Ioannina, Greece

 

Rion-Antirion Bridge on the way to Ioannina

It spans the shores across the Gulf of Corinth.  It is one of the world's longest multi-span cable-stayed bridges and the longest of the fully suspended type.  It opened one day before the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic and was used to transport the Olympic flame.  We were surprised to pay $13 euros at the toll booth.  I guess that is how they are paying for it! It was very impressive. 

On Monday, we picked up Cyprus senior missionaries at the airport and headed to Ioannina for a retreat with all the Adriatic South Senior Missionaries. 

Lake Pamvotis--Island of Ioannina

Ioannina is a very interesting city.  It goes all the way back to the 6th Century and has a colorful history.  It is located 255 miles northwest of Athens.  We went through many tunnels and toll booths to get to Ioannina.  The mountain ranges were very big and reminded me of Utah.  Some were capped in snow. 

We took a boat ride to the island where there are 6 monasteries.  

The "island of Ioannina" covers an area of 200 acres. Most of the area is covered with pine trees, while its west side is swampy and had ducks, cranes, and many species of birds. 

The village is built around the northern end of the island and is traditional architecture with stone houses and slate roofs.

We also explored a monastery dedicated to Saint John the Baptist in the area of the Ioannina Castle back on the mainland. 

Ali Pasha

The grave of Ali Pasha is in front of the mosque.  Ali was an Ottoman Albanian ruler.  His court was in Ioannina.  He was considered a rebel in the end and was shot to death in the Monastery of St. Panteleimon on the island.  

I learned that there were 1,950 Jews living in Ioannina during the war. 1,870 were deported to concentration camps.  181 Jews survived.  There has been a Christian, Muslim and Jewish presence. 

Ioannina is known for it's silverwork.  There were many silver shops. We also saw rowing teams on the lake.  There were many bakeries and one in particular that President Burdon took us, where a wonderful, hard working older woman makes bougatsa and sells it.  

Bougatsa

Bougatsa is a Greek breakfast pastry.  It is filled with a sweet custard or cheese. 

I found Ioannina a very interesting city filled with the old and the new.  The streets were still narrow and crowded like most places in Greece but they had walk ways and sections where there were no roads for cars.  We ate delicious food.  

Breakfast was delivered to our room each morning

Stuffed dates, sugar hibiscus flowers....lots of delicacies in a shop nearby

Our hotel is the white building and our room was the first one on the top right.  It had recently been opened and the owner had the bakery next door also.  

Park Sign

We enjoyed this quiet quaint town with many big dogs that would wander through the city.  It was a mixture of old and new buildings and stores.  It was nice to see Greece outside of Athens!

It's not what you look at that matters.  It's what you see. --Henry David Thoreau