Still snow in Greece

[Janis Ruksans]

After reaching of Polidrosos I’m turning through Parnassos massive with many ski-resorts at top to Arachova. First stop maid on roadside to picture and collect some Gagea for my German friends. And then - almost at small ridge top - comes best locality and discovery of my trip. There is plenty of C. atticus just near melting snow. Altitude is 790 m. Most crocuses are of traditional blue with dark yellow throat, but between them some with pale throat. Really nothing very special and then my eye spotted at first look pure white, but back of outer petals are slightly (very slightly, but…) bluish shaded. Only some half meter further shines “Beauty Queen of Trip” - purest wehirte Crocus atticus sample. I immediately remember E. A. Bowles book “My Garden in Spring” (or it was in his “Handbook”?) where he describes how after 30 years of patient waiting he was greeted by purest white flower of this crocus (regarded by him as C. sieberi subsp. atticus). Here it waited in nature!
Janis

[Maggi Young]

Ohh! 

[Janis Ruksans]

Some more of Crocus atticus.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

As my road turns higher as more snow around and soon I’m driving through deep snow by narrow asphalt stripe cleaned from snow. No hopes for crocuses more. There are some spots on sunny side of road where snow melted on spots something protected by pine-forest from fallen snow. And suddenly something bright yellow shines. What it could be? Nothing else - only Crocus chrysanthus has so bright flowers. I have several samples from Greece in my collection so my interest is only in its variability. Altitude is 1270 m. But flowers are very uniform - bright yellow. Single variation is in flower tube colour - creamy, greenish, something brownish toned. It seems that those are not places for Crocus atticus but on next spot something blue shines, too. Very few, not so densely that I could picture both species together on same picture, but finally one I found. Unfortunately C. atticus flower developed below felt tree branch and its petals are deformed.
Further by road starts yaila where snow is gone but on all sides still stays a lot of snow and all ski-resorts are working. On hills closing yaila by S side again appear Crocus chrysanthus but here it grows in grass. It is last crocus seen by me.
After going down to Arachova I turn back in direction to Thiva where is Zemenoy village and hotel on roadside where in morning I reserved a room for myself. There I got fantastic T-bone steak with wine, of course and tzatziki in evening, hot water, good room, free internet and very rich breakfast - all this only for 45,- Euro (two cappuchino coffees were included - one at table another in car).
At midnight I landed in Riga and at two o’clock in night was in home where my wife waited me with regal meal and bottle with New Zealand’s Chardonay (my favourite at present).
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

My last entry in this topic - last crocuses which I saw. Hope you not tired from reading those graphomaniac's entries (such is my characteristic from my wife)
P.S. Now I will stay in home up to May when I will go to Kazahstan for two weeks, but there no crocuses will be.

[ronm]

Well, I for one have enjoyed it immensely Janis.  . Thank you so much, once again, for sharing your trip with us.

[Carlo]

I too have enjoyed your travelogue Janis. Text and photography alike were fascinating. Threads like this are particularly valuable accounts of plants we all love--in situ. I hope others are inspired to contribute in like fashion. (Now that you're finished for the time being, I'll have to go back and read the entire thread together!).

Continued good travels to you....

[Susan]

The diary of your travels in Greece have been excellent, thank you. I have so enjoyed your travels and the stunning crocus.  Was in the Samaria Gorge early last May, so was interested to see the depth of snow there and how beautiful it looked at this time of the year.

Looking forward to your trip to Kazahstan.

Susan

[Kees Jan]

I revisited the Omalos plain 11 days later: nearly all the snow was gone and Crocus sieberi at its peak!

[ronm]

A most beautiful sight, 

[Armin]

OMG!