The Pelion the mountain that was praised so much by Homer, not only has the richest mythology and the most legends than any other Greek mountain, but it was - again according to Greek mythology - the field where the most important events took place, such as the Argonautic expedition, the occasion for the provocation of the Trojan War, and the centaurion, the battle of the Centaurs and the Lapiths.

Knowing a bit about mythology, when you travel on the verdant slopes of the beautiful mountain, you sail through the myths, while at the same time your imagination can gallop. The legends old and new are there, and they look to us for the key to unlock them and integrate them into our lives that have been burdened by too much rationality.

My thoughts with these were created on my last visit to Pelion, and especially walking around it Great Pelion Trail, a walk organized by the 3rd Pelion Gastronomy Festival which took place on October 2-3 at Karaiskos Farm.

And this text of mine was written, because apart from the magic of Pelion and the charm of its myths, the idea stuck in my mind, that in our days, so burdened by the lack of meaning of life and blockage in the relentless rhythms of the cities, some modern Centaurs build in Pelion, proposals for a life in Nature and its rhythms.   

The Great Path of Pelion (Long Pelion Trail) is a long (168 km) hiking route, designed by Voliot alpinist Nikos Maggitsi (he has stepped on the top of Everest) and runs through Pelion starting from the area Keramidi in North Pelion and ends up in its port Saint Kyriaki in Trikeri, in the mixing of Pagasitic, Euboic and Aegean.

The route crosses ridges and beaches, inhabited and deserted areas, rural and forest landscapes, lively settlements and abandoned monasteries, touristic and almost unknown areas, thus lining up in a single line all the signs of the place, those of the past, present and future.

The layout of the route, according to Nikos Maggitis, chose a path as much as possible on the old paths, but where possible also quiet functional dirt roads, which do not need constant cleaning from the wild vegetation that dominates the paths that are not taken care of.

The organization, marking and improvement of the passability of the route, as well as the production of the media with which the project was presented - guide, website, navigation application - supports Magneton Kivotos, oorganization of Mitopolis Dimitrias. The route of the LPT (Long Pelion Trail) is divided into 11 daily legs.

His program 3rd Pelion Gastronomy Festival it included, among other things, a section of route 4 Makrynitsa-Stagiates-Portaria-Chania. The walk started from the highest point, Chania, where the walkers arrived by coach that picked them up from the Karaiskou estate, and from there, descending after a two-hour journey, we would reach the starting point again.

At its beginning, the route crossed a dense vegetation of plane trees, then beech, chestnut, oak forests. The walnuts had filled the trees and one by one they fell to the ground, making sounds "flop-flop" if it fell on the fallen leaves or "dope" if they fell on the ground, or on your head.

The walnuts with their protective casing on the trees had a sense of tenderness, as if they were a bouquet of green flowers.

But when you bent down to collect them and take the fruit you met a big surprise.

The tender fluff had turned into sharp needles that made it difficult to grasp the wrist and photograph it. They stung like sea urchins! How little we Cyclades know about terrestrial nature!

This impressive walk made you, experiencing this enchanting landscape, justify the Ancient Greeks, who chose it as a place where mythical events took place, and to place here their legendary Centaurs, these mythical strange creatures who from the waist up were human, while from the waist down they had the body of a horse, with the most important of them being the Centaur Chiron.

Below a dramatic root complex of two beech trees easily reminds you of the mythical centaur battle, in the battle of the Centaurs and the Lapiths. Further south we came upon a belt of reforested black pine, the trees towering to the sky.

During the descent we were accompanied by a series of sounds. Apart from "flop" and "dope" which we mentioned above, there was a constant rustling of the leaves "thrrrr" from the air, and the "trrr" from the cellaring of adjacent streams, the "khratch-chruch", walking on dry plantain leaves or walnut leaves, the "Trrst" noise from the lizards - luckily we didn't hear any wild boar noises - the "plat-plutz" when we had to cross mud or streams, and that's it "fluff" when we carelessly stepped on some mud (cow excrement). Centaurs, despite all our expectations we did not meet. Sound perception exercises of the Pelioreite landscape.

On our way we did not meet any buildings apart from the Karamani sanatorium whose majestic ruins we learned hide many interesting stories of scientific achievements, but also stormy loves.

It was created in 1909 by George Karamanis born in Drakeia of Pelion, on the mountain of the Centaurs, equipped with all the modern means of medicine (radiological examinations at the time when there was no electricity in Pelion!).

In 1919, George Karamanis marries the 19-year-old Anna Kampanari which develops into the soul of the sanatorium. The sanatorium became a center of spiritual people and Kostis Palamas, Giorgos Seferis, Miltiadis Malakasis, Stratis Myrivilis and the 1938 Angelos Sikelianos, who fell in love with the hostess who divorces the doctor and marries the poet. Bombing in the war partially destroyed the building, and in 1960 the sanatorium declared bankruptcy and was deserted.

At the end of the route, we come out into the light and encounter flora more familiar with the Cycladic landscape. Dried thistles, sages, chains, ropes, oaks.

