Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: Matt T on October 09, 2014, 09:42:02 AM
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Hello folks,
In two weeks time we will be travelling to Greece, plant hunting in Crete for one week (23-30 Oct) and the Southern Pelops (30 Oct - 5 Nov) for a further week - yes Maggi, off travelling again! ;)
I have all the usual books and read reports on a number of threads on this forum etc, so have a long list of potential plants/sites to see and a few favourite species that I'm looking out for (autumn bulbs clearly the object). However, there's so much that it'll be impossible to hit them all in the time we have.
So, can you recommend you one unmissable site or sight that we MUST see whilst we're in Crete or the Pelops??
Many thanks in advance!
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No suggestions? :(
To set minds at rest, I'm plant 'hunting' with a camera (not a trowel, which would be illegal in most cases anyway) and I will be sharing photos here on my return.
I'm not being lazy, and have worked (several times) through travel threads on this Forum and my copies of Mountain Flower Walks, Bulbs of Greece etc. So I have gleaned a very long list of places to go and what we might see there.
What I'd hoped for was a personal recommendation for the one thing that was most memorable about your trip.
Grateful to anyone who might want to share their favourites.
Thanks,
M
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We have visited both Crete and the Peloponnese 4 times in the autumn, so should be able to answer your question, but it is an impossible one! Sites which are fantastic one year can be bare the next even if you go on exactly the same date and it is impossible to predict whether the season will be early or late. As Crocus like north facing sites and Sternbergia south facing ones, there are few sites which are outstanding for both. This is why you always have to go to a series of sites to guarantee seeing a good range of species of interest.
In our experience, you are a bit early for the Crocus on Crete which generally do not appear in good numbers until November, by which time you are too late for Colchicum macrophyllum which should be in full flower while you are there. THE place to see them is Anopoli (above Chora Sfakion) and we recommend stopping at the bakers for a freshly cooked Sfakion pie, a delicious local speciality. Then you could go on to the nearby spectacular Aradhena Gorge which has a great selection of other autumn flowering bulbs (Sternbergia sicula, Allium callimischon, Narcissus serotinus, Scilla autumnalis, Colchicum cretense) as well as all the amazing chasmophytes which will mostly be past flowering (other than the best of them all, Origanum dictamnus) but still recognisable by their foliage.
The Cyclamen should also be looking good while you are on Crete and the sites for these in the west are well documented.
But who knows, there may have been a lot of rain this year and perhaps the Crocus will all be out earlier! Happy hunting.
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and we recommend stopping at the bakers for a freshly cooked Sfakion pie, a delicious local speciality.
Ahh, Margaret, now that's good advice ;) 8) Gotta love an experienced traveller's suggestion ;D
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Maggi, the freshly cooked pies come with lashings of honey and are therefore best eaten on the premises! - you’d love them.
Have just noticed Matt’s ‘Nuts about Narcissus’. There is autumn flowering Narcissus tazetta on crags east of the main Vrises to Chora Sfakion road, just south of the turn for Alikambos; also a few in the terraces below the road on the west side, which is easier for access for photography, but they probably get dug up from here.
A week just isn’t long enough for Crete or the Pelops!
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Hi Margaret,
Thank you for your comments - botanical and culinary!
We know we'll have to take our chances with what we'll find dependent upon weather and climate, being ecologists we're used to dealing with the vagaries of nature, but it's helpful to have a personal steer on what has excited other folk.
Thanks for taking the time to pen some thoughts! :)
Matt
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Hi Matt ,
Seems you have good prospects !
I hope for you that the autumn rains arrived early on both destinations. I was in Crete (see my report on the forum) at the end of november and beginning of december and in that year it was just the right time for Crocus and Sternbergia.
I could be that it is to early for some species or that you are -as Margaret allready says- a bit in between.... To early for most Crocus and Sternbergia on Crete and to late for some Colchicum.
One thing is sure , you wil find good Cyclamen.
I was in the Pelops by the end of september and was lucky to find Sternbergia sicula , colchiciflora , Crocus mazziaricus and Colchicum graecum in flower.....But in another year it could be that they come into flower much later....So a very difficult thing to say.
One week is very short for both destinations . I have some favorite spots in Crete. But this are both in the west and the east.
Do you have already a schedule where to go ?
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Thanks Kris,
We don't have a fixed itinerary, but I think we will be focussing on the west of Crete only - i.e. Rhodopou and Akrotiri peninsulas, Topolia, Sirikari/Polyrinnia.
In addition to not being long enough, this is not solely a plant hunting trip but also a 'holiday' so I have to be kind and allow us to do some other activities too :'( Luckily, hiking (at a slow pace) can be combined with botanising ;D
As this trip was a surprise gift, I can't complain about the dates. My partner did some research and booked flights around the dates of a commercial tour, which is pretty resourceful for someone not (yet) a bulb fanatic.
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Matt
I have sent you a personal email re the Peloponnese.
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Seeing that you are 'Nuts about Narcissus' I seem to remember thousands of small white autumn flowering narcissus above Alones in the south near Plakias, Crete. Never did identify them at the time.
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Thanks Paul,
A sea of thousands of Narcissus serotinus is one of my hoped-for sights. Thanks for the tip.
