GREECE

HE SAID

Elies Hotel & Walk to Kardamyli

Monday Aug 27

A day of la dolce di far’ niente – Italian for “the sweetness of doing nothing” …OR the pleasure of enjoying life..

Breaking the fast, healthy Greek style on our balcony. Beach for sun, a swim with lots of colorful fish, letting go, and coming across our Yin Yoga teacher, Biff.

Lunch under the shade of the olive grove followed by the traditional Mediterranean siesta.

A 15 min stroll down the beach road to Kardamyli to browse and buy an authentic blue & white Greek towel for Ag. Nicolaos. Greek coffee and a Coke at a tavern with a view…Biff again. Strolling in the golden light of sunset back to Elies.

A slow, late, shared dinner again, picking up more and more Greek from waitresses Dimitra and Iris.

Another good day is done.

 

HE SAID

Sunday Aug 26

From Kalamata Down the Mani to Kardamyli!

Doves cooing all night from above and in the big pines below. The huge pine just below covers a beautiful sidewalk cafe. Most tables there and in the many many many sidewalk cafes & taverns we passed on our long morning walk after breakfast were full of locals catching up. 

Our breakfast buffet had all the many specialties of the Mani…and beyond in Greece. So fresh and healthy! Nothing like Kalamata olives in Kalamata!! Plus many wonderful photos of old Kalamata on the walls. 

We finally found an open pharmacy to buy spray and bracelets for mosquitoes…good insurance for the US State Dept ‘West Nile Caution in Greece’ email alert. So far, it’s working!

We caught bus #100 for Kardamyli at 1300. With Greek music playing away in the background, we wound our way out of Kalamata and up and up and up into the spectacular mountain chain running south down the Mani.  

We finally reached elevation and continued to weave our way along the side of the mountains, in and out of many many ancient olive trees, some thousands of years old. We got occasional glimpses of the blue Gulf of Messina to our right and west. All the olive trees were loaded with small green olives, a sign of a bountiful harvest yet to come. These olives are the primary livelihood for most of the mountain villagers.  

There seemed to be many more U-turns than miles on this road! By 1345 we broke out into the clear and could see Kardamyli in the distance far below, then began to wind our way down through the switchbacks to it for an on-time arrival of about 1400! 

We didn’t see our ride so headed out on the beach road to the north – the Elies Hotel was only 2,000 meters away!  A refreshing onshore wind kept us cool until about the halfway point where Stavros drove up to our rescue!!

We’re in Room 18 this year, one of their best! Our view to the south is across olive groves down low, packed with thousands of trees, to the high mountains beyond. Our view straight out to the Ionian Sea is like last year’s, over their beautiful olive grove with the blue sea beyond. It reminds me of last year, looking down below Delphi into the deep plain toward the sea packed solid with olive trees, and the guide saying that conservatively there were several million trees just within view!

These olives will grow much bigger by the end. An optimal way for harvesting is covering the ground underneath with cloth and gently shaking the limbs, gathering all that fall. Redo until harvested. 

Lunch and dinner day 1 at Elies were superb!! A new chef?! Late dinner’s Spaghetti a la Carbonara and Sea Bass over greens were right up there!

And as Anne says, “This is just my favorite place ever!!”

SHE SAID

Sunday Aug 26

Drive from Kalamata to Kardamyli

Up early in Rex Hotel for the standard tourist hotel in Europe breakfast feast. Greek yogurt a great addition. Short walk around town, then walked our bags to the bus station. And away to Kardamyli as we climbed the coastline hairpin curves. Spectacular views of the mountains and seas. Arrival at Elies. Large lunch at 3 with cold Mythos under the olive groves facing the sea and the mountains! A spell on the beach and then back for dinner. My spaghetti carbonara was the best I’ve ever had – light sauce, little cheese and perfectly cooked al dente. The white wine was delicious, the perfect accompaniment to the sea bass and the pasta. We succumbed to the waitress’ suggestion of the cake with cream and chocolate cream inside covered with chocolate sprinkles. Divine with the espresso.  And off to bed after another day of travel.

 

HE SAID

Saturday Aug 25

Eastward from Bayeux to Kalamata!

Today a network of a lotta good, efficient people movers – from Logis les Remparts in Bayeux to Hotel Rex in Kalamata – taxi, SCNF train, OUIBUS, CDG underground shuttle, escalators, moving walkways, Aegean Air jet, taxi (and sometimes donkey) again!

