DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4099#0316
VILLAGE OF PHANARI. 285
known to travellers. In thirty-five minutes we passed a village
named Phalaridi, situated in a small circular plain, producing rich
pasture for sheep, large flocks of which we saw with their new
dropped lambs. Twelve minutes more brought us to a narrow
isthmus of land, only four yards in breadth, that separated the sea
on our right hand from a small salt lake on the left. We here turned
northwards, and proceeded through a plain, bounded by mountains
on the left, and by the gulf on the right. We passed over two
rocky promontories, and in an hour and twenty minutes from Dara
entered the plain of Lessa,1 composed of arable and pasture land,
and interspersed with caroba trees.
We crossed two torrent beds, descending from the rugged sides of
a grand and lofty mountain, which, from the steepness of its preci-
pices, is called Ortholithi.2 In half an hour we reached the end of
the plain, and, ascending some hills, observed a modern tower on
our right. We pursued our route along the steep and precipitous
side of a mountain, Avhere the road was extremely dangerous. The
calcareous rock was broken into laminae, almost as smooth and as
slippery as glass; and a false step would have precipitated a horse
into the valley beneath! We arrived at the village of Phanari in
three hours and fifty-three minutes from Dara, and were kindly
received in the house of the papas, who presented us a loaf of good
bread, after sanctifying it with his benediction. The villagers were
civil; but the supposed folly of our dress excited their astonishment,
which they expressed in loud and repeated fits of laughter. Their
surprise proves that very few travellers have explored this unfre-
quented road.
The village of Phanari stands upon the eastern side of a steep
mountain rising abruptly from the Saronic gulf, which is seen
> This is a modern village, and has nothing to do with the ancient Lessa, near the temple
of iEsculapius, mentioned by Pansanias.
9 From op&os and A160;.
known to travellers. In thirty-five minutes we passed a village
named Phalaridi, situated in a small circular plain, producing rich
pasture for sheep, large flocks of which we saw with their new
dropped lambs. Twelve minutes more brought us to a narrow
isthmus of land, only four yards in breadth, that separated the sea
on our right hand from a small salt lake on the left. We here turned
northwards, and proceeded through a plain, bounded by mountains
on the left, and by the gulf on the right. We passed over two
rocky promontories, and in an hour and twenty minutes from Dara
entered the plain of Lessa,1 composed of arable and pasture land,
and interspersed with caroba trees.
We crossed two torrent beds, descending from the rugged sides of
a grand and lofty mountain, which, from the steepness of its preci-
pices, is called Ortholithi.2 In half an hour we reached the end of
the plain, and, ascending some hills, observed a modern tower on
our right. We pursued our route along the steep and precipitous
side of a mountain, Avhere the road was extremely dangerous. The
calcareous rock was broken into laminae, almost as smooth and as
slippery as glass; and a false step would have precipitated a horse
into the valley beneath! We arrived at the village of Phanari in
three hours and fifty-three minutes from Dara, and were kindly
received in the house of the papas, who presented us a loaf of good
bread, after sanctifying it with his benediction. The villagers were
civil; but the supposed folly of our dress excited their astonishment,
which they expressed in loud and repeated fits of laughter. Their
surprise proves that very few travellers have explored this unfre-
quented road.
The village of Phanari stands upon the eastern side of a steep
mountain rising abruptly from the Saronic gulf, which is seen
> This is a modern village, and has nothing to do with the ancient Lessa, near the temple
of iEsculapius, mentioned by Pansanias.
9 From op&os and A160;.