Matt
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Arrived safely back in the UK late last week and even survived the very wet and dark drive back to Skye. We had an amazing time in Greece, it was so good to be back there again. I'm sorting through the photos, but have an embarrassingly large number of them (2,800!). The majority of pics were taken in the Pelops, for which our timing was perfect, so I'll just post a few from Crete here now.
There was some uncertainty about our timing for Crete and how much we might see. However, we always like to get around as much as we can when abroad and were keen to see Crete anyway as this was also a holiday as well as a botanising trip. We didn't see any Crocus on Crete, but did manage to find a reasonable number of other plants but I'm jumping ahead of myself.
The overnight ferry from Piraeus to Hania was a great way to travel and our cabin was comfortable once the ventilation was adjusted - we opted for budget internal cabin seeing as it would be dark for the whole journey and portholes don't open anyway! Our arrival into Hania was greeted with a beautiful, sunny morning (1). However, it seems that we actually managed to coincide with the rains, which soon rolled in from the mountains (2), so we had a damp trip at times, but were well prepared and only had a proper soaking on one day. Our first day was spend exploring Hania itself and the town has enough to entertain when the weather prevents you doing anything else. I rather enjoyed the wee museum, which holds a nicely varied collection. Some of the items that caught my eye (and of which photographs were permitted) include some very characterful figurines, sarcophagi painted with sea creatures and colourful glass bowls (3-5).
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I'd forgotten how confiding the kingfishers are in Greece (6) - I guess the lack of freshwater bodies forces them to the coast and into closer proximity with man than we find in the UK.
With a little trepidation we hired a small car for a couple of days. I'd read horror stories on this Forum of driving in Greece and Crete especially, but have to say that I found driving to be trouble-free and not too stressful at all and we soon got our eye in with Greek road signage and maps (and their non-conformity). Maybe my experience on the Uist roads has hardened me?
We kept our exploration within Western Crete. I'm not sure that I'd planned our botanising trip in Crete too well. Certainly we were more targeted and successful in the Pelops, for which I found much more information was more easily available. More homework for our next Crete trip. However, our time was not wasted as we had a short list of places to try and many fun days.
We headed into the mountains to explore the gorge that runs from Sirikari to Polyrinia. I'm not sure now that we went far enough to find the right place to hit a trail as such and we ended up just exploring the area around Sirikari where we found lots of plants that were interesting because they were new to us. It was nice to see Arbutus unedo in glorious fruit/flower (7), which was familiar to Patrick who is from Ireland. Two plants that we found at pretty much every site we visited or roadside we stopped at were Drimia maritima (8 - actually photographed here in S. Crete) and Scilla (Prospero) autumnalis. We were surprised to find a crab so high up in the mountains! I assumed it was a land crab but wondered how it reproduced if it had to spawn in the sea. Research now tells me that this is the freshwater and semi-terrestrial crab Potamon potamios (9). One interesting 'rock' plant that we did find near the top end of the gorge on a mossy vertical rock face under light woodland was this wee Saxifraga sp. (10)?
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On our way back to Hania we decided to use what daylight remained to look for Cyclamen on the Rhodopou peninsula. Well it wasn't long after I'd exited the 'National Road' (highway) that Patrick chirped up "Cyclamen!" There they were right at the roadside (11) as well as throughout the garrigue on the rocky slopes above (12). I keyed this out as Cyclamen graecum subsp. graecum? A couple of plants had leaves present (13), but most only showed flowers in varying shades of pink, some paler, some deeper but quite a limited palette compared to what we would find elsewhere (14 & 15). A good number of plants were in flower here and we found more further east on our way back, which made a nice end to the day.
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A recurring point of interest throughout our holiday was the ridiculously and seemingly impossibly small places that 'bulbous' plants can find a toehold. This Cyclamen graecum is occupying one of the larger rock pockets (16). These Cyclamen were accompanied by good numbers of Scilla autumnalis (17)
The next day we headed east and south to see if we could find the Sternbergia that Margaret mentioned above (thanks Margaret!). En route we found lots of Euphorbia characias (18), a familiar garden plant, the nicely mottled leaves of an Arum sp. (19) and some Colchicum leaves (20) in light woodland hinting at earlier flowers we had missed.
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We found the Sternbergia site without too much trouble, once we realised that the plants were right at the top of the rock/cliff face. A thorny scrabble through the kermes oak and we were soon enjoying views of the plants in their eyrie (21). I wouldn't like to pretend that I know this genus very well, but would guess that these most closely fit what might be called Sternbergia lutea? As the holiday went on and we saw more of these plants and their variation it became very hard to determine what they all were. The plants were concentrated on the open, sunny top of a rocky cliff face (22) and the surrounding area behind was grazed, although a few plants persisted regardless (23). I love the way that plants in this genus seems to push their way out of the most rocky places (24).
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The rest of the Sternbergia day was spent enjoying the scenery on a long mountain drive. We were rewarded with great views of vultures on several occasions/locations (25) and the mountains were spectacular (26).
For the last couple of nights in Crete we relocated to Loutro on the south coast, accessible only by boat or on foot. Dependent now on public transport we ended up having just one full day to explore the area, but made the most of it by undertaking a long and extremely wet hike (with thunder and lightening too) up the hill to Anopolis, across to Aradena, through the gorge and back to Loutro via the coast. Despite the challenging conditions (the waterproof camera came out a few times instead of my usual camera) we found some interesting plants.
