Mt. Olympus mid April 2011

[gmoen]

Hi folks

Just a few pics from my trip to Mt. Olympus, the home of the ancient Greek Gods last week:

1   - A view from my hotell. At first I got room to the seaside, but who cares about the sea?
2   - This time of the year the Anemones are imposible to ignore. Here a field of pink Anemone pavonina
3   - Close up, vartaitons if pink A. pavonina
4   - At an higher altitude the red form of Anemone pavonina was more common
5   - Field of red Anemone pavonina
6   - A bit to early for orchids in flower, but this Ophrys spuneri was very common in the fields from the seaside and up to 800 meters
7   - Muscari also very present at this time of the year
8   - Muscari sp (guess someone of you know the name?)
9   - Anemone blanda
10 - Another Anemone blanda

[Brian Ellis]

That Ophrys spuneri is stunning Geir, thanks for posting.  The pink Anemone pavonina is also very nice.

[gmoen]

Lets move into more shady places 

11 - A partly shady path
12 - Variations of patterns and shapes of Cyclamen leaves
13 - In the snowmelting I found pleny of Crocus veluchensis
14 - Crocus veluchensis closeup
15 - Saxifraga sempervirens I only found in shady position at 1800 - 2000 meters
16 - Two species of primula was growing in a shady hillside. This one looking simalar to our P. vulgaris (probaly another sp?)
17 - And then the Primula veris
18 - Two species above grew side by side, and there was some plants i guess must be a hybrid between this two. Like a veris with big flowers, but the stem was much shorter than in the P. veris
19 - Corydalis sp
20 - Galanthus sp (sorry folks I'm NOT a galanthophil - so please help me out)

[gmoen]

And now; up up up 

21 - Above the tree line there was mostly Buxus and a small leafed Ilex
22 - Achillea ageratifolia a nice endemic
23 - Aubretia thessala was a stunning sight on the roadsides
24 - Another great endemic. The Chamaecytisis polytrichus has big flowers on a low and compact plant.
25 - Daphen sp. at 1400 meters
26 - Geranium cinerea ssp subcaulescens grew side by side with the Daphne at 1400 meters. Endemic as well
27 - Saxifraga scardica at 1200 meters. Grew in dry position but never south facing
28 - Some violas was blue or purple
29 - Some was white or yellow
30 - One was just a bit confused.......

[gmoen]

The final pics for now:

31 - There are several road to access the Mt. Olympus. This one from Dion is quite....let say interesting
32 - Asphodeline lutes was quite common
33 - Almost every night there was freezing temperatures up in the hills
34 - Along the coast there is so many nice villages to visit, and all with  nice backgroud ;-)
35 - Mt. Olympus
36 - Trees in spring in the lowland
37 - Nooooo ladies (and to a couple of you men out there) - this is NOT an ancient Greek God 

Have a nice day 

[Tony Willis]

Geir an interesting trip and lovely pictures. It was good that you were able to get to 2000m which I presume was on the Dion side and there does not appear to be much snow above the tree line. I have been there the last two years in mid May and going up from Prioni the track was still closed with snow at about 1400m and of course Refuge A does not open until June. By early May many of the flowers you saw are over and so I have always missed them and so nice to see your photographs. Still it is such a good area there is always plenty to see.

[gmoen]

Correct Tony, it was from Dion. A bit hard but it helps to be a bit stubborn (and stupid) 

Agree with you. It's a very nice area and I wil go back for sure. We got this extremely cheap flights to Thessaloniki from Norway now (Ryanair), and a bit out of season the hotell is also "nice-price". You can have the seaside, citylife and mountains at one time 

[Paddy Tobin]

Great to see such a selection of photographs from an area I have never visited. Very interesting. Many thanks, Paddy

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great report Geir !
A wonderful area for sure !
On my "to do list" ! 

[christian pfalz]

hi geir, i think the small ilex on photo 21 is quercus coccifera, there are plants in greece with mini leaves and very small shrubs......
thanks for showing us these woderful habitat pics.....
please more from it...
cheers
chris

[David Nicholson]

........ and on mine. Thanks for posting Geir. I enjoyed your journey very much but I couldn't cope with your mountain road I'm afraid

[ashley]

Spectacular plants and photos Geir.  Thank you.
Surely not a challenging road for a Norwegian

[gmoen]

@Chris

Thanks for your reply. Here is the shrub I'm refering to as an Ilex sp. But my knowledge is limited when it comes to this plant, so it is based on an "impression" of the plant. But the Buxus I'm quite sure is a Buxus...ha ha.

But NOW i googled Quercus coccifera and you suggestion is correct. Thanks again

[christian pfalz]

hi geir,
this is the typical mountain form, great plants, i have young plants, growing from seed from mt. kyllini, absolutly hard here in southwestern germany.......
cheers
chris

[Ru]

Magnificent plants!!!
Remarkable photos!!!
THANKS!!!