Sparrow
Veteran
Costas, a friend, and his wife Vula, run a restaurant in a little resort in the north of Corfu, but they come from a village in the hills behind Kassiopi called Perithia. Perithia or “round (the) churches” in Greek is on the road that leads up to a much older settlement Ano-Perithia, “old round (the) churches” further up in the mountains.
In past centuries the area was plagued with mosquitoes in the summer from a lake on the coast, lake Spiridon, so each year the villagers would make the two day journey by donkey back to the old village for the summer months. Ano-Perithia was originally (middle ages?) so far inland to avoid Turks and pirates finding it and it would be inhabited all year if there were a threat.
The story goes that about 300 years ago there was a particularly severe plague and the villagers’ children started dying, it raged until only two remained alive but even they were very poorly. At that point the priest called all the village together and prayed for help, by the following morning the plague left the village, the two surviving children got better went on to live into their 70’s. and the villagers went around all the villages churches one after the other to give thanks
When the tourists came to the island the old village was virtually abandoned, Vula recalls spending her childhood summers there but then in the 1970’s all the work was on the coast, Perithia is still a sleepy little village but now dwarfed by nearby Kassiopi. Still each year the inhabitants of Perithia make the difficult trip back to the old village on the last Sunday in July and go round each of Ano-Perithia dozen or so abandoned churches in procession to give thanks for the miracle.
Lake Spiridon was connected to the sea by a canal in the 19th century thereby killing the mosquitoes. The road from the north has been improved in recent years, so a bit of tourism has moved in, in the form of a shop and taverna in the summer, but the one to the south is still only passable by hire-car. Costas and Vula have to take it in turns to attend with their children, as it’s their busiest time of the year, it’s nice to know the island culture is surviving alongside the tourism.
The links go to bigger versions
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2448/3943217377_f09ea08d50_b.jpg
Ano-Perithia from the South
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3419/3943992220_ce8ecf6621_b.jpg
The road to the south is still only passable by hire-car
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/3913856316_018cfb2d66_b.jpg
the road up from Kassiopi is much improved these days
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2676/3943991302_4f09e56859_b.jpg
and from above on Mt Pantokrator one can see how remote it is
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/3943216375_766d007562_b.jpg
the village itself sadly isn’t that photogenic, one of the few places on the island that isn’t
In past centuries the area was plagued with mosquitoes in the summer from a lake on the coast, lake Spiridon, so each year the villagers would make the two day journey by donkey back to the old village for the summer months. Ano-Perithia was originally (middle ages?) so far inland to avoid Turks and pirates finding it and it would be inhabited all year if there were a threat.
The story goes that about 300 years ago there was a particularly severe plague and the villagers’ children started dying, it raged until only two remained alive but even they were very poorly. At that point the priest called all the village together and prayed for help, by the following morning the plague left the village, the two surviving children got better went on to live into their 70’s. and the villagers went around all the villages churches one after the other to give thanks
When the tourists came to the island the old village was virtually abandoned, Vula recalls spending her childhood summers there but then in the 1970’s all the work was on the coast, Perithia is still a sleepy little village but now dwarfed by nearby Kassiopi. Still each year the inhabitants of Perithia make the difficult trip back to the old village on the last Sunday in July and go round each of Ano-Perithia dozen or so abandoned churches in procession to give thanks for the miracle.
Lake Spiridon was connected to the sea by a canal in the 19th century thereby killing the mosquitoes. The road from the north has been improved in recent years, so a bit of tourism has moved in, in the form of a shop and taverna in the summer, but the one to the south is still only passable by hire-car. Costas and Vula have to take it in turns to attend with their children, as it’s their busiest time of the year, it’s nice to know the island culture is surviving alongside the tourism.
The links go to bigger versions
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2448/3943217377_f09ea08d50_b.jpg
Ano-Perithia from the South
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3419/3943992220_ce8ecf6621_b.jpg
The road to the south is still only passable by hire-car
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/3913856316_018cfb2d66_b.jpg
the road up from Kassiopi is much improved these days
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2676/3943991302_4f09e56859_b.jpg
and from above on Mt Pantokrator one can see how remote it is
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/3943216375_766d007562_b.jpg
the village itself sadly isn’t that photogenic, one of the few places on the island that isn’t
Last edited:
Sparrow
Veteran
a few more shots of the village
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3465/3945032381_c3af7d3c91_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3945809102_d5d8f94476_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2423/3945807920_80677efcce_b.jpg
the church of St. Spyridon by the lake and the canal the British navy built in the 19th century to kill the mosquitos, a local family built the church in thanks for a different miracle ... they are descended from one of the old merchant families.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2532/3945810674_fcf25c50e8_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2458/3945812318_cc60bb50af_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3465/3945032381_c3af7d3c91_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3945809102_d5d8f94476_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2423/3945807920_80677efcce_b.jpg
the church of St. Spyridon by the lake and the canal the British navy built in the 19th century to kill the mosquitos, a local family built the church in thanks for a different miracle ... they are descended from one of the old merchant families.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2532/3945810674_fcf25c50e8_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2458/3945812318_cc60bb50af_b.jpg
Sparrow
Veteran
Perithia
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3443/3948598518_4b7afce7c1_b.jpg
Mt Pantokrator from lake Spyridon
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2666/3947811265_37b371aa28_b.jpg
the view east to Kassiopi
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2639/3947812855_6c405765cd_b.jpg
it's a shame the old village isn't in an olive grove, ruins work well in olive groves ... except if the photographer fails to notice his hire car in negative space that is
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2485/3948596204_3c7992cb6c_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3443/3948598518_4b7afce7c1_b.jpg
Mt Pantokrator from lake Spyridon
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2666/3947811265_37b371aa28_b.jpg
the view east to Kassiopi
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2639/3947812855_6c405765cd_b.jpg
it's a shame the old village isn't in an olive grove, ruins work well in olive groves ... except if the photographer fails to notice his hire car in negative space that is
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2485/3948596204_3c7992cb6c_b.jpg