On the way up the hill I found a couple of flowers of Biarum davisii subsp. davisii growing on the mule track itself (27) and at the top of the hill (when the rain was at its worst, hence the very poor photo) a colony of Colchicum, which I think is probably C. pusillum (28).
The rain gradually eased off as we made our way through the valley across to Aradena and the gorge itself (29).
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Just a few steps down the kalderimi/mule track and we were finding more interesting specimens. A few flowers of a plant that I think could be Sternbergia greuteriana (30)? Then a couple of flowers that seem to me to clearly be Sternbergia colchiciflora (31). Another Biarum davisii soon followed (32), this time with a paler flower so easier to spot. Another confusing Sternbergia, possibly S. greuteriana again (33)? Much further down the gorge we found plants of the S. sicula type growing in a narrow crevice (34).
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At the bottom of the gorge we found a patch of more organic soil with some Arisaema vulgaris in flower (35) and clearly enjoying the wet weather. The gorge really starts to open out and you can appreciate the scale of this landscape feature (36). Throughout the walls are covered with various plants, many new and unidentifiable to me - this one (Verbascum arcturus) stood out as being especially attractive with 'felty' toothed leaves and a panicle of shiny seed pods (37). And the prize for 'bulb in smallest crevice' goes to.....Drimia maritima (38)!
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And so we finally found the sea again and wander back to Loutro on the relatively easy coastal path. En route we found some of our horned grazing friends, one of which was enjoying a snooze on top of a car (39). Thankfully this was not our hire car as there was a large, goat-shaped dent in the roof!
The sun shone for our last day and we had a special view of parts of our route that had been obscured by mist and rain the day before (40). Saying goodbye to Loutro we headed back to Hania, then the overnight ferry back Pireaus and Athens where our Peloponnese adventure would begin...of which more later...
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Thoroughly enjoyed that Matt and can't wait for part two, many thanks for posting. The Cyclamen graecum peeping out of a hole in a solid rock really did for me after all the TLC I give mine and they just won't flower.
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Great to see your pictures Matt ! Thanks for sharing them .
I was several times in Crete but was never be lucky to see Biarum davisii in flower. I think we have been to early or been to late for that one.
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Thank you for these pics! After a visit in the same region (with a little bit less rain) only recently I realize that there is
much more to detect in the area - especially concerning the Sternbergias.
Gerd
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Thanks all for your kind comments. It's nice to share our observations with others who have an interest.
The Cyclamen graecum peeping out of a hole in a solid rock really did for me after all the TLC I give mine and they just won't flower.
Likewise, David. Every new 'miffy' plant in a tiny hole that we found blooming its heart out made me despair of some of my plants that refuse to thrive despite my TLC. Tough love may be the order of the day from now on!
I was several times in Crete but was never be lucky to see Biarum davisii in flower. I think we have been to early or been to late for that one.
No matter when you visit, there is always plenty that you will miss. I'm looking forward to frequent return visits at different times of year. Interestingly, I met some folk in the Pelops who had also been on Crete the week before, so there at the same time as us and they did find some Crocus. In terms of the Biarum, the rain actually helped to find it as I was head down trudging along the path rather than enjoying the scenery!
After a visit in the same region (with a little bit less rain) only recently I realise that there is
much more to detect in the area - especially concerning the Sternbergias.
I'm always surprised by how much of interest we find on these trips. You go somewhere with an idea of what you want to/might see, perhaps based on known sites with specialities or good swathes of a species, but there are so many other plants (and animals) that make a visit rewarding. The Sternbergia were all a joy to find but so confusing in many cases - almost impossible to pin down to an ID with any certainty.
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On reaching Pireaus we headed across town, picking up breakfast in Athens before collecting our hire car. We used Avis because we could book online and the price was reasonable, £95 for a full week, all inclusive with no hidden extra costs. I'd booked the smallest, class A vehicle as I always do and true to form we received a free upgrade to a Renault Clio, which served us well. We were back on the highway! Patrick expressed surprise at the number of time we had to stop to pay tolls on our journey, but I think the quality of the roads and the ease of our journey meant the €12 or so was money well spent.
Note 1: We managed to visit a lot of sites during our week in the Pelops, 28 in total. In my notes I've numbered these sequentially MT01, MT02 etc. and will also use these here to keep track of where we are on our journey.
Note 2: Some of these sites are well known/published but some we found ourselves. If anyone would like specific descriptions for any site please get in touch with me by PM/email.
Note 3: We came across numerous spellings for place names (in both Greek as well as English translations). Here I will use spellings as given on Google Maps so that everyone can find the general areas mentioned.
Some general/recurring impressions from our explorations include:
- the tiny rock crevices bulbs will grow in
- the shallow depth many bulbs grow at (often on/above the surface)
- the shadiness of some sites that Crocus grow in
- that the plants we grow in cultivation often show a very limited range of the variation seen in wild plants
- the wonderful variation in Cyclamen leaf forms
- Drimia maritima, Scilla autumnalis, Cyclamen graecum and Allium callimischon grow almost everywhere
- Sternbergia are very confusing
- Crocus boryi / laevigatus are confusing, but not impossible
- organising your own, self-guided trip to see autumn bulbs in the wild is easily done
And so, to the Peloponnese...
