Day 106: Ioannina Downtown

Going to admit that we initially wrote off Greece; we struggle with major tourist destinations and kept our expectations reserved. Furthermore, Greece was originally off the Gap Year list. Ioannina and the Epirus province has blown us away, where traditional Greek villages meet castles, European street architecture, and nature.

At the south-eastern edge of the town and next to Lake Pamvotis, the Ioannina castle was the administrative heart of the Epirus region. The castle was in use until the late Ottoman period and now traditional Greek houses are hidden behind its walls. We walked along the lake and enjoyed little baby waterfowl climb onto their mothers back.

We met Germans Ralph and Martin at the hostel, who are currently biking around Greece and also writing hiking blogs for the local area. We invited them to coffee and soaked up the late afternoon sun at an outdoor cafe.

We also met Mikayala from Germany who agreed to join us on a 5:30am hike through the Vikos Gorge. We grabbed dinner, packed up, and prepared for the hike.

Restaurant:
Metsovitiki Folia
Fysa Roufa

Food:
Baked Feta
Tomato Cucumber Salad
Village Sausage
Souvlaki Pork
Grilled Octopus
Sautéed Pork

Spots:
Castle of Ioannina
Museum "Arslan Pasha" Μουσείο Ασλάν Πασά
Katsari parkRead more