#pagasetic gulf | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

gemsofgreece · 3 years ago

Text

10 places to see in Mount Pelion, Greece in autumn

Pelion is a very beautiful lush green mountain in a privileged location in the heart of Greece. It lies on the east of Thessaly, in the prefecture of Magnesia. The mountain forms a curved peninsula into the sea, which creates a gulf, and consequently is surrounded by water; the Pagasetic Gulf on one side and the open Aegean Sea on the other, together blessing it with beautiful and diverse coastline. Another of its charms is its famed architecture, as Mount Pelion has been relatively densely inhabited for centuries. During the Ottoman Occupation, Pelion managed to maintain a local aristocratic society, thanks to its proximity to Volos city. All these elements combined create an idyllic scenery - lush mountain vistas, breathtaking beaches and elaborate traditional architecture. Here are 10 beautiful places in Mount Pelion to visit in autumn.

1. Makrinitsa

One of the most accessible villages of Pelion, Makrinitsa is only a few minutes from the port city of Volos. Like several villages nearby, Makrinitsa offers tremendous views to the city and its harbour, the gulf and even the Sporades islands in the distance. Makrinitsa has maintained its architecture in perfect conditions and has not been affected by the many tourists. When there, do try the local spoon sweets and the herbs. It is recommended to stay in one of the many traditional mansions that have been turned into boutique hotels. Nearby villages just as attractive are Portariá and Vyzitsa.

Photo by dimitrisvetsikas1969/15962 from Pixabay.

2. Miliés

It is one of the most quaint villages of Pelion and the final destination of the century old train ¨Moutzouris¨. Milies has one of the oldest public libraries of Greece and a very unusual church built in 1741. You should go there by taking the small beautiful train from Volos city, have a dessert in singer Tania Tsanaklidou´s coffee shop "Ἀννα να ένα μήλο" and do a 14 km hike that will take you to the villages Pinakates and Vyzitsa and then back.

Photo by Konstantinos Lagos on 500px.

3. Tsagarada

Tsagarada is possibly the most popular mountainous village of Pelion. It is a large village built in lush scenery and close to stunning beaches like Mylopótamos, Damoúhari and Fakistra, which you should absolutely visit if the weather is mild. You should also see the gigantic 1000 year old plane tree in the square and eat in its restaurants, especially the sophisticated "Dipnosofistis". Tsagarada is also ideal for horse riding and hiking.

Photo by George Girnas GR on 500px.

4. Stayates

Close to Volos yet still mostly unknown to tourists, Stayates offers beautiful architecture and authentic village lifestyle. Stayates has been well known for the quality of its livestock produce, exporting meat inland and abroad. Stayates also has so great springs that people from Volos used to go to this village to fill their pitchers with crystal clear water.

Photo by symeon gaitanidis on 500px.

5. Lafkos

Lafkos is ideal for peaceful vacation. You should enjoy the views to the Pagasetic Gulf under the plane trees of its square, visit the Radio Museum (one of only two in the country) and take your coffee in Forlida´s coffee shop which dates back to 1785. Lafkos is full of centuries old and well preserved two-storey mansions.

Photo by Myrtw Kaiopoulou on 500px.

6. Tríkeri

Trikeri offers something different. Located on the far edge of the peninsula, it is essentially the cape of Mount Pelion and enjoys a 360 degree view. It is a village with vibrant local character. Few minutes off the cape there is the tiny island of Paleó (old) Tríkeri, with only 20 inhabitants in winter!

Photo by Cosa2244 from Wikimedia Commons.

7. Ágios Lavrentios

Agios Lavrentios is known both as the medieval village (because it was built in the 11th century) and the music village (due to the music festivities taking place there). There you will enjoy a maze-like system of alleys, perfectly preserved humble houses and three-storey mansions alike, the monastery of Saint Laurence dating to 1378 and the absolute absence of cars. Cars are parked outside the village and are forbidden inside.