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We were heading for Sparti, and after leaving the highway at Tripolis were soon making stops to look at bulbs. I'd suggest that one could stop by the roadside anywhere between Tripolis and Sparti and, if not on the roadside verge itself you'd find bulbs within just a few yards.
Site MT01
Our first sites were just before and within Manthirea, where we found plenty of Crocus hadriaticus (photo 01), some with very large flowers. We also found a few flowers of C. biflorus melantherus (02). I know others have looked for this plant here before, some finding it and others not showing that timing is key. These were all growing on grassy slopes close to the roadside as well as roadside verges throughout the village.
Site MT02
Just beyond Manthirea we found a site, again close to the road with many Sternbergia (sicula?) (03) and a few C. hadriaticus. It's interesting to see the variation in the flower form of the Sternbergia (04 & 05).
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Site MT03
Further south we found more C.hadriaticus and a larger number of C.b.melantherus (06 & 07). There were also a good number of Cyclamen hederifolium under Quercus coccifera scrub.
Site MT04
Another roadside stop and we were looking for C.cancellatus, which we found in good numbers, including some nice blue'ish tinged/veined specimens.
(cont'd)
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Site MT04 (cont'd)
We were also looking for C.boryi here, but did not find it although the now ubiquitous C.hadriaticus was present along with some good Cyclamen graecum with deep coloured flowers and nice leaves with very strongly 'beaded' margins (11).
Site MT05
A large plant of C.hederifolium right by the roadside alerted us to our next site. Exploring the scrub we found more, smaller plants flowering under Quercus again. C.hadriaticus was here also and we managed to find 3 spikes (mostly over now) of Spiranthes spiralis (12).
Site MT06
The last, unplanned site for today caused me to perform an emergency stop, with a good 'lawn' of C. hadriaticus and our first plants of Crocus boryi close to the roadside (13).
Finally, on to our accommodation. We had decided to stay in Mystras, just outside Sparti for the full week. We had a small apartment with kitchenette at 'Mystras Castle Town', which allowed us to make our own breakfast and occasional evening meals. Our hosts were very hospitable and I'd recommend this accommodation to anyone looking to stay in this area. The view from our balcony where we ate breakfast every day was pretty good too (14).
Mystras is itself a good site for bulbs and there are a number of other sites in the area. Other parts of the Pelops are a bit of a drive away, but we were keen to be in/near the mountains as we were also planning to do some hiking. In hindsight our decision to stay here was a good one for our interests, but if you are interested in spending more time on bulbs further south (i.e. Mani or Monemvasia) I'd suggest you take a room for a night or two in those areas to reduce your driving.
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The next day was set aside to explore the site of Mystras Castle itself and the surrounding area. The site is an easy walk from Nea Mystras village.
Site MT07
En route we were distracted by a pine-wooded slope. Under the trees was a good population of C.graecum with an excellent range of flower colour (palest to deepest pink/magenta) and a bewildering range of leaf forms (15 &16). And of course, plants seeming to grow in bare rock (17). Further up the slope we found a footpath leading to a chapel high on a rockface above Nea Mystras, with C.boryi and more C.graecum growing on the path.
Site MT08
Back on the road and a few paces further on we spy a patch of Sternbergia (sp.? S.sicula?) on the olive terraces (18).
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Site MT09
The Mystras World Heritage Site was fascinating, and as I'm interested in archaeology and architecture, I spent a long time exploring the ruins and restored buildings but probably exceeded Patrick's threshold ("rubble and mortar") (19).
The site is well known for hosting a range of plants of interest. In the lower town we found Allium callimischon (20), Sternbergia (sicula?) (21) and further up (by the upper entrance) some C.hederifolium (22).
(cont'd)
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Site MT09 (cont'd)
Further up the hill and we're climbing to the castle (23). More A.callimischon on the way up and some C.boryi. Once inside the walls we stop to take breath and enjoy the glorious views towards the Taygetos mountains and across the plain of Laconia to Sparti and the Parnonas mountains beyond. Exploring the castle we find a few plants of Campanula versicolor with their scented flowers (24) and a bright patch of Sternbergia (S.sicula again, S.lutea or both I don't know??) revelling in the sunshine amongst the rubble (25).
Site MT10
After a hard days sight seeing we take a short walk around the village of Nea Mystras. On a stretch of the E4 footpath on the outskirts of the village we find an abandoned cultivation terrace with overgrown Citrus trees and fly-tipped waste, but an enormous swathe of C.hederifolium in the fading light (26), which continues away down the slope beneath the dense vegetation.
Site MT11
Further on we find a damp, shady, moss-covered rock face where, surprisingly both C.hederifolium and C.graecum are growing together.
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Another day and more bulbs to find! Today we are heading down to the Mani but decided to squeeze in "a couple of quick sites" en route. This made it a long day, so we should probably have just focussed on the Mani but there are just so many bulbs to see. Whilst we managed to visit a lot of sites throughout the southern Peloponnese, there were at least as many sites again that we didn't have time for and look forward to exploring on future trips.
Off to the "Sheltered Place of the Taygetos".
Site MT12
We find many plants above the cliffs beyond the village of Anogia. So many bulbs catch your eye as you are driving around that it's hard not to stop around every corner or at every parking place. On our way up we see Sternbergia, C.graecum and Campanula versicolor on the cliffs. Finally we stop where we spot a new species for us, a beautifully tessellated flower of Colchicum bivonae right at the verge (27). Exploring the garrigue/phrygana along the roadside we find a lot more C.graecum (28) - even growing through tarmac, David! There are also Crocus, with C.hadriaticus (including 'blues') and C.boryi (29).
