Kyriakos Vamvakopoulos

W e programmed the autopilot of our excavated and refurbished Autotractor to carry us from Melates along the Arachthos river toward Vourgareli , in the Arta district of Epirus , Greece . The 40-kilometer alpine corridor unfolds like a natural feng shui composition of miraculous sites and revolutionary inscriptions , waterfalls, geological formations, the Tzoumerka Mountains, drifted logs and branches , stone-built villages, ancient icons of saints , monasteries, and restored churches bearing remnants of Byzantine frescoes. It is a layered landscape of deep earth history, human ingenuity, and ecological richness, underscoring the strategic importance of this mountainous passage, as my valuable friend Theraklou often argues. Holy Monstery of Panagia Melates The Monastery of Panagia Melates is dedicated to the Nativity of the Theotokos (also referred to as the Birth of the Virgin Mary ). Its stone walls forming a protective enclosure are characteristic of faith and defense. It w...

Mount Xirovouni Xerovouni is a striking limestone mountain, rising to an altitude of around 1,614 meters, that forms part of the rugged Pindus range and dominates the horizon between Arta , Preveza , and Ioannina . Its majestic terrain is carved in the signature patterns of karstic limestone, a defining element of Epirus . Despite its raw beauty, Xerovouni is well accessible, just a scenic drive from Arta and not far from the Ionian coast of Preveza . Somewhere here, embraced by terraced hills and scattered pines, lies Rodavgi , crowned by the Church of Agia Paraskevi . And farther along this same highland arc rests Faneromeni , a quieter village echoing its own sacred heartbeat Rodavgi Village Perched at an altitude of nearly 750 meters on the eastern slopes of mount Xerovouni , Rodavgi is a picturesque mountain village in the Arta regional unit, home to just under 400 permanent residents but buzzing with life in the summer months. Its name literally “rosy dawn”  sets the t...