Photo by Giannis Rpk on 500px

8. Kissós

Kissos is built in one of the most verdant and lush regions of Pelion, to which it most likely owes its name [κισσός (kissós) = ivy]. With the village as your starting point, you can explore the beautiful nature of the mountain. The village is also loved for its hearty food and one of the most beautiful churches in the mountain, and a cafe that is often chosen by distinguished artists for small gigs. Rigas Feraios (1757 - 1798), one of the most influential visionaries of the Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire, served in this village as a teacher, hence his monument in the stone-made square.

Photo by Christos Santakas on 500px.

9. Pinakates

Pinakates is probably the best preserved settlement of Mount Pelion in terms of architecture. The village is so well preserved because until recently it was only accessible via one road which ends in the center of the village. All other roads could only be used on foot or by mule. In 1979 it became a category 1-protected landmark.

Photo by John Syrigos on 500px.

10. Chánia

Hánia or Chánia (not to be confused with Chaniá city in Crete) is ideally a winter destination but it is wonderful in autumn as well. It is built in a higher altitude (1200 m) than any other settlement in the mountain and it is the closest to the ski resort. The village took its name from the many inns operating in the location for centuries. True to its name, there are still many hostels and taverns with traditional hearty food to try.

Photo by Sonia Tsantila from 500px.

*For some reason, Wikipedia and other sources list 24 villages for Mount Pelion. I am no authority but I believe this to be false, because I have vacationed in places there that were not included in this list and are pretty touristy even. I don’t know what’s up with that (unless some are considered...suburbs of the villages idk) but anyway Mount Pelion has 24 and / or more villages, each of them being at its prettiest in a different season. Some more honorable mentions for autumn are: Portaria, Vyzitsa, Zagora, Anakasia, Keramidi, Agios Georgios Nilias, Horto, Ano Lehonia.

This guide was inspired by these two articles in Greek:

https://www.news247.gr/sunday-edition/10-mageytikes-staseis-sto-fthinoporino-pilio.9382272.html

https://magnesianews.gr/slider/ola-osa-kanoyn-to-pilio-yperocho-kai-to-fthinoporo.html

114 notes · View notes

johaerys-writes · 4 years ago

Text

Fandom: The Song of Achilles, The Iliad- Homer Pairing: Achilles/Patroclus

Chapter 4: Honey and Gold & Chapter 5: Growing Pains

Read here or on AO3!

Achilles's hair was a thing of beauty.

Darker at the roots, the colour of wheat in the summer, just before the harvest. Fine and straight, it never curled, even when heavy with salt water. Long, flowing freely down his back, smoothing in between his shoulder blades. When dry, it was wisps of spun gold, fluttering with the wind, with the calm or buoyant rhythm of his movements. When wet, it clung to his skin, followed the curve of his head and his shoulders, like the swirls on the necks of gilded amphorae. I never tired of the sight of it.

That evening, Achilles and I were lying on the grass outside the cave after our chores had been finished, enjoying the setting sun after days of rain. He was beside me, stretching his muscles, rolling his shoulders this way and that, tilting his head to the side, bringing his arm up and behind his neck. I pretended not to look, but my treacherous gaze would drift towards him every so often. He had his back to me, so I relished the chance to watch him without being seen. I still didn’t know, what his eyes on me meant. It was a feeling that was foreign to me. I wasn’t often looked at. I’d been overlooked since the moment of my birth, and that was what I was used to. But to be noticed like this, seen, to have Achilles’s gaze roam over my form, his eyes lock with mine… I couldn’t make sense of it. So I shied away from it. As best I could.

I took in a deep breath, let the scents of spring mingling with summer fill my lungs. The night and the day after it had been long, and it had been raining, and the smell of damp earth clung to my nostrils. The air had a different smell on Mount Pelion. It was crisper, fresher as it descended from the frosty mountain peaks. In Phthia, it smelt rich and iodine, the salty sea breeze carrying even in the depths of Peleus’s palace. Salt water always reminded me of Thetis, now. Memories came to me, of her dark, inhuman eyes, the blood red gush of her mouth, her hair, black as night, moving around her in an otherworldly wind, like fishermen’s nets being swayed by the currents. My heart tightened and my stomach twisted in knots at the thought. That fear, that she would notice my lingering affection for him, take him away from me, was ever present in my mind. I could not, would not allow it. Life without him was unthinkable. I would be with him, by his side, no matter the cost to me. No matter the hurt. This, I swore to myself.

