It has been quite a while since our last trip… In our new travel article we visit the springs of Krya in Leivadia, we enjoy the enchanting beauty of its nature, we taste the famous meats of the area, and of course eat our dessert, in a one-day trip that has it all!
For our Saturday trip we decided to drive away from Athens for a while. Son, daughter-in-law, grandmother and niece in new adventures! This time we chose Leivadia, a one and a half hour trip from our base in Athens. As soon as we arrived, we saw a beautiful provincial town and wandered its streets in an uphill direction. Note here that we do not wear masks only for the photos of the article.
Going up the cobbled streets we reached a magical place, as if it had come from a fairy tale… We had found the secret of Leivadia! Small waterfalls, watermills and stone bridges, along with large plane trees composed a dreamy landscape, like those where fairies live. They were the famous springs of Krya!
After we enjoyed our walks and took our photos of different parts of the landscape and after we cooled down from the splashes of the big watermill, we sat in a tavern to recharge our batteries, that is, to fill our bellies. We ordered a traditional Greek salad (Choriatiki salad), tzatziki (dip made with yoghurt, cucumber and garlic), two portions of spit roast pork kontosouvli, a portion of chicken and a portion of pork souvlaki, along with white wine. And after we ate all this we got another portion of souvlaki, because they were delicious!
And now it was time for another walk around the river. The river that crosses Krya is called Erkyna and is the second female river after Neda. It took its name from the nymph Erkyna, whose bust is carved in a stone in the river. Reading a few things about the river, we learned that it has existed since antiquity and that in one of its caves was located an oracle. Mythology says that the river was born from a game of Erkyna with Persephone. During their game with a goose in the forest of Trophonios, the goose got away and hid in a cave. Persephone moved a stone to catch it and rushing water overflowed, creating the river that we enjoy to this day.
We also learned that in the 19th century the watermills of the river were used to move the wheels of the mills and the machines of the factories. The river played an important role in the development of the region’s economy.
Back to mythology now… In the area where the sources of the river are located, there was a strange oracle, the oracle of Trophonius Zeus. This oracle was located in a cave of the river, which has not been found. The oracle pre-existed the oracle of Delphi and important people visited it. To receive the oracle they had to wash for days in the river water and offer sacrifices. Next to the oracle were the sources of Memory and Oblivion. This cave has not been found yet, despite the efforts of archaeologists.
After reading all these interesting things about the river, the view of which we enjoyed, we had digested our food, so we decided it was time for a dessert! Walking to the north of the springs, we saw the castle walls of the area. It is a medieval castle, one of the few surviving Catalan castles. We did not climb the numerous stairs, but we will definitely do it the next time we visit Leivadia!
Time for dessert! We sat in a cafe overlooking the river and decided to eat waffles. We got two waffles with praline and pavlova ice cream and a waffle with praline and cookies ice cream. The best closing of our hearty meal.
Having eaten our dessert, we saw that time had passed, so we walked along the river to the car for the way back. Leaving, we saw a bust of Athanasios Diakos (a hero of the Greek Revolution), an image of whom we had seen at the City Hall of Leivadia. We had to learn this story too.
While doing our research we read about the siege of Leivadia, which was a military conflict of the Greek Revolution of 1821, which lasted from March 30 to April 4, 1821. The outcome of the conflict was the surrender of the Turks! Leading figures of the conflict were Athanasios Diakos and Vassilis Bousgos. That is why the bust of Athanasios Diakos adorns the beginning of the riverside pedestrian street.
Having filled our lungs with beautiful, cool nature, our bellies with delicious food and our heads with new knowledge about another place of our homeland, we could now return… Until our next trip!
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Eat Dessert First Greece 
Υπέροχες εικόνες, όμορφες στιγμές. Να περνάτε πάντα καλά.
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Σας ευχαριστούμε ειλικρινά αγαπητέ φίλε κύριε Γιάννη! Καλό Σαββατοκύριακο να έχετε!
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