Cape Tenaron

 

Cape Tenaron or cape Matapan is mainland Greece's southernmost point. It was the site of the Ancient city Taenarum.  Nearby is a cave legend claims was the home of Hades the God of underworld.  On the hill above the cave there is a temple dedicated to the God of the sea Poseidon.

Tenaron's lighthouse was built in 1892 and its luminosity was 12 nautical miles.  In 1984 it was upgraded with solar panels and its luminosity is now 22 nautical miles.  The trek to the lighthouse from the end of the paved road is 2.2 kilometers.  For those who decide to take the hike to this very interesting place is better to start early in the morning or late in the evening in order to avoid the blazing summer Greek sun as there is no shade in its entirety.  I visited the site in 1968 when I was serving in the Greek Navy and my brother visited it recently on foot.

Most Popular Posts

As you know on the first day of the new year, I publish the all-time favorites.   This year the top three from the 190 posts were:

1.    In the Land of the Cyclops

http://dgscrosscountrychronicles.blogspot.com/2016/04/in-land-of-cyclops.html

2.   Poseidon’s Temple and the Aegean Sea

http://dgscrosscountrychronicles.blogspot.com/2014/04/poseidons-temple-and-aegean-sea.html

3.   Porto Rafti

http://dgscrosscountrychronicles.blogspot.com/2014/03/porto-rafti.html

Most of the 50,000+ visitors were from the United States, followed by Greece and Russia, France, Germany, Ukraine, Ireland, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia.

I wish you all and your loved ones a healthy and happy New Year.  I also hope 2020 will bring peace on home planet Earth.

A Trilogy

Temples in the shape of the sky

and beautiful girls too 

with grapes in their teeth, you should have!

birds that nil the weight off our hearts 

and the blue we loved is everywhere!

The temple of Poseidon in Sounion

with its deep sky blue

and the vastness of the pelagic sea

it is the temple in the shape of the sky

that symbolizes our love too!

And the statue at the apex of the island

at the entrance of the blue bay’s too  

was photographed by my love 

and her father too 

they are as beautiful as our love too! 

by Odysseas Elytis, Nobel laureate 1979 and two more

Seawolves-Lavrion-Kea-Lavrion race

Sailboats participating in the Lavrio to Kea race sponsored by Lavreotiki Yacht Club (NOCL) tied at Korisia’s pier.  In this year's race Okyrhoe was first at elapsed time and Elena was first on corrected time (results).  

Downtown Korisia, which together with Vourkari and the island's capital Ioulis are the three main towns of Kea.

The lighthouse at the entrance of Vourkari bay was built in 1831.  It takes its name from the little chapel of St Nicholas and it was built on top of the ruins of a temple dedicated to Poseidon, the God of the sea.

Okyrhoe’s crew preparing for the second leg of the race and with all the running gear secure in the swift white Okyrhoe, they set up cups and brimmed them high with wine and poured libations to the everlasting gods who never die-Athena first of all, the daughter of Zeus with flashing sea-gray eyes-and the ship went plunging all day in the wine dark sea (Homer's Odyssey).

Sailboats maneuvering near the starting line.  The winds were from the north on both days and were accompanied with thunderstorms and torrential rains that made the nearby island of Macronesos invisible and drenched the sailors to their bones.  The weather was as different comparing to last year’s race as it can be.

Suddenly the wind hit full and the canvas bellied out and a dark blue wave, foaming up at the bow, sang out loud and strong as the ship made way, skimming the whitecaps, cutting toward her goal… (Homer's Odyssey) 

Once Odysseus, and in this race captain Nick and his crew, got off plowing the wine dark sea in his ribbed ship, farseeing Zeus decided to give the man rough sailing poured a tempest down upon him, shrilling winds, giant, rearing whitecaps, monstrous, mountains high…(Homer's Odyssey)