The sigh that left my lips must have been audible, for Achilles turned to glance at me over his shoulder. Golden strands drifted with the breeze, catching in his eyelashes. “Is something the matter?”

I swallowed thickly, blinking at him. I could have said no. I could have made up an excuse. I could have lied. It would have certainly made things easier.

“I’d like to braid your hair.”

The words left my lips before I could stop them. I could never, ever lie to him.

Achilles’s brow quirked in question. He stretched his arm behind his head one last time, slowly, as if considering. Then he nodded, once, and looked at me. “Alright. You can braid my hair.”

My heart leapt into my throat. I prayed that Achilles could not hear its rapid beating as I knelt behind him and slowly, almost reverentially, combed my fingers through his locks. Silk threads parted under my fingertips, the tiny wisps at the base of his skull brushing my skin like feathers. Achilles tilted his head back, in time with my movements, exposing the curve of his neck, slender and swan-like. His eyes were half closed, his breathing even and smooth. Neither of us spoke as I picked up a thin strand, working it into a plait that lay close to his scalp. I had seen the warriors of Styra, from the mountains of north Eubea, braid their hair like this. They always wore it long and tightly bound, and they were as proud of their locks as of the sharpness of their bronze tipped spears. I worked silently, watching Achilles’s expression from the corner of my eye, careful not to let my fingers linger over his ear or the back of his neck. A fierce need tugged at me, a roaring blaze- I wanted to snatch my hands away and edge back, as much as I longed to bury my nose in his hair, let his smell fill my lungs to bursting. His smell. Almonds and honey, fresh soil after warm summer rain, that musky sweetness that was his alone. I knew his smell. I knew it, better than my own. It followed me wherever I went. I would know him anywhere, just by that smell.

My mouth was dry, my cheeks too hot. I focused on the act of braiding, on the rich, silken strands that glided through my fingers, trying not to look at the soft fluttering of Achilles’s eyelids or the small, relaxed smile that curled his lips. When I finished, most of Achilles’s hair was bound in plaits that reached the center of his back, following the smooth channel of his spine.

“So?” he asked. “How does it look?”

He turned to look at me, and my breath caught.

Fierce and captivating, his features sharp as if carved with sculptor’s tools, softened by the the braids that framed his face. These warrior plaits looked more real on him, more apt, than on any other warrior I had ever seen, even though Achilles had never raised his spear against a single soul. His eyes shone in the light, radiant and true, like stars that always pointed north.

I must have stared too long. Achilles’s brows drew together in a frown. “What? Is there something wrong with it?”

“No,” I breathed, shaking my head, hoping that the flush that coloured my cheeks could be mistaken for the sun’s kiss. “I wish we had a looking glass. So you could look upon yourself.”

“I don’t need it. I have you.” Achilles smiled, pleased, and tossed one of the braids over his shoulder. “Tell me how I look.”

You’re beautiful.

“You’re…” I swallowed, my pulse buzzing in my ears. “Your hair’s very long.”

Achilles’s gaze focused on me, dark and intent. His tongue, pink and glistening, ran over his lips, and only then did I realise how close to mine they were. Slowly, he reached up, smoothing back a stray curl that had fallen before my eyes. “So is yours,” he said quietly, his eyes never leaving mine.

I opened my mouth, I think, to speak, but no sound came out. My heart skipped and thumped, my lungs too small for my breath, too tight. If I leaned forward then, I knew, my lips would meet his. I would taste the sweetness of his mouth, the softness of his tongue. I would feel the warmth of his breath against my skin. I would thread my fingers through his hair, and let myself be swept away in seas of honey and gold.

“You should let your hair grow longer still,” he whispered. His long, slender fingers pushed that curl behind my ear. “Then I’ll braid it for you, too.”

“Yes,” I said, though I barely heard myself say it. My voice sounded as if coming from somewhere far away. “I’d like that.”

