Pelion, the Home of the Centaurs
Pelion, the Home of the Centaurs
Written by Friday, 18 September 2009 00:00
"At first a small line of inconceivable splendour emerged on the horizon, which, quickly expanding, the sun appeared in all of his glory, unveiling the whole face of nature, vivifying every colour of the landscape, and sprinkling the dewy earth with glittering light." Ann Radcliffe
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Pelion – The Home of the Centaurs Pelion or Pelium (Greek: Πήλιον, Pilion) is a mountain at the southeastern part of Thessaly in central Greece, forming a hook-like peninsula between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea. In Greek mythology Mount Pelion (named after the mythical king Peleus, father of Achilles) was the homeland of Chiron the Centaur, tutor of many an ancient Greek hero such as Jason, Achilles, Theseus and Heracles. It was on Mount Pelion, near Chiron's cave, that the marriage of Thetis and Peleus took place. Mythology has it that goddess Eris - the goddess of strife - insulted at not being invited at the wedding, arrived bringing a golden apple bearing the inscription "To the Fairest". The dispute that arose subsequently amongst the goddesses Hera, Aphrodite and Athena over possession of the apple and the title resulted in the events leading to the Trojan War. A number of Greek myths refer to Mount Pelion, possibly indicating the attraction and mystery Pelion held for the ancient Greeks. When the giants Otus and Ephialtes attempted to storm Mount Olympus, they piled Mount Pelion upon Mount Ossa, which became a proverbial allusion for any huge but fruitless attempt. Mount Pelion is unique: it is a place where mythology, history and natural beauty co-exist in a magical atmosphere. Starting from the legendary Argonaut expedition, the mythical Centaurs, the historical ages, the impressive evolution notwithstanding the Turkish occupation, the byzantine monuments and its formidable tradition Pelion has been at the centre of Greek history throughout the centuries. A place to relax, a place to learn, a place to communicate with the environment. The mountains are entirely forested, with beech, oak, maple and chestnut trees. Pelion is a tourist attraction throughout the year: the mountain has trails and sidewalks giving access to numerous beaches (with sand or pebbles) of varying size. Visitors can still admire today traditional Pelian architecture in all the twenty four villages on the mountain. Apart from all this, or because of it, Pelion is the photographer’s paradise. Perhaps the biggest problem you will have if you get there is where to look first and what to look for. We were perplexed and we “lost” a lot of nice shots simply because we were looking at one thing while something else was happening on the other side. Many times we found ourselves with the wrong lenses on our cameras since the range of interesting subjects covered everything from macro shots, unbelievable vegetation, fantastic beaches, breathtaking architecture to wildlife, all in on package all at the same moment. We saw two eagles playing with a hawk but our cameras were carrying wideangles and macro lenses at that time. Reaching for the long teles took us less than 20 seconds but by that time the birds had vanished in the horizon. We saw hawks sitting on fences or pylons but, again, the long lenses were not there. We spent eight days on this mountain, with the precious help of our friend Spyros, who proved to be a perfect guide. There were times that the scenes could just not be captured in a shot. Choosing the photos to include in this album was hard. We opted for a 'different' approach to the Mount. The first photo shows a rocky beach close to Aghios Ioannis just after sunset. Then comes a walk path amongst the trees, in Tsagarada; the contrast of the bronze withered leaves against the luscious green of the new foliage is a very familiar sight at Pelion. The next picture is taken at Hania, close to the peak, just before sunset. Next comes dusk in Aghios Ioannis, followed by waves splashing on the rocky cliff at Mylopotamos. One of the many small rivers found in Pelion, this one on our way to Pinakata. A house at Pinakata. Finally, we have included a shot on the road from Aghios Ioannis to Damouhari. If you take photography seriously, you should consider Pelion for the list of places you have to visit sometime soon. Photos by Marina Parha and George J. Reclos Shooting data: 1. Camera: Nikon D3x 2. Camera: Nikon D3x 3. Camera: Nikon D700 4. Camera: Nikon D700 5. Camera: Nikon D700 6. Camera: Nikon D300 7. Camera: Nikon D300 8. Camera: Nikon D2x
References (1) Wikipedia (2) Pelion
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Related presentations: Images from Pelion
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