UPDATES
Also along this route, just before a concrete hut is passed on R, there is, down below to the L, a splendid ruined house. It is notable in having a projecting, corbelled-out, corner turret which has all the attributes of having been a Garderobe! (There are a few other old properties on Paxos having somewhat similar, 1st.floor, projections.) Faye tells me that this house was notorious as being one of the few, 3 storey, houses in the countryside and where a Ball was once held on one of the upper floors, which collapsed during the proceedings!
FP18b Walking S-N this has not changed much except that the pile of olive-press scrap by the 1st. junction, has gone.
Kevin checked-out the ‘private’ path down R and came to the locked gate as before.
FP18c This is all much as before. Ag.Ioannis appears to be undergoing repairs.
The scramble up to 18a remains much as before.
FP19 Mitsialatika/Kastanida. the Olive Press opposite the entrance to V.Efthia etc. continues in ‘restoration’ but now more clearly as a dwelling and not a Mill. All machinery has been stripped out.
Beyond the L.H. corner house at the road junction beyond, a newish bulldozed track goes off L and runs W along the contours. At the end a Sun Isle villa (V.Kastanida) stands on R. (see photo right)
Opposite a fine stone wall goes straight down the slope, enclosing olive groves to E. 100m or so down it becomes a walled-both-sides donkey path, winds about a bit with an interesting half-round donkey-trough. Lower down it exits onto pine-grown limestone pavement where shooter’s trails lead on to the cliff-tops.
Further back towards the road, another, new, bulldozed track leads down S to a ‘T’ junction to the W of which a new house is u/c. The l.h. E leg soon dies out but not before much damage to the landscape.
Opposite this, a walled path climbs gently up to exit onto the road (FP18) alongside the W end of Ag.Nicholas.
There appears to be a very spread-out, large villa at the end of the r.h. driveway which is the next S tending off-shoot of FP18 (on the bend before the Café)
FP19a has a more pronounced double bend than as shown. We again walked this, from the Kastanida (S) end this time and with the GPS on. The double bend shows as does a branch at rt.angles R (E) This is a narrow, open path through the groves, leading – much on the level! – past a ruin and then a poorly maintained house, both on the L (low) side. It runs along the front of the latter, which is the house shown at the terminus of the road 19a. Walking in the opposite direction, as one goes up the steps at the lower end of the W heading, walled path shown, turn right after about 3 steps.
The link W from 19a towards the fire-road junction, is somewhat N of the position shown on the current Map, much nearer the Church (Ag.Isayros) but, as before crossing tight in front of the cottage being restored – still unfinished! An earlier, tiny, cottage sits behind it. (See photo) and inset map below.
IKB 19th. October 2009
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