Where to go when you are nowhere? Well, at least we're up to an
adventure again,
and here we go. If you wish to join us, get your boots on and come
along!
We decided this year to find an island where the temperature was
not too hot, and the water so warm that we could enjoy swimming
and snorkling around for 'hours'. We found it.
Also we find a guidebook for wandering. The book included routes
for about 25 different walks, but as we had found a lonely place
to stay, about 18 km north of the 'capital' and where
the other 1.800 people on this island lived, there was only one
route from this area in the book.
So we had to choose that one.
But even if we have not seen any of the other 24, we are quite
sure this one must have
been the most interesting and exciting of them all. No doubt. Yet,
it seemed so easy
when we looked at the map in the book:

Just like any other main-road to SOMEWHERE, except that this one
lead to NOWHERE...
Walking time if in reasonable condition? About 3-1/2 hour tour/retour.
But - that was if you were at the starting point - not at 'home'.
Before we continue, you might like to know from where we started
- at 10 AM that day.
As shown on the map above, we stayed at a small peninsular called
Agios Dimitrios,
in a lovely small house shown here:

(For
your information: 1 living room with kitchen, 2 double bedrooms,
large bathroom with shower and toalet)
How we found this lovely place? Through Internet. (That's a marvelous
instrument....
If you want further info on how to rent a house etc, please contact
us and we will
get you in touch with our agent, whom, by the way, gave us a fantastic
service - starting
when they collected us when the boat arrived at Skopelos, and ended
when they
got us back to the sivilization again....)
We were almost alone, except for 4 english tourists living about
100 meters from here.
Further down, about 50 meters, was a nice Taverna, which was run
by the owner
of our house. It is open during the season. At this time she comes
out here
at 11 AM and goes back home again about 5 PM.
Small
typical greec taverna, right on the beach, serving real good meals
And just where is this paradise?
Right on the island of Alonnisos, which is one of three
'larger' inhabited islands in the Sporades Archipelago in the norhtern
part of the Aegian Sea.
As mentioned before, most inhabitants live in the capital of Patitiri,
or in the old
town Palia Alonnisos on top of a hill. (may be more info will be
included later....)
There are two or three places more,
called villages, but with only less than a hundred
inhabitants in each, we believe. One is Votsi, another is Steni
Vala, which is well known by
those cruising the greek waters by sailboats.
About 18 kilometers north of Patitiri,
that's where the 'Flying Dolphin' boat comes over
from Volos on the main-land, and from the other two inhabited islands,
Skiathos and
Skopelos,there is a small peninsular with a very, very beautiful
beach:

Agios Dimitrios, and the yellow spot to the left is our house in
the olive-grove, and the right
yellow spot indicates the Taverne shown above.The beach itself goes
from a bit under
the picture, and all the way round the peninsular, and just as far
on the other side of the tip.
And the water? Crystal-clear and beautiful, and about 25°C..

So, here we go. From the startingpoint at NOWHERE. Well, of course,
the place has a name,
Kastania, but there is nothing there at all, except for a very old
well, where no water has
been seen for quite a long time. Will try to make a drawing of this
place soon, to show
you just what it is all about. As shown on the picture of NOWHERE
above, there is
actually a roadsign pointing to the small path to the right, which
is going all the way
down to Agios Dimitrios, but more about that later.
If you look to the left, just above the red arrow, you will see
a very very small path
leading into the bush on the right side of the road. That's the
path leading from
nowhere to nowhere. That's the path we are going to follow soon.
The book says about this tour, that the small path mentioned above,
follows an old
dry and small river-bed which should be to the left. Then you soon
come to an olive-grove,
which is enclosured. Then turn to the left and follow the river-bed
(which was also
enclosured). There is still a bit to walk, but just follow the river-bed
all the way
down to the coast (that means at least one and half an hour walk....)
There is no possibility to get lost on the way down, unless you
leave the river-bed.
AND DON'T YOU DARE TO DO SO - YOU WILL CERTAINLY GET LOST!
Now, to make this more readable on the net, you will have to load
another page.
All you have to do is to click right
here --> 
The book :'Alonnisos on
foot' is written by Bente Keller, and is published both in english
and danish.
It is available from Knud Bovbjerg
Louisehøj 18, DK-2880 Bagsværd, Denmark.