Pylos, Methoni & Ancient Messini

Gooooooooooooooooood! (with 2 "o", not only one...)
Today we went with some people from the school where Giannis (our greek teacher) is working to visit these places.

Pylos
Pylos is a very nice looking town by the sea! The fortress, originally built by the Venetians and then rebuilt by the Otomans, is a lot empty in the inside maybe because it is very large... Anyway it has a magnificent view over the bay! Worth a visit.



Methoni
A very very nice and welcoming little town/village near the sea. The main point of attraction is the huge fortress and castle that supposely existed inside the fortress... It reminded me of just another portuguese fortress that i've seen but then we entered. It is a Venetian fortress, as we can see in the outside wall: a carving of a lion with wings, the coat of arms of Venice. After crossing the first "inter-wall" space, we crossed another gate and then a huge green area extended to the sea. In the middle there is a very long road crossing all the supposed settlement to the other side of the fortress where the "Butcher's tower" is located. Yes, it supposely had a setlement... If it is still there now it should be below all those bushes... They could have such a great place in there if they had conserved it better in the past!
Anyway we walked something like 5 minutes to cross it. Another gate, we are on the outside again. And a marvelous view strikes my cornea! The tower just appears "in the middle" of the sea with a not so large path leading there. It is really great, with the mountains far in the back...
Inside there is not so much to see unfortunately. It was a tower where many many people were slaughtered by the Turks, and normally it was used to held prisioners. It should have 2 floors but the top one is gone... A nice round dome and nothing else to see!
Okay besides the fortress, Methoni has very nice beaches. It should be great in summer!



Ancient Messini
Arriving in Ancient Messini you can see some good-looking walls far away on the other side of the valley. Going down to the archaeological place you can see a big ancient amount of stones. It's not so big as the Greek Agora in Athens but it is extense anyway! It still has some walls in a very good condition as well as the little theatrer and the fabulous stadium! This last is really great. The sitting places are well preserved and there are many many columns all around it. Great ambience! :) Down there you can hear the sound of the water flowing below it.
On the way back to the entrance I found two pieces of a pot or a vase! :)
And conclusion... Verena said that 4 months ago the walls in the entrance were not there, so at least something is being done there... slowly...But there is still soooooo much to be found in that place! I bet with anyone! An unfortunately for this we are in Greece, what I have seen about conservation and restauring is not the best.... :(

It is great to imagine all that zone with life, in that valley, protected with 8km (yeah a lot!!) of fortificated walls all around it! In the North to protect that little "kingdom" from the Arcadians; in the East to protect from the Spartans, and the others two sides i dont know, Giannis didnt say! :) Those 2 gates can still be found, I hope i go back there in some months!



PS: Thank you, High Entity.

Earthquake!

Finally! Greece is a country affected a lot by earthquakes. Last week when we were in Athens in the On-Arrival (18th March 2009) there was a 4.2 Ritcher here in Kalamata. We missed it and we got "angry"! :p
Today I was lying in my bed, semi-awake, when suddenly the bed started moving a lot! For less than one second ok...but it was strong! :D As long as they are not dangerous it is a new and curious experience...

Thanks mother Earth.

More posts from now on :)

I will try to be more active in here from now on!

I have had some ideas of things to write. The things I miss, the things that get me angry, happy, confused, etc...

I will just write whatever I feel! :)

Sorryyyyyy....

Its almost end of March and I havent been active here... Sometimes I want to but I am too lazy...
Anyway I will do a quick review of my almost 2 months in here! :)

First Day
I have been very well received in Kalamata! The Greek teacher, Giannis, got me from the bus station and we went to eat and drink something. Then I slept a bit in the afternoon (the trip was sooooo long and I could not sleep very much in the airport....). Some hours later I met my mentor and in the night we went to a Taberna to have a great dinner!

Other Volunteers
I was the first new volunteer to come to Kalamata. Verena was already here for 5 months but my future house mates were still to come. In one month after my arrival all managed to arrive, like 1 per week.

