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Amvrakikos: The magical wetland of Rodia

As we descend from the coast of Epirus to the coast of Sterea, we are suddenly faced with a geological paradox. The solid – until that moment – western coastline of the country is suddenly broken up by a narrow strip of sea, not exceeding 600 metres. But this insignificant – in relation to the total length of the coastline – natural channel is enough to create on land the most fascinating ‘enclosed sea’ in the country, the Amvrakikos Gulf.
The result of intense tectonic activity, which began 2 million years ago, Amvrakikos is a tectonic depression that gradually began to fill with the deposits of the Arakhthos and Louros rivers. The gradual rise of the sea over the last 10,000 years has resulted in the Ionian Sea penetrating between Aktion and Preveza and flooding the bay, giving it its present form.

Text: Θεόφιλος Μπασγιουράκης
Photos: Άννα Καλαϊτζή
Amvrakikos: The magical wetland of Rodia
Categories: Nature
Destinations: Aetolia-Acarnania, CENTRAL GREECE

The adverse weather conditions – in terms of photography – caused us a lot of trouble in the last issue of the magazine. The Arta Rose in particular insisted on stubbornly refusing, through the rains and mists of the Arachnos, to reveal its beautiful face to us. This forced us to make the long journey to Arta three times, taking much more time than we expected. However, the adage “no harm is equal to good” was again proven true. Because, apart from getting acquainted with the fascinating mountainous environment of the wider area of Rodavgi, we had the rare luck to wander in a peaceful and diverse place, one of the most charming places one can find in Greece.

It was Amvrakikos, with its wetlands of unparalleled beauty and immeasurable ecological value. So when Father Agathangelos Kambysis, Archimandrite of the Monastery of Prophet Elias of Preveza, assured us that he would make available to us every means for the completion of the article, we had already made our decisions.

 

A BRIEF GLIMPSE ON THE PHYSIOGNOMY OF AMVRAKIKOS

 

As we descend from the coast of Epirus to the coast of Sterea, we are suddenly faced with a geological paradox. The solid – until that moment – western coastline of the country is suddenly broken by a narrow strip of sea, not more than 600 metres long. But this insignificant – in relation to the total length of the coastline – natural channel is enough to create on land the most fascinating ‘enclosed sea’ in the country, the Amvrakikos Gulf.

As a result of intense tectonic activity, which began two million years ago, Amvrakikos is a tectonic depression that gradually began to fill with the deposits of the Arakhthos and Louros rivers (1). The gradual rise of the sea over the last 10 000 years has resulted in the Ionian Sea penetrating between Aktion and Preveza and flooding the bay, giving it its present form.

The physiognomy of the bay was of course much more natural in the early stages of habitation of the area, dating back to the Palaeolithic era. With the appearance of the Romans at first and then with the development of large settlements and the expansion of human activities, everything began to change. Land transport, agriculture, livestock farming, deforestation, land reclamation works, changes in the hydrology of the rivers Arachthos and Louros and coastal settlement development have shaped the current physiognomy of the bay.

Amvrakikos is a bay, which penetrates a large part of the land, occupying an area of approximately 405 square kilometres. The average depth is 26 metres and the maximum 65 metres, while the depth of the narrow 600-metre channel between Preveza and Aktion varies from 5 to 15 metres. The natural boundaries of the bay are the mouth of Makrinorus to the east, the alluvial plain of Arta to the north, the peninsulas of Preveza and Aktio to the west, which separate it from the Ionian Sea, and the foothills of the Akarnani Mountains to the south. The coastline is generally smooth, except in some parts of the southern and north-eastern part, where low hillsides plunge steeply into the sea.

The main creators of the vast wetlands of Amvrakikos are the two major rivers that flow into the bay, the Arakhthos and the Louros. With the age-old action of their waters, these two rivers contribute to the formation of an extremely complex and unique wetland system for Greek standards. It includes large and small lagoons, long, low loro islands separating the lagoons from the sea, riparian zones, estuaries, meadows and sweet meadows, vast reed beds, wet meadows and salt marshes. It is a wondrous and incredible variety of habitats, constantly changing before our eyes, unfolding an overall picture of rare beauty. Some hillsides on the periphery of the bay are covered by oak forests, while there are also remnants of riverside forests, which, together with pastures and various crops, complete this wonderful mosaic of such diverse landscapes and images.

Amvrakikos contains at least 20 intact lagoons, a number not found in any part of Greece. The total area they occupy is more than 70 square kilometres, and most of them are separated from the sea by a strip of land, i.e. a long strip of land. When one observes a lourosisida from a distance, one gets the impression that it consists of sand. But if you lean down on the ground of most of them you will be surprised to find that the composition is made up of countless clam shells.

