Aspra Spitia, Ayos Yoannis and Osios Lukas in Dobrena and Kala islands.
05/06/2013
Aspra Spitia Bay is just after Galaxidi following the route through the northern Gulf of Corinth. Entering from the front we can see Aspra Spitia, on the left is the village of Andikira and right of the bay we see a production plant of aluminum.
We stopped at Andikira in order to climb Mount Syro, as did the Archduke. In Andikira we can see some houses, restaurants and a small stone beach. On the way to Mount Syro we see Andikira church.
On the way up the mountain Syro there is a small turning that leads to the temple of Athena, a small temple on the hillside and from which there is already a nice view of the bay above the olive trees.
Once at the top of the mountain is the church of Prophet Ilias. We have from there a beautiful view of the bay, and on the other side we can see the Trakilos cape.
We move now to the other side of the bay to Aspra Spitia where we see a large pebble beach. Today it is a tourist resort consisting of sets of apartments and a camping. Just by the beach there is a promenade so close to the sea that prevents regenerate the beach ...
We continue to Corinth to the next bay of Dobrena. We stopped in a small cove, Ayos Yioannis, in which there are only five houses, including a restaurant.
From there the restaurant owner and fisherman, Giorgi, leads to Hosios Lukas, about forty kilometers away. We are surprised by the contrast between the southern slope -a few years ago there was a fire- and the north side which is full of firs and swarms of bees.
We arrive to Hosios Loukas and see some differences from the images that drew the Archduke. The tower hass changed, there are new buildings in front of the tower, we did not see the building next to the tower just above the entrance, there is a new building, a museum, opposite the church. However the church is practically the same.
The monastery has many visitors and is well known that many of the young people of the area are called Lucas in honor of the saint. Many of the changes are explained by the fact that a bomb fell there during the Second World War. In fact, in some doors are still the marks of gunfire. This image shows the place where the bomb fell.
We return to Ayos Yioannis and continue our journey to the islands Kala. Here we know that should be the ruins of an old convent, which we observed as we approach.
We see that the convent has been restored. From there we have wonderful views towards the second island Kala, in which there is a house, and from the beach on which stands the convent.
So far the destinations in the northern Gulf of Corinth. We will return with a new "Post" from the city of Corinth at the end of the gulf.
