It is a New Day!

The bus no longer inches its way along the waterfront. During our early years here, watching its slow creep between buildings and tables was a great source of entertainment. 

Those were the days - back in 2016

For years, almost as regular as clockwork, the long-distance bus from Kalamata made two stops in the village, one at each end of the harbor three times a day. Its trip between the two gave many a visitor a start as they looked over their shoulders and realized they were seated just inches away from the behemoth bus.

The bus no longer runs this route through the village

A waterfront rehabilitation and resurfacing project marked the end of the bus run through town. After the work finished this year, the harborside eateries expanded their street seating areas, and the bus remains relegated to the main highway, with a single stop now at the south end of the village.   

Pleasure craft fill the harbor in summer

The harbor along which the bus once traveled is this time of year filled with pleasure craft. We've noted that during the last few summers our small fleet of traditional wooden kaiki, fishing boats, have been relegated to a small section of the harbor to make space for the influx of recreational boats.

Remodeling the old souvlaki place for a new eatery opening soon

While the excitement caused by the passing bus is gone, harborside dining and sipping has flourished.  There's still a nice mix of old traditional Greek tavernas with modern day entertainment hotspots. New places have opened; old places have modernized. This time of year, expanded roadside seating areas, leave just enough room for delivery vans and emergency vehicle access. 

Sunday night in the village

Three retail stores -- two selling clothing and a local products gift shop -- are now operating seasonally on the harbor road. A decade ago, there were no such stores here.

It is a new day in the village. 

Agios Nikolaos, is a fishing village in the heart of the southwestern Peloponnese olive growing country. It is where we make our expat home. It is still a charmer, but it's definitely a new day in the village as it is far more upscale than it was when we arrived a decade ago. 

A new day means a new road in the village

The harbor road itself is a reflection of the change. The once cracked, patched-up ankle-breaker asphalt surface has been replaced with a smart cobblestone design complete with streetlights and garbage/recycle cans installed at regular intervals. We didn't have such refuse collection before as several locals pointed out, there was no one to empty them when they were full.

New streetlights and garbage cans line the harbor front

I am delighted to report that we even have a person who collects the garbage from those cans now! 

Souvenirs from the villages

Similar improvement projects have taken place in our neighboring villages, Stoupa and Kardamyli giving each a much-needed boost. 

And in recent years the village shops have begun stocking logo tourist items. A decade ago, souvenirs were somewhat scarce in these parts. Now they even carry the village name! 

It is a new day in the neighborhood.

Just down the street from us - a new home in the grove

There's been a construction boom in recent years in our slice of the Messinian Mani. Olive groves once created a silvery green carpet below and above our hillside location. Now it is more a colorful patchwork quilt of red-clay roof tiles, gray- and brown- stone homes, and several swimming pools of a brilliant blue accent color. 

3.5 million euro village home is on the market

The housing market is flourishing and homes for sale can now carry hefty price tags, some reaching into the millions of euros. One recently renovated home in the heart of Agios Nikolaos is on the market for 3.5 million euro, (that's just over $4 million in US dollars).

Another home just down the road from us

There are eight new homes within a few minutes' walk of our Stone House on the Hill. I've often described our neighborhood as a little United Nations with the fabulous mix of nationalities represented by the homeowners. It appears that great mix will continue with the new residents joining our 'hood. 

Gigantic power poles installed on our road

With the new home construction comes the need for improved infrastructure.  For the last several weeks, the power company has been installing new mega-sized power poles and lines along our road to increase capacity.  (And, yes, that has meant power cuts to get the work done.)

New road and parking lot surface at Pantazi Beach

The road and parking areas near a number of beaches in the area have been resurfaced this summer.  Word on the street is that our Pantazi Beach parking lot - once a dirt surfaced, potholed place, will be striped and trees will be planted along the riverbank that it abuts.   

It is a new day in the Mani.

Agios Nikolaos harbor from To Limeni Restaurant

Tourism isn't new to our area, but it is expanding. Europeans have been coming here for decades - they understood and were caught in Mani Magic long ago. Rick Steves, the US travel guru, has led sold-out group tours to the area for years. The Liokareas family, just to our south, produces an award-winning olive oil. They have recently begun hosting Olive Harvest tours to the area, that include hands-on olive picking and celebrating at an oil pressing party.

 

Sunset jazz at the Patrick Leigh Fermor house

The Kardamyli Jazz Festival, was a fledgling event when we arrived. A decade later it has expanded from its 10-day spring celebration to include an additional fall festival of music as well.  The West Mani Summer Music Festival fills July and August with musical events at locales throughout our area.

