Anticlockwise around N Mani by hire car - STUNNING !!
chrisandjane aboard Liveloula
Chris Cooke
Thu 5 May 2016 05:17
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37:01.41N 22:06.37E
Friday 5May Wow wow wow – stunning 10 hr/150sm anticlockwise tour of N Mani culminating with quick look at ancient Mystras and STUNNING 30sm drive thro Langada Pass (Total 150sm) Sunny morning, wet afternoon, clouds clear 1930 Clear night. 15 first thing. Set off in hire car 0830, before clouds bubble up over Mani. Windy main road S to Kardamili. Extremely pretty port, lovely buildings. Backdrop of high mountains. Advertises as “boutique resort”. It is. Pottery twice price saw yesterday. Note imminent jazz festival, sponsored by Norwegians – Jan would be at home. www.mani-sonnenlink.com for full details of summer activities. S down coastal road to Stoupa. Pleasant place – bit less sophisticated. Many real estate businesses (estate agents!). Crochet covers to street lamps! But not sure any intact bulbs to provide light! Hit beach for an hour till clouds roll over from mountains. Motor inland and up n up on planned minor road detour. Back down to main road and further S to Areopoli. Pretty stone houses, and streets. Looks in v good nick. On E across Mani towards E coast. Rain sets in. Landscape like Snowdonia – rocky and moorlandish, but with many fields of olive trees. Head up E side of Mani sp Sparti, but again take detour inland, winding thro endless well kept olive and some orange groves, just E of tall Tygetos mountains. Pass thro many pretty villages and see impressive ravines heading W. Map helps, but some villages have no “name” boards on entry, others only in Greek. Good job Jane navigating to translate. Several times arrive in central cobbled village squares, no sign posts and not sure whether to exit left or right. Seem to be maze of roads thro groves, all heading in the general direction we want - N. Avoid dead ends and U turns! Occasional glimpse thro swirling clouds of snow covered peaks to W– like the TV shots of Everest, but highest here is only 2404m, still pretty tall. Manage to stay W of modern Sparti and arrive historic and impressive Mystra with fortress up v high (built 1249). Late PM now. Guide book says need a day here, so perhaps another time. Join main(ish) Sparti to Kalamata road – the 59k (37sm)Langada Pass. Guide book describes as “one of the most stunning roads in Greece”. Dead right. Tortuous hairpins up, up, and up again to summit at 1524m, before transit on top of world and more gentle long long descent to Kalamata. Very little traffic – must be t time for all other tourists. Sadly grey clouds above and rain falling, so not good for photos. Will definitely be back one day when the sun is shining. Return L`ula 1830. Weak sun breaks thro 1930, and clouds over distant pass fizzle away. What an incredible day. Perhaps the best ever drive ashore. |