Our second robust petite dejeuner  at La Reine Mathilde to stead us for the day. Then a final stroll by Bayeux Cathedral back to les Remparts for our fond goodbyes with Cristele and the Patron. 

Anne insisted on a taxi. On our walk from the train station to les Remparts, we’d both failed to notice the huge men-on-horses green topiaries in the round-about we passed!

Cyclists, hikers, day trippers and many others gathers on the platform. Soon we were headed east.

The shift from train to bus took place ~20 min later in Caen. Caen and most other cities in Normandy, unlike Bayeux, had not been spared from the WWII bombings. Totally rebuilt since. Looking around made us appreciate just how beautiful Bayeux was. 

3.5 hours more to the east with a couple of stops, our bus pulled into Roissygare within the CDG Airport network. An easy walk to the underground shuttle to Terminal 1 for checkin, boarding, then our flight on Aegean Air further eastward to Kalamata, Greece.

Our flight was packed. It is a very very popular route to get to the Peloponnese quickly from Paris. Aegean Air #1 winner for regional airlines. Pilots love flying it – 30 degree climbs and glides, 30-35 degree banks. Fun! Bags come out quickly, too!

Our 875 mile route from CDG was: 

 – ESE through France to Basel

 – SE across Switzerland over Lucerne then the Italian Alps, Lake Garda in the Italian Lake District and Bologna to our right

 – further SE down the east coast of Italy over the Adriatic Sea, passing Bari, Brindisi, then the boot heel of Italy to our right 

 – further SE across the Ionian Sea, passing Corfu to our left

 – turning SSE over the Peloponnese, passing over Mount Olympus, for the final landing at Kalamata at 2235, gaining 1 Hour (7 hours ahead of EDT).

Easy to see the cities or their lights all the way!

Taxi to Hotel Rex in Kalamata and up to Room 411, as requested, on the top corner looking seaward! Nice breeze – from mid 50s to mid 80s at night now, but the same sound of the cooing dove as in Bayeux, just outside our window.

Back down to the Mylo right next door for a couple of Mythos on the sidewalk, listening to jazz and Greek music in the cool sea breezes.

HE SAID

Friday 8/24

Normandy Beaches Tour 

Adrian was our guide today, one of the most knowledgeable and capable guides we’ve ever had! He reminded me of Nigota, a history professor and Jesuit at Emory, who not only could weave a great story but pack more interesting info into an hour lecture than you could ever imagine. 

Our tour of Point du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and the American cemetery and WWII Memorial was one of his 8 specialties as a guide, but probably the one he was most passionate about because of its strong human element. 

By the end of each stop, we had a new and much broader perspective of who, what, when, where, how, and why. Especially why the conditions needed for D-Day landings could only happen starting at pre-dawn June 5, 6, 7 (next optimal time late August) and why it ultimately became a success that started to turn the tide. 

And why of the two American  beachings at points nearly 100 miles south of England, only 48 of ~24,000 died on Utah Beach while 4,500 of ~35,000 died on Omaha (plus that Omaha was almost a lost cause in the early hours!). This versus ~800 fortified Germans, just along Omaha. 

Omaha was the deadliest beach; Utah, the safest. Germans backed off Utah due 101 and 82 airborne paratroopers landing and attaching Utah from behind in addition to the more accurate direct approach of allied arial bombings. Less accurate diagonal aerial approaches and no paratrooper diversions at Omaha. 

Point du Hoc was the German observation point/point of land for its 155mm long range guns (accuracy out to sea ~10 miles), between Omaha 5 miles to the north and Utah, 5 to the south which 225 special force Rangers also had to neutralize by landing and scaling huge cliffs with >60% losses. 

The very efficient Germans had built bunkers and observations points for their long range guns all along the coastline, using enough concrete to build 5 Hoover dams; enough rebar for 135 Eiffel towers!! Catalogued and prepackaged by specific locations as only efficient German engineering might implement! All connected by underground communications wiring. 

One big factor was having Patton create a huge diversion by “walking balloons” of tanks and trucks around near Calais much further to the north, a point only 26 miles from England and causing the Germans to focus most of their best forces there, thinking it was the landing point. 

