Feast of the Holy Spirit Celebration June 15-17, 2019

                           Feast of the Holy Spirit Celebration June 15-17 June  2019 in Neapolis

On Saturday 15 June, the Cultural Association of Vatikas will present traditional dances in Neapoli Square.

On Sunday afternoon, our members, dressed in traditional costumes, will celebrate and escort the icon of Neapolis, on a pilgrmage route through town, accompanied by our excellent Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Visitors are welcome to join the procession.

On Monday, after the service in the Church of the Holy Trinity,  the Cultural Association of Vatika will offer sweets for everyone. 

Sea turtle nests — Caretta caretta nests

The beaches surrounding Vatika Bay and Elafonisos, the beaches of Limnes, Marathia, Platanistos, and all beaches on the east side of the Cape Malea peninsula from Velanidia to past Monemvasia, are prime loggerhead sea turtle nesting habitat. 

From May through September 2020, over 150 Caretta caretta nests were identified, verified, protected, and recorded. The local environmental protection NGO Toulipa Goulimyi has connected with the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece ARCHELON to keep detailed records of this important nesting area.

Toulpia Goulimyi volunteers patrol all the beaches regularly looking for turtle tracks, the first step in identifying a new nest. Trained volunteers then open each nest to verify the presence of eggs. A screen is placed over the nest to protect it from marauding skunks and weasels. A sign fixed to the nest tells when it was found and gives it an identification number. Forty-five to sixty days later, hatchlings dig their way up through the sand and head towards the brightest light. In the past, that was the moon reflecting on the waves of the sea. Once in the sea, the baby turtles will start their new lives. 

Sadly, street lights, house lights and business lights distract the turtle hatchlings, and instead of heading into the sea, they may head toward those brighter lights, become exhausted, and die on dry land. 

Local festivals in Neapolis .Carnival-Clean Monday

 
Local festivals in Neapolis.

Every year this festivals give  a unique opportunity for visitors to experience it.
March 10  The local Carnival, start at 11:30 am in Neapolis.

Carnival children's program with clowns and jugglers at Neapoli Square, at 13:15

and in case of rain in the event hall of the Old Primary School of Neapolis, at 12:15 pm


March 11
Clean Monday  Local festival In the beautiful Pounta near the ancient city of Pavlopetri : 
Offering  gourmet dishes and flying kite on the beach of Pounta. 11:00 am
  

Museum of Archeology Opens

A new Museum of Archeology has opened in Neapolis. Located on the road towards Laxi, it is housed in a building that was formerly a school and subsequently a hospital. A grant from the EU paid for the renovation of the building. The Museum is designed to take visitors through archeological sites located along the coastline from Plytra through Cape Malea. Artifacts from a number of sites, including Pavlopetri, the oldest underwater city in the world, are on display. Visitors may also view an interesting and informative film in Greek or English about the sites.

Travels in Watercolor: Exploring Southern Greece -- June 29-July 6, 2014

Join Sondra Holtzman, Connie Burke and Barbara Euser in legendary Southern Greece June 29-July 6, 2014 for an incredible journey of exploration and creativity. Working in small format, we'll incorporate sketching and painting in watercolor into personal journals, inspired by writing tips and techniques to fully capture this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Exploring Neapolis, Greece from a vantage point known only by locals, we will immerse ourselves in the culture and cuisine of one of the most spectacular areas of the world. All levels of painting and journalling experience are welcome. HOT OFF THE PRESS: Following this summer's workshop, Barbara and Connie will publish a small book showcasing 2013 and 2014 workshop participants' artwork. The text will include quotes from participants' art journals, Greek poetry, and information about Neapolis and the surrounding area. The book will be printed in full-color and will be available from http://www.amazon.com/ as a soft-cover book or e-book. To view the complete workshop schedule, visit www.thetravelingstudio.com and click on the Workshops tab or visit www.writersworkshopsinternational.com.

Workshop Includes: Double accommodations at Limira Mare Hotel, located on the waterfront in Neapolis, with excellent buffet breakfasts each morning in the hotel's garden. (Single room supplement $230) Lunches on Tuesday and Wednesday Dinners on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday Taxi/shuttle transportation from Athens to Neapolis round trip Transportation for daily trips to Elafonisos Island, Pasaki, Faraklo, Kastania, Petrified Forest, Monemasia and Aghios Nikolaos Sondra Holtzman's art classes and Connie Burke's journal writing classes Hotel taxes, fees and service charges Maximum number of participants: Minimum: 5, Maximum:15 See complete daily itinerary at www.thetravelingstudio.com Workshop Cost: $2395 U.S. (1775 Euros, 1495 British Pounds) A deposit of $750 U.S. must be paid at the time of registration to hold your reservation. $375 is non-refundable. A balance of $1645 must be paid in full six weeks prior to the start of the workshop, no later than May 15, 2014. Transportation to and from Greece and any additional expenses are the participant's responsibility. For additional questions and payment options, contact Barbara Euser at bjeuser@yahoo.com Sondra Holtzman can be reached at sondra@thetravelingstudio.com Connie Burke can be reached at ccburke05@gmail.com To learn more about Neapolis and the surrounding areas where the workshop will take place, visit www.neapolisgreece.com Additional resource: Venturing in Southern Greece: The Vatika Odysseys, available from amazon.com as a paperback or e-book