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Back down the cliff, along to the next village (Paleopanagia) and up into the Taygetos foothills again towards Krioneri. We're off to find Galanthus!
Site MT13
A long drive on winding and unclear roads into the hills, en route Paddy finally pipes up again, "Galanthus!". Some distance before our intended site we park up by some shepherd huts and explore more abandoned cultivation terraces. Overgrown with brambles etc. we find a gorgeous mixed colony of C.hederifolium (30) and our first plants of Galanthus reginae-olgae, here in a robust, tall growing form (31). Perhaps not typical habitat for Gr-o, but it's a wonderful place to be.
As we are leaving I find an enormous female bush cricket, similar to our native (southern UK) Roesel's bush cricket but perhaps 2" long. My research tells me this is Pholidoptera femorata (32).
Site MT14
Back in the car and another kilometre or so up the road we find a "classic snowdrop site". Plenty of G.reginae-olgae are scattered throughout the Planatus and Fir woodland, a cool, moist site close to a stream, along with more C.hederifolium (33).
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Time well spent with our 'quick' spots, we are back on the road, down the hill, across the country. Patrick has time for a snooze as we head for the Mani.
Site MT15
Stopping some way before Areopoli we find a roadside shrine/memorial. A new Crocus species is our target here, but first we explore a short way up the side road and find C.boryi and Colchicum cupanii (37). We also find Euphorbia dendroides here. Our first Crocus goulimyi are growing in the parking place itself as well as into the surrounding garrigue vegetation (35). Their honey scent is lovely in the sunshine. We also find C.graecum and Arisarum vulgare, but don't linger too long here as it's lunchtime already.
Site MT16
A few more C.goulimyi just north of Areopoli, but not as many or as obvious as we'd expected them to be, so I wonder whether recent construction works have impacted this population or whether we're not in quite the right place?
Site MT17
Heading south we're hoping for another new species. We find our site on the road south from Areopoli to Vathia quite easily. In fact there is a lot of earthworks and construction going on for what appears to be a new road coming through here to bypass the twisting corner. Thankfully, it appears as though this population of Crocus niveus (36) won't be impacted. There has also been a small area of recent burning here, but bulbs are adapted to withstand this and the C.graecum appear as though they have positively benefited from the release of potash (37).
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Site MT18
Creeping southwards again we turn off into Pyrgos Dirou. Our site is under olive trees and we're expecting to find more C.goulimyi but fail to find any here. There are a few C.niveus, many C.graecum and a surprise.
Patrick calls me over to look at some Cyclamen with 'funny' leaves (38 & 39), which were plain green, slightly larger and thicker than any we'd seen. My first feeling, and subsequently keying them out suggested that these are a form of C. hederifolium, either confusum or crassifolium. Can anyone clarify? I don't believe that the flower belongs to these leaves. Exploring at the base of the plant I found a seed capsule with a petiole coiled in both directions from the centre (40), so I suspect that a plant of C.graecum is growing underneath and sending up flowers but not yet its own leaves.
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Site MT19
Pottering on we spy many Sternbergia and C.graecum amongst the olives from the road between Charouda and Nikandrio/Marmatsouka and some C.niveus on the verge.
Site 20
At Charouda, close to the Byzantine church, we find an incredible sight - swathes of Sternbergia (sp.?) and C.graecum amongst the groves (41 & 42). The sun shines brightly and the plants look at their best. Well worth a small detour off the main road to see them.
We continue onwards, passing by the familiar sight of the tower houses at Vathia, looking just as good as they do in all the pictures we've seen of them (43).
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Site MT21
Finally the road runs out and we find ourselves at Kokkinogia and set off along the footpath towards the lighthouse at Cape Tenaro. Due to our snowdrop stops time is getting on, the sun is dropping and the light is failing. A strong breeze is also blowing across the exposed headland, which makes flower photography difficult. C.graecum is growing in extensive and floriferous swathes surprisingly close to the sea (44). We soon find the plant for which this site is best known, a sea of Narcissus serotinus 'nodding' in the breeze (45). On hands and knees, the scent from these tiny flowers is exquisite. We also find the ubiquitous Scilla autumnalis, but this time in it's subspecies latifolia - a very handsome plant. Continuing along the path we find many tiny stems with more Narcissus buds promising an even better show in a few days. We also find many diminutive Colchicum. I need to check back through my photos to determine the ID of them all, but am reasonably confident that we found C.parlatoris (46). Finally, we reach the lighthouse and as the sun nears the horizon the colours of C.graecum are enhanced (47).
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With so many bulb sites dispersed across such a large area (even though we confined ourselves to the S. Pelops) some days involved a lot of driving. So that it didn't become a chore we alternated our bulb site/driving days with days exploring locally on foot (thankfully also involving bulb sites, due to the rich flora of the Mystras area).
Site MT22
Ostensibly I'm calling this site 'Neokaria Gorge', but in truth we started hiking from Mystras along the length of the gorge, out, beyond, higher and higher still until we were in the mountains far, far above. A tough day for those of us who are not quite so fit!