Thus, a less experienced German army of conscripts from Eastern Europe with many wooden decoy guns meant to confuse along the D-Day beaches. The Germans had also brought General Rommel in 1944 to shape things up in the area, but he’d only implemented the first of many needed changes. Plus weather was bad on June 5th, and he’d decided to celebrate his wife’s 50th birthday away with her instead of staying on the coast. Moreover, the best German officers were not there to help control the situation. So many little things and plans fell into place by the end for victory. 

The D-Day low tide assault at dawn was needed to reveal obstacles/mines. But the Americans under General Omar Bradley almost lost it during the first 2 hours of the assault from the very accurate cross-fire placement of the German guns on the sandy, 4 mile wide Omaha Beach. At dawn’s low tide point of 500 yards out plus another 100 yards further to debark troops from the landing craft, this allowing them to back off and bring in more. The first two waves arrived carrying 60 lb packs, cold, wet, and increasingly demoralized. Most were quickly mowed down by German gun crossfire. 85% losses just in the first two waves! A psychological impact from high losses in the first wave. Bodies to pass with the smell of blood, powder, bodies, dust. Only because the more experienced soldiers were in 3rd wave and beyond, and the fact that the Germans began running out of ammo without experienced officers to control their fire together with Americans gaining positions on the landward side of the German guns, did the Americans gain victory at Omaha by the end of the day. 

We began to understand the immensity and the deadliness of the assault by walking out on the sands of Omaha Beach – 4 miles wide, 20% in from low tide with sand running out about 400 yards. Even today in late August, it was cold from the wind chill factor and the cold water of the English Channel. 

Our final stop was at the American cemetery. On French soil but run by Americans. Opened in 1956, 9,386 are buried there, the latest found and buried by his brother this past June. 69% Americans were shipped home. All except relatives are randomly buried. Inscriptions on all the tombstones face west to home. The American Memorial there with its reflecting pool like DC’s and the Garden of the Missing became the first WWII memorial in 1956. We watched the lowering of the two American flags at 5pm to Taps. 

Bayeux by 6pm for the Normandy Fruites de la Mer starter (fried smelts & mayo, oysters, shrimps, smoked salmon) and a huge canister of steamed mussels for dinner by  the river, then a walk by the Cathedral enroute to Logis le Remparts.

SHE SAID

Friday August 24

Pointé du Hoc, Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery

Decided to eat at our B&B today. Delicious cider and the best croissant I have ever had.

Adrian, our guide, picked us up. We were the last of 4 couples in the van. A cute young couple from Chicago, two women down for the day from Paris and a couple from Jackson, Mississippi. 

Adrian was a wonderful guide. He talked nonstop the entire trip. Passionate, wanting us to understand the battle, trying to be fair to the Germans. His town was St Lo, one of the many in the region destroyed in the war. His grandfather was captured and was in a camp for most of the war. His 104 year-old grandmother is still alive! 

His animated descriptions of the battle at Pointe du Hoc and our exploration of the German bunkers gave us much to think about as we drove to Omaha Beach. Seeing the beautiful beach with all the flags flying, reminded me of the lovely painting by Monet called Terrace at St Adresse, belying the horror of June 6, 1944. There is a great tide variation as at Mt St Michel, so the beach is extremely wide and beautiful. We were there about mid tide. I took off my shoes and walked on the sand as Adrian made us picture the events of that day. Then I saw a little area where the tides had cut out a small stream on the beach. I stood in it! I was in English Channel! A thrill! 

Adrian’s explanations helped us understand the reality of that day and the ensuing struggle for the Allies to reclaim France. (I enjoyed his explanation of the Atlantic line and how the German plan was laid out and why it failed.)

Next was the WW2 American Cemetery – beautiful white crosses or stars of David in rows on a brilliant green grass with beautiful green trees and hedges bordering the cliffs that looked out on the English Channel. 

Then a mad dash back to the train station for the passengers from Paris to make the 6:15 train. 

We walked back to our hotel and relaxed a few minutes before going out to the Crêperie La Moulin de la Galette with a flower bedecked mill by a beautiful river – sort of dreamy but it was very cold – heaters on and cozy throws to help keep us warm! 