But what are lagoons? They are shallow lagoons right next to the sea; they are created by the action of rivers and waves, which for many years accumulate mud, sand and shells on a shallow shore. All this debris slowly forms a strip of land, which eventually isolates a stretch of sea and turns it into a lagoon. The three largest lagoons of Amvrakikos, each with its own particularities, are ‘Logarou’ with an area of 25.75 square kilometres, ‘Tsoukalios’ with 16.5 and ‘Rodia’ with 13.5 square kilometres. A key characteristic of the Amvrakikos lagoons is their high biological productivity. Due to the peculiarities of their configuration, they function as natural breeding grounds for fish and crustaceans, producing large numbers of fish and many other living organisms. However, lagoons are important for another reason. Thousands of birds find food and shelter in them during the winter or during migration. Some birds live in the Amvrakikos lagoons all year round, such as the famous Silver Pelican, which has one of the two breeding colonies in Greece. Of great interest is the way humans exploit the rich catches of the lagoons. In the natural openings that exist along the luronissides and which allow the lagoons to communicate with the sea, the fishermen of Amvrakikos have for many years now installed so-called ‘ibaria’ or ‘divaria’. These are special structures with reeds which, while allowing the free movement of water and the entry of fish from the sea, then prevent them from returning, thus trapping fish and crustaceans.

-You will have the opportunity to form a clear understanding of how the fish passages are constructed and operate when we visit them, says Father Agathangelos.

But first, let’s get to know the “Rhodia Wetlands Centre”.

 

THE EXCITING ADVENTURE BEGINS

 

Excited by our first tours of the Amvrakikos, we had momentarily considered creating an extended article that would include the entire bay. Very quickly we realized the utopia of such a project. So vast was the extent of the bay, and such was the variety and diversity of its ecosystems, that any attempt to include them in a single article would lead to dramatic shrinkage and inevitably to the degradation of a comprehensive and in-depth presentation. We therefore decide to concentrate initially on the northwestern part of the Amvrakikos, which includes the lagoon and the Rodia marshes. As our base we use the wonderful guesthouse “Marousio” in Rodavgi, believing that the alternation of a full day tour at sea level and an overnight stay at the 800m altitude of Rodavgi is incomparable. Besides, we have a strong friendship with the Papavassiliou family after our three consecutive visits to Rodavgi.

So we descend again our well-known and pleasant route to Filippiada and head for Preveza. After the settlement of Nea Kerasounda we meet the “Bridge of Kalogeros” on the river Louros and turn left into the swamps of Rodia. We cross the settlement of Petra and after a while we reach the settlement of Strogilis, very close to the waters of Amvrakikos. Informative signs, which accompany us throughout the route, lead us to the “Rodia Wetlands Centre”.

The Reception and Information Centre is housed in the old stone school of the community of Strongylis. We are welcomed by Father Agathangelos and with him the Center’s partners, Marios Periphanos and George Kapelanos. The former, from Petries Evia, is a technologist ichthyologist, with experience in lagoons and with an important scientific work on eels. The second, born in Strogili and with economic studies in Italy, decided to return to his home town and offer his services in tours, guided tours and the Centre’s multifaceted activities.

Before our briefing begins, the kind Aleka, a partner of the Centre, offers us a coffee, which we enjoy in the grassy and sunny courtyard. In the rooms of the Centre, the information material is impressive and perfectly structured, so that, through the explanatory tables, the diagrams and the wonderful photographs, the visitor is fully informed about the importance of the wetland, the species of birds and wildlife that live in it, as well as the traditional way of fishing for eel, which is a mild form of exploitation of the wetland’s fishing wealth. The visitor also learns about the life and habits of the people who lived in the wetland, the monuments and history of the area, the churches and monasteries. Our information has been taken over by Father – Agathangelos and within a few hours we feel ready to move from theory to experience the wetland.

I cannot, however, avoid asking him how the Monastery of Prophet Elias of Preveza is so actively involved in the wetland. “The Church is the only institution in the Amvrakikos region with a continuous presence and action since the visit of the Apostle Paul to Nicopolis in 61 AD, until today. For more than 1900 years it has continued to mark the history and culture of the region. In the 20th century, the most important monastery of the Metropolitan District of Nikopolis is that of Prophet Elias of Preveza. In 1918, the historic monasteries of Koronisia, Rodia, St. John of Romia, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary of Kastri Rizovouni, Panagia Vlacherna of Arta and Faneromeni of Kerasovo came under its jurisdiction by law. This ‘network’ of monasteries extends almost all over the north-western Amvrakikos. All of them were founded during the Byzantine period, both early and late, in places of particular natural beauty.

Naturally, the monasteries were centres of culture and economic activity in the area. In order to operate, they possessed important assets such as estates, olive trees, mills, flour mills, water mills, fish farms and forests. People most often organized their residence and life around the monasteries, educated themselves in them, worked in the monasteries’ estates, workshops and fish farms, and found safety and refuge when the region changed one conqueror after another: Normans, Venetians, Franks and Turks.

The Monastery of Prophet Elias, in addition to subsidizing many schools in the early 20th century, built the important bridge at Luro. Work began in 1853 by Abbot Dionysios and was completed in 1861 by Abbot Ierotheos, at a cost of 1000 Ottoman gold pounds. Today, unfortunately, the bridge does not survive. Only the name “Bridge of Kalogiros” remains, in the area of the current bridge of the Arta – Ioannina national road.