West Mani Sports Festival - photo credit: Bert Robertson

The Taygetos Challenge, marking its 14th year, continues to offer its hundreds of participants a number of racing options including a 40-kilometer race with a 2,500-meter vertical ascent up the side of a mountain. This last weekend another sporting event marked its debut, the West Mani Sports Festival, drawing hundreds of participants to swimming and running events.

Our Mayor in Dubai at the Arabian Travel Market

This year our West Dimos Mani (our municipality) has been a prominent participant in a tourism event aimed at the Chinese market as well as having been a presence at a Travel Market International Tourism Fair in Dubai.

It is a new day and a most exciting time in our slice of Greece.  Those of you who haven't yet visited the area should definitely give a trip here some consideration. Those who've been here should return - what was good when you were here has gotten even better!

That's it from a sunny, warm Greece.  Thanks for the time you spent with us and hope you'll be back for another serving of our slice of Greece! Safe travels to you and yours~ 

Going that Extra Mile

For decades the area of Greece where we live - the Peloponnese Mani --may have been one of its best kept secrets.  Primitive roads that led over the towering Taygetos Mountains deterred even the most determined travelers.

Taygetos Mountains a backdrop to the Mani

Long-time locals tell of the hours it took to navigate that harrowing route between Athens and Kalamata. 

The road to our slice of the Peloponnese

Nowadays those heading our way -- either driving rental cars or riding a bus -- travel on a modern four-lane divided highway from Athens to our Kalamata in about three hours. 

Long distance bus travel is popular here

We even have seasonal flights arriving at Kalamata's International Airport from Athens as well as a dozen or more European gateway cities.

Agios Nikolaos, Mani's gem of a fishing village

Yet even with the ease of getting here, we have accepted the reality that many of those who say and who've said for years that they will come visit 'soon', 'one of these days' or 'someday' will likely never make it to our bit of Grecian paradise.  

But some have been serious. They have gone the extra mile, both literally and figuratively, this last year to pay us and the area a visit. They've traveled thousands of miles to reach Greece and then made it a point to get to our village. I've told their stories in Facebook posts as the visits happened; today I wanted to introduce them to you:

Broken and Bruised They Came

The winners of this year's 'going above and beyond' effort to get here are Hanna and Hakan from Washington State. We met 'Dr. Hanna' (as we still call her) two decades ago when she operated an in-home veterinarian practice in Kirkland and cared for our Fur Kids. We've stayed in touch via Facebook and she and her husband were among those who said 'someday' and meant it.   

Love these two and their 'will travel' attitude

They planned to be here the last week of October, right after a bike (the pedal kind) tour in Albania. Four days before their scheduled arrival Hanna contacted me saying they'd crashed their bikes and were being treated in a hospital for breaks and bruises. No, she assured me, they didn't want to cancel the visit here, they just needed to delay their arrival by a day.  

Doctors Melina and Hanna - angels at Hades

With one in a cast and the other in a sling, we changed plans for outings but got in several good visits and toured the area. I'd long hoped that our Dr. Hanna and our current veterinarian, Dr. Melina, would get a chance to meet during that visit. I've often described these two professionals as being 'angels on earth'. I had my hope fulfilled as evidenced by the photo above! 

From Mexico to Mani

We've known our friend Dita since we met in a small fishing village called Bucerias, Mexico, just north of Puerto Vallarta, in the 1990's. We were all homeowners in that small village. . .now, oh so many decades ago.

A toast in Nafplio to a long friendship - and her visit

Our friendship has lasted through all the changes that come with the passing of time. Mexico became a memory for us all. She is another who said 'someday' about Greece and meant it.

Last spring she and a girlfriend took time out from exploring Portugal and Spain to fly to Athens, then travel to the Mani.  We did a road trip with them through our area of the Peloponnese (not realizing at the time that our curving, climbing, roads were not among their favorite things). They were great sports though. Our time together passed too quickly, but Dita says she will return - and we hope she does! 

Facebook Friends come to Visit

Back sometime before COVID turned the world and travel upside down, Suzi, who lives in Australia, and I were planning to meet during a future trip of hers to Greece. She and I had met on some Greek focused Facebook pages and quickly became FB friends.  

From Australia they came and we are so pleased they did!

Then COVID shut down Greece in what we thought a pretty severe manner. It was nothing compared to the shutdown of Australia.  But still we communicated and promised each other that one day we would meet. (I suspect we each wondered if we were kidding ourselves.)

