Leaving Kardamyli, we continued south along the west coast of the Mani. I had looked forward to seeing this country ever since first reading about it in Karen and Terry Whitehill's Europe by Bike years ago - a book that was the inspiration for a number of our outings over the years. We weren't disappointed - the country is every bit as dramatic and interesting as they made it seem 20 years ago, and doesn't seem like it can have changed greatly since then. Once we left the main road south of Aereopoli, it seemed as if we hardly saw a car for the next 80 miles.
The arid and austere terrain is quite challenging, but very beautiful - especially in the spring, when the fields were aglow and full of color. Of special interest along the way are the characteristic and reknowned fortfied houses that are the traditional residence here, reflecting the violent history of the region's often feuding clans.
We ended the day at Gerolimenas, a tiny resort on an inlet near the tip of the peninsula. We treated ourselves a bit here, splurging at the classy O Geroliminas hotel. A modern restoration of traditional tower houses, it's an elegant affair that sits on the south side of the bay overlooking the cliffs across the water. We were the only guests, and were treated like kings.
South of Kardymili, the countryside soon became much drier and more open, and mostly depopulated. It remained so all the way to the end of the peninsula.
Another church in Aeropoli. From Aereopoli the main highway turns west toward Githio. We continued on south though, and found almost abandoned roads for the rest of the day and the following one.
Off the main road, after another error by the navigator. After this one, Rachael requested that we back off with the experimentation and stick to the main road. Very sensible, since it was beautiful, paved and virtually empty.
Fortified Maniot tower houses. The region is famous for these structures - a blend of home and fortress. When the family enlarged they just built on a new level.