Within the gorge we found the now familiar Arisarum vulgare (48). There were also many, many C.hederifolium in many leaf forms, some of which are extremely attractive (49).
On more open ground outwith the gorge we found a few out of season flowers of a larkspur, which looked much like Consolida regalis to me (50).
Higher still and we find some particularly good specimens of C.hadriaticus, flowers here apparently blushing with colour as they age (51).
Wildlife abounds here. The most common bird we saw/heard during our time in the Pelops was probably the jay, gliding to and fro with acorns for its winter stash. In the sunshine we often saw butterflies, including a few shabby painted lady and occasional clouded yellow (52).
(cont'd)
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Site MT22 (cont'd)
In places, the Euphorbia rigida were colouring up, contrasting nicely with the more glaucous shoots (53).
The altitude and breeze keep the air cool and refreshing for us hikers, but green rock lizards were making the most of the suns rays basking on the rocks (54).
Smaller rock plants find niches in cool, shady crevices (55).
And finally I'm allowed a rest and we settle down to lunch with a glorious view, the sun on our backs, mountain air and ravens 'quorking' from the peaks above us (56).
(cont'd)
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Site MT22 (cont'd)
A short way further on after lunch and find more C.hadriaticus (57), but with few daylight hours left it's time to head back down off the mountain.
En route I'm amazed at the C.hederifolium tubers sitting on the surface of the path (58). Some of them look just like cobbles in the path itself.
Other plants we spotted include, C.boryi, A.callimischon, C.graecum, Cotinus coggyria in good autumn colour and juniper full of berries, a few S.sicula and C.cancellatus.
After a day of such exertion it was wonderful to return to our accommodation to find that the owner had left a few very welcome homegrown and homebaked treats for us (59)!
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Back in the car today and two key sites in our sights.
Site MT23
Parking up on the outskirts of Lampokampos we don't immediately head for the village centre but explore the road verges close at hand turning up C.boryi growing cheek by jowl with our first Crocus laevigatus (60). We finally got our eye in and managed to distinguish these species from each other, but it was tricky at times. The C.laevigatus were highly variable with white, feathered, striped, stippled and 'gold' backs to the outer tepals (61-63). However, the pure white petals, deeper yellow throat, usually deeper colour stigma and usually unequal sized petals/sepals helped to separate out those that were C.boryi.
Finally we wander into the village itself and what a sight! C.goulimyi is everywhere (orchards, verges, gardens, vegetable plots, threshing floors, literally everywhere), sheets of lilac and honey scent hanging in the air.
(cont'd)
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Site MT23 (cont'd)
Before heading off we go back to our verges and explore further into the fields/garrigue where we find even more Crocus laevigatus/boryi (65). Here also were many small Colchicum. Although quite variable in the shape of the tepals, I think they were all C.cupanii (66 & 67), but I need to check my photos against the texts. Nestled away on the shady side of old stone walls were also a few C.niveus (68).
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Site MT24
We stop off to look at some C.niveus growing at the roadside as we head back over the Nomea plataeu and the mountains.
Site MT25
The great bulb Mecca of Monemvasia (69)! We decided to follow the footpath around the north side of the rock and enter the town from the east/seaward side. For two reasons, this was a great decision. All along this path we found thousands of Colchicum. Again, I suspect these were all/mostly C.cupanii, but I know other species are found here and will need to find time to verify this (70 & 71). Wild leek, A.callimischon and C.graecum were also scattered along this path. Further on and there are a few C.goulimyi (72) in varied forms, pale, darker and bi-coloured. However, the highlight on this path filled the air with a delicious fragrance, C.hederifolium confusum (73).
(cont'd)
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You've brightened up a miserable day here Matt, many thanks. Wondered if I might pop down to B&Q to see if I could get a bag of Tarmac ::)
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Site MT25 (cont'd)
After stopping for a coffee in the town, we make our way up the winding path (74) to the upper town of Monemvasia, with a few flowers (Heliotropium europaeum) brightening the way (75). However, on reaching the top we were to be disappointed (76). Closed for renovation :( - the second reason had been wise to explore the lower path around the rock. We trudged our way back down, leaving despondent and feeling as blue as a blue rock thrush (77) but soon rewarded with the sight of a short toed eagle for extended views and being mobbed by a raven, which cheered us up (78).
Speaking to a tour group a couple of days later I found out that their party of 16 had also been disappointed but they didn't take the lower path either. With three bulb tours that I know of in the area at the time it does seem to be bad timing to close the site, but I accept that it is low season and vital work needs to be done. It was a shame that we couldn't explore the top of the rock, but with hindsight we had seen some wonderful sights today, so our day wasn't spoiled.
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Our last full day at Mystras so we explore some local sites.
Site MT26
First we take a short drive on the Sparti to Kalamata road up the Langada pass. Stopping at the roadside we scramble down a steep bank and cross the dry river bed. The north-facing slope/cliff opposite us is cool and moist. Scattered throughout are G.reginae-olgae (79) mixed in with C.hederifolium, here with good leaf forms. This site is more typical of Gr-o, being Planatus orientalis woodland in a river/stream valley (80) and is another "classic snowdrop site".
Having always planted my snowdrops deep, we were surprised to find a number of bulbs lying on the surface. Initially fearing illicit collecting, it was apparent that heavy rains had washed them out of the soil, but despite this they cannot have been growing especially deeply. We replanted those that we found lying on the surface, although many were still pushing up flower shoots and sending down roots regardless.