But this fall it happened - we enveloped each other in bear hugs in the big parking lot of Agios Nikolaos and took up the conversation as though we'd seen each other a week before.  I know there are many out there who don't see a value to Facebook, but I am ever so thankful for it as I have some pretty amazing friends now as result of meeting on that social media platform!

From Australia and Canada - new friends!

Suzi and her husband, Norbert, are among them!  We had lunch, we met for drinks, we dined together and laughed together during the time they were here. Their time in the area overlapped with that of our Canadian friends, Mark and Angie (another friendship that came about thanks to this blog and continued via Facebook).  The two couples met over dinner in the village with us and it was if we'd all known each other for years. The best part is that everyone is returning next year!

Church in Milea, a village tucked into the hills near us

It wasn't until after Philanthi, who lives in America's southeast, and I became Facebook friends a couple years ago, that The Scout and I were to meet her dad, Nikos, who lives in Milea, the village just a few miles from us. 

Philanthi and I pose with our husbands

Although Philanthi visits here regularly, I doubt if we would ever have met had we not connected on one of the Facebook pages devoted to life in Greece. We commented on those pages, then personal messages led to our Facebook friendship. 

During a visit to see her dad, she and her husband, The Scout and I finally met this fall.  Again, a greeting, a hug and we started chattering as if we'd known each other for years - thanks to social media, I guess we have!

A hug from Nikos always makes my day!

As for her dad, Nikos: it turns out we all frequented the same restaurant for years. We officially met the next time we were all at that restaurant thanks to Philanthi cluing us all in about each other. He is a delightful nonagenarian, who'd lived in the U.S for some time before returning to live in his ancestral village a few miles away. 

 I should add that Nikos is a Facebook friend of mine now as well!

Agios Nikolaos at night

My Facebook friend George and I have brought to life the phrase 'small world'. He and his wife live in Eastern Washington State - a hundred miles or so from where The Scout and I have planted our American roots.  It is unlikely we would ever have met there.

As this small world story goes, George and his wife are coworkers of a cousin of mine. Apparently one day while on the topic of Greece, my name came up. . . that led to the blog, Facebook and a social media friendship. 

George wrote that they were coming to explore Greece, as they ponder the idea of someday living here. During that visit this fall we finally met face-to-face. George, his wife and his dad made a trip to the Mani as part of their trip to Greece.  

Sunday with George, his wife and his dad

Again, as with Philanthi, and Suzi, we began with introductions and hugs in the village parking lot, then launched into non-stop chatter until they had to return to Kalamata.

All these friends, having gone the extra mile, are among our year's highlights. We thank them for the effort they made to get here and for the joy, laughter and conversation they brought with them. Hopefully, their stories have inspired those of you still thinking about it, to take the leap in the coming year. 

Wherever you go, we wish you safe travels and opportunities to make new discoveries and friends.  Until the next time, thanks for being with us ~ 

With a Toss of a Cross

With the toss of a cross the holiday season came to an official end last week and winter arrived in the Greek village we call home.

Ready for the Blessing of the Water in Agios Nikolaos

The Blessing of the Water, which involves tossing a cross into the rather frigid waters of the village fishing harbor and having it retrieved by a brave - young - swimmer, is an annual religious tradition in the Greek Orthodox religion. It commemorates Christ's Baptism in the Jordan River.  Throughout the country similar ceremonies and pageants took place on January 6th, the day known as Epiphany or Theophany on religious calendars.

On the way to the harbor ceremony

In our village of Agios Nikolaos in the Mani region of the southwestern Peloponnese, the day dawned picture-perfect, with blue sky and sunshine. Harborside tables at restaurants and cafes were filled long before the bells of the church (also named Agios Nikolaos, the patron saint of sailors) began announcing the mid-morning service. 

Pappas Panayotis in Agios Nikolaos

Villagers and visitors alike were waiting for the colorful procession of officiants and congregants to make its way from the church to the harbor's parking lot.  

The ceremony at harborside

Once there, our village priest, Pappas Panayotis, offered a brief service, blessed the cross and tossed it into the water. Young swimmers stood on the harbor's breakwater, opposite the parking lot and launched themselves into the water to retrieve the cross as soon as the Pappas released it. 

One of two brave swimmers helped from the water

Just like that, the ceremony ended. The swimmer who retrieved the cross was blessed. The crowd shifted toward our small fish market to the side of the parking lot where the counter -- normally used to display the catch of the day -- had been turned into a magnificent banquet table, filled with platters of sweets and savory goodies donated by the local bakery, restaurants and individuals.

Table begins to fill with donated tasty treats.

Then Came Winter

That holiday Saturday was gorgeous, so much so that we stopped on our way home to admire 'our' Pantazi Beach.

