JustinHoffman Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 (edited) Hello All, Since I had only seen my brother once in eight years, and wanting to get away to sunny skies after a long and miserable winter, I made my way over to Greece on May 31. My brother, Julian, and his girlfriend, Julia, have lived in the village of Agios Germanos for the last eight years, after moving to the area from London, England. The village is located in the northern reaches of Greece, in the town of Prespes, Florina. It is directly on the border to Macedonia, and Albania can also be seen with the naked eye from their doorstep. Here are a few shots of their village.. The front of my brother's house.. And the back...Lake Prespes can be seen in the background.. The beauty of this region is beyond stunning! Surrounded mostly by mountains, the word breathtaking doesn't really do it justice. The first ten days of the trip saw us do many day trips throughout the area. All three of us are avid birders, and Prespes is a birders paradise. It is reknowned for the pelicans that flock to the area, and it was quite a sight to see them circling in the winds above you. Other noteworthy sightings were Cuckoos, Bee Eaters, Egrets, Buzzards (hawks), and of course, the Golden Eagle. Here is a spot my brother and I spent a day birdwatching in - it was less than a ten minute drive from their house.. A Carp fishing boat - many of the Greeks fish (net) them.. On another hike in their town, we came across a herd of these - water buffalo. They have been brought in to keep the water reeds under control. (Luckily a shepherd was close by with his dogs, just in case any of the bulls decided to charge us) Wild poppies are everywhere in Greece, and really made for some stunning photography subjects.. Lizards are also extremely common.. A day trip into Kastoria, which is an hours drive from Agios Germanos. My first official pint of Mythos in Greece.. Did another day trip into Bitola, which is one of the main cities located just within the border of Macedonia. Although the country of Macedonia is quite poor, and many of the areas are rather bleak looking, Bitola was a thriving and exciting place. People out shopping, drinking, and perusing the open-air markets. Macedonia is also extremely inexpensive. A four course meal with drinks, for three people, cost the equivalent of $16. A few shots of the city.. A shot of the border crossing... Day 10 saw Julian and myself head out on a little trip for some brotherly bonding - six days on the island of Corfu. After six + hours in two buses across the mountains of south-western Greece, we finally reached the ferry.. A 2 hour boat ride, and we reached our destination. Here is a view of Corfu Town (located on the east side of the island) that you see just before docking.. Spent one night in Corfu Town, then rose early to catch the bus for a 22km trip to our destination - Paleokastritsa. This is known as one of the most beautiful areas in all of Europe, and is on the west side of the island on the Agean sea. We booked a studio apartment for the five days. At $15 each per night, you certainly couldn't go wrong! (Our room is the one with the towels hanging on the line..) The area is divided into five or six "lagoons", all with their own beach. The water was the crystal-clear I had ever seen, and you could see down 30 metres! Here is the view from just outside our studio.. Our favourite beach of the lot.. Some other shots.. A couple of the boats in the small harbour.. On the second last day, we decided to go on a little day excursion. For the equivalent of $30 each, you got to go on a glass-bottomed boat for an hour boat ride, at which point they drop you off at Paradise Beach. (This place was beautiful - and is only accessible by boat.) They roast up chickens on spits right on the beach, and that is what you have for lunch, as well as salad, fruit, and bread. Booze is also free. You then lay on the beach and swim, and they take you back on the boat four hours later. A great deal for sure... On the way to Paradise Beach.. Feeding the fish from the boat.. Our tour guide..and the boat we took.. Arriving at Paradise Beach.. Ok, I used a little bit of tanning oil on the trip.. Enjoying a drink during our last dinner in Corfu before heading back to the mainland.. The last week of the trip was mainly full of relaxation. Well, other than the mountain climb I did! Julia and I decided to tackle one of the mountains that is located just behind their house. It is 2100 metres above sea level, and my brother's house is 1000 metres. So, yep, we were climbing over a kilometre high!! The rock peak in the middle was our destination - we had already been hiking 1.5 hours to reach this spot.. And success!!! It wasn't easy, and I certainly struggled at times. But the thrill of reaching the peak was undescribable! 3 hours and 45 minutes to get to the top - let's just say that I was sweating up a storm! Another cool thing was that a Golden Eagle flew directly overhead within five minutes of reaching the peak.. You can just make out my brother's village in the centre of this shot - that is where we began our ascent.. The cool thing was that the top of the peak marked the boundary between Greece and Macedonia. Here is a view of looking down into the valley of Macedonia.. Taking a rest on one of the lower ridges - the peak we climbed is in the background. The marker I am leaning against is the border between the two countries.. Beginning our decent back to the village.. It took us three hours to get back down. Some sections were quite steep, so the best way to save your knees (and stop you from falling) was to weave a zig-zag pattern along the way. So, all in all, 7 hours of hiking to tackle the mountain! And it was worth every minute! Here, Julia and I celebrate after returning back home - the mountain peak we climbed can be seen in the background.. And here we enjoy a cold drink and chicken on the BBQ after a long day of exercise...this was my last night before flying back home. Due to the healthy eating lifestyle that both my brother and his girlfriend follow, and the increased exercise that I did, I ended up losing 7lbs of weight and 1.5 inches off my belly. I was happy with that..lol If only all holidays were the same! I will definitely be back... Hope you all enjoyed! Good Fishing, Justin Edited July 5, 2008 by JustinHoffman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Justin, Absolutely awesome report! Those pictures are amazing! Looks like you had quite the adventure and made alot of memories What happened to your hand? Did you get a chance to wet a line at all? Again an