Approaching the end of the route, we face him glacial gulf, which for so long was hidden by the dense vegetation.

Just before reaching our destination, we made a stop to assess her loot mushroom picking us, and distinguish the edible from the dangerous.

If Portaria with its strategic location is the gate of the mountain of the Centaurs, the Kritsa Gastronomy Hotel in the center of the impressive village square is the entrance to the heart of Pelioreitian gastronomy and Eleni Karaiskou its undisputed ambassador, the Karaiskos Farm within six years it became a shining example of the development of Alternative and Gastronomic Tourism.

It all started with dream of Stefanos and his love for the land, for the family to acquire the farm, which began to become a reality in 2016, and slowly took its current form with crops of vegetables, fruit trees and herbs. Six years later the Karaiskou Farm was developed in one of the most important landmarks of Pelion.

Stefanos and Filippos and their partners cultivate on 13 acres Karaiskou Farm vegetables that feed the farm kitchen, but also the family Kritsa Gastronomy Hotel, with the freshest and most organic things available in Pelion, vegetables (lettuce, broccoli, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, leeks, chard and much more) as well as fruit.

The farm's lush gardens are surrounded by tall plane trees and chestnut trees that create an ideal microclimate for the crops, while the flower beds, watered with a drip irrigation system, are separated by a network of corridors so that the visitor can get up close to each plant, and study it.

Everything of course starts from the vegetable garden. Fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, botany classes, local seed planting events, cooking classes, food tasting, family moments, comfortable accommodation, activities and parties in nature. What more could a good man want? And others with an emphasis on respect for the environment and people, accompanied by the kindness and friendliness of the Karaiskou family that is rarely found elsewhere.

The farm is heaven for children, because here they are in their element. Because for the first time they can see her together Peliorean flora and watch creative outdoor activities, live learning, playing in nature, the crops among ponies, donkeys, mini goats, cows, chickens and deer.

On Eleni Karaiskou, the "mother of courage", mother of Philippa and Stefanos, the soul of all of them, I knew her personally, because we were together for 8 years on the Board of Directors. of the Hotel Chamber of Greece and I knew her passion for Gastronomy, in fact her hotel was one of the first to join the ambitious program Greek breakfast – sees with satisfaction that their crazy dream has come true beyond all expectations.

The 32 stands of local producers of Pelion and the wider region, set up in a tasteful and functional way, gave the visitors the opportunity to get to know the culinary wealth of the region, and established the Pelion Gastronomy Festival which took place on October 2-3, as the most important institution for the gastronomy of Pelion.

Here are some entries: Olive oil of Pilion Voliotis Family, Pasta Pelion, Terra Ferra, the Patistis Wineries, Ktima Miga, Karamitrou, Pultsidis, Dugos, Timplalexi, Halvas Palatidi, Tsipouro Mavro Rodo, Portaria Cooperative etc.

His two days 3rd Festival of Pelioretian gastronomy at Karaiskos Farm in Portaria in 2022, it was a great success. Idyllic landscape, perfect organization, great enthusiasm, exciting cooking, unforgettable food, interesting speeches - a presentation of , participation and satisfaction of producers and audience beyond expectations. The over 5.000 visitors to the “Gastronomic Pelioreite Woodstock” found that Pelion is developing into a great culinary destination and the Pelion gastronomy festival  in a very important institution, but also as an exemplary example of management of Gastronomic Tourism of each place.

The three "ladies" with everything, great cooks, and her souls Gastronomic Community of Pelion, Eleni Karaiskou, Niki Spanou and Marianthi Volioti on the project. Trahanas with sausage, cheese pie and spentzofagi, three of the most characteristic foods of the magical mountain.

The cooks of Karaiskos Farm, Dimitra, Anita and Farsa, they created dough with their hands and made fillings for 140 pies (vegetable pies, cheese pies, bacsinas, sweet potato pies, trachanopitas, pepper pies and milk pies) which were consumed in two days by the 5.000 visitors.

Traditional pies are the heart of Peliorite cuisine. Karaiskos Farm's vendetta is the vegetable pie, which is prepared from the greens of the orchard. The more herbs and spices, the richer and tastier the pie becomes. But everything is a handmade sheet, "to be rustic, breaded" to have plenty of oil and vinegar! THE bathhouse in the foreground with zucchini, onion, herbs and feta cheese. Cheesecakes and pumpkin pies follow).

The fruits of mushroom picking on the mountain resulted in an exuberant and delicious dish of stewed mushroom tsoukali, from the farm kitchen.

The vicar of Agios Nikolaos Portarias, Father Agathon, cooked chickpeas with manestroula, a monastic recipe, in the cauldron. Literally mouthfuls and hearty. The ingredients of the recipe are all from Pelion, from producers participating in the exhibition, the legumes from Terra Ferrea, the garlic from Black Carlic Downvillage and olive oil from Pelion Elaion. (Photo: D. Palaiogiannis)

Great Path: From the top of the mountain in Centauroun, to the farm of Karaiskos in Portaria. Two hours of road, 3.000 years of myths and stories. And some young Peliorians write the myths of the modern era.