Europe

[Visited: August 2007]

When the hydrofoil approached Poros, it was almost impossible to realize that we were approaching an island: Poros seems attached to the Peloponnesus. After docking, I sought to escape the tourist crowds by walking along the boulevard; following the road made me see how there is indeed a narrow strait between the two. I walked around Sferia island and arrived at the narrow isthmus connecting Sferia to larger Kalavria. Here, I decided to rent a bike to explore the island. My first destination was the monastery of Zoodochou Pigi. The climb up was already worth it: a layer of green trees covered the hill on which the monastery sits. Inside, you can find a spring that is supposed to have healing capacities. The prayer hall itself is typically orthodox, with many gold-painted saints and a richly decorated prayer wall.
From here, I cycled north, crossing the hills in the middle of the island of Poros to arrive at the temple of Poseidon, the ancient Greek god of the seas. I parked my bike inside; exploring the ruins did not take much time as not much is left of this Doric temple that was built in the 6th century BCE. Many stones have been used in other buildings. Although it is the only classical place on Poros, it was quiet, and I enjoyed the peace, the smell of the pine trees, and the monotonous singing of the cicadas. It seemed difficult to believe that Oorator Demosthenes took his life here by drinking poison. I thought it was a pity so much of the temple had disappeared - even though there are still efforts to excavate more - because the location of the temple, on the saddle of a hill on Poros with magnificent views, is so good. From here, I descended into town again.
After buying some juicy peaches and grapes, the typical, rich fruits of a Greek summer, I continued west to explore the beach areas. August is not the best time for this: all beaches were packed, and after a short rest on Love Bay Beach wich did not impress as very lovely, I continued biking, past the remains of the Russian dockyard which was built here in the early 19th century. From here, traffic thinned out, and the last stretch towards the far west of Poros was almost empty. It also offered a good vantage point of seeing the heavy clouds coming in from Attica - clouds of the devastating fires that consumed so much of beautiful Greek lands. I cycled back to Poros town and past a forest that burnt only months before, and then walked around Poros town with its stately, neoclassical mansions and little mermaid statue, before catching a real boat (not a hydrofoil) back to Piraeus. It allowed me to enjoy the view of Poros, disappearing in the Saronic Gulf, from the deck of the boat with the wind in my hair.

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Poros (Greece)

Poros > Greece > Europe

[Visited: August 2007]

Around the World in 80 Clicks