After 1912 and the liberation from the Turks, the monastery experienced a long period of decline, part of its property was expropriated in favour of the refugees of 1922, it was burnt down in 1944 by the Germans and was left with one monk. In 1980 a group of young scientists, following the then newly elected Metropolitan Meletios of Nicopolis, formed the nucleus of the new Brotherhood of the monastery. In 1987 the new metochi in the name of Timios Prodromos was founded in Flamboura, Preveza and since then the monastery has been operating according to the community system, while members of the Brotherhood serve in the Metropolitan District of Nicopolis and Preveza as parish priests, preachers and spiritual advisors.

Demonstrating its deep sensitivity for the protection of the environment, the Monastery has undertaken various actions, the most important of which are:

-The reforestation of the hill of Prophet Elias with oak trees.

The protection of the broad-leaved oak forest that surrounds the church of the Monastery of St. John of Rome and is perhaps the only one in the world of similar size in such a low altitude.

-The protection of the small lagoon “Sakuleci”, owned by the Monastery of Koronisia, which is one of the few lagoons in the Mediterranean located on an island.

-The reduction of pollution of the Amvrakikos with the installation of a biological treatment plant for the Monastery’s wastewater since 1992.

A project of great importance for the region is the establishment of the “Rodia Ecotourism Centre”, which will inform and raise awareness of the environmental values of the region and promote the “other” worldview of the Church for the protection of nature, as it was imprinted on the wetland during its long management by the monks. Part of this wetland is owned by the monastery and includes within its territory monasteries, small churches and the ascetarium in the cave of Agios Vlasios.

So far then:

-The building of the school in Strongylis has been occupied and is already functioning as a reception and information centre for visitors.

-Constructed in the lagoon of Constantia in the traditional way on stakes, a fishing hut made of reeds, chutma and fish and an observatory for birdwatching.

-Traditional Amvrakikos boats with a flat keel (known as “prria”) were built to move visitors around the wetland.

-The cleaning and opening of the access to the ascetarium of Agios Vlasios in Mavrovouni was carried out.

-The creation of an artificial island was started using as materials the dredging products of the canals. This project, which is to be a bird nesting area, was proposed by the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Development, is being carried out for the first time in Amvrakikos and will be a model of rational management

of excavation products in a lagoon.

The briefing is over, it is time for our first approach to the Rodia wetland.

 

GLIDING IN THE CALM WATERS

 

In one minute from the Information Centre we arrive at the covered dock known as “Molos Hadjara”.

-To save time in our travels, we will use the speedboat, Father Agathangelos says.

The large boat with its powerful outboard motor leaves its mooring at the pier and begins its journey through the shallow waters of the wetland. It is a narrow channel that meanders constantly and looks like a secret passage between the solid islands of tamarisk.

Beautiful white-winged teal pop up every now and then all around us, flying calmly at a low height above the water and after a few dozen metres they reappear in the dense vegetation.

George Kapelanos, who is acting captain, is about to increase the speed of the sail, but suddenly Anna signals him to slow down.

-There’s an Alcyona dead ahead, she says in a whisper. If you keep going this slow, I have a slight chance of getting a picture of her.

George lowers the throttle of the bike and Anna calmly readies her camera. The rest of us wait motionless, avoiding even raising our eyes to the alcyone. I manage, however, for just a moment, to spot the colorful little bird, sitting in the bush of a dry bush.

The seconds tick by slowly, the distance between us and the alkyona is getting shorter and shorter, the boat is completely still, only Anna is constantly observing the alkyona through the lens of her camera. Suddenly a redemptive “click” is heard, followed immediately by another. Anna lets out a sigh of relief. We turn our heads and catch up with the beautiful little bird as it flits around and gets smaller and smaller until it is completely out of sight.

-Did you catch it? I ask Anna anxiously. She answers with a broad smile.

-Well, you are very lucky, says Father Agathangelos enthusiastically. After so many visits to the wetland, this is the first time I have seen someone photographing an alcyon. Anyway, it is rare to see the bird, let alone photograph it.

He’s not wrong. After so many years of wandering in the wild, this is the second or maybe third time we’ve managed to get in such close proximity to this magnificent little bird.

-Can I now go at normal speed? George asks happily and without waiting for our answer he revs up the throttle of the bike.

-Now go as you like, Anna tells him.

After the cyclone I have no more problems.

-Be patient, Father Agathangelos replies cryptically. You haven’t seen everything yet.

Already George is driving the boat with great speed and skill through the channel. Sometimes we pass by in a drag, almost touching the tamarinds. At other times we think we are heading up a solid dead end, but at the last moment an invisible bend appears and the watery path continues.

-As you can understand, this is not the usual speed of tour and guiding visitors, says George apologetically at one point. I’m just in a hurry to get us out in the open to catch the bunch of bunnies that are out there at this time.

Puffins, green-headed ducks, white-headed ducks and numerous phalaropes, a fascinating feathered world keeps popping up all around us; a nanobutterfly flits a few inches above the water.

The channel widens, the tamarins thin out, the labyrinthine swamp of the Strongyli with its multitudinous and diverse community, ties the knot in the calm waters of the Rodia lagoon.

We open in a SE direction, sliding at high speed through the still waters.

Already in front of us, in the distance of the horizon, the mountain range of the Akarnani Mountains rises like an impenetrable barrier, while the solid mass of Lefkada rises from the waters of the Ionian Sea to the west. Behind us in the northwest, beyond the plains and the low hillsides, the faint outline of the historic and martyred Zalongo is formed.

