Greece

October - November 2021
A 23-day adventure by skip's retirement travel
  • 68footprints
  • 2countries
  • 23days
  • 389photos
  • 1videos
  • 1.3kkilometers
  • Kruja Fortress

    October 28, 2021 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    This is the fortress atop the ridge above Kruja (see another post) that dates to the 5th or 6th century. The Albanian hero, Sanderbeu, used this fortress as the heart of his rebellion against the Ottoman empire in the 15th century. They survived 3 massive sieges by the Ottomans, and the castle didn't fall until 10 years after Sanderbeu's death.
    The 2nd picture looks up the road to the main gate that is the tunnel is in the 2nd picture.
    The 3rd picture is the minaret and ruins of the Ottoman era mosque dedicated to Mehmed, the sultan who finally took the fortress. The 4th picture looks down the tunnel of another gate to the fortress. The 5th picture looks under a recent arch to the original walls. The arch supports the access to the old church that is still being refurbished after a recent earthquake. The last picture looks up through some of the new plantings to the rugged mountains behind the castle.
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  • Kruja, Albania

    October 28, 2021 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Kruja is a northern Albanian town that dates to at least Illyrian times. Beginning in the 12th century, Kruja was the capital of the 1st Albanian kingdom, and remain do until taken by the Venetians. There was a brief period when Kruja was recaptured during the rebellion led by Sanderbeu (see Leshë post) and held against 3 Venetian sieges. It fell after his death.
    The 1st picture looks across the way to the hillside town withe the fortress at the top. The 2nd looks more closely up to the fortress (see another post). The 3rd picture is a statue of Sanderbeu.
    The final 3 pictures are various views of the town bazaar for which Kruja is known
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  • Day 2

    Ηγουμενίτσα

    October 30, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    In case you didn't be recognize the Greek alphabet, YES, I'm in Greece!
    In the Latin alphabet, the town is Igoumenitsa. This is the main port in northwestern Greece and one of the largest passenger ports in the country. Ferries connect the mainland with Corfu and the Ionian islands as well as Italy.
    The old city was pretty well destroyed during world war 2. So the town now is what has grown up around the ferry terminal.
    The 1st picture is taken from the ferry terminal, looking along the coast of the bay of Igoumenitsa. The rest are taken on board the ferry Hagia Theodora.
    The 2nd picture looks back at Igoumetsina. The 3rd looks along the shore south of the bay. The 4th is a long look at the islands. The 5th looks north between the mainland to the right and in the distance and Corfu (see additional posts) on the left. The last picture is as we approached Corfu town.
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  • Day 2

    Corfu, New Fortress

    October 30, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Following the 1st Ottoman siege of Corfu, the Venetians recognized that the city had expanded outside of the walls of the old fort leaving it unprotected. So they began construction of the new fort at the other end of town. The main, major fortifications are Venetian, but most of the current structures were built by the British.
    The 1st picture looks up the road that approaches a castle gate. This looks to me like a protected supply route from the harbor to the castle to allow resupply by sea.
    The 2nd picture looks down the curving tunnel/gate into the fortress. The 3rd picture is in the lower part of the fortress and shows a building from the Venetian times. The 4th picture is the access ramp up to the upper, main part of the fortress. The 5th picture is of the main building at the top level, and the 6th picture is a glance inside the building as it wasn't open.
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  • Day 2

    Corfu old town

    October 30, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    References to Corfu date back to 1300 BCE, but much of what is here now is from the Venetian era. After the Venetians, the French and the British took control, and there are buildings from each period. The old city saw significant damage during world war 2. Most of that is either repaired or replaced. Corfu is unusual on that there is an old strong fortress at each end of town (see other posts).
    The 1st picture looks over the old town from the ramparts of the new fortress. The rest of the pictures are various looks at diferent parts of the old town. It is the largest such place I've seen yet.
    The 5th picture is a shopping street up from the main square. Visible is the spire of St. Spirion church, dedicated to the patron saint of Corfu. The last picture is s museum built by the British. It has an oriental focus.
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  • Day 2

