Geni

 It's a place.

And guess what?

It's beside water.

Even closer this time than the last one.

This week we have a little house (oldish house) with a 'porch' and a pergola with virginia creeper, and a garden (sort of... some land, let's say) and a quayside. 

We have a pomegranate tree,  which pleases Mr B no end.

F's quite efficient at beating them to death, and Mr B eats their insides with yoghurt.

And we appear to have feline neighbours.

I calmly watched a small calico inspecting the 'not garden'. She seemed nervous about the big black and white tom we had seen stalk through, doing his rounds. When she spotted us she boldly approached mewling, but F saw her bad eye and wouldn't let us get any closer. 

Poor little calico.

So... today:  There was packing and cleaning to oversee. We drove back to the town with the bridge. The rain has stopped and the river has nearly stopped flowing already. Arta is a thriving regional town of wide streets, modern buildings, fresh paint, smart looking businesses, plenty of greenery, and lots of agricultural trucks and pick-ups. People appear to be doing well around those parts. (It also has that very old bridge, a castle with crenellations like a child's drawing, and a campus of the University of Ioannina).

Onward.  Westward. 

Around midday, F saw signs for the Roman Theatre of Nicopolis. Mr B stopped (he is always driving) so that F could do an explore. Signs said 'theatre temporarily closed' but she took lots of photos, from which I discern (compared to Epidavros - which I have visited) that it could be a while before they are again hosting performances.

The signs said the arrival of Christianity put an end to performances here, after which the theatre was plundered for building material and 3 lime kilns were built in the stage area. It also took some hits in various wars (even as recently as WWII), so they've got a job on their hands to just arrest the decay, let alone reassemble the bits that remain scattered about the site.

Across the way from the theatre is a stadium of equal antiquity.

The embanked sides would have been the seating for spectators.

There were equestrian games, light games (athletics), heavy games (kinds of fighting), pentathlon, and musical (which included literary, philosophical, and theatrical  competitions).  Something for everyone.

Onward. Westward, and then south. Past lots of polytunnels.  I paid very close attention from my seat on F's knees. Through a tunnel. Turn right.  We were heading for Lefkada.

On the way to Lefkada you get a fabulous view of a building on a tiny island in an azure sea.

 

We pulled into 2 or 3 laybys for F to try and photograph it.  They all had the same 

'welcome to Lefkada' 

sign:

OK not a very attractive advertisement for Greece, but we would be lying if we sold Greece as a pristine example of beaches, tourist attractions and antiquites. There is a less attractive side that you have to pass on every kilometre of road travelled, even in the most 'untravelled' of roads, and it's a sad thing for people who are so proud of their country, their culture and their history.

Anyway here we are enjoying what seems to be a mosquito free evening, a comfortably mild calm sunset, wavelets subsiding on the water and enticing smells wafting in from the taverna next door. I have tried to explore (for reporting purposes ye ken) but my humans seem to think that 30m is about far enough. It is not quite to the kitchen door of the taverna. Bother!