Friday, March 15, 2013

The Ancient Kaldarini (Donkey Paths) on Mt Pelion

The beauty of Kalikalos at the base of Mt Pelion is our unique environment, we are beach and forest resort, this is a walker's paradise. 

The mountain is crossed with ancient donkey tracks (kaldarini), amazing sea overlooks and clear mountain waterfalls. As you approach sea level there are olive groves. But higher up into the forest, the trails meander through magnification chestnut, beach and cherry trees.


When most of us think of Greece this is not the environment that we might expect. For the visitor it is an opportunity to explore something unique. In recognition of this natural beauty the centre has two walking holidays in the workshop programme,  one in the June and another in September. 

Mt Pelion June Guided Walks   led by Jill Sleeman


Michelle Brydie is leading our september hiking holiday week. Michelle a keen hiker is inspired by life outdoors and how nature effect us directly. Here are some thoughts and words from her.


Ramblings about rambling…

People can often imagine that by travelling vast distances over and across the planet, that they have seen, discovered and been to the places they have passed. But, it is only by immersing oneself into the landscape and exploring on foot its nooks and crannies, that the true nature of a place reveals itself to us.

To walk slows us down to a pace where we can really notice where we are, what is going on, what it really looks like. This enables us not only to see, but to hear, to smell, to feel, a cacophony of sensual stimuli can infuse us with the true essence of where we are. With ourselves placed in the heart of it, we can become merged with our surroundings and this offers us a sense of place within our world, wherever we decide to be.
Nature always meets us with open hearted truth, being within its folds, we can slowly notice ourselves as having let go of our self conscious tensions. The realisation unfolding, that we are just being, not worrying about how we are being perceived. This is a true gift, which is always readily available to us all, when we give ourselves the permission and time to get out there in the natural surroundings that we are lucky enough to call our home.


For more info about walking weeks visit... 

http://www.kalikalos.com/workshops/walking-holidays-guided.shtml

http://www.kalikalos.com/workshops/hiking-holiday-Greece.shtml 

Full details of the Kalikalos summer programme can be found here.







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