Ammoudia: in the heart of Classical Greece
We started early on our bikes to make sure of cycling in
the morning cool. Intending to cycle up the River Acheron to Kanaliki, the
local town for a supermarket shop, we instead got diverted by a sign to the
Necramanteon – the ‘Oracle of the Dead’ which Demetrius had urged us to see.
Climbing up the steep hill to the site we were put off by signs advising that
no entry was allowed without a paid guide and only between the hours of 11am
and 4pm but were happily allowed entrance for just two euros and told to make
our own way around as a gang of workmen toiled at reconstruction work being
funded by the EU.
 |
| Necromanteion site |
The Necromanteion was built on the site originally
claimed by Homer to be that of Odysseus’s communication with the dead. In
Classical times it was the hill which overlooked the meeting of the Kokitos and
Acheron Rivers and the entrance to the underworld, Hades. The Necromanteion
sanctuary is believed to date later from the 4th to 3rd centuries BC and was
where pilgrims would travel to endure a ritual of fasting, cleansing (and
probably drug-taking) before being allowed by the high priests to find their way
through the stone labyrinth and climb down to the sacred hall to commune with
the spirits of the dead. We clung to the steep iron steps which took us down
out of daylight and deep underground to the Hall of Hades. It was mesmerising
to stand in the darkness of the stone hall which still has a ceiling of 15
porous arches intact and which ran with cold dripping water.
 |
| Hall of Hades |
Snake pellets on the ground kept us on the dimly lit iron
platform as we smelled the musty air of centuries’ old superstitions and
beliefs. This place is also where Persephone was believed to have been forced
to reside by the King of the Underworld, thus causing winter to hold its icy
grip on the land up above. It was utterly quiet and eerily mysterious. The
climb back up to hot sunshine and the clanging sounds of the workmen rebuilding
stone walls was like waking from a dream. It was a very special experience.
Shunning the necessary practicalities of a supermarket
shop we instead headed back to the coast on a back lane to find Odysseus’ bay,
presumably where he came ashore under instruction to seek out the souls of the
dead, or ‘deads’ as our map charmingly told us. Our cycle took us past neat and
orderly fields and well-tended vegetable plots. It was hot now and the air was
full of the scents of roadside broom and gorse bushes, wild garlic and herbs.
In country gardens we were surprised to see and enjoy the aromas of masses of
roses in deep reds and pinks.
 |
| Goats on the road | |
Along the farming tracks goats, sheep and cows roamed
freely, ringing their bells and ambling good-naturedly alongside us. We stopped
to ask permission of an old boy goat herd to cycle through his gorgeous herd of
kids and mothers tripping ahead of us on the road. He urged us ‘yassos yassos
pass pass keine problem!’ Dodging sunning snakes and lizards we found the red
sandy track to the bay and came across a couple of moored yachts enjoying their
own Greek paradise in a beautiful setting.
 |
| Amoni Bay |
 |
| Kerentsa Bay |
Our pedal around the cove to Kerentsa introduced us to
Lyceon, an enthusiastic café owner who told us of his planned ‘Musical Festival
for Mittwoch’ – which turned out to be the Greek national holiday of May Day in
two days’ time. Fortified on strong Greek coffee and lemonade (a surprisingly refreshing
combination!) we cycled back to the Necromanteion and out on the roads to
Ammoudia for a cooling swim in the crystal clear waters at the beach.
Drying off
over a beer and accompanying ouzo at fisherman Michelmos’ bar, our lack of
Greek almost saw us buy his entire stock of 100 litres of home-bottled Rose
wine.
Michelmos’ customers’ needs thankfully
prevailed and we headed home with just the litre and a half to enjoy sampling
with the sunset.
Back at Bertha we had been joined by a gorgeous white
beach dog. ‘Pola’ was named by Carole who has been feeding her during their
visits to Ammoudia for the last three years. Carole’s van included supplies of
tinned food, flea spray and worming tablets for the many Greek loose dogs, cats
and kittens she knows to expect to encounter on their travels. This opened our
eyes to the care that touring campervanners give to animals shunned in their
local community.
It is a sad practice that the Greek’s use poisons as a means
of ‘controlling’ the dog and cat populations. Pola ate well that evening enjoying the impromptu bbq
wars between the two British vans – but frankly, Alec didn’t stand a chance.
 |
| Barbecue wars |
