The Measure of My Dreams..

This morning Stemnitsa was at its best. It had frozen overnight, down to minus 3, and the sun took its time getting above the surrounding mountains. By 10 am I had finished the book I was reading, a Muriel Spark, and Roja was restless, the sun was evident, so we headed out on a circuit of the village.

I saw just one person, the same monk that I had seen yesterday up at the top of the village, at 1178 metres, and he gave a cheery wave. Down below are the less rich houses, some derelict and still in need of renovation, still in the shadow, about 150 metres in altitude below.

We settled in the village square for a coffee, where the were more people around. The cafes, all three of them, were open, and expectant of visitors, it being Friday.

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Just before midday we moved on, to a supermarket stock-up in Megalopoli, 15 kilometres or so further than I needed to go, but it was the only option of anything more than an expensive mini-market.

I’m back now at the village of Psárion, where I have a small house for the next few days. It’s at 750 metres asl, down from the villages of G, but with a great view out to the snow capped peaks of the Peloponnese to the west.

The use of the house came about as the result of a conversation with the owner of a tavern a week ago. The guy who owns the house here, and also lives in the village, is the cousin of the tavern owner. He rents the house out in the summer, but not usually at this time of year, so I have it at a good rate, and it is ideal for what I need. it’s a chance to clean the van, but also to stay in the mountains in a week when there is a cold spell, highs of around 6, lows of -4. I’d need a camp site or similar to get some power into the van batteries, and other than down on the coast, there are aren’t any.