Watercolor Journal Workshop 2013

The Traveling Studio

presents

Travels in Watercolor: Exploring Southern Greece 

Join Sondra Holtzman and Connie Burke in legendary Southern Greece July 14-21, 2013 for a journey of exploration and creativity. Working in small format, we'll incorporate sketching and painting in watercolor into personal journals, inspired by writing tips and techniques to fully capture this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Exploring Greece from a vantage point known only to locals, we will immerse ourselves in the culture and cuisine of one of the most spectacular areas of the world.

All levels of painting and journaling experience are welcome.

Workshop Cost Includes:
Double accommodations at Limira Mare Hotel, located on the waterfront in Neapolis, with excellent buffet breakfasts each morning in the hotel's garden. (Single room supplement $230)
Lunches on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
Dinners on Sunday, Monday and Saturday
Taxi/shuttle transportation from Athens to Neapolis roundtrip
Transportation to daily trips to Elafonisos, Mesochori, Monemvasia, Aghios Nikolaos and Barbara Euser's olive farm
Sondra Holtzman's art classes and Connie Burke's journal writing classes
Hotel taxes, fees and service charges
Number of participants: minimum 5, maximum 15

See the daily itinerary at www.thetravelingstudio.com.

Workshop Cost:

$2375 U.S. (1850 Euros, 1500 British Pounds)

A deposit of $750 U.S. must be paid at the time of registration to hold your reservation. $375 is non-refundable. A balance of $1625 must be paid in full six weeks prior to the start of the workshop, no later than May 31, 2013.
Transportation to and from Greece and any additional expenses are the participant's responsibility.

For additional questions and payment options, contact Barbara Euser at bjeuser@yahoo.com.

Sondra Holtzman can be reached at sondra@thetravelingstudio.com and Connie Burke can be reached at ccburke05@gmail.com.

To learn more about Neapolis and the surrounding areas where the workshop will take place, visit  www.neapolisgreece.com.
Additional resource: Venturing in Southern Greece: The Vatika Odysseys, available from amazon.com as a paperback or e-book.

 

Sailboat Harbor

Sailboat Harbor – Neapolis Bay offers a lovely anchorage for sailboats. With good holding in sand at 7 to 10 meters depth close to the beachfront, sailors may dinghy to shore. A few boats may tie up at the municipal dock, but space is very limited and anchoring out is a better choice.

         Beachfront restaurants, ouzerias, pizza parlors, ice cream shops and cafes cater to sailors. A choice of grocery stores and bakeries and a wine shop provide opportunities for full provisioning.  Several banks and telecommunication companies offer their services. Online access is available at the internet café on the main business street and may be available free of charge in the central plaza area.               

Fresh Water Springs

The geologic structure that produces the famous caves of Lakonia also produces springs, where water naturally stored underground emerges at the surface. Locals take empty jugs to the springs and fill them with pure drinking water. Aficionados are able to distinguish the subtle differences in the flavor of water from individual springs. On the mountainside above Neapolis, springs are located in the villages of Faraklo and Kalania and at the church in Paradisi.

In the photo of Faraklo above, the spring emerges from a pipe underneath the stairs in the municipal building. Photo of Faraklo taken by lakonas67.

The spring at the church at Paradisi emerges from a pipe under the stone arch in the photo.

Petrified Forest

The Petrified Forest is located east of Neapolis, between Aghio Nikolao and Cape Maleas. Next to the sea, one can see trunks of palm trees that turned to stone as their soft tissue was replaced by minerals.

According to Wikipedia, "Petrified wood (from the Greek root petro meaning 'rock' or 'stone'; literally 'wood turned into stone') is the name given to a special type of fossilized remains of terrestril vegetation. It is the result of a tree having turned completely into stone by the process of permineralization. All the organic materials have been replaced with minerals (mostly a silicate, such as quartz), while retaining the original structure of the wood. Unlike other types of fossils which are typically impressions or compressions, petrified wood is a three-dimensional representation of the original organic material. The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment and is initially preserved due to a lack of oxygen which inhibits aerobic decomposition. Mineral-laden water flowing through the sediment deposits minerals in the plant's cells; as the plant's lignin and cellulose decay, a stone mould forms in its place. In general, wood takes less than 100 years to petrify. The organic matter needs to become petrified before it decomposes completely. A forest where the wood has petrified becomes known as a Petrified Forest."

