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From Ierapetra to Pirgos (Mournies) |
There are a couple of large and small churches in this small town and there are good supermarkets, a gas station, several banks, an ATM and plenty of restaurants and cafés. Every now and then there is a market where local products are sold. The largest church of the village is named the Agias Eirinis (Holy Peace) and it is cross shaped with a large dome in the middle. Next to it is a tall bell tower. At about a 100 meters from this church you will find the next large church with in front of it the remains of a Roman column. |
On the east side of the town close to the little river and clearly marked is the fourteenth century church of Agios Konstantinos and Agios Georgios. The very friendly and proud people in the shop next to the church have got the enormous key and can open the door for you so you can take a look at the beautiful and well-preserved frescoes as well as some old inscriptions dating from 1314. The frescoes on the south aisle are unique in the Byzantine world since they present a series of events in the life of Byzantine Emperor Konstantinos the Great. Events from his birth, childhood, the crowning of his son and the battle on the Milvian bridge are shown. |
These are the pictures I took driving along the road between Ierapatra and Pirgos via Mournies, through the mountains to Pefkos and Ano Vianos, and then to the valley with the villages of Skinias and Pirgos. You drive through a variety of landscapes on a rather good road. The first part takes you along the coastline out of Ierapetra (never liked that town...) and you have nice views of the sea. There's a lot of agriculture in the aerea, and vegetables are grown in "plastic houses", not always pleasant to see, but I guess it's neccesairy. Than up in the mountains you go and you run into some interesting scenery: green valleys, nice little churches, cliffs, flowers, small villages....hmmm, not bad. When the road goes down again you end up in a green valley, with olive trees mostly, as I remember. There's a river floating through it. Just before entering one of the villages you pass it on a bridge. It was full of alge :), but I like the colour green. |
Taverne Snackbar in Pirgos |
A nice little snack bar with comfortable orange seats, situated on the main road (with the supermarkets) as you drive into the village of Pyrgos coming from the west. The owner is called Sebasti and she is a super friendly woman. There are simple snacks offered as sandwiches and hot dogs. The coffee is fine and even if it is early in the afternoon, we still get a raki afterwards. Our verdict: an 8 out of 10 for the experience |