awesome report and thank you for sharing it with us! Happy Canada Day! G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pokerdemon4 Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Beautiful pictures. I bet you didn't wanna come back. Looks like your brother enjoys his life there. Must have been a great trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaque Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 georgeous country and fabulous pictures to represent that!!! I was expecting the architecture of athens, which is a bit overdone, so this angle of greece was very surprising, and neat to see that side of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toronto_Angler Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Good stuff! My mom is from Kratero which is very close to prespa. Have you heard of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinHoffman Posted July 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 (edited) Thanks for the kind words, guys... Toronto Angler - I haven't heard of it, but I'm sure my brother has or even visited it. (They do lots of travelling in the area..) Beautiful part of the country for sure. Gerritt - forgot to mention about the hand. Two days before leaving for Greece, I chipped a fragment of bone from my knuckle on my ring finger, and obviously pulled some tendons, etc. It happened while playing soccer/baseball with the kids at work. (I slipped on the wet grass when running for the ball, and landed hard on my hand.) So, the first week in Greece saw me with a splint on the finger, and the last two weeks with "buddy tape." Just took the tape off two days ago, and gave the digit a good working out while flipping for bass yesterday in the boat. Still sore when bending it, and the complete range of motion is not quite there, but I'm well on my way to recovery.. If that wasn't bad enough, my brother broke a bone in his foot the second day into our trip to Corfu. He took a bit of a tumble while going down a hill in his sandals...ok, the Mythos beer might of added slightly to his unstableness~! He spent the last week of my trip in a cast and on crutches - I'm sure we certainly made an interesting sight! As for fishing - I had hoped to get out for some Carp, but it just didn't pan out. Next time I'll definitely be bringing a bit of tackle and a fold-down rod... Happy Canada too, bud.. Justin Edited July 1, 2008 by JustinHoffman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattitude Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Awesome pictures Justin! Must've been the trip of a lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvette1 Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 what a trip thats a trip of a lifetime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Good stuff. JF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 What an incredible report, just absolutely stunning terrain! Makes me want to travel to Greece . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Aweseome pics Justin and trip log. It's always been high on my wife and mine places to visit. You and your brother sure look alot alike. Thanks for all the great pics. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinHoffman Posted July 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Yep, the resemblence is definitely there, Smokey... Good Fishing, Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJQ Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 OMG thats awesome..... trip of a lifetime i say!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Just finished showing my wife the pics now its all she wants for her big birthday in a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucktail Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Great pictures Justine!!!!! I can't beleive you didnt find any largemouths over there! D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntervasili Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Some nice pictures, looks like a great adventure for sure. Only 3 more days 'till I leave to go to Greece... I am a little excited and this was nice to see, just to increase my ambition... Its been 6 years for me and that means 6 years since seeing some of my family who's over there. Thanks again for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattones Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Amazing report! wish i was there. hehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarzan's Jane Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Truly enjoyed your report.....the mountain climb I would do in a second....bet you won't wait as long to go back. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Clemens Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Truely one of a kind report Justin. I can see why you call this area breathtaking. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to share your experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2kptbo Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Very cool, glad you enjoyed the visit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Some very nice pictures! It sure is a beautiful place over there, thanks for sharing with us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehg Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 Great pictures and story, thanks for the effort in posting. ehg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbuck Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Nice pics, Kastoria (Kostur) is the area I'm from. It is definitely beautiful country there. It's been 20 years since I've been back to the land of my parents. Supposedly, there are some pretty big pike in Lake Kastoria along with trout, I'll have to check that out in a few years when my kids are old enough to go there. I still have some family in some of the villages but most were forced out because they were Macedonian. It's a long sad story and it is true, Macedonians (esp. from Northern Greece) and Greeks don't get along politically, but that said, some of my best friends are Greek and I grew up on the Danforth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Absolutely amazing report. Thanks for sharing your vacation. What beautiful country. I'm so jealous. That field of poppies picture is my favorite. Joey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbanangler1990 Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 (edited) remarkable shots! thanks anyone of those could have been a postcard Edited July 4, 2008 by urbanangler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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