The morning winter sun continues to bathe the placid waters with blinding light, but its presence is beneficial as it mitigates the penetrating chill created by the boat’s high speed. Nearby we observe a floating telemetry station, taking measurements and collecting data on water quality. Immediately afterwards we pass by the wooden shelter and observatory of the Aneza Fishing Cooperative’s guards, built on stilts. The depth at this point of the lagoon is no more than 5-6 metres. We are already leaving the boundaries of the Rodia Lagoon and sailing in the waters of the Tsoukalio Lagoon. With our eyes half-closed from the sun, we gaze almost absentmindedly at the sparkling and smooth surface of the water, which seems to be completely still. Suddenly this stillness is disturbed. Just 100 metres in front of us a few white flying silhouettes appear. They wave their huge wings three or four times with stately movements and, as soon as they judge that they have given the necessary impetus to their silent engine, they cease to move them, spreading them horizontally and motionlessly across their magnificent opening. It is a flight of unparalleled beauty, in a flawless parallel orbit, just a few inches above the water. This flight of indescribable calm lasts for a few seconds, for two or three dozen metres. Immediately afterwards, the peaceful undulation of the huge wings resumes. Surprised by this unexpected extravaganza, Anna has no time to react; the Argus pelicans are already far away, out of the range of their telephoto lens. She lowers her engine in frustration and is content to watch listlessly at some cormorants flying high and a few phalaropes that have gathered around the silverbacks.

-There is no need to be disappointed, Father Agathangelos tells Anna. With the permission of ornithologist George Chandrinos, of the General Directorate of Forests of the Ministry of Agriculture, we will approach the colony of the silver pelicans at a reasonable distance and I believe, they will give you the opportunity to photograph them. Of course, this detour from our route is not included in the tour program for visitors so as not to disturb the birds’ tranquility. In some special cases, however, we can approach at a certain distance and in complete tranquility.

But really, do you know why the phalaropes swim and fly around the silverbacks?

We confess our ignorance and Father Agathangelos continues:

-This behavior of the phalarites is an example of their united cooperation with the silver pelicans. Since the large birds are unable, because of their bulk, to dive into the deep to find their food, the phalaropes have undertaken this task. Thus, with their ability to dive deeper, they push the fish close to the surface, making them easy prey for the silversides. If only humans would adopt similar behaviours in their relationships with each other.

In the background, however, the Tsoukali’s lure begins to emerge. On its low, narrow surface, the white silhouettes of the silver pelicans already stand out. Although we are still a long distance away, George lowers the speed of the boat to a minimum and the hitherto loud noise of the engine becomes a low murmur. Each passing minute still brings us closer to the birds, but they continue to be calm. We can now make them out clearly. There must be more than 25 of them and they are clustered in two colonies, one with a large crowd and another smaller one. At some point some birds show signs of anxiety and nervousness and start to move with the intention of flying. We turn off the engine completely and let the current carry us along. We watch their graceful and beautiful movements with fascination. Some are busy building a nest, others are on the alert, four or five even decide to spread their wings and move a few dozen meters away. But most of them surround us with confidence, not seeming to be affected by our presence. Among them we see a cormorant and a few mallards. The only sounds heard in this peaceful place come from the croaks of the gulls and the noise of the huge wings of those silverbacks that decide to fly.

Anna is finally in her element. With her powerful telephoto lens she photographs non-stop, enthralled and silent. As I watch her dedicated to her work, an image of similar beauty comes to mind, a sunset on Lake Kerkini. So too then, we were confronted with the ethereal silhouettes of the flamingos, whose tolerance and trust had given us some unrepeatable photographs.

-If you consider the result satisfactory, I suggest we slowly retire, whispers Father Agathangelos.

In lieu of another reply Anna nods her head affirmatively with a broad smile. At the sudden noise of the engine some of the birds startle and take off, giving us some of those incredible parallel flights over the water. One even doesn’t hesitate to pass just a few dozen metres from the boat.

– The way they fly with their wings outstretched and still, they remind me of the C 130, says George happily.

We are heading northwest, in an imaginary straight line with Zalongo. But already the weather is gradually changing, the clouds in the sky are thickening, a subtle gust is beginning to wrinkle the placid surface of the water. We have no reason to complain, however, if we consider that at this time in the Aegean there are nine Beaufort winds. As we approach the small lagoon of Konstantinos, in the north-western part of the bay, the waters again become calm.

We reach the facilities built by the Monastery of Prophet Elias on stilts. Everything is built in a traditional way, using exclusively wood and raw materials from the wetland, such as reeds and fish. Above the original wooden harbour, which provides a safer landing place for the boats, a solid wooden floor has been created, supported on thick piles, a platform connecting all the areas, the fishing hut, the birdwatching hut, the bird observatory and the chapel of Agia Anna. It is an unprecedented sensation to step on the raised wooden walkways and floors, which instead of land, have water as their boundary all around them. It is as if we are on a small island, created not by nature but by the hands of people, with such inspiration and care, that it is in perfect harmony with the natural environment and the aesthetics of the wetland.

