Peloponnese

Stories of a journey and a struggle are frequently the corner stone on which cultures and civilisations are built. The Illiad and the Odissey are stories of a battle and a journey which can be seen as the pillars supporting the abode of ancient Greece... Homer tells in the Odissey the story of Oddysseus long journey back home to Ithaka after the war of Troy. Odiseus journey can be seen as a metaphor to the journey of our lives and the stories we tell ourselves about our goals and dreams. I copy below two poems by the Greek Poet C.P. Cavafy: Ithaka and an Old Man. Ithaka BY C. P. CAVAFY TRANSLATED BY EDMUND KEELEY As you set out for Ithaka hope your road is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery. Laistrygonians, Cyclops, angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them: you’ll never find things like that on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high, as long as a rare excitement stirs your spirit and your body. Laistrygonians, Cyclops, wild P

Biycle Journey Around the Peloponnese The Peloponnese (Πελοπόννησος) is a land of legends. It was here where Heracles strangled with his hands the Nemean Lion who  could not be killed with mortals' weapons because its golden fur was impervious to attack. Its claws were sharper than mortals' swords and could cut through any armor. It was here where the gods descended from the Olympus and intermingled among the mortals.  It was from the Peloponnese that the Troyan prince Paris seduced the beautiful Helen. And i t was from here that the  The  Argonauts  ( Ἀργοναῦται   Argonautai ) sailed with  J ason  to  C olchis  in his quest to find the  Golden Fleece. These stories and these mythological tales add a charm to the very tangible traces of the successive civilizations that were born there: Mycenaean palaces, classical temples, Byzantine cities and Ottoman, Frankish or Venetian fortresses. This blog documents our inquest in the Peloponnese in search of ancient tales,