For a complete change of pace from the beautiful Aegean isles, we ferried back to the port of Pireaus, just outside Athens and drove several hours north to Livadia – our second trip there. Entering the city at 10pm was quiet and welcoming. Upon arriving, we happily stopped next door at a little taverna for our late dinner.
The next morning, we drove to one of the prettiest sights we’ve seen in Greece, so a quick drive to the other side of town was a must. A sight totally unexpected, as the city is just like the many others: narrow streets, shops and stores, cafes on every corner. But, go past the center and head for the mountain behind it and you will be greeted by a most beautiful stream where water cascades over rocks and foliage from one level to the next…all the way down and under the city. A mill, once a working enterprise, stands next to it and reminds us all of how people used to live and work here. Conveniently, several cafes are located here so you can spend time admiring the beauty and relaxing in the cool shade of the glorious trees next to the streaming water.
Definitely a must on my list. Arahova was a drive through on our way to Delphi on our last trip, but it always stuck in my mind as a charming little town. A beautiful mountainous area with basically one big road where all the shops and restaurants are – but oh! How cute they are! Other roads do exist of course, where the residents live and shop locally, however, the main road that runs through the town is where all the action is. We stayed two nights, shopped and visited several restaurants. Our hotel balcony overlooked the magnificent mountains nearby.
Several restaurant owners confirmed that the “season” for them is the winter, although they do get a fair share of summer tourists and Greek people escaping the heat of larger cities for a relaxing, cool weekend. This very popular destination, in the Parnassus Mountain range, hosts several ski lifts and chalets, small hotels, B and B’s, etc. abound. And even those that don’t ski – love it here when the weather turns cold sitting by the fireplace and watching the snowfall – a winter wonderland right in the middle of Greece!
And, to add to all this mountainous beauty is that Arahova is not all that far away from beaches as we discovered when we looked at the map closely and chose our next destination.
Galaxidi
Leaving Arahova and driving past Delfi, we would go down through the mountains, into the rolling hills and then the plains, all leading us to a lovely coastal town of Galaxidi. We did not stop to visit Delphi, as we had already done that on a previous trip and well, basically, it was just too darn hot to walk around the ancient ruins and post a question or two to the Oracle! We waved as we drove by in our air-conditioned car. 😊
We saw the cut off for the town square – what we always look for first so we can orientate ourselves -we made the left turn and then promptly, almost right on cue, we got lost! Just like practically every other place we visited, the twisting little roads lead us round and round, until we get to the shoreline and then ask directions to the hotel – so we found it and settled in. We parked the car and decided to walk back down to the water because we did not want to have to go around the entire town again by car!
Walking just a bit down from our hotel, we found the strand…restaurants and small shops were all lined up waiting for us. Admiring the natural beauty of this lovely cove, we took a long walk and then sat for dinner facing the beautiful sea and the bobbing boats. The perfect evening to a long day.
Retire well, Helene
Photograph of Livadia from The Personal Collection of Helene and Zaf
Photograph of Arahova From The Personal Collection of Helene and Zaf
Photograph of Galaxidi From The Personal Collection of Helene and Zaf
For more information about Greece, visit: www.greektravel.com