-I believe, Father, that if you are considering some future expansion of your little watery state, you should include some accommodations, I say to Father Agathangelos. Who wouldn’t want to preserve in their memories an overnight stay in the water, with sunrises and sunsets, with the sudden changes in the weather and all the secret sounds of the marsh during the night!

We enter the fish hut, a spacious lodge with large wooden benches and tables, walls of perfectly woven reeds of thick cane and everywhere exemplary cleanliness and order.

-Here, says Father Agathangelos, our friendly guests have the unique experience of a meal with authentic Amvrakikos flavors including eel, small fish and cephalopods as well as traditional pies made by the women of the village.

It is a wonderful culinary break before continuing the tour of the divariums, the narrow channels that penetrate the impenetrable reed beds and the small and beautiful lagoons that are created between them.

In the kitchenette of the hut George roasts Greek coffee, in a few minutes we are enveloped in its fragrance. We enjoy it leaning against the wooden railing, above the water. Our ichthyologist Marios arrives with a “priri”. With its small dimensions and flat bottom, this boat is the only one that can penetrate the “divari”, the area with the reed traps where the fish enter, are trapped and caught.

With the big boat we arrive outside the “Constantius” divari, 150,200 m N-NW of the fish hut. There, we board the boat with Mario and begin our wanderings through the complex spaces of the diva with the canals, the narrow entrances that need to be opened and dragged between them, and the “volcanoes”, the special fish traps set up to catch the eels. Through a narrow canal we reach the small lagoon “Limnopoula”, whose area does not exceed 60 acres. Then we penetrate another canal and come out into the much larger lagoon of “Constantius”, which with an area of about 800 acres looks like an open sea compared to Limnopoula.

But this large body of water does not provide the protection and safety of the small one.

As we head towards the center of the lagoon, a few gusts of wind are enough to lift small waves, but they prove to be too big for our tiny and heavily loaded boat. We don’t want to risk any more and return. We make a short stop at “Vizouli”, the place where the guards of the cooperative stay in shifts 24 hours a day, to supervise the area for cases of poaching, which is not at all rare in Amvrakikos.

The guard Manolis from the settlement of Aneza is shown with his priapion. He approaches us shining a paddle and greets us cordially. An old fisherman, Manolis has spent half his life in the wetland of Rodia. On the days and nights of his shift he sleeps in his big boat, under the thick tarpaulin that resembles a pitched roof. I wonder how much protection this tarpaulin can provide on the cold and wet winter nights.

-Hey, what can I do, I throw everything I have on me. It’s life here, it’s exile. But it’s not boring, I’m used to it now, sometimes I even enjoy it…

late afternoon. At the tavern in Strongyli we have a light lunch of fried mullet and eel. Immediately afterwards we take the coastal dirt road, filled with annoying potholes, heading SE towards the Monastiraki of Panagia Rodia.

At some elevated points along the road we stop to admire the view of the Amvrakikos with its complex wetland systems. It is a perspective that certainly gains in spectacularity and overall view of the landscape, but it fails to convey the authentic feeling we had gained a few hours before in direct contact with the water, the birds, the reed beds, the tamarisk trees and all the special characteristics of the wetland.

About one and a half kilometers from the settlement of Strogilis, an uphill path, opened and maintained by the Monastery of Prophet Elias, leads us in less than 10 minutes to the asceticism of Agios Vlasios. On the walls of an impressive limestone cave, hagiographies half-blackened by soot can be seen, while the view to the bay is magnificent.

At a distance of 3.5 km from Strongili we are in front of the Monastery of Panagia Rodia. The katholikon with its dome, the old tiled roof and the excellent masonry impresses us. The walls are sturdy, over 80 cm thick, while the corners end in chipped cornerstones. The stone bell tower is also impressive in terms of dimensions and quality of construction.

The courtyard of the monastery is magnificent, paved with great care. A few tens of meters above, the steep and quite rugged slopes of Mavrovouni begin, overgrown with large olive trees. In front of us lies the panorama of Amvrakikos with the Akarnanian Mountains and Lefkada in the distance. It is an enchanting natural environment, a place of contemplation and absolute peace.

The weather changes dramatically, a cold and strong wind starts to blow, bringing to the shore a persistent noise of angry waves. It is a complete reversal of nature’s calm morning scene. From the courtyard of the monastery we can barely make out on the turbulent surface of the bay the islets with the silver pelicans, which only a few hours before were surrounded by perfect stillness. It is another aspect of the Amvrakikos, which, though wild, never ceases to retain its charm.

We return to Strogili and think that, after an exciting day, with constant mobility and varied images, it’s time to start climbing up to the heights and the cold air of Rodauggi. Besides, the fireplace will already be lit in the guesthouse. But it seems that our day in the plain is not over yet. Father – Agathangelos invites us to visit the facilities of the Monastery of Prophet Elias. In the area of the community of Flamboura, on the road to Preveza, stands on a hill with a magnificent view of the Amvrakikos, the magnificent building complex of the monastery with the new monastery of Timios Prodromos. For about two hours, the spiritual space and the serene environment of the monastery help us to recapitulate with Father Agathangelos our knowledge and filter all the accumulated experience of the day. As we bid him farewell in the courtyard of the monastery, the brilliant constellation of Orion and the moon begins to fill up above our heads.

