Lake Kastorias

Monday 2nd June

We are parked this evening next to a monastery on the shore of Lake Kastorias. We had enough of the B roads and took the new motorway today through about ten or twelve tunnels and with some lovely scenery as we travelled through the Pindhos mountains and the last thirty kilometres through a section of motorway with high double chain link fencing on both sides and warnings every few kilometres that we were in bear habitat! Naturally we rubber necked all the way but, alas, saw no bears. However, researching Greek bears on the internet led us to this site. http//www.arcturos.gr This organisation provides sanctuary for bears, wolves and also breeds traditional Greek shepherd dogs amongst other environmental activities. So, as it's on our way, we plan to visit the bear sanctuary, which is not too far from here tomorrow.

The place we are at now took some finding. The co-ordinates we had led us to a hospital car park which we suspected was not where we wanted to be. So we followed the lakeside round a little further and found a car park next to a tiny church. Not a monastery we thought but it will do for the night. We had some lunch, set off for a walk and then found the monastery five hundred metres further down the very narrow road. We were adopted by a dog on our walk, he picked us up at the church, followed us to the monastery and all the way back to the van. We started the van and drove to the monastery and asked the guardian where we could park. He showed us and no sooner were we parked up than the dog appeared again. She looks well fed but we gave her some water and she has been lying down outside the van for the last two hours. Everybody who walks past thinks it's our dog!

Here she is:

She's very affectionate and I presume she belongs to somebody but she shows no sign of going home for tea.

A view across Lake Kastorias:

 

The Monastery:

Frescos on the external wall:

 

Tonight we have bullfrogs, ducks and various birds to keep us awake and, no doubt, wake us bright and early in the morning. Better than last night's traffic and music from the bar next door until 4am.

Pat.

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy