Walking With Gods - Part 4 - Down to the Lake

Back down to earth, or at least almost sea level, we made our way down to the lovely lake Pamvotis, and the picturesque town of Ioannina.  It boasted a large castle fortress, two ancient mosques, a car free island with no name and a lively tree-lined lakefront full of cafes and bars…what’s not to like!

Although set at the top of another hill (yes, more climbing!), we were pleased to find our spacious modern apartment had a huge balcony with lake views.  Feeling peckish, we set off downhill to the lake in search of a taverna.  The scenery was stunning as the sun reflected off the calm, clear waters, overlooked by the majestic mountains. 

We realised that the main town was further along the promenade, so we headed inland and found another unlikely lunch spot, where a couple of locals were drinking coffee.  The owner spoke little English and had no menu, so invited us into the kitchen to meet the chef (his wife) and chose our meals!  Needless to say, everything was delicious…

The storm we had been promised finally broke that afternoon, and we enjoyed watching (from the comfort of the balcony) the clouds roll over the mountains, followed by thunder, lightning and torrential rain. 

Once the rain had cleared we ventured back along the promenade into the old town, and enjoyed an alcoholic beverage or three at one of the lakeside bars, admiring the beautiful views, as the sun went down.

Long fought over by the Ottomans and the Greeks, Ioannina is one of Northern Greece’s most important cities, and is famous for its silver artisans.  Around the castle walls (along with lots of souvenir shops!) were dozens of silversmiths selling some exquisite jewellery.  After a bit of window shopping (nothing had prices on, and we’d grown tired of “haggling”), we finally made it back up the hill after a long day.

The following morning, we set off to explore the Byzantine fortress, which dated from the 6^th century and was still inhabited. Making our way through its maze of winding, cobbled streets we discovered a lot of the old houses had been converted into boutique hotels or small restaurants.

The walled city opened out near the lakefront and we made our way through a stone archway into the “Upper Town” which contained one of the Ottoman mosques along with the tomb of Ali Pasha, the great warlord.  After his assassination, only his body is buried here (along with one of his wives) – his head was transported back to Istanbul!

The complex also contained the silversmith’s museum, several old cannons and the ruins of the original Byzantine castle – which also offered great views out over the lake.

After lunch, we took the small ferry for the short hop over to the island situated in the middle of the lake.  It was home to a small community of fishermen (and a large community of tourists when we were there!) and housed several monasteries.  Once we distanced ourselves from the souvenir shops, we found a peaceful track which led all the way around the island.  It was an enjoyable walk, and we spotted lots of water birds among the reeds – although no monks – they must have been hiding!

Walking around the town we had noticed what looked like a bar on top of one of the hills overlooking the fortress, so on our last night we sought it out.  Finally reaching the top of yet another hill, we were surprised to find a pleasant park buzzing with locals enjoying the early evening breeze.  In one corner we found our “rooftop” bar and treated ourselves to cocktails, while admiring the views and listening to the DJ play “chill out” music.  It was (almost!) worth the climb, and made a memorable end to our stay at this scenic and interesting city.

Last stop: Ancient history and modern vibes