My buckwheat crepe was thin and crispy – wonderful. And their celebrated homemade fries – yum! Bill had an “appetizer” seafood plate with huge shrimp, oysters, smoked salmon, and fried smelts with an aioli type sauce. More than enough for a meal. Then came the moules (mussels) and frites. About 3X as many as in the US.  Somehow, we managed to share a Norman Apple tarte. We were glad for a stroll around before bed.

HE SAID

Thursday 8/23

Le Mont Saint Michel!

An 0820 tour departure from Place de Quebec. But first, petit (actually huge!) dejeuner at La Reine Mathilde just across the small river in the center of Bayeux. Chatted up several fellow Americans headed for Normandy, etc. 

An early departure with guide Sabina, her understudy, and a couple from Dallas, driving ~90 minutes SW through the Norman countryside and villages, passing orchards, stone houses attached to stables, a chateau or two, a huge manor, manicured plowed fields and cornfields, lush green pastures with the many cows of Normandy, and scattered clusters of huge white wind turbines. PLUS! A brief stop on the narrow country road for an Exceptional Convoi with motorcycle guards with flashing lights – a huge yacht taking up both lanes and at least 30 feet high. 

Caught our first glimpse of le Mont Saint Michel out on the coast from a hilltop 20 km away! From there, in/out of sight through the fields and villages through the Normandy Bocage. Soon, arrival at the huge car park – still ~3km away, but an easy ~45 min walk along the levee or below on the salt marsh paths. We joined the huge line waiting for the shuttle buses. Boarded after about 30 min wait (bus was specially designed for driving at both ends, never having to waste time turning around!).

On le Mont by 1040. We followed Sabine up the less travelled backside pathway to the Abbey. Low tide is ~1300 today with the water already 8km to the west on the horizon of the grey sand flats, turning at nearly the 10km point. Next high tide at 6:25pm, a “regular” one that would not cover the final roadway to the entrance, but still a 48 foot tidal rise. A couple weeks from now in Sep, the full moon at equinox will bring a high tide making le Mont an island for a couple of hours without a walking passage. 

The flats are dangerous! Many have died in the quicksand or failed to outrun the speed the tide comes in (faster than galloping horses!) or its power – one of the most powerful in the world! Walking on the flats anywhere except immediately around the base of le Mont requires a guide. You can walk out to the huge rock outcrop (like le Mont) – ~90 min each way. 

On up the many steps (380 total from the base) into the Abbey to meet our Abbey guide. He was MOST enthusiastic, lots of humor, and very good. Quizzes nonstop, especially about knowing where you were geographically within the Abbey at any given time. 

We started in the Cathedral and like every other part of the tour, observed it from each geographic section. Down to the NW side through the Cloisters, Dining Hall (huge for 60 monks)and others sections. Observed the round hole in the ceiling below the Nave above where each stone was passed to build the cathedral. Then later the rope/chain pulley system that prisoners “walked the wheel” to haul stones, food, water, other supplies from the base far below. 

All in all, not the most pleasant history from life as an ascetic monk to le Mont’s use as an end of the line prison across many centuries. 

One interesting stop where you could put your left hand on the original rock to make a wish, but as our guide said, “Someone, please let me know if yours comes true. Maybe I’ve been doing something wrong all these years!!”

Anne and I hiked the 3km back in the brocage. Beautiful perspective on turning to look back as we got further and further away. 

A quick stop to sample ciders and Calvados, then another st a cookie shop.

Back in Bayeux by 1630. An incredible, 4 course dinner later at Au Ptit Bistro – mine better known now as the “3 Camembert meal”! 

Day ending with the amazing light and sound show on the huge Chene tree in the courtyard beside the Bayeux Cathedral. Themes of the accompanying sound (poetry, music, song, stories) was freedom & liberty. 

Freedom. I write your name.

The secret of happiness is liberty.

The secret of liberty is courage.

How refreshing!!

Introducing SHE SAID

Thursday, August 23

Up early and off we went to Reine Mathide Hotel for a delicious buffet breakfast with eggs, ham, coffee, and pastries before meeting Sabrina and another couple for a day trip to Mont St Michel.

The countryside was beautiful and interesting. Beautiful hedgerows (bocages) divide the farmers fields. Manor Farms dotted  the verdant  landscape.  When invasions were common, the manor farms, enclosed by high walls, could be self sufficient for a long time.  Some even had chapels!