Pantazi Beach just like Hawaii

This stunning beach is walking distance from our home at the base of the hill. In tourist season it is jam-packed with tourists and sunbeds but on this day, it was empty and inviting.  The slight breeze, the warmth, and the wave action that day reminded us of similar scenes in Hawaii.

Well, that was Saturday. . .by the next morning, winter in all its stormy glory, had arrived.  We again stopped to admire the beach, this time for the wild fury of the place. The roar of enormous waves, gusting wind and sea mist showers were what greeted us on Sunday morning.

What a difference a day makes in winter here. . .

Weather here could be described as Longfellow once poetically wrote of the little girl with a curl: 'When she was good, she was very good, and when she was bad, she was horrid.'  Further down the beach, the giant waves had carried driftwood, rubble and large stones onto the roadway. The skies were leaden, and the rain came - at times - in buckets.  Such is winter in our slice of Greece.

This Saturday night in the village

Winter weather definitely puts our village into hibernation.  Olive harvest is coming to a close. Only a few fishing boats remain in the harbor.  The slash from olive groves is being burned as weather permits. Restaurants close for maintenance. At night streets are deserted.  

However, gardens are flourishing again, revived by the rain and cool temperatures. Roses and geraniums are in bloom, reminding us that spring will soon be on its way.

My rose, a bit wind-beaten, in the garden

Spring seems far distant though while we have a low temperature advisory in our area. It dipped to 37F/2.2C two nights ago and while that is balmy for some of you reading this, I can tell you it is COLD for here. The highest peaks of the Taygetos Mountains are finally iced with snow.  We've had our oil furnace, fireplace and electric wall heaters going in tandem and separately for days.  

A snowy peak of the Taygetos Mountain peeks out

But the storms come and go relatively quickly here compared to our old Washington State weather and we should soon be back in the low 60F's/15C's. Yesterday we had sunshine and by today the rain is again pouring down.

Gray days in Greece

We spend our winter days, snuggled up with our 'gatas' (our cats), catching up on reading those books we've had stacked up, planning future travels, and for me, writing.  We know many of you are having tough, cold winters right now, so we send our wishes for your safety - whether just going outside your door or traveling to some far distant place.

Thanks for being with us on this blustery winter's day in Greece. Hope you'll be back for our next report and bring some friends with you!  Anybody have a good book recommendation for us? Add it to the comments or send us an email - we are always on the lookout for new titles!

Then Change came to the Village

Change. It is as inevitable as the passing of seasons.  

Agios Nikolaos, our village

And now change has come to our village. Slowly at first, it seemed, now picking up speed and with a domino effect. It isn't a single change, mind you, but a gestalt or pattern of changes, that has caused both delight and disappointment among those living in this slice of the Greek Peloponnese. 

Agios Nikolaos, just south of Kalamata

Our small fishing village is Agios Nikolaos. With a year-round population of a few hundred, it sits on the edge of the Messinian Gulf, cradled in the base of the towering Taygetos Mountains and set amid olive groves. It expands with visitors during the warm months and shrinks back to size in the late fall and winter.  

There is a real estate office in the village now

The heart of the commercial area of town offers kafenions (coffee shops), bars and eateries. There is a single clothing store, open seasonally.  A year-round hardware store and nursery are found a bit out of town, as are two gas stations. A dozen or so fishing boats remain based in our harbor. 

As of last year, we also have a real estate office that announced its arrival with the installation of fancy signage.  It offers an inventory of homes and property. At least one of those properties posted on that board in the photo is for sale - asking price 850,000 euros.

Yes, change has come to the village.

Change in the Village

Captain Antonis and his boat - Agios Nikolaos

'Kalimera, Captain!' I called out to our friend, Captain Antonis, as he worked on his boat in the harbor.  I blew him a kiss as I walked by on the harbor road.  'Kalimera, Jackie!' he called out blowing me a kiss in return. Seeing him and his fishing boat in the harbor and exchanging greetings, is one of the things that hasn't changed in the village. 

We were among the first to take the Captain's excursion

However, Captain Antonis might actually be one of the village's first change agents. Two years ago, he began taking groups out to experience reeling in the net, sorting the catch, then touring along the coastline, serving lunch and making plenty of swimming or fishing-by-pole-from-the-boat stops before returning several hours later.  

 

Captain Antonis reels in fishing net

His new venture is one of the most popular changes in town. It was announced by a small sign at harbor's edge and word of mouth among his friends. 