Nedousa
When we were all here, in our first day all together we went to a village in the mountains. There was some Pagan Celebrations that were very veyr nice! In the end we were dancing with the local people! :)

Intercultural Night
Some days later we finnaly had the Intercultural Night! Tradicional things from Turquey, Hungary, Germany, Italy and...ok...my bottle of Porto Wine representing Portugal!... ehehe

Youth Center
As my project depends a bit on local groups of reforestation and as they have not been very active lately, in the last weeks I have been working in the Youth Center helping the other 2 volunteers from there to paint, clean, etc. Basically that space was a complete chaos and we had to remodelate it! :) It was nice, and it is very nice now. We started to plan some things for it, we defined the YC identity and objectives, and we are now preparing some things to the opening party in the 4th of April.

On-Arrival Seminar
I LOVE YOUUUU!!
Wow...I really loved this last week in Athens in the On-Arrival...Unfortunately we got a very short seminar because the National Agency doesnt like us. Only 3/4 days, 2 less than the "normal" seminars... Anyway I loved it, I loved to meet people from everywhere in Europe! We are all so different and so like the same... :) Loved loved loved! My best week ever! I will never forget that experience.

Athens
After the seminar we managed to stay in Athens for the weekend, in the house of some volunteers from SCIint organization. Right in the center of Athens, great location! In sunday we went with other volunteers from the seminar to the Acropolis and to the Greek Agora, and okay...a paradise in the middle of that huge and ugly city! :) That zone is really really beautiful...

National Liberation Holiday
Today is a national holiday in Greece. Here they celebrate their Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 25th march 1821. We went to see a parade in the main square... Strange. All the schools and colleges and whatever where in the parade, all marching with specific customs. Nothing very fancy, in fact very all like the same and very boring... Some people claped hands when they saw like their son or grand-son marching in his school group but most of the time was just back-noise and music from the speakers. Everywhere there were greek flags (i have never seen so many together).
In the end something caught my attention. On of the last groups in the parade was the army. Armed with G3 rifles and Mini-14 (I think) they marched very very coordinated as it was to expect. My curiosity started here... Okay they march a lot better than the school guys and girls and the scouts, but supposely after the incident in Athens where a student was killed, greek people do not like the police and the security forces! Many local people told me that many times. This is why I am confused... They clapped A LOT!! Like a huge manifestation of Nationalism and proud in their security forces, while they just watched still the future of their country (the school's students). I am confused... I will ask today to Giannis! :p

Trip Plan

-PT-
É verdade, o projecto foi efectivamente aprovado! Não vejo a hora de entrar no avião! Dentro de 3 semanas partirei para a cidade que me vai acolher nos próximos 5 meses! De entre as pesquisas que já andei a fazer, aqui fica o meu hipotético plano de viagem:

Transportes
- voos para Atenas (horas de partida, chegada, mudanças de avião);
- hotéis para passar a primeira noite em Atenas (acabei por desistir porque supostamente chegarei ao aeroporto por volta de 1:30 da manhã, e já não há metro para a cidade a essas horas);
- horários do metro de Atenas para ir do Aeroporto para a estação mais próxima da central de camionagem;
- horários dos autocarros de Atenas para Kalamata;
- horários e tarifas do Leonardo Express em Roma.

O que irá supostamente acontecer será o seguinte: embarco no Porto às 9:50 do dia 4 de Fevereiro; chego a Roma por volta das 14:00; possivelmente tomarei o Leonardo Express para fazer uma visita assim para o rápido ao centro da cidade (se o tempo me deixar); ás 20:20 embarcarei com destino a Atenas, com chegada prevista às 01:30 (hora local) do dia 5 de Fevereiro; devido a ser tão tarde ficarei no aeroporto até de manhã e apanharei o primeiro metro para o centro da cidade às 06:30; saio na estação Eleonas da linha 3 e se chegar a tempo apanho o autocarro das 07:30 para Kalamata ou então o das 08:45.