A short way further up the road and we stopped to find more Gr-o (81) in identical habitat, with the exception that this site was easier to access via a track rather than a steep, rocky scramble.
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Site MT27
After lunch on our balcony we visited the neighbouring Parori gorge, easily accessed from the centre of Parori village. Here we coincided for the only time with one of the organised tours visiting the area. The gorge scenery is stunning and it contains a better range of habitats and plants than the Neokari gorge we visited previously. Quite quickly we were finding A.vulgare and C.versicolor (83). Higher up in sunnier areas there were C.graecum, C.boryi, the spent seed head of a Muscari sp. and the best clumps of A.callimischon I had seen (83). The path over a "precipitous" drop gave great access to some chasmophyte species and excellent views up and down the gorge (84). On the way back down I detoured to one of the many chapels scattered in the area. This one is housed in a cave (85)!
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And at last, sad to be leaving with so much still to be discovered, we say farewell to our hosts and hit the road. But, I just can't resist stopping once more on the way back to Athens...
Site MT28
Back on the Sparti - Tripolis road, we round a bend and are confronted with a yellow bank, one of the best swathes of Sternbergia we have seen (86 & 87). Hoping out for a few photos we find they are are on both sides of the road, covering the sunny, south facing slopes. Is is S.sicula? Is it S.lutea? In truth does it really matter? A fitting farewell to our memorable time in the Peloponnese.
And so our trip is almost at an end. We return the car and head back into the centre of Athens for our final night. Of course, any trip to Greece is not complete without a visit to the Acropolis (88), but I'm left wondering if the Parthenon is now in danger of being over restored? And we managed to spot some bulbs too, with Sternbergia growing under Agave and on the side of the Acropolis rock. We also treated ourselves to what turned out to be the best meal we ate out. It was a bit tricky to find, but Cafe Avissinia (Kinetou 7, in the Monastiraki flea market area) serves excellent food, service was attentive and not rushed, there is a wonderful ambiance and excellent views from the upstairs dining room - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
It's been a joy to relive our trip through sharing these photos with you. There are so many pics I haven't included and species I've forgotten to mention or not yet confirmed IDs, but I'm sure you've all seen more than enough by now! If I can give one piece of advice, I'd say not to be afraid of organising your own, self-guided tour of bulb sites in Greece. There is so much information out there on the internet, in books, journals and this Forum of course that it is quite easy to get some tips on where to go and then you're off. Thanks to those of you who provided tips, advice and suggestions for places to visit, your help was invaluable. Flights are available quite cheaply, as is accommodation in low season so it doesn't need to break the bank. And don't be afraid to stop anywhere that looks likely, you soon get your eye in for the likely habitats and before you know it your wandering off and finding all sorts of treasures. We were only stopped once by the police who wanted to know what we were doing, but they just rolled their eyes and drove on when I told them we're photographing the flowers.
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You've brightened up a miserable day here Matt, many thanks. Wondered if I might pop down to B&Q to see if I could get a bag of Tarmac ::)
Thanks, David. Having seen some of the down right inhospitable places in which these plants were growing in the wild I can only conclude that our missing elements are sunshine, sunshine and more sunshine ;D
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Thanks for posting that very enjoyable travelogue! Such wonderful plants!
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Thanks Matt ! Really enjoy it !
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In post 44 ( the last on the previous page) - is image 74 of Heliotropium curassavicum ?
Matt, I have enjoyed every step of this trip with you and Patrick. What an absolute pleasure it is to experience a virtual holiday- perfect for these dull days and especially so for someone who hates to be away from home! I swear I even "felt" the sun warming my bones as I "hiked" these flowery paths with you - wonderful!!
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In post 44 ( the last on the previous page) - is image 74 of Heliotropium curassavicum ?
Matt, I have enjoyed every step of this trip with you and Patrick. What an absolute pleasure it is to experience a virtual holiday- perfect for these dull days and especially so for someone who hates to be away from home! I swear I even "felt" the sun warming my bones as I "hiked" these flowery paths with you - wonderful!!
Thanks, Maggi. I really has been a joy to go through the pics and share our trip. I only wish I could have "hiked" the paths too, instead of actually being physically dragged (and I mean dragged) up a mountain. I'm glad you liked it, which makes the rigours of real life hiking worthwhile.
Re. the mystery plant, the Heliotropium has remarkably similar flowers, but the foliage is different - hairy, shorter, broader and more pointed tips. I've attached a couple more pic that may help. I'm flummoxed and thought someone may have some ideas.
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Found it! Heliotropium europaeum. Thanks for your pointer, Maggi! :-*
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Very good and instructive report Matt! I really enjoyed it!
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Enjoyed your wonderful report so much. Thank you Ruben!
Gerd
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A wonderful travel log Matt, thoroughly enjoyed.
Friend is back from Greece - Pelops & Crete - today. If she photographed anything astounding I'll post them.
Again thanks.
johnw
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Thanks, Matt,
an enjoyable scramble around the countryside!
Glad that you saw so many wildflowers and could post them here for us to enjoy,
cheers
fermi
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Excellent report Matt. I can see that you had a successful trip. The Peloponnese is a definite possible for me next year
Thanks for sharing
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Thanks Matt, for the nice and interesting report. What about the same places in April?