While the captain's change was subtle, others can't be missed.  The most recent -- and the one seeming to cause angst among expats and soon-to-be-arriving tourists, is the sale of our local supermarket chain. 

Katerina's is closing!

Let me tell you, if you want to get speculation to an all-time high and nerves jangling among those who don't like change, just start talking about changing the small grocery store chain serving our area. We have two independently owned supermarkets; one of which will continue operating every day but Sunday, as it always has while the other closes temporarily for a change of ownership. 

Turns out the news of the sale is true. We wait to learn of the new operating hours. Because our Katerina's market chain is locally owned and it will be different having a new chain operating shops in its place. One of the Katerina's stores - the one in our village -- closed last week for renovation by the new owners. 

Litsa's Katerina's closed this week and will reopen under new ownership

It and three other Katerina's will open as a Kritikos stores, part of a Greek grocery chain that got its start on the island of Aegina as a mom-and-pop shop decades ago; now with hundreds of stores across the country.  We will miss the retiring Litsa who oversaw our small store's operation, but staff members are all returning as employees of the new store. We are among those rather excited about this change, having seen Kritikos outlets elsewhere in Greece and knowing that no one is losing their job.  

Kritikos on the island of Spetses

Just down the road from the little grocery store, a new upscale restaurant opened in a renovated stone building along the harbor where a long-time favorite, but seasonal, restaurant had operated for years.  While we miss the traditional restaurant, the new one, Medikon, quickly became a favorite of ours and others.  As a full-time resident here, I can tell you it is nice to have year-round-eating-out options in the village.

Dining at Medikon - interior courtyard

The food is so good there, that on our recent cruise we found ourselves comparing a specialty dining venue on the ship with our hometown eatery as being, 'as good as Medikon!' We no longer need to travel to Athens for a fine dining experience. Change has come to the village.

Souvlaki, pizza and Medikon - our harbor is lined with new eateries

Next door to Medikon, a pizza place - a sister to the one in neighboring village Stoupa - opened a couple years ago. Then the souvlaki place next to it changed ownership earlier this year and expanded its operation and waterfront presence. The souvlaki place even offers home delivery!

Growing Pains

We've found the most difficult part of change has been the goodbye's it has brought with it. We welcome the new but miss the old familiar faces and hangouts. 

My friend Aspacia - a casualty of change?

Many of you have come to know through these posts my friend, Aspacia, who lived next to the ATM. It is this woman with whom I exchanged plant starts and hugs throughout the year. She spoke no English and my Greek was limited. I gave her a poinsettia each Christmas, she gave me fresh eggs. She and her husband sold honey from their home. One day they were there, it seemed, and the next day construction was underway.

New home of something - but not Aspacia 

A sleek glass door now leads into a renovated space where they made their home for the decade we've been here. No one in the village seems to know where they have gone. Nor what is going into the commercial space.

But it was the closing of Gregg's Plateia in January, that probably sent the most shock waves through not only this village but neighboring villages as well.  For 15 years it had been the place you went when you needed food, drink, help, advice, a laugh or a hug.  Gregg, his mom Freda, wife Kathy, and their sons, along with longtime employee, Nikki, were celebrated at an impromptu closing party where well wishes were offered, and tears were shed. 

Our visitors always made a stop at Gregg's Plateia

The business closed and the building is being renovated. It will house a meze restaurant owned by the same people who opened Medikon. Gregg has just announced he will begin a transfer service, taking passengers to and from Athens and Kalamata. Freda is enjoying time with family in Australia.  

No one was a stranger at Gregg's - Freda and a guest from Arizona

We are all eager to try the new place, yet nearly six months later, it doesn't seem right not having Gregg's Plateia in the village. 

The bus still inches through town at least twice a day!!

Maybe COVID lockdown gave rise to the changes. Maybe it has been the impact of the growing numbers of expats - those like us -- who've been charmed by the place and want more than a vacation-sized serving of life here.  

Maybe it is the Greek government's push to expand tourism to year-round and in still-developing tourist destinations. In May the Peloponnese Tourism folks and the City of Kalamata hosted a conference of more than 300 travel writers, bloggers, content producers, and influencers as we are all called now. I can assure you, those attending loved what they saw of this area! 

Agios Nikolaos

Did I mention that we now have a hang-gliding launch pad in the village behind Agios Nikolaos and its not unusual to have a glider land near Pantazi Beach, just to the south of the village?

That's it for this week. Thanks for being with us again - hope you will be back next time when I ponder expat life. We have heard from many of you and it seems you are contemplating expat life in Greece. It may be time to tell you a bit more about it - the good, the bad and the ugly!  Safe travels to you and yours