The next day in the wetlands of Rodia promises to be just as exciting and interesting.

 

A WHITE, UNEXPECTED PARENTHESIS

 

The guesthouse fireplace is lit and especially desirable on a cold winter night. Just before midnight an icy wind comes whistling down from the steep slopes of Xirovouni.

High in the sky the moon almost disappears behind the clouds. I’m not worried. Much heavier clouds had developed in the afternoon, but magically disappeared.

I wake up before dawn. Outside the hostel everything is plunged into darkness. I tidy up the remaining coals, add a few dry twigs and in a few minutes I am enjoying my coffee, with the flames of the fireplace as my only companion. Outside on the balcony the cold is piercing, the sky dark, starless. As I prepare to return to the fire, my eyes are drawn to the thick layer of icing covering the roof of Maria’s car. I don’t particularly mind; I consider it a normal development after the

 

 

Cold and dampness of the night. In a few seconds the long echo of thunder arrives.

-Oh well, I say to myself, I’m going to enjoy a lovely morning thunderstorm that will reward us later with exciting, photographic weather.

I put on my jacket, step out onto the balcony and stand dumbfounded. In the nature of Rodawgi, the blizzard rages on. So it wasn’t dew on the white layer I had seen in Maria’s car. It was the silent and unseen in the night, the harbinger of the blizzard. After a while Maria and Anna descend, completely oblivious to the goings-on outdoors. They prepare coffee and breakfast and sit by the fire.

-How is the weather today? Anna asks cheerfully. I think … (she half opens the curtain to see the weather and her sentence is left unfinished).

-What’s going on out there? Am I seeing right, or are my eyes deceiving me?

-You see very well, I answer her laughing. It’s a first-class blizzard.

-Impossible, I don’t believe it, says Maria and goes out with Anna to the balcony. Immediately their excited voices are heard, a sign that they believe it.

We pull the curtains on the windows and stay to watch the snow, piling up with astonishing speed, on the balcony railings, on the tree branches, on the ground, everywhere. By 9 o’clock the blizzard continues with unabated intensity.

 

In the space of about two hours the snow has risen to more than 10 cm.

-What’s the weather like in the plain? I ask our friends on the phone.

-Raining rain and fog, forget the wetland for today, the whole plain is a wetland.

-Okay then, we’ll take the day off from ourselves today, says Anna cheerfully.

-I’ve taken a day off from the Three Hierarchs anyway, adds Maria. On today’s feast the tutorial is not open.

We set off to enjoy the snow and get to know the Rodauggi differently from the three times we have visited it so far. The little Suzuki is in its element. Sometimes with slow and sometimes with fast four-wheel drive it overcomes every road bump. We stroll for some time around the familiar sites of Rodaugis. The village is beautiful. The white charm of the snow has been shared justly, from the magnificent bell tower and the roof of Agia Paraskevi to the smallest stone wall and from the tallest tree to the humblest bush.

We begin a long tour to the Plaka Bridge. A heavy and unmoving fog adds rare beauty and mystery to the landscape. Near Kakolagado, the view of the road takes us by surprise. A rock of enormous dimensions, with an almost immaculate cube shape has been detached from the slopes and has throned about halfway across the roadway, not failing fortunately to leave a free space for a car. Before returning, we climb over the guesthouse up the very steep road to Faneromeni. At an altitude of only 200 metres above the village, the snow exceeds 25 cm and prevents us from continuing, but we are given the opportunity, in a brief glimpse of the sun, to photograph the impressive mass of the white Tzoumerka Mountains opposite us.

At noon we begin to descend towards the plain. Just five kilometres after Rodavgi there is not the slightest trace of snow. Near Philippiada we are greeted by rain which, combined with fog, keeps us irritating company until we reach the town of Preveza. Late in the evening the weather is clear again. Only the white veil that still remains reminds us of the violent morning outbreak of winter weather.

 

TO THE REEDS AND THE TURTLES

 

The last day of January dawns. I cast a cautious glance at the sky and reassure myself. It’s cloudless. The first month of the new year leaves us with smiles. Before we meet our friends at the Information Centre, we decide to move to the Luru Mound to get a view of the Pomegranate Swamp.

We again take the road to Preveza and at the height of the “Bridge of Kalogeros” (17km from Arta) we turn left for Petra and immediately right on the dyke’s dirt road heading west. In the very first meters we are greeted by an unpleasant, as well as unjustified picture. A lot of rubbish is thrown under the road and reaches almost up to the water level. It is certainly not the “Caprese of Augia”, so that its removal would require a feat, but it is enough to create an initial disappointing image for the visitor. Perhaps the local authorities should show a little more sensitivity and concern?

Fortunately, after a few metres the rubbish ceases to exist, but a constant struggle begins with the countless potholes in the road surface, which, despite our best efforts, are impossible to avoid.

But the natural environment compensates us for our efforts. To the north, and between the dyke and the road to Preveza, begins a long lake with crystal clear waters, tall reeds and rich aquatic vegetation. In contrast, on the southern side of the dyke, flat farmland and green pastures prevail, two landscapes that are neighbouring but so different from each other. After about three kilometres, a continuous swamp begins on the southern stretch of the dyke with a vast, solid and impenetrable reed bed. Several birds appear all along the way, especially white-tailed godwits, phalaropes, ducks and hawks. But there are also a couple of sightings of hunters.