Sailing and Swimming Lessons

Sailing and swimming lessons are available for children during summer months.

Sailing lessons are offered by the Sailing Club of Neapolis for children from seven to twelve years old three times per week in Optimist boats. Families join the Sailing Club and pay monthly for lessons. Children with sailing experience may be able to participate in races.

Swimming lessons are also offered in shallow water near the town dock.

Kastania Cave

Kastania Cave is open to visitors: a cement walkway descends into a magical space of stalactites and stalagmites. Guides explain the history and geology of the cave. In the early 1900s,  Kostas Stivaktas (Bougas) reputedly watched bees entering a fissure in the ground in the area where he pastured his sheep. The bees appeared to be refreshed as they reemerged from the ground. He surmised that there might be water underground. He opened up the fissure and found himself in a magnificent cave. By 1958, the cave became more widely known and since then has been protected and developed by the Community of Kastania. For information on open hours and tours, call 30 27340-29043 or 30 27340-23623 or email cavekast@otenet.gr. Photos taken by Fanis Ellinas.   <><><>

Pilgrimage to Aghia Irini

The church of Aghia Irini with its pilgrims' cells is located at the end of a challenging five-kilometer trail. The hike can be done as a day trip, or by making arrangements in advance, visitors may spend the night in the cells. If you do it as a day hike, take a lunch and eat at the picnic table near the pilgrims' cells.

The views along the trail are magnificent. Freight-laden ships pass by in a parade between Cape Maleas and the western Mediterranean. Kythera rises, like Aphrodite, from the sea across the strait.

Rock-climbing

A new rock-climbing area has been recently developed east of Neapolis, near the Petrified Forest, along the road to the trailhead for Aghia Irini. Fixed protection and anchors have been put in and a number of routes have been established. Some routes located on the sunny side of the cliff are suitable for climbing in the winter; other routes are located in the shade and are suitable for climbing during hot summer months.

Local accommodations cater to climbers.

Hiking

From Neapolis one can hike up the mountain on marked trails to the villages of Mesochori, Faraklo, the church and spring at Paradisi, and beyond. Alternatively, one can hike west along the coast towards Pavlopetri and  Pounda Beach, past the Natura 2000-designated lagoon where many species of birds nest, or east along the coast all the way to Cape Maleas.

Be sure to take plenty of water and snacks, as there are few places to buy food along the way.

Velanidia

 

Nestled between the mountains and the sea, Velanidia is an hour's drive from Neapolis, over the ridge that defines the peninsula of Cape Maleas. The drive offers spectacular views of the mountains, sea and nearby islands. Along the way, one can visit the tiny Byzantine church of Aghios Georgios.

The eastern side of side of the peninsula is studded with small, deserted coves, perfect for swimming.

Charming chapels overlook the sea.

The trail to the Cape Maleas lighthouse starts at the end of the road.

Limira Mare Hotel

The Limira Mare is the largest hotel in Neapolis with 108 rooms, most overlooking the sea.

Beginning in summer 2012, the Limira Mare will offer massages, facials, manicures and pedicures at its Day Spa.

The hotel also offers cultural events during the summer months, including book signings and art exhibitions. Symposiums may take advantage of its state-of-the-art conference room.

With its beach lounges and umbrellas (and complete coffee and cafe service) at the beach across the street, the Limira Mare is Neapolis' resort hotel.

For more information, visit the Limira Mare website at: http://www.limiramare.gr/.

Cape Maleas

The southernmost tip of the eastern finger of the Peloponnese, Cape Maleas has been reknowned since ancient times for its notoriously difficult weather. Homer recounts that Odysseus encountered a treacherous storm as he tried to round Cape Maleas -- and was blown off course for ten years.

This shipping lane connects the northeast Mediterranean to the west. When the Corinth Canal opened, ships could avoid Cape Maleas -- and those that can prefer to do so. However, the Corinth Canal can only accommodate ships less than 21 meters in length, so Cape Maleas still sees a constant stream of shipping traffic.

During World War II, the occupying German forces began building an observation tower high above the Cape. Today it can be visited by hikers.

Many ships perished off of Cape Maleas, and ancient wrecks have been located there.

The old lighthouse, once one of the largest in the Mediterranean, has been recently restored and visitors to Velanidia can hike to the lighthouse along a well-defined trail.