Thursday, 5 April

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="044d4c00dduajq.gif"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="95" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 46 WIDTH="91"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="46" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="91" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <A HREF="id104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wednesday, 4 April"><U><IMG SRC="0450b0b0.gif" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>   <A HREF="id107.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Friday, 6 April"><U><IMG SRC="0460b0b0.gif" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>       <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="11">   <A HREF="id98.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April"><U><IMG SRC="0480b0b0.gif" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="166afc10.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="193" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Ali Pasha's Mosque                  in Ioannina, Greece</div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Gastropod's Trail</B></FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Gastropods Trail"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> Thursday, 5 April</div> <div> Igoumenitsa, Greece to Dodoni, Greece</div> <bR> <div> We had arrived in Igoumentisa at six a.m. and, after getting a fresh, oven warm, loaf of bread and some pastries, we drove on to Ioannina.</div> <bR> <div> Ioannina is located in the northern part of the District of Epiros and is its capital. Epiros is Greece 's most mountainous region as we soon found out. The Pindus range forms its natural northeastern border, while dozens of other mountains, big and small, are scattered throughout the area, separated by only a few valleys. </div> <bR> <div> The city lies on the shore of lake Ioannina which was known under the name Pamvotis in antiquity. This was our first stop in a Greek city. Along the main street and side-allys are small shops of all kinds of trades - in most cases the store is also the workshop where the products for sale are made. We parked on the lake shore and I had time to visit my, first ever, Mosque; that of Aslan Tzami which is on a hill across from the imposing city wall and fortification (Litharitsia) which dates from the time of Ali Pasha. During his reign (1788-1822), Ioannina enjoyed a period of economic and intellectual growth, as his court became a pole of attraction for restless spirits (Kollettis, Vilaras, etc.) and future military leaders of a revolutionary Greece (Karaiskakis, Botsaris, Androutsos, etc.). </div> <bR> <div> The main destination for today was the ancient site of Dodona which is located 22 km south of Ioannina, in the narrow valley between mounts Tomaros and Manoliassa.</div> <bR> <div> This region is said to be the cradle of culture for the original Greek tribes. The first remains on the site date from the prehistoric period and the first deity worshipped here was the Earth goddess (Gaia). The cult of Zeus and the sacred oak tree was brought to Dodona by the Selloi, a branch of the Thesprotian tribe, between the 19th and 14th centuries BC and soon became the prevalent cult of the sanctuary. The first contributions from southern Greece date from the end of the 8th century BC and building activity began in the 4th century BC The sanctuary reached the highest point of its prosperity in the 3rd century BC but was destroyed by the Aetolians in 219 BC It was rebuilt shortly thereafter and continued to be in use until its destruction by the Roman invaders in 167 BC In the Roman period it had a different function and its end came in the 4th century AD, during the reign of Theodosius the Great. The area of the sanctuary was then covered with Christian basilicas. Today the theater is used for performances. </div> <bR> <div> The Theater, the Bouleuterion (Parliament), the Prytaneion and the Stadium, are at the centre of this ancient holy site.</div> <bR> <div> The Theater is one of the largest in Greece, seating 18.000 persons. It consists of the cavea (auditorium), the orchestra, a doric stoa and a wooden proscenium. It was built in the 3rd century BC, during the reign of Pyrrhus, and was destroyed in 219 BC by the Aeolians. At the end of the 3rd century BC it was restored but was again demolished by Aemilius Paulus in 167 BC During the 1st century BC it was turned into an arena by the Romans. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="17cf4b20.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="178" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Greek Theater at Dodona</div> <bR> <div> Ancient Greek tradition considered the oracle at Dodona to be the oldest in the ancient Greek world, and archeological excavations have confirmed that it functioned from the Bronze Age (2600-1100 BC) to the end of the 4th c AD. The foundations of the Sacred House (temple of Zeus) are well preserved. At least four architectural phases are distinguished in the building whose original form remains unknown. It seems that in the beginning it was an open space surrounding the sacred oak-tree where the sacred couple (Zeus-Dione) lived. Bronze tripod cauldrons surrounded this sacred oak tree. The priests of Zeus (hypophites) interpreted the divine will for mortals on the basis of the rustling of the leaves of the tree and the flight of the wild pigeons that nested in its foliage.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="17dc80b0.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="267" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="2" VSPACE="0">Not far from the village of Dodona we found a very old and gnarly oak-tree to set up camp for the night. First we heard the tinkling of bells and then a small herd of sheep made it's way up the gully behind the tree followed by the sheepherder and his three goats. Unfortunately there were no leaves on the oak-tree and no wild pigeons nested in its branches - so we decided that the early spring the Greeks are enjoying are a good omen for us.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>