    Corfu, Old Fortress

    October 30, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    The old fortress occupies the promontory st the end of the peninsula that protects the harbor of Corfu. The earliest known fortification of the site dates to the 6th century, but what is here now is mostly Venetian with some additions by the British. In medieval times, Corfu town was located inside these walls.
    The fortress is on multiple levels. The 1st picture looks up to the upper bastion. The 2nd picture shows a corner of the fortress walls, the sea moat built by the Venetian engineers, and at the far right is the modern bridge accessing the fort that replaced the original drawbridge. The 3rd picture is inside the fortress and shows St. George's church at the lower right and the Venetian lighthouse in the upper left.
    The 4th picture looks along the back of St. George's to the outer part of the upper bastion. The 5th picture is a low yard between the walls that might have served as a killing box if invaders ever got that far.
    The last picture looks down on top of what I'm told was part of the old Venetian jail.
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  • Day 3

    Angelokastro, Corfu

    October 31, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Castel Sant'Angelo is a Byzantine and Venetian fortress built on the highest point of land in northwest Corfu. It sits 305 meters above the Ionian Sea atop steep cliffs. While the ruins are Byzantine and (mostly) Venetian, there is evidence that the site was fortified long before. The last 2 pictures are in a tomb within the fortress that holds evidence of Christian burials dated to the 4th - 7th centuries. The 5th and 6th pictures show burial slabs with paintings above and icons added over the years.
    The 1st picture looks up to the walls from most of the way up the steep path. The 2nd picture is taken at the lowest level inside the fortress and looks across the inside of the fortress. The gate is visible in the lower right. The 3rd picture is another section of the ruins of the fortress, this time at the mid level. Again, the gate is visible. The 4th picture is taken from the very top of the fortress. It shows some of the highest level and looks out to the Ionian Sea.
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  • Day 3

    Palaiokastritsa Monastery

    October 31, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    This monastery, located on a hill above the beach at Palaiokastritsa, is dedicated to Mary and dates to the early 13th century. (The current buildings are 18th century.) The bay (shown in the Corfu's west coast post) is said to be a place where Odysseus set sail. I can even imagine Greek ships passing between the tall, large rocks just off shore.
    Back to the monastery. The monastery is built on 2 levels. The 1st picture is of the entry gate with the icon of Mary above. The 2nd picture is looking across the upper courtyard to the bell tower. The 3rd picture is the monastery garden located right outside the monastery church which is shown in the 4th picture. Monks were reading while we there. Look closely to the far left side. The last 2 pictures are in the lower level which is formed by a series of stone arches. That's the 5th picture. Under each arch is a different icon, one of which is show in the last picture.
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  • Day 3

    Corfu's West Coast

    October 31, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Perhaps I could have been more specific. These photos are of the northwest region of Corfu around the Angelkastro (see another post). The photos are random and, I hope, give a sense of the place. Corfu has the reputation of being a beautiful place. It is richly deserved.
    The pictures are a mix of coastal landforms, beaches and mountain villages,all facing the Ionian Sea.
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  • Day 4

    Dodona

    November 1, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Dodona is the site of the oldest oracle in Greece, probably dating back to at least the 2nd millennium BCE. It is thought that a settlement may have existed here as far back as 3,000 BCE, possibly making the oracular site even older.
    It is said the priests and priestesses served at a sacred oak* at this site, interpreting sounds in the trees as messages from the Mother Goddess, likely Gaia, up until about the 5th century BCE when Zeus worship began with Zeus taking residence among the roots of the sacred oak. The Mother Goddess was renamed Dione and became the consort of Zeus.
    Buildings didn't begin to appear until the end of the 5th century BCE. The pictures are all taken if the ruins at the large and extensive site.
    The 1st picture is of the single largest structure, the amphitheater. There is currently some restoration work in progress. The 2nd picture looks at the old Christian basilica, dating to the 5th or 6th century CE. The 3rd picture looks from the basilica back over ruins of older temples toward the civic buildings at the site as this was an administrative center as well as a religious site. The 4th picture is of civic buildings.
    The 5th picture is looking at the teme if Zeus with an oak tree within it's walls. It is said that the original temple was built around the ancient sacred oak. The 6th picture is the temple if Heracles. Part of the basilica was built over this temple.

    *The notion that a sacred oak was the center of their religion has me wondering if there might be some ancient connection to the druids with their sacred oak groves.
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