Achilles let his hand fall to his lap and I shivered with the hollowness of its absence. He looked about him, and something changed in him. It was as if he had suddenly woken up from a dream. “I don’t know how to do braids,” he replied solemnly. His expression had grown serious and aloof. “You’ll have to teach me.” And with that he turned around, resuming his stretches.

I settled back on the grass, watched as the muscles on his back and his arms tightened and relaxed. I watched as he finished, as he lay beside me, as the shadows around us grew long. I watched, but Achilles did not.

The dusk found us, and we spoke no more.

Chapter 5

The mountain wind combed through my hair as I ran, as fast as my legs would carry me.

Achilles was ahead of me, swerving past tree trunks, hopping over rocks and raised roots along the serpentine path. The tall grass that framed the narrow dirt road bent and rustled with the breeze his movements stirred; the only sound that betrayed his presence. That, and the little hanging clouds of dust his feet raised when they struck the earth.

I couldn’t hear him when he ran. I could never hear him. I could only watch, and follow. Watch the rippling of the crisp white fabric of his tunic. The grass that brushed against the sides of his thighs, like feathers. His hair, flowing down his back, unbound and unfettered. The rays of sun that slithered through the trees, through the shifting gaps in their thick foliage, only to be caught, like rabbits in a snare, in the lustre of his locks, the slight sheen that graced his slender shoulders and his neck.

Beautiful. Wild. Ethereal.

I paused to take a breath, my pulse beating wildly in my throat. I did not know how long I’d run- it must have been long, longer than usual, for my lungs were burning and my legs were just starting to cramp up. I would have run more, if I could, if only to walk in the almost-shapes in the soil his steps left, if only to convince myself that I could still follow in his wake, even if I never quite caught up.

It was becoming harder, that, the more time passed, I absently remarked.

“We can reach the mountain peak today,” Achilles had told me that morning, and I’d believed him. “A day this clear, we might be able to catch a glimpse of the sea below.” So I’d followed, not because I longed to see the waters of the Aegean, or the Pagasetic gulf in the distance, where Jason had once built his legendary ship, but because being in his vicinity was a need as natural as breathing for me. The comfort of knowing he was within reach. Close, yet still so far away from me.

I heard him call my name from somewhere up above, his voice mingling with the sighing of the wind.

“Not too long until we reach the top,” he informed me when I joined him a minute later. He was perched upon a large, flat rock, his long legs tucked underneath him, slender fingers playing with a stalk of wild wheat. I could just see the flutter of his pulse under his skin, the light flush that coloured his cheeks, a bead of sweat that arced lazily down the tendons of his throat, past the dip in his collarbone, only to disappear beneath the folds of his tunic. It glimmered faintly before it was gone, like the winking of a star in the night sky, and I felt a stirring in my chest that had nothing to do with my exertion. I swallowed, looked away.

“It’s still a ways away,” I said, coming to sit next to him. It was a warm day, and the surface of the rock was warm as well, but the cool breeze chilled my heated skin. “An hour perhaps, or more.”

“Not if we press harder.”

I laughed weakly. “I don’t think I can press any harder. Not today.”

“I think,” he said, his lips curving in a slow spreading smile, “you underestimate yourself.”

I returned his smile with a sigh. “I think you enjoy seeing me suffer.”

“I do not.”

“Is that so?”

The smile widened, brightened, reaching his eyes and crinkling their corners. The feathery ends of the wheat stalk he was holding tickled when he brushed them over my ear. “It is so.”

“Sometimes, it appears otherwise.” I swatted the stalk away, chuckling. I could still feel the ghosts of that faint tickling, and I rubbed my earlobe, turning to look at him. His eyes had never left me, but the amusement was gone from them. There was curiosity in them now, and something else. Something very still, immovable, holding its breath.

“Sometimes,” he said, uttering each word slowly, carefully, “appearances are deceiving.”

I was taken aback by the earnestness in his voice, the intensity in his gaze. I felt caught, pinned, like a butterfly to a cork board.

“What does that mean?” I managed to say after a long moment.

Achilles shrugged, looking away from me. The flush in his cheeks was brighter now, darker, but that could have been a play of the light. He tossed the wheat stalk away and unfolded from the rock, starting back up the narrow path, his nimble legs carrying him effortlessly forward. Further and further away.