That is the time I intend to visit the Peleponnes next year.
Uli
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Hi Uli,
I think the same locations would be great to visit in spring too. Everywhere we went there were annuals germinating and the foliage of spring bulbs and orchids too, so I'm sure there'd be a lot to see for your visit. If you don't have it already you should try to get hold of a copy of Mountain Flower Walks: Mainland Greece, by John Richards and published by the Alpine Garden Society. It's a good starting point for your exploration and details the species you might find all year round. You can buy it from the AGS: http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/sales/books/flora/Mountain+Flower+Walks+The+Greek+Mainland+/128/ (http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/sales/books/flora/Mountain+Flower+Walks+The+Greek+Mainland+/128/)but other booksellers are available.
Matt
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Also, there were many species not yet in evidence at known sites. For example, we didn't see any sign (i.e. leaves) of Cyclamen peloponnesiacum which occurs at the last Galanthus reginae olgae site we visited (Site MT26).
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....you should try to get hold of a copy of Mountain Flower Walks: Mainland Greece, by John Richards
John has made numerous trips to the region and I am sure that Matt's suggestion to get this book is a good one.
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Thanks Matt, for the nice and interesting report. What about the same places in April?
That is the time I intend to visit the Peleponnes next year.
Uli
Mount Chelmos , Mount Menalo , Mount Kylini and Mount Taygetos are al worth visiting in apri and may Uli .
http://www.greekmountainflora.info/ (http://www.greekmountainflora.info/)
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Hallo Matt and Kris,
we just returned from a 5 weeks trip to Scotland, staying two weeks on the Isle of Harris.
And now it is not easy to imagine the spring in Grecce.
So I'm happy about your information about interesting places to visit.
Scotland was great although most people voted NO.
High Maggie,
unfortunately we did not managed to make a visit to Craigton Road in Aberdeen.
Next time we hope to see you both.
Uli
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Hi Uli,
I have a spare copy of the Road Editions road map for the Peloponnese. I don't need two copies, it's as new and I'm happy to give it to anyone who might find it useful. If you would like it please PM me your address and it's yours.
Matt
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Hi Matt,
thank you very much for your offer. I hope you got my PM with my adress!
(My mail-adress is in the forum)
Uli
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Hi Uli,
Yes, I've got you message fine, thanks and hope I will get to the post office in the next couple days.
Best wishes,
M
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Hi Uli,
I managed to get to the post office today. The lady said it should take about 3 days, so the map will be with you soon.
Best wishes for your trip!
M
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Hi Matt,
thank you very much. Sometimes planning is more exiting than staying on
holiday. So I will enjoy the darker times of the year to arrange the trip to
Greece (Peleponnes). Yesterday I ordered the book Maggi recommended.
Uli
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Hi Matt, sorry for my mistake.
You mentoined the book Mountain Flower Walks - The Greek Mainland
by
John Richards
Having your map and the book makes the planning easier.
Uli
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Enjoy planning your trip Uli!
One word of caution: spellings of place names can vary between the book and the map, witrh only a few towns shown with the English translation. I found the best thing to do was to scan the appropriate region in the map until you find a word that looks similar to the place you're looking for, it usually turns out to be the correct place. Cross-referencing place names on Google Maps also helps. Good luck! ;D
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Hi Matt,
this week we booked a flight to Kalamata, rented a car and also booked
a hotel for a week in Gefyra (Monemvasia) and another in Kardamilli.
Now we hope that we are not to late for spring flowers in the second
half of April.
Uli
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How exciting, Uli! I'm sure you will see lots of flowers. Looking forward to seeing photos from your trip. I'd love to go back this autumn, but a spring trip is also a must for me.
M
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With all the talk about the wee white flowers at the moment, I've been looking through my holiday pics again, curious about what variation there might have been in the Galanthus reginae-olgae we saw in the Pelops. I've put a few together to represent the range of flowers we saw in two populations. Hope you like it.
[attachimg=1]
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That's quite a range- so interesting to see them together like this- thanks Matt.
( but don't let on I said so... .. ::) :-X
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I was just thinking that they all look the same... :-X
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Crikey! Do they? How very worrying - I must be more careful of the company I keep, I think. My so-called pals seem to be leading me astray...... :-[
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A good comparison of the small variations that can be found and what can tickle your fancy. One or two really nice ones amongst them. Thanks for showing them Matt.
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;D
Their full beauty was truly revealed en masse in their native habitat, taking in the whole experience the small variations in the individuals became insignificant. I never even thought to try to compare them or seek out anything 'special' when I was there.
I've tried arranging the pics with the green marks increasing in size, left to right, top to bottom. The differences are subtle, but I guess there is someone somewhere would probably try naming them all? ;)
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A great montage showing a good range of variation - more than we have in cultivation maybe?
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Some seeds collected from Greece are starting to germinate.
Campanula versicolor from Parori Gorge, Pelops.
A mystery woodland shrub from the neighbouring Neokaria Gorge, Pelops.
Verbascum arcturus from the Aradena Gorge on Crete.
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This is the 'mystery woodland shrub'. Does anyone have any clue as to an ID?
Sorry, the leaves are in focus whilst the seed head is a bit blurry, but you get an idea of it's structure/form.