Already our course is changing slightly and curving southwards. Five and a half kilometres from the start of the embankment a canal runs under the road and supplies the whole of the South and SE part of the area with plenty of water. After a while we come across a cattle farm with cows in the southern part, below the embankment. Several of them are lying blissfully across the width of the roadway and it takes several minutes of polite efforts to persuade them to open a passage at least equal to the width of the car.

-I hope we don’t have to go this way again, I tell Anna.

Half a mile later we pass under a four-storey wooden lookout. Our journey continues excitingly through the swamp, which seems to have no end. The road surface, however, deteriorates even further. The dirt, especially after yesterday’s downpour, has turned to mud, which in some places definitely requires four-wheel drive. Very quickly the white vehicle is no different in colour from the sympathetic cows.

8.3 km from the very beginning of our route we come across a large technical project and immediately afterwards begins a terrible and impassable mudflat that, in any case, ends up nowhere. On the way back, I face the cows in the distance and honk my horn with persistence. Displaying a rare intelligence and understanding, they perceive me in time and open the necessary passage without delaying me at all.

Our friends are already at the Information Centre waiting for us. With them is Mr. Yianni, Alexandra’s father, who has been taking care of the water buffaloes for about three years now.

-We believe you are interested in seeing these animals, which have come experimentally from Kerkini and until the 1960s were permanent residents of the area, says George. Now a political programme is being attempted to revive them, with the aim of reintegrating them back into the wetland area that is so familiar to them.

We take off the mountaineering boots we had for the snow and put on rubber boots for the mud. Following Mr. Yianni we reach his house at the edge of the village. Four young buffalo cubs are grazing in the spacious yard, the first born after their parents’ resettlement. Immediately afterwards, just outside the village, we go to the stable, where the animals’ main habitat is located. Water and mud everywhere, conditions unbearable for humans, but ideal for the water buffaloes, whose appearance is the last thing they care about. The animals, 18 in all, are some twenty metres away from us, but they do not seem inclined to approach us.

-How are you going to bring them near us, Mr. Yanni, Anna asks him. Where they are, the photograph will do them no justice.

Taking a large bale of hay, Mr. John, braving the mud, enters the fenced area and, with a special call, urges the water buffaloes to approach him. The animals initially do not react. But at the sight of the food, which Mr. Yianni ostentatiously scatters on the ground, some of them become unruly and take a few steps towards him.

Immediately the others begin to follow. One after another, they slowly cross a large water-pit, and in three minutes, the bolder and more familiar ones are eating out of his hand.

-This year they have had their second litter, says our friend. That means they have adapted to the place. We believe the experiment will succeed. After all, there used to be hundreds of water buffalo in the surrounding villages.

We abandon the muddy waters and head to the pier, to clearer waters, which, especially after the rain, are clear.

With the big boat “Agios Vlasios”, we begin a slow and enjoyable ride through the channels. After the morning maister, which worried us for a moment, the water is again like a mirror. All around us green-headed ducks and herons fly around, as well as cormorants in large numbers.

-In recent years cormorants have become a major problem for the fishermen of Amvrakikos, says Marios. With their populations increasing dramatically since the protection measures, they consume huge quantities of fish every day.

They are therefore emerging as the most hostile competitor of the fishermen, whose catches are dramatically reduced every year.

In the divari, Theo comes and picks us up with a long-tail pirogue. We board with great care and remain motionless on the unstable boat, since the slightest sudden shift can mean an immediate capsize. In a few minutes we arrive at the “cage”, this special wooden structure that is sunk in the water and keeps the eels inside, after their capture in the buoys.

Theodore secures the lid in the centre of the cage and immediately a large number of eels make their appearance, swaying in the water.

-What will become of these eels? I ask Theo.

-“They will only stay here for a few more days. Next week they will travel to Denmark. Another larger quantity left on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve for Italy.

Anna tries to photograph the eels through a small opening in the cage, but it is not so easy.

-Can you catch me an eel? She asks Theo.

– “It slips like an eel!” the fisherman replies, laughing. But I’ll try.

He dips his hand into the mass of eels, catches one, but when he lifts his hand it is empty. He tries again. This time the eel stays in his hand for a second and then, with a simple twitch of his lithe body, it is released, without Anna having time to photograph it. Theodore stiffens, Anna is impatient, I laugh. The process is repeated several times without success, but at one point an eel – apparently far more prone than the others to publicity – agrees to remain in Theo’s hand for a second more. For Anna it is enough.

We return to the big boat, penetrate the divari and reach the keepers’ hut. We are greeted by Mitsos, who is replacing Manolis on watch today.

-Do you have an eel if we try? George asks him. If you don’t have any, we’ll go buy some from a fisherman.

Mitsos laughs:

-“If I don’t have any eels, who will?

With these words he enters the hut and returns immediately with a small tray, where some beautiful pieces of eel, torn in half and opened (“fur”, in fishermen’s jargon) are lying around.

These are salted and air-dried. In a few minutes they can be ready.

