Welcome, who's welcome?

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Another long and winding road took us to Porta Kagio, the "Lands End" of the Peloponnese.  In fact the small fishing village was just like a small fishing village in Cornwall, and in true maniot style was just as welcoming ! (NOT). 

The Guv parked the "poppymobile" close into an empty building so to not obstruct the only dead end road, there are about 8 buildings along this shore and I could only see just as many people, but one had to come and tell the Guv " You can't park there!"

I true style the "poppymobile" stayed put!

My housekeepers did decide to stop for refreshments, but a fredo-cappuccino for the Misses was just one step beyond, I actually thought the waiter was about to say  " qué  " just like Manuel in Fawlty Towers!

The locals got their way in the end though, the Guv had to move the "poppymobile" after all as a group of builders turned up in their truck to work on the empty house exactly where he parked !  (woof, woof)

Lunch time...........

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The long and winding road (there's a song in there somewhere), led us to a seaside village called Leonidion.  Like many coastal villages this was once a thriving fishing port but today only locals seem to fish, going out in their small boats. Mind you the Guv sampled some of the catch at lunch time in the taverna pictured below.

      

  

   

I was allowed to sit outside on the terrace with my people, but never got any thing to eat!  Whilst the Guv enjoyed his fish, he was not happy with the mass invasion of wasps, so had to go right inside to finish his meal....... made a change though he had to worry more about being stung by a wasp than stung by the price !!!!!  (lol)

    

Don't look down !

 

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I remember when I was a stray walking for miles through the hills until I came across the home of the people I look after, mind you I am glad I never had to walk these mountains.  

For people who know the area think of the trip from Kalamata to Sparta and then multiply it by 10 !!!!   These are scary drops (or so the Misses says). As the Guv was driving though I knew I was safe.

We were heading to the coastal town of Leonidion and on our way passed through the mountain village of Kosmas (in the photos below).

Places en route

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During our tour of the eastern Peloponnese the Guv drove just over 500 miles, we went through lots of small villages, those on the Mani were especially interesting with their unique Mani Tower designs.  I am told that years ago the humans that lived in the towers feuded family against family for many years.   

I was surprised though at the lack of canine friends for me to chat with, saying that it probably was a good job they were scarce as the Guv does get a bit annoyed with me when I bark out of the "poppymobile" window when I see another of my kind.

Lots of sand!

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I thought today on my blog I would post a few more photos of Elafanisos for my readers to see.  You will recall I told you my people and I went there last week on our trip around the South-East Peloponnese.  The Guv said the ferry trip was far too expensive for just a 10 minute journey, so it was food rations for the rest of the day!

Along the harbour there were lots of small fisherman's cottages despite there still being small fishing boats active most of these cottages have become holiday homes for people from Athens.

Below you can see the "poppymobile" on the ferry

Local fisherman brings the catch in to sell

You can't hide from me...

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On my previous blog you will recall I showed you all some photographs the Misses took of cats (ugh!).....Well when the Guv and I sat at this taverna I spotted another feline trying to hide from me.

I tried to tell the Guv to let me go and see it, as behind that wall was a drop of a few hundred feet, all it would take would be one push!  

Goddog

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Here's a photo of the Guv and me sitting outside the church in Monemvasia, I say sitting outside because the Misses say they will not let dogs inside.  A bit "unorthodox" I think ! 

I mean I don't mind them wearing dog collars do I ?

and after all the title is a palindromic word!

CATtastrophic.....

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As I was saying I got to meet a lot of the locals in Monemvasia, and I quite like meeting kindly humans, however there were some local "felines" that just do know how to behave well in public.  The two in the photo directly below started snogging each other, and the one in the bottom photo came and drank my water !

I meet the locals...

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We were up and out early again this morning as the Guv said we had to get a place to park the "poppymobile" near the entrance to Monemvasia to save the Misses walking too far.  Never mind me walking too far I thought!  Anyway he got his space and we had a good look around the old town.  As you will see I got to meet many of the locals, and was even given something to drink in one of the tavernas.  Mind you I got water, the Misses got a free honey liquor given to her!  

It was a "ferry" long way !

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Today it was up early for a long journey around the southern part of the peninsular with my people. We also took a ferry to the island of Elafanisos. I must say there were plenty of big wide beaches and sand dunes for me to run about in.  That's me and the Misses taking a rest in one of the dunes.

Mind you I was pretty glad the ferry boat the Guv took the "poppymobile" on was in a bit of a better state than the one these guys were repairing!

Along the way we had lots of stops for either my people to have something to drink or for me to have a run and sniff about. The Misses took a lot of photos so I'll be showing you some in the days ahead!