Dispatches from Greece: Road to Koroni, Messinias Part II (11-12-12)

Monday, November 12, 2012

Road to Koroni, Messinias Part II (11-12-12)

Arriving in Sparti from Molaos, I found that I had a 4 1/2 hour layover. So I took a taxi downtown after nervously leaving my bag in the bus station's office -- where security, I was told, was not guaranteed. But I had never spent much time in Sparti, so here was my chance..

(Did I mention that on the way into town I saw a big store called "China City?")

News flash: Seniors get into the Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil in Sparti FREE - and what an incredible museum it is. Turns out that Koroni, with it's Venetian ramparts, was a major hub for olive oil trade back then and also during the Ottoman Empire. Lucky the museum was open, as all the others were closed on Monday. (It seems that all museums may let seniors in free of charge - not a question I would have asked in 1983 when last in Greece. And don't tell me that this is why Greece went broke!)

Lambros Restaurant

Sparti s pleasant, good-sized town. After the museum, I visited a bookstore for my H.Tribune, found an ATM -- and after asking around for "real food" (tis katsarolas), ended up in the basement Lambros restaurant on the main drag. It was indeed right up my alley; I had bean soup and, yes, more horta with the ever-present impossible- to-resist bread. Then I waddled back to the KTEL station where I happily retrieved my bag to await the next bus.

Road to Kalamata

The next bus took me through the majestic Taygetos Mountains -- more serious stone, but also green trees. And leaves along the side of the road were turning. Here they do have seasons. The weather continues to be good.

We had to change buses in a village called Artemesia for some reason; and that roadstop kafeneion/bus-stop gets the Worst Bathroom Prize. I won't elaborate -- but in case you're wondering, Turkish toilets seemed to have disappeared. Yeah!

Have now arrived in Kalamata. For some reason I forgot that this is a port town, and not a small one...Unfortunately, there are not as many buses to Koroni as I had seen on the Internet. Now 2 more hours till the 7 pm bus, my 5th today -- but I won't be twirling around Kalamata in the meantime. I am out of gas, and it's time for another Nescafe in hopes of at least taking a walk tonite when I finally get there... Lots to accomplish tomorrow in Koroni!