Chateaux replaced the manors when invasions were less common during the 17th century or so.  And suddenly, Mont St Michel greeted our eyes, rising above the plains. Sabrina led us up the back way to the western Terrace, where an English-speaking guide took us through the Abbey.  The views were spectacular and the history was fascinating and somewhat grim. 

We wanted to walk the two miles back to the van rather than take the shuttle. We raced through the village hoping to find a bite to eat. Our hopes were in vain, so we crossed the fields with postcard views back at Mont St Michel on empty stomachs. We saw lambs grazing on the grass salted by the tides, creating the celebrated lamb ‘pré’- sale’ (pre salted), which sells out way ahead of slaughter. We made it back just in time. 

Sabrina’s interesting commentary kept hunger at bay for a while. The fields were were beautiful and green, and we searched for the famous Norman cattle, the Charolais, white with brown splotches and brown “sunglasses“ around their eyes. The meat is excellent. They graze year on lush green grass year round in Normandy’s mild climate.

Fortunately, we stopped to taste Calvados and Apple cider products and Norman butter cookies, where I snagged a mushroom and cheese crepe with a delicious salad.

Back in Bayeux,  after a brief rest in our room, off we went to Au P’tit Bistro for dinner. In general, Norman cuisine seems very bland to us spice lovers.  Lots of butter and cheese, but no salt or spices. 

Our dinner was again the 4 cheese courses meal. Much merriment and a fun evening with first class food. We started with a Pommeau aperitif and ended with an espresso. Imagine our delighted shock when the waiter brought out their complementary finish …Camembert macaroons!!

I had seen a sign about some sound and light program at the Cathedral courtyard, so we stopped in on our way back to the Logis. There was serious security to get in. The magnificent oak tree (sacred to the Druids) was bathed in lights and images reflecting the music of about 29 carefully chosen songs. The theme was Freedom – La Liberté. We saw scenes from the Little Prince (draw me a sheep) to “I have a dream” to Paul Eluard’s famous poem that starts “I write your name on my schoolbooks, my desk, the trees and so on “La Liberté”. To Fairies dancing on a tree, to psychedelic lights with the San Francisco hippy tune…and many others that I didn’t know. It was beautiful, moving, and uplifting. The people here clearly value Freedom, and the occupation is still alive in many memories.

Bed after 1 am!!!

HE SAID

Tuesday 8/21

A rainy departure from Dulles to Paris on a huge AF A380 Airbus. Plenty of room, open seat between us, but soon relearned how fretting babies, kicking the back of your seat, tend to keep you half awake. Still caught a couple hours.

Wednesday 8/22

Our first glimpse of Paris was from the insides of two jam packed suburban train rides, burdened with backpacks and suitcases. Whatever you may hear to the contrary, everyone was eager to help keep our suitcases stable in the crowd and push people away so we could get out at our stops!

On changing RERs at the Gare du Nord, we found ourselves on the opposite platform. When we asked for directions, a woman led us on the labyrinthine journey all the way to the correct platform.

At the Gare St. Lazare, Anne chatted up a SCNF (National French train lines) security guard who’d been waiting for some excitement. We got the all levels, grand tour ending with tickets to Bayeux on the 1219 train. A long one! ~100 yards hoof beside it to car #9. Anne insisted we sit in our assigned seats (52, 59…beside each other!) even being mostly empty!

First stop 1400 at Caen, Bayeux at 1419,  then Logis les Remparts, our B&B, 1450 after a stroll into Bayeux. Compact, beautiful city in the light!

Cristele gave us a warm welcome with Francois, husband and Patron. We felt we already knew her from emailing. We love their place! Following tradition, the Patron offered us cold bubbly hard (5%) cider with raisin/nuts and told us about his orchard (>3,000 trees).

Then off to explore Bayeux and the Bayeux Tapestry. A thousand year old, 70 meters  of embroidered cloth telling the story how William the Bastard, then the Conquerer, became King of England. A long time desire of Anne’s to see.

Later, an easy walk down to ‘l Assiette Normandie for dinner, just across from the Cathedral – a Cristele recommendation for its good, traditional Norman specialties. Bill’s 3 courses all flavored with cider or Calvados; Anne’s starter a Camembert mousse salad. We ended with a wonderful set of Calvados tastings the Patron left in our room! A long, but interesting day!