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Many of them are located inside private property and others are public. Kastoria throughout the Middle Ages and the Turkish occupation that followed the fall of Byzantium in 1453, has grown to become a trading center for merchandise such as furs which are taken from animals that live in the region, the trade still thrives up to this very day - local firms are exporting their coats worldwide, especially to the States, Canada and Russia. The trade has given Kastoria and its population a considerable amount of wealth, which can be easily observed in the way they build their mansions, especially in the traditional neighborhood of Doltsos. The estates were built in a very unique way that can only be observed in the region and the nearby townships such as Kozani and Siatista. The lake surrounds the town and the lake shore is well developed with public facilities and rooms for pedestrians. The place that made me come back here more than once, was the monastery of Panaghia Mavriotissa which was founded during the 11th century AD and still lies restored at the east end of the lake. It can be reached through a one way narrow road that was naturally carved by lake; the drive offers an exceptional drive next to the lake. Panaghia Mavriotissa has beautiful frescoes on the outside that have been constantly painted ever since it was built, and the surrounding area was as beautiful with trees that surrounded the monastery. Taking part in the Holy Week ceremonies at this special place was indeed inspiring and a one time experience for me! The next day
we went for an hour’s drive on a winding mountain road to the village of
Nymphaion, a place UNESCO has declared as one of the most traditional villages
in Greece; it is very well preserved. The reason for our visit was to see
Arktouros Park, a wildlife perserve that was established a decade ago.
We left the car in an open space and walked down to the perserve; it was
about a 20 minutes walk from the parking lot. We listened to the sound
of running water as we descended into the park, and we watched nature waking
up slowly from the long winter. When we finally reached the park, we joined
a group of fellow visitors who had also come to visit the park and waited
for the authorized guide to show us around. Arktouros is a non-government,
non-profit organization that is devoted to preserving wildlife in the forests
of Greece; it currently protects 13 bears that were held in captivity:
the maltreated animals were taken from their owners. All 13 bears live
inside the park, are fed by the staff, cannot reproduce and will remain
there until the day they die. The reason they are sterile is the fact that
when they were bought from humans, their mothers were killed and thus they
didn’t have the necessary 2 to 5 years of education needed for their survival
in the wilderness. The bear is the only animal that cannot be adopted by
another female bear after the extinction of its physical mother so the
bears are being taken care of by members of the Arktouros organization.
After spending half an hour with our guide watching the bears from afar,
we went back to the village of Nymphaion (the name comes from the mythical
forest creatures the Nymphs). The houses are constructed from grey stones
that are found in the area and the place is one of the most visited winter
resorts in Macedonia; there are exclusive resorts to stay in and some taverns
and coffee shops to try.
The most important monument is the Basilika of Aghios Achillios built in the name of the Serbian king Serghio during the 10th century AD. The remains of the church are still enormous and the visitor can get an idea of its original proportions. Getting back to the mainland we left for the town of Florina, the capital of the county. Florina is much like Aspen, Colorado to give you a idea of the environment. After an hour’s drive through the mountains again, we reached a picturesque town that is remote but that can be reached by train or bus from the main cities of Greece. Located in a valley inbetween the surrounding mountains has kept Florina's characteristic architectural style and atmosphere alive; this is one of the reasons why the world famous Greek film director Theodore Aggelopoulos chose to film a motion picture here with the late Marchello Mastroyianni. Florina is known for the red hot peppers it grows and the delicious home made sweets with fruits and syrup that local pastry shops make and sell. Having bought our provisions for home we again went back to Kastoria for the evening and the Resurrection mass at midnight. During Easter Sunday we decided to go to the well known river Aliakmonas and especially to the village of Nestorio where once a year a very popular river party is held by the river banks with a great number of attendees from all over Greece. The sight and sound of the water flowing down the river with the power of its own, was inspiring to me. Rivers were considered deities of nature by the Ancient Greeks and were worshiped as such. We spent much time looking at the running water and observing the surroundings. When my friends tried to put their feet in, their reaction was to freak out because of the cold running water! The area nearby has beenb developed for camping and during the river party, a 3 day rock festival is held with many young and old people enjoying the concert. Late in the afternoon, we decided to visit the traditional village of Siatista in the county of Kozani. The reason why we wanted to see this place was because it resembles much of the architecture and character of Kastoria and it is known to be a trade center for furs and merchandise from long ago. When we reached Siatista we discovered that it had expanded and that a number of traditional mansions are still standing, some of them quite obsolete and some others in better condition. A number of public buildings and churches were outstanding as well. What impressed me throughout my visit to the above mentioned places was the fact that the people there were extremely kind and sociable with visitors, greeting us on our way and always there to provide us with directions when we needed assistance on our way to sightseeing. Last but not least when we spent time in Kastoria we visited the Prehistoric Housing Estates of Dispilio (a village four kms before Kastoria). The prehistoric remains were discovered by archeologists at a spot near the lake back in the 1930’s; at the time of their discovery the remains appeared as wooden poles emerging from the water near the shores of the lake. Sixty years later, an exhibition area was constructed where the remains were found, showing how people during the Paleolithic age built their houses along the lake, constructed their equipment out of natural resources and made their living out of fishing, hunting and cultivating the land. It is quite impressive to think that many of the techniques used during that era can still be found among the most primitive populations in the most remote places of our world! The following are the Marialena's previous articles that for the magazine:
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