“Achilles!” I called after him, pushing off the rock. “What does that mean?”

The hoot of a distant dove was my only answer.

A sudden, sullen determination sparked in me, as I followed on aching limbs. I would not be left behind. I would be by his side, always; this, I had sworn to myself. There were things I didn’t understand about him, things that eluded me and things that pained me, yet even so, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I knew that; if there was ever a constant in my life, that was it. That was him.

I watched him as he drifted away, as his slender form blended with the morning light that filtered through the trees, and at that moment, he felt more distant than ever. There was a time, I reminded myself, when I was content with watching. When I would admire him from up close or from afar, commit every movement, every plane and angle and curve perfectly in my mind, and that had been enough for me. Yet now I found myself aching for something I could never have, stretching bodily towards something I could never grasp. I closed my eyes, and his smile swam under my tightly closed lids, his laughter rang in my ears. I breathed, and I could smell the light musk of his sweat, the scented oils he used on his feet. At night, when we went to bed and he lay by my side, my treacherous mind would drift to that day by the beach, so long ago, a fish that willingly got tangled in the same nets, over and over again. The details were now hazy and indistinct, as if from a distant dream, but the feel of his lips against my own, the warmth of his skin, the softness of his breath were always there. Always, no matter how hard I tried to forget, to push it away, to hide it in the deepest recesses of my brain.

Part of me, I realised, didn't want to banish those memories. An insidious, hungry part of me wanted nothing more than to clutch and hold them close, to relive them again and again, to taste the second hand wonder of something that could never be my own. It stung like a burr under my feet, but I wanted it anyway. I wanted to be close to him anyway, even if I could never have him the way I longed to have him. Even if I was always meant to follow, just a little way behind.

I watched him run, I watched him go, and, gods above and below, all I could think of was how bleak a sort of life without the sweet, sweet pain of loving him would be.

#the song of achilles #tsoa #achilles #patroclus #achilles/patroclus #patrochilles #high-flying birds #johaerys writes

20 notes · View notes

clairethepsych · 4 years ago

Text

Pelion Greece Best Place On Earth To Visit

Pelion or Pelium (Modern Greek: Πήλιο, Pílio; Ancient Greek/Katharevousa: Πήλιον. Pēlion) is a mountain at the southeastern part of Thessaly in northern Greece, forming a hook-like peninsula between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea. Its highest summit, Pourianos Stavros, is 1,624 metres (5,328 ft) amsl.[1] The Greek National Road 38 (GR-38) runs through the southern portion of the peninsula…

youtube

View On WordPress

#pelion #travel #Youtube

1 note · View note

asailingmuggle · 3 years ago

Text

Our Aegean Flotilla 2021 Continued

Our Aegean Flotilla 2021 Continued Week two as we head west into the Pagasetic Gulf dodging storms and seeing dolphins, all while we nurse a nasty rope burn.

Welcome back to week two in the Aegean and this week we head west into the Pagasetic Gulf where we will have to do some storm dodging; but today is changeover day so we spend some time grabbing supplies and taking a swim off the local beach before discussing with Alex about heading down to Neo Klima. This little adventure will be our first time heading into a harbor and med mooring unassisted…

View On WordPress

0 notes

titts-tatts-n-pussycats · 6 years ago

Photo

Yet another photo of me in my bathing suit admiring the views of the Pagasetic Gulf here in Pelion🌊💫🧜🏻‍♀️🌞 • • #greeniegirlintheworld #pelion #greece #milina #dreadhead

#greece #dreadhead #milina #pelion #greeniegirlintheworld

0 notes

gerardbillet · 7 years ago

Photo

Sur la route de Argalastis. #great_greece #greece2017 #greece #argalasti #trikeri #pilion #finmaniac #sbilletcreations (à Pagasetic Gulf)

#great_greece #argalasti #greece2017 #finmaniac #sbilletcreations #greece #pilion #trikeri

0 notes

martinmark90-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Spend Your Holidays at a Pelion Hotel

