Peloponnese in autumn 2010

[Hillview croconut]

Hi guys

Sorry I mean't no offence - it was a lame joke.

Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

Hi again,

Yes you are right about this work being important. Its interesting that probably most of the field work on species distribution and occurrence has been done by individuals, more often than not, amateurs. I take the point that systematic field work these days is rarely undertaken and does not get institutional support. Yet it is extremely important. Its scary to see how close "development" has come to one of the last sites for Fritillaria obliqua at Schinias and how vulnerable Fritillaria conica is at Pylos. When I first saw them back in 1997 there were thousands growing locally around the edges of maquis scrub on a small farmlet. When I went back 5 years later the whole area had been bulldozed, replanted in olive orchards and the undergrowth sprayed with herbicide. I found one small patch that had survived on a stony mound. I did after much hard slog find another extensive colony along the road to Methoni. 2 years later I found this to be eaten out by goats but on returning this year they had reappeared. Its a game of roulette for these plants but if the dice falls too many times the wrong way it could be the end for them.

This year I spent 3 days on Mt Pelineo on Chios and everywhere I went there was not one habitat that had been left "ungoated". I know there was some outcry a couple of years earlier about the flocks being taken onto the mountains too early and devastating the orchid populations (now a tourist money spinner for some of the locals). There are supposed to be local government regulations for this activity but some of the people I spoke to told me the shepherds were prepared to cop the fines. Its a complex problem and cultural practices have to be respected. Systematic field work is the bedrock on which change will take place.

Cheers, Marcus

[Thomas Huber]

Thomas, many thanks for all of your photos, it really makes me feel that I want to be there again!

I think the village in your photo might be Vathia?

Morning Melvyn.
Although it looks a bit like Vathia it isn't. The photo was made some km South. It could be Paliros at the most Southern end of the Mani.

[Thomas Huber]

Thomas a lovely series which I have just enjoyed on my return from Turkey. They brought back good memories

It took me four attempts before I hit the season right in the Peloponnese but when I did it was breath taking.

Welcome back Tony - please show some of your photos from Turkey here !!
Four attempts? So I really can be happy that I've been there just when the season started  



Marcus, I'm sorry to hear about you and Suzie being robbed - we didn't have nor hear anything like that when we've been there. We always felt safe in Greece and surely we will return in the next years.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Thomas,

Being robbed is just one of those things. I have been to Greece many times over the last 15 years and I have never had any problems, save the occasional shonky car hire businessman. I always feel safe there but that said Athens now feels decided less free and easy. My only concern in Greece are the "exoset missile" car drivers. Much has been written about Greek driving so I won't bore everyone to death on the subject. Except to say that coming from a relatively orderly country where rules are rules and they are enforced its a bit of a shock to one's sensibilities the first time around.
Did you see any jackals in the southern Peleponnese? There used to be a lot but now they are rapidly disappearing. I saw two dead ones, obviously hit by cars, on the road down towards Neapoli.

[Paul T]

Thomas,

Wonderful photos!!    All those Crocus and Cyclamen in the wild.  Wow!  Thanks for showing us.

Marcus,

Not good to hear you were robbed.  At least you had such great support from the locals.

[Hagen Engelmann]

Hi Thomas, because I`m always searching for white flowers I found your fantastic Greece pics only this morning. What a floral world of crocus, cyclamen, hubinaten and a few galanthus. It looks like a very successful holiday. Thank you for the albums of wild ground sceneries.

[Thomas Huber]

Hagen, I assume your search for the white flowers has lead you to this thread.

Sorry Marcus - we've seen not a single jackal in the area where we've been, and we've not visited the Neapoli area where you found the two dead ones.

Driving with the car in Greece is a different matter than in Germany and Australia (I think), but it's similar to Southern Italy, so I had no real problems there. If you see a green signal light that doesn't mean that you can cross the street without danger, there will always be a Greek from the red light thinking he has to be the first. First rule in Greece is: Use the signal horn, second: Use the signal-horn, third: signal horn......

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Thomas

I think the first rule for driving in Greece is there are no rules! Well not the rules according to their driving code. Everybody seems to understand a well established set of rules but these are not written down anywhere. The two "rules" that I have most problems with are: Oncoming driver, flashes lights at me to get out of the way to give them room as he/she overtakes the car in front of them. Second one: Overtaking driver pips horn for me to move onto the shoulder of the road to give them room despite the fact that a car is parked on the shoulder just up ahead .... !
I remember driving on the big freeway to Corinth a few years ago and the only cars doing the speed limit were driving in the shoulder/parking lane.

I think the jackal species is the Golden Jackal apparently the area around Neapoli is one of its last "strongholds". It also exist on the island of Samos but I have never seen anything bigger than a grouse/partridge? there. In fact I have seen very few large mammals anywhere in Greece. The most amazing things I have seen was a group of very large antlered red deer on Mt Parnitha near the casino just 15km out of Athens and a small group of Griffin Vultures feeding on a lamb carcase on the road beyond the Kallergi Refuge in the White Mountains, Crete. I have seen pictures in the roadhouse at the top of the Lagada Pass in the Taygetos of wild boar that are so massive they barely "fit' in the back of the hunters 4wd ute. It surprising that such huge animals are not more easily seen in the forest.

Cheers, Marcus

[Thomas Huber]

Hmmm, now as you mention it: I cant remember that we have seen any large mammals - the largest were cats and dogs. The biggest worries were Celines, when I told her that Scorpions and snakes occour in Greece. She didn't want to escort us due to these animals but we could convince her - and finally she was happy, because we didn't see any of these.

You don't need any rules in Greece, just flow with the traffic and everything is fine 

[Tony Willis]

Thomas

I have not had problems driving in Greece,as you say flow with the traffic,try Turkey for not having rules.

 I remember when I was in Gythion in 2006 they had a rubbish problem which I was told would soon be solved.None of this detracts from wonderful trips with fabulous countryside and flowers (at the right time).

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Thomas and Tony,

I don't recall much flow  but I agree with the observation about Turkey. Within the first few minutes of hiring a car in Antalya I was run into. They say the further east one goes the less the rules apply. Gythion rubbish hasn't moved since you were there Tony.

Cheers, Marcus

[Bev Olson]

Mystras in Spring.
Thats my husband (well really the wildflowers)

[Bev Olson]

Reminds me of our lovely time in the spring.
Alvin at Mystras (well a pic of the wildflowers)

[Viola]

I was in Greece, main emphasis Peloponnese, with a friend Herbert and my Mrs Christine from 10-25-2010 to 11-4-2010.
Day 1. ) flight from Vienna to Athens. With hired car in the direction of the Delphi. Overnight stay into motel 10 km from Delphi.
Day 2. ) visit to Delphi and excursions to the adjacent area. Drive bridge to Olympia about the Rio Adirro. Overnight stay.

Delphi
Colchicum cupanii
Biarum tenuifolium
Sternbergia sicula
Daphne jasminea
Crocus hadriaticus