the roads that wind their way up and down its steep slopes are still little more than dirt trails.
This, combined with the self-drive bit causes me to pause. I am a highway driver, an erstwhile soccer mom. Although no stranger to off-road adventure travel, from the African bush to the Himalaya, I have always left the driving to local experts. But an opportunity to discover this other Greece I hadn’t known to still exists is hard to pass. Fortunately Tripology assures me that, while the driving on their itineraries is challenging, many participants actually want to drive. They’ll get no argument from me! There remains one last nagging doubt before I reach for my passport. We are talking group travel, my least favorite way to go. But this trip is so far off the beaten tracks that I could never undertake it on my own. Count me in!
In the beginning…
Evzone Honor Guard march to Parliament building on Syntagma Square for the ceremonial changing of the guard.
The Acropolis glows against the Athens night sky.
We meet at our Athens hotel, the Alexandros, on the afternoon prior to our departure, fourteen of us ranging in age from thirty-something to twice that, three couples, the rest of us solo. After a short get-acquainted briefing led by Izhar Gamlieli, co-founder of Tripology, he shepherds us into the metro for an evening on the town. It’s just a couple of stops to Syntagma Square (Constitution Square), the modern heart of the city. We catch the ceremonial changing of the Evzones, the white-skirted honor guard in front of the Parliament building. Then, after a leisurely walk through the vibrant center of town and past the entrance of the ancient Agora, we settle at the terrace of Diodos, a popular Lower Adrianou Street taverna. Our reserved family-style tables are immediately piled high with the entire gamut of traditional dishes, salad topped with slabs of sweet fresh feta, hummus, melitzanosalata (eggplant dip), tzatziki (cucumber with yogurt and dill), calamari, tiropita (cheese pie), spanakopita (spinach pie). It’s all just freshly prepared and delicious. But it’s only the beginning. Next come platters of grilled chicken, sausage and lamb chops. Our group is starting to connect. It’s impossible to remain strangers for long while tucking into succulent Greek mezedes washed down with hearty local wine, with the Acropolis glowing against the night sky in the background.
The level of camaraderie goes up another notch the next morning as we pile our luggage into our assigned vehicle, one of four shiny late model Jeep Patriots lined up in the hotel’s driveway behind the lead car, a massive land cruiser. I meet my Car # 3 traveling companions: Mary Bailey, a cookbook author, editor of The Tomato Food and Drink and all around foodie from Edmonton, Canada, and Tim Campbell, a travel writer from the U.K.
Lead car, do you read me?
The archeological of Delphi sits on the Western face of Mount Parnassus
Delphi’s Temple of Apollo overlooks the valley of Phocis.
Our cars have two-way radios with a frequency dedicated for our convoy. Yoav Barashi, our tour leader and a passionate grecophile who has been guiding here for a decade and our lead driver Niko Manolis (who turns out to be a national champion rally racer) give us a brief primer on the use of the radio and the protocol for convoy travel and we are off. The instructions are simple enough: follow the car ahead, keep your assigned place in the convoy and above all follow the directions Yoav is giving over the radio. Also, when you make a turn wait until the car behind you starts its turn before continuing on. That one is a real challenge with traffic lights, determined drivers and motorcyclists buzzing all around us. But somehow we all fall into formation again at the tollgate to Highway #1. We can relax now and congratulate Mary for seeing us this far. Nothing could have us bond faster than a narrow escape from the Athens morning commuter traffic.
The museum at the archeological site of Delphi.
The hills are getting more rugged, especially once we turn onto a country road toward our midday destination, a lovely seaside restaurant tucked in a secluded cove of the Gulf of Corinth. After another Greek specialties extravaganza we continue on to the archeological site of Delphi. Perched high on the southwestern spur of Mount Parnassus, it was decreed the Navel of the Earth by Zeus himself. Yaov has begun sharing tidbits of mythological lore over the radio during the quieter moments of the drive with such an irresistible blend of wit and erudition that we will soon be begging for more at every opportunity. But for now, we are getting our first taste of off-road driving, on a rough trail that is getting rockier and narrower as we zigzag toward the top of the ridge. There is a modern paved road of course, for the busloads of visitors to the site. But not for us the road more traveled, that would deprive us of the ever-changing panorama of hills fading into of the distant sea and our first glance at Delphi and the temple of Apollo from a unique vantage point high across the valley.
The Navel of the Earth
Guide Penny Kolomvotsou eplains the overall site.
Dedicated during classical time to the god Apollo, an overachieving multi-tasker variously recognized as the god of truth and prophecy, healing, plague, music, poetry and more, Delphi was a seat of the Pythia. This priestess was believed to channel the pronouncements of the Oracle (itself the intermediary to Apollo) that would then be interpreted by the priests.
Yaov introduces us to Penny Kolomvotsou, a licensed local guide and perfect English speaker, who makes the site and the adjoining archeological museum come alive for us. Tripology Adventures has arranged private visits with her for almost two decades. To book a visit, Penny may be contacted at +30 6944 644427 or kpagona@hotmail.com
We spend the night in modern Delphi at the Amalia Hotel, a smart contemporary four-star property with glorious vistas of the mountains and the Ionian Sea. Gazing from my balcony at the valley below, covered with olive groves all the way down to the sea, I reflect that, off-road travel notwithstanding, this Greece still feels quite familiar. Little do I know the adventure of traveling Tripology-style has barely begun…
Good to Know
Tripology Adventures is an Israel-based road travel company that has been leading 4WD self-drive caravan across remote, culturally rich areas of Europe, Africa and Asia for over two decades. Tripology Adventures, www.tripologyadventures.com, email:info@tripologyadventures.com, or call 888-975-7080.
A Few Souvenirs