The spectacular beauty of Pelion, in central Greece, is incomparable to any other. It truly is fully a mountainous area and also has several of the most lovely beaches having a fantastic landscape as its background. The imposing mountains overlook the Pagasetic Gulf on one side along with the Aegean Sea on the other side. Although this region lacks an airport facility, yet it didn't discourage travelers from visiting this spot. You can come right here by taking boat trips from the nearby islands or a bus trip from the city of Volos. The region's reputation as a tourist spot has enabled a Pelion to open within this region. Moreover, this region even inside the winter season invites tourists to the village of Agriolefkes exactly where the Mount Pelion Ski Center is located. Pelion has an awesome mixture of mountains and blue sea that may be viewed from anyplace on this region. The extended winding roads amidst lush valleys and also the picturesque hamlets clinging around the sides of these mountains normally possess a superior and good Pelion for the weary traveler or holidaymakers to settle in. A number of the touristy mountain villages within this region are Tsagarda, Portaria and Zagora. A lot of travelers from all corners in the earth head to this region. Pelion is becoming well known just like any other Greek island. Additionally, the reputation of a Pelion getting open all all through the year has improved the influx of vacationers to this area. The beautiful nature and serene atmosphere lures holidaymakers to this gorgeous and tranquil location. The nearby people today are enthusiastic in regards to the tourists coming here and prepared to show off the a variety of exotic characteristics of the location. Several mansions in this region have been turned into a outstanding Pelion hotel by the owners to accommodate tourists. These locals are really charming people who provide you with the cosy feeling which you really feel at property. The majority of these mansions are decorated inside a luxurious manner not forgetting to provide the a variety of exquisite touristy facilities also, to ensure that the guests can possess a splendid time here. You can even sit with them for tea or coffee and hear the fabulous myths and legends that this location has. Due to the fact they are the neighborhood persons, they can guide you to various good areas in this area be it the buying zones or touristy spots. Having said that, in case you are staying at a Pelion hotel in one on the a lot of mountainous villages, then you can have a marvelous view on the surrounding landscape. You could also be fortunate adequate to get a combined view with the mountains plus the sea at a distance. The interiors of such a ΞΕΝΟΔΟΧΕΙΑ ΠΗΛΙΟ are wooden mostly and have polished teak floors, along with the a variety of wooden sculptures noticed hanging around the walls or kept as showpieces, indicate the uniqueness of your folk art practiced right here. The coastal regions possess a variety of common villages that has grow to be famed tourist areas like Kala Nera, Milina and Platanias. Apart from these, other villages like Affissos, Agia Kiraki, Agia Marina, Agioi Saranta and Gatzea are creating quickly to accommodate vacationers in these areas as well. You may encounter a unique Pelion in all these regions also.

0 notes

etraveltrips · 7 years ago

Photo

The beautiful coast along the Pagasetic gulf Greece. . #greece #travel #traveling #Pagasetic #beaches #vacations #awesome #fun #sun #ocean #tropical #nature #instagood #travelgram #Instatravel #island #bucketlist #placestovisit #bestdestinations #traveler #hotel #luxuryhotel #photography

0 notes

scubahq · 7 years ago

Text

Scuba Diving In Paros Island Greece. Y

Scuba Diving In Paros Island Greece. Y .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: auto; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

Scuba diving in Paros Island Greece

Overview of Scuba Diving in Greece

Once one of the world’s most powerful nations, Greece has always had a strong connection to the sea. This collection of some 1400 islands has fought and won battles across its oceans as far back as 3200BC, conquering Persia, Minoa, and Mycenae along the way. These days, there may not be maritime battles of Herculean proportions waging when you visit, but the seas are still very much a focal point for travelling divers and snorkelers.

The craggy outline of mainland Greece juts out into a smattering of small islands that wend their way through the Ionian, Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. Popular as tourist holiday hotspots, the islands are also a mecca for scuba divers, with plenty of dive sites to choose from suitable for all ages and abilities. While the warm weather of the Mediterranean climate has allowed interesting marine life to develop around these waters, many of the sites also hold specific cultural interest that is fascinating to divers.