Acho que melhor planeamento é impossível! :D



-EN-
Yes, the project was actually approved! I can not wait to get on that plane! Within 3 weeks I will leave to the city that will welcome me in the next 5 months! Among the searches that I already made, here is my hypothetical plan of the trip:

Transportation
- Flights to Athens (hours of departure, arrival, change of plane);
- Hotel to spend the first night in Athens (I gave up because supposedly I will get to the airport around 1:30 in the morning, and no more subway trains to the city are available);
- Schedules of the subway line from Athens Airport to go to the nearest station of the bus central;
- Schedules of buses from Athens to Kalamata;
- Schedules and fares of Rome's Leonardo Express.

What will happen is supposedly the following: Plane in Porto at 9:50 on February 4th; arrival in Rome around 14:00; possibly I'll take the Leonardo Express to make a quick trip to the center of the city (if I have time); 20:20 departure to Athens, with arrival expected at 01:30 (local time) on February 5th, due to be so late I will stay in the airport until the morning and take the first subway train to the city center at 06:30; I will leave in Eleonas station of line 3 and get to the 07:30 bus to Kalamata or the one at 08:45.

I think better planning is impossible! :D

Aprovação do Projecto

-PT-
Já lá vai mais de um mês à espera da resposta da Agência Nacional...
O único projecto que entretanto me aceitou foi um da Grécia. Curiosamente o último a que eu tinha concorrido e ainda esperava resposta! Taygetos SOS, reabilitação das zonas florestais e aldeias afectadas pelos enormes incêndios de 2007 no Sul da Grécia. A zona parece-me espetacular, o tema também, e as actividades muito moralizantes! Nunca mais chega a resposta...

O preenchimento do projecto envolveu contactos diários entre mim, a minha associação de envio através do Martinho, e aqueles me aceitaram acolher, através do Filaretos. Durante semana e meia, uns dias mais do que outros mas regra geral acrescentava-se sempre qualquer coisinha por dia. Lá acabamos tudo a tempo, o projecto foi entregue e estamos então agora à espera que a comissão se reúna (isto a acontecer dia 15) e que a resposta nos seja comunicada!

Nunca mais passa uma semana!!!!!!!!!

-EN-
Still waiting for more than a month for the response of the National Agency ...
The only project which has accepted me was one from Greece. Curiously the last that I had competed and still expected answers! Taygetos SOS, rehabilitation of forest areas and villages affected by the huge fires of 2007 in southern Greece. The area seems to be spectacular, the theme too, and the activities very moralizing! The final answer never comes...

The completion of the project involved daily contacts between me, my sending association by Martinho, and those who accepted to receive me through Filaretos. During a week and a half, some days more than others but generally adding a little something everyday. Finnished in time, the project was delivered and we are now waiting for the committee to meet (that to happen 15th) and the response to be communicated!

This gonna be a loooooooooooong week!!!!!!!!!

E mais outra??

A chamada correu bem. Inicialmente um bocado nervoso, com as palavras a sair todas arranhadas e a ter que encontrar outras expressões para dar a volta à coisa, lá me consegui exprimir! Convém notar que o meu inglês falado numa frase com nexo, não vê a luz do dia desde o meu 11º ano no secundário! lol
Depois de perguntas tipo: "O que poderíamos ganhar contigo cá, e o que poderias ganhar tu?"; "já estiveste muito tempo no estrangeiro?"; "Porquê a Hungria?"; "Que área do projecto te interessa mais?"; disseram-me que dentro em breve me iriam contactar novamente.

Verdade, contactaram cerca de cinco dias depois a dizer que me queriam telefonar novamente. A minha surpresa: "Richard Harrill (Director for Europe) and Christine Schmidt (Communications Officer) will join us to talk about more details on our possible proposal and your ideas"! Director Europeu?! :D Mas....continuo sem saber se estão interessados ou nem por isso... Nada de criar falsas expectativas, ainda não vi nada de concreto e explícito a dizer que "sim"!

Dia 2 de Outubro, nova chamada! :)