Travels with Spaniels: Bloody clan feuds, a nice little graveyard, and a lot of rock

We have reached something of a milestone on our journey. Sitting overlooking the sea by the disused lighthouse at the tip of Cape Matapan, we were at the southernmost point of our journey, 3,381 miles from Nordkapp, the most northerly place on our trip. While we will be zig-zagging around Greece for a few weeks more, our general direction from now on will be northwards.

The lighthouse at the tip of the cape

It was off Cape Matapan in 1941 that a sea battle between a British and Italian fleet effectively ended the role of the Italian navy in the Eastern Mediterranean. One of the crew on board HMS Valiant, a Royal Navy battleship, was my father, George Richards Serpell who was serving in the Royal Marines. Also among the crew was a midshipman named Philip Mountbatten. I wonder what happened to him.

Our journey down to the Cape had taken us from the village of Karavostasi where we had enjoyed a fine meal in the O Faros taverna, three courses and wine for €40. We made our way south to the little town of Areopolis, named for Ares the God of War, where we stocked up on some provisions before heading onwards. The Mani peninsula must be one of Greece’s best kept secrets. It is here that the Greek War of Independence first kicked off in 1821 in a bid to overthrow the grip of the Ottoman Empire.

Not much space for agriculture

Previously the area had been home to a number of local clans who spent most of their time warring with each other over the few patches of fertile land in a predominantly rocky and mountainous landscape. In order to protect themselves people lived in towers, all the better to lob stones and cannonballs down on their neighbours. As our road climbed and dipped through a series of vertiginous hairpin bends we passed dozens of these towers, some in ruins, others converted to modern accommodation. The hillsides were dotted with an amazing number of churches, each the property of a specific clan. Obviously it was not the done thing to spend Sunday praying alongside someone you planned to kill the following morning.

Vathia is one of the most spectacular fortified villages

We paused for lunch, parked above the village of Vathia, one of the most photographed of the fortified settlements. Some of the houses are still inhabited, sitting alongside the ruins of the rest of the village. After lunch Neri pointed out that there was a graveyard on a hill above us so, naturally, I was keen to have a look. At first I assumed from the tombs that the rocky soil had made it impossible to bury bodies below ground so they had been interred above, much like graveyards in New Orleans we had visited. However, on peering through some of the doors, it turned out the little buildings were shrines to the dead who were buried underneath. They contained photographs and mementoes as well as candles which could be lit on anniversaries and name days. It was a fascinating visit.

A little street of the dead

Anyone in?

A short drive down narrow winding roads took us to the end of the peninsula, at least as far as vehicles were concerned. The only buildings were half a dozen houses and a taverna, the latter closed for the winter. It had the ‘end of the world’ feeling that we had experienced at Nordkapp. In front of us was a ruined chapel, originally dedicated to Poseidon but hijacked by Christians. Under the cliff beneath it was what the Ancient Greeks believed to be the entrance to Hades. However as we did not see a ferocious three-headed dog we cannot confirm this.

Temple of Poseidon

After a very windy night, due to the weather rather than my chickpea, sausage and chicken casserole, we set off on the half hour hike to the lighthouse and the end of the Greek mainland. On the way we passed the ruins of Roman settlements, including two mosaic floors still in good condition after the best part of 2,000 years exposure to the elements. We were able to let the spaniels have a good run across the scrub, only hooking them up to their leads as the path approached the top of the steep cliffs by the lighthouse.

Plenty of room for spaniels to run

On our return to Florence we had lunch and then set off back to Areopolis where we

Beautiful stone buildings in Areopolis

intended to stay the night in a quiet car park. It is a beautiful little town, mainly built from the colourful stone that makes up the landscape. We were intrigued to discover some talking litter bins in the car park which informed you whether you were putting your refuse in the correct bin. It was even more fun the following morning when the dustcart arrived. As if by magic, the twist of a key in a slot in the ground saw the whole thing rise up in the air so they could wheel out the bins

We had a wander down some quiet roads with the pups before stocking up in the local supermarket. By now the dirty laundry was stacking up so we decided to drive across the peninsula to a campsite which held the promise of a washing machine. Here we will spend a couple of days getting the washing done and having a bit of a clean up. We are also close to a beach which pleases the spaniels so we sleep tonight to the sounds of the waves on the sand.