Dive shops and sites are located all over the islands, and each chain offers something a little different. Santorini, one of the Cyclades Islands, lies in the Aegean Sea and is home to a large number of dive sites off its shores, including House Reef, Mansell and Old Volcano, three locations that range from an easy beach reef dive, to a 200ft wall. Further south, the island of Crete touches the Mediterranean, and divers have over twenty sites ranging in difficulty to choose from. This popular holiday island, a traditional winter escape for Europeans, has wreck and cave dives to discover, and plenty of dive shops to choose from. Back on the mainland and just north of Athens, a protected bay harbours waters known as the Pagasetic Gulf. Over ten sites are dotted around this curving inland saltwater bay, and divers flock here to visit the beach dive of Kato Gatzea, a lovely drift and reef dive just outside the pretty Greek village by the same name.

Divers heading to Greece should be aware of certain restrictions though. Until 2005, it was actually fairly difficult to dive anywhere in Greece. The government had difficulty controlling the looting that was taking place, so an almost blanket ban meant that around 90% of their waters were off-limits for recreational divers. They’ve since had a change of heart, and diving is now widely acciessible, leading to a healthy rise in the number of dive shops available. There are, however, certain rules that have come along with this new freedom. Night dives, for instance, are only allowed if a guide from a certified centre is in attendance. Solo diving is strictly prohibited, regardless of experience, and divers must have a qualification from a governing body (like PADI) that’s recognised in Greece. Of course, training courses from Greek dive centres are allowed for novice divers. What makes Greece so exciting for divers is that with the relaxation of the rules still so fresh, there are hundreds of new sites being discovered every month.

Diving in Greece is great throughout the year, but winter can get particularly chilly. The best months are from April to October, with the warmest temperatures arriving around July and August. Generally, the visibility in most waters remains relatively clear, making it the ideal location for some recreational scuba diving. Back to the home page

from ScubaHQ http://scubahq.co.uk/holidays/scuba-diving-in-paros-island-greece-y/

0 notes

johaerys-writes · 4 years ago

Text

Fireflies

Fandom: The Song of Achilles Pairing: Achilles/Patroclus

Prompt: Mount Pelion

My entry for Day 4 of @patrochillesweek 2020! Where Patroclus and Achilles go on a night adventure :)

Read here or on AO3!

*********

“Patroclus.”

Achilles’ voice came as if from far away. It was a soft whisper, the breeze that rustled through the leaves in spring. I hummed sleepily, shifting to lie my side.

“Patroclus. Wake up.”

My eyes fluttered open, heavy and bleary. I blinked when I saw Achilles’ face, only a breath away from my own. He was staring at me intently, his features obscured by shadows in the half light.

“What happened?” I croaked, careful not to raise my voice. The night was still dark, and Chiron would be sleeping nearby.

Achilles sat up on the pallet. “It is time.” Without another word, he tossed the covers aside and slithered out of bed, padding to the far end of the cave where our clothes and furs lay. He chose a soft buckskin one from himself, then threw another at me. “Come,” he whispered, and, quiet as a cat, slithered out of the cave.

I stretched and threw the pelt on me with a yawn, then followed him, still tired and sleepy. The cold air embraced me as soon as I stepped out, making my skin prickle. The moon hung high up in the sky, round and full like a silver coin. The stars were bright that night, a million silver pins on a canopy of black silk, keeping it in place above us. I gazed at it for a while, in awe, before Achilles took my hand in his.

“Come, Patroclus,” he said, more insistently this time, and I followed him along the narrow, twisting path that led up to the mountain. I knew he had been waiting for this night for weeks, and I’d been looking forward to it, too, however tempting it seemed at the time to turn back to the cave and crawl under the covers.

We wove our way slowly through the overgrowth. I stayed as close to Achilles as I could, for his vision was much keener than my own in the dark. He could always see the owls that hid amongst the branches, and the foxes that slithered through the tall grass, and once he’d killed a scorpion right before I’d stepped on it. I was much less agile and nimble than he was. Where he picked his way along the path with speed and precision, I kept stumbling over fallen tree trunks and upturned rocks, and more than once did I almost fall flat on my face when my foot got stuck in a tangle of raised roots. It wasn’t long before I was wobbling along behind him up the steep path, sweating but also shivering underneath my pelt at the same time.