-It’s still early, George tells him. We’ll take a walk around the canals first and honor them on the way back.

We say a temporary goodbye to Mitso and begin our peculiar cruise through the wetland. We initially take a NW direction and sail slowly in a wide channel.

-If we continue to the end of the channel, we’ll end up after a long, winding, winding stretch of water.

several kilometres to the marshlands behind Stroggyli, explains George. There, of course, its width shrinks, it becomes a narrow passage.

We arrive at the pond “Vizouli”, one of the five corresponding ponds in this area. The water is clear and calm, like a huge swimming pool. Immediately afterwards we enter a narrower channel. To our left and right the reeds erect an impenetrable wall that not even the eye can penetrate. We suddenly feel cut off from reality, in a world silent, secret and distant. The reeds are so close to us that we can touch them. It’s a fascinating immediacy, in a natural passage where two colours dominate, blue and

 

ochre yellow.

-In spring and summer the colours change, says George. The yellow reeds turn bright green. But already some of them have begun to turn green, a sign that Spring in the marsh is not far off.

The channel is getting narrower and narrower, in some places no more than two metres wide. George finds a small fork with a vertical channel and with a couple of manoeuvres turns the boat.

-If we don’t turn here, after a while we won’t be able to turn back.

It’s noon, the sun is beating down on our faces. It’s time to go back to Mitso. He greets us with his two kittens, permanent companions in the hut, who, along with the humans, are also doing their shift without protest. Immediately afterwards, our friend brings us the pan of eels and bread. They are rose-fried and smelling fragrant. We will long remember their taste…

We return to the molo of Hatzara and with the cars we reach after a while the hill of Agia Aikaterini with the homonymous chapel. We leave the cars in the parking area and start walking along the slightly uphill, wide and perfectly paved path. This gentle footpath contrasts perfectly with the overall limestone terrain of the hill, which is rugged and littered with sharp rocks. The hill is covered with olive trees and at the top it forms a flat plateau. Here is an observatory from which visitors have a panoramic view and get a first global view of the larger part of the Rhodia wetland.

In the early afternoon Father Agathangelos suggests that we escape from the wet element for a while.

-Your article, of course, refers to the wetland, but I believe it would be an omission if we did not take a brief look at the ruins of the so-called “Roman Villa”. NE of Strongyli and about a kilometre from the Information Centre, the remains of an extensive Roman farmhouse complex survive, including the habitations of its users, storerooms, an octagonal building and milling facilities.

The ruins had been known since the 1930s, but the discovery of sections of surface mosaic floors in a state of disintegration led to the immediate commissioning of fixing works and the carrying out of excavations in 1993-1994, which have not yet been completed.

A detailed description of the findings of the archaeological excavation would exceed the limits and purposes of this article.

However, we could not fail to point out a ruined Roman baths building and, above all, the impressive remains of the mill made of solid, carved limestone. Meanwhile, the clouds that have been appearing for a long time are getting thicker and thicker, the sky in a large part of it becoming black and dark as the night sky.

Far away at sunset it rains heavily, the clouds resemble vertical dark columns, connecting the sky with the surface of the earth. A few sparse drops occasionally reach us, but the storm bypasses us without touching us. In return, nature gives us its most spectacular gift, a magnificent rainbow, which accompanies us for a long time with its colourful curve.

From the Roman villa, a rough dirt road leads up to the top of the “Mavrovouni”. This was not always the name of the mountain. It used to be called “Makrovouni”, but the constant fires in the last century blackened its slopes for many years and so the name Mavrovouni was given.

After a while we pass by the “Vlachika”, the stone abandoned houses, built in the 50’s by nomadic farmers of Vathipedos Ioannina. The houses were inhabited until 1973, but were abandoned due to lack of road access, electricity and water. Before these houses, there were huts in their place, inhabited by Syracuse residents.

The sun is lowering on the horizon.

-It’s a good time to go to the top, Marios says.

At a bend in the road, just below the top of Mavrovouni, we find a spot with an unobstructed view. A chilly powdery wind reaches us from the west, where the storm broke out a few hours ago. This does not prevent us from getting out of the car and staying there for a long time, pinned against the dip of the sun. From an altitude of 250 metres, the entire wetland of Rodia spreads out at our feet; to the south-southwest, after the Tsoukali spa, Amvrakikos stretches out in all its splendour. It is an incomprehensible spectacle, the last and most beautiful sight this place offers us before darkness falls.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

  1. Rigas, N. Petrou, S. Zogaris ¨Ambrakikos, nowhere else on earth¨, ed. OIKOS EPE-KOAN / Books of the World, 2003
  2. Zalochori, H. Kainadas, N. S. Margaris, ¨The fishing tradition in the Amvrakikos Gulf¨, ed. OIKOS EPE-KOAN / Books of the World, 2001

Α. Ntouzouγli, ¨Establishments of a Roman farmhouse mill on the coast of Amvrakikos Gulf¨.

Archimandrite Agathangelos Kambysis, ¨The presence of the Monastery of Prophet Elias of Preveza in the Amvrakikos Sea¨.

  1. Perifanos, ¨Parametric fishing of glasshead in Elos Sayada¨, Thesis.
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Issue 38
Mάρτιος 2004
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