Achilles stopped to let me take a breath. The wind that blew drifted through his hair, bringing a golden lock of hair, silver in the moonlight, before his face. He pushed it back behind his ear. “Not too far, now. We’ll reach the peak soon.”

I nodded, but was too tired to utter a word. Achilles turned around, but didn’t take a step forward. His back stood before me, unmoving. “Hop on,” he said.

I blinked. “What?”

“Hop on my back.” He shot me a smirk over his shoulder. “I’ll carry you to the top.”

I gaped at him for a moment, but said nothing in reply. Slowly, my heart beating in my throat, I clambered onto his back, wrapping my legs around his narrow waist while I held on to his shoulders. His hair was only a breath away from my nose. It smelt of almonds and earth, of clean sweat, of the sweet, musky scent of him. I swallowed uneasily, trying to take my mind off the gentle rocking of his movements as he started up the path again. The warmth of our proximity sent shivers up my spine, but I forcefully pushed them down, focusing on the road ahead.

“Think we’ll be able to see them from up there?” I asked him quietly, in an effort to distract myself.

He nodded, hopping over a cluster of rocks. He didn’t seem to move any less gracefully or agilely with me on his back. “I know we will. We’ve seen the town from the mountain peak before.”

“We’ve seen it during the day,” I retorted. “Is it visible at night?”

Achilles didn’t reply as he continued, swerving past tree trunks, following the folds of the road. Soon, we were close to the spot that we often visited when the days were clear, a small glade that overlooked the Pagasetic gulf and the town of Pagasae that lay far below.

“There!” The pitch of his voice was higher than normal, and his back straightened underneath me. “Do you see?”

I followed his gaze, peering past the hills that lay beyond us, towards the dark, glittering waters in the far distance. And there, in a small pocket in the darkness, I saw the bobbing yellow lights of hundreds, perhaps thousands of fires and lamps and lanterns. They were moving slowly, weaving amongst each other, like fireflies in the night.

“Gods,” I whispered under my breath, leaning my head forward over Achilles’ shoulder. He grinned sideways at me.

“Remember Peloria, back in Phthia?” he asked me, a hint of wistfulness in his tone.

I nodded, returning his smile. Peloria was one of mine and Achilles’ favourite festivals. In Phthia, great fires were lit, and grand feasts were organised in every household, in honour of Zeus. There were countless games and sacrifices during the day, and banquets with music, food and wine at night. They were rich and plentiful, and even strangers and servants were welcome to them. Pagasae didn’t seem to be honouring the day any less than Phthia, judging by the multitude of lights in every house. From that far away, it seemed as if it were a different world, separate to ours. This, perhaps, was how the gods on Mount Olympus would look upon the doings of the people far below them, I idly reflected. Yet we were not gods. We were simply quiet spectators, two people standing on the outside, looking in.

My fingers tightened imperceptibly about Achilles’ shoulders. “Do you ever miss the palace?” I asked quietly.

He considered my question carefully. That was one of the things I loved about him. Even if we’d asked each other the same questions time and time again, he would still think about his answer, as if it were the first time. “Sometimes,” he admitted after a short while. “I miss some things. I miss my father. I miss the beach. I miss the small olive grove we used to go to in the afternoons, when everyone was sleeping. Do you remember?”

“I remember,” I said softly, and my heart tightened just a little when I remembered how small we’d once been. Time was moving fast, and I rarely ever realised it.

“But other than that,” Achilles continued, his voice gentle, a half whisper that mingled with the sighing of the mountain wind, ��I don’t miss anything else. I have everything I need right here.” He gazed out again, towards the town. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

In the darkness of the night, the tentative glow of the stars above us and the trembling flames of the fires below reflected in his eyes, tiny pinpricks of light that swam in the black of his pupils. An entire world, caught in the splendour of his gaze, held safely between his fair eyelashes.

“It is,” I whispered.

#patrochillesweek2020 #the song of achilles #patrochilles #tsoa #achilles/patroclus #achilles #patroclus #memories and echoes #johaerys writes

20 notes · View notes