A paradise lost soon? Balos beach in autumn.

Below the village of Koumeika in the south of the island of Samos, a road leads down to Balos beach. Since last winter, the upper half of this road has been completely renewed, an asphalt road (feels almost like a highway now) leads very comfortably down to lovely Balos bay in a couple of minutes.
On the second photo, the view goes down on the old road with many serpentines. The new broad road leads straight along the slope of the hill on the other side of the valley. The small island in the background is Samiopoula.
On the third photo (taken already in 2007) the old road can be seen on the left hand side, the lower part of the new road - which had been finished already then - on the right hand side .


A bit of nostalgia in the next two photos, those were the days when I went down on the old road to Balos beach.
Btw., this old road is still there!


I have visited Balos beach many times during the last years, but only in 2008 I discovered the special light of October in Balos. So I wanted to go back to Balos beach this year again.
Together with the singer/guitarist Dimos, I visited this beach three times between October 7th and 12th, 2009 und we were fortunate to enjoy the beach whilst having the most beautiful warm autumn weather on Samos.

"Arriving in Balos was like entering a secret, peaceful world - far from the madding crowds!" somebody wrote in "tripadvisor" about his stay there. That is exactly how it has been there until now.
I am not quite sure what effect this new road will have on this remote and cosy place, since it seems that sort of "highway" was build to enable large busses full of tourists to go down to Balos beach now. Sure, the times they are a-changin'! So, maybe another piece of paradise on Samos might get lost pretty soon.

Well, before the remote and calm atmosphere might disappear, let me take you on a journey down to this magic place on Samos! Here are some of my impressions, mostly from autumn 2008 and October 2009: fantastic views to Mount Kerkis, a long beach with a mixture of sand and pebbles, cristal clear waters, lots of sunshine almost all day long till the sun sets dramatically behind Mount Kerkis or Ikaria island (depending on season) with glowing evening horizons.


Several houses, a few apartment buildings, two hotels and four (small) taverns are build on the road leading along the long beach.


And, further to the east, behind the main bay, some small rocky bays/coves can be explored.


Dimos sent me some photos he took after climbing up on top of the cliff.


In October, a perfect place for those who seek the calm and want to stay away from the hectic world. On Sunday, October 11th 2009, there was almost no wind, a perfect day for relaxing, swimming in the warm sea, sunbathing, playing music and recording some music video.


"Caveman" Dimos with his guitar, as depicted above, "live from Balos beach": you can listen to him singing the song: "If I needed you" with the waves rolling on Balos beach in the background. The second song we were singing together, it is the famous "California Dreaming". We recorded these songs in that sort of cave shown in the first photo of this photostory.

The tavern "Esperos" at the eastern end of the beach, where I have been several times over the recent years, already was closed when I came to Balos beach this year. The space, where tables and chairs usually are standing to invite the hungry & thirsty beach visitors, from now on during the winter season is used for apparently other purposes!


If you want to get an idea of how the view is from inside of "Esperos" out on the beach, e.g. in September, please look here !

The tavern "Akrogiali" on the corner, where the road down from Koumeika meets the seafront, was still open, over noon and in the late afternoon after 6:30 pm (both photos are from October 2008).


And the tavern in the middle of the beach "I Paralia" (photo from 2008) was still open too, but they only served drinks: there I got my greek coffee with the glas of water, as you can clearly see in a photo further above!


Stella's cypriot restaurant we didn't visit, so I can't say if this place was still open (photo is from October 2008).


An almost magic atmosphere can be encountered, when the sun sets slowly and floods Balos beach with golden light.


The little chapel Agia Pelagia next to the taverna "Esperos"


Scenes along the road parallel to the beach


Last minutes of sunlight on the beach


Balos beach already is in the shade, but high up on the slopes of the mountain Spatharei glows in the light of the setting sun.


Sunset in September 2008


If you head westwards along the waterfront and leave Balos bay at the very western end, by passing a rocky segment, you will discover another beach. I haven't been to this beach but this beach can be seen in Google Earth and here.

And, for those who like to eat fresh seafood, it might be a good idea to move on a bit further southeast to the next bay, Pefkos, to pay a visit to the Ouzeri "Bella Vista" on Pefkos beach. For me, there is no other comparable place on Samos to watch the sunset and the glowing horizon behind the huge dark Kerkis mountain while enjoying some excellent seafood and wine in good company.
This place finished its season 2009 on Sunday, October 11th. They told us they will be open again next year from May 1st on. We were lucky enough to be there on the last night with this fantastic evening sky. And, by chance, met some locals coming from Pythagorio too.



Additional information (October 23rd, 2009):
I would like to direct your attention to websites relating to that area in the south of Samos:

An initiative by Patrick Humphreys called "Amfilissos, River Area of Cultural Inheritance and Ecology" that proposes a plan for a possible development and revitalisation of the area between Neochori, Skoureika, Koumeika and Balos.

A blog called "Mpalos (Balos)" in greek language. Giving lots of information on (greek) music, island life and showing beautiful photos of Samos.

Additional information: (November 1st, 2009)
More than 10 years ago, Franz Nahrada from Austria (Globally Integrated Village Environment (GIVE) Lab, Vienna) proposed a project for the same area: Neohori-Project.

Additional information: (November 2nd, 2009)
Rainer Kastl has done a very good job and has posted more than 20 hiking tours on his website "Samos-Wandern" (in german) using a combination of GPS data and his photos.
His latest addition (tour 22) is a tour in the area between Balos beach and Psili Ammos beach/Peri.

Up the hill to Kontakeika!

Most of the tourists coming to Samos like the coast, the easy life on the beaches, and the leisure time in the harbours or in the squares of the villages. A few others like to be as far away as possible from the „normal“ tourist streams and want to stay in remote places in the mountains.

But there is something „in-between“. Halfway in-between! Some clever business men have also discovered this „in-between“ sphere and use it as advertising & promotional phrase to sell real estate.

Above the north coast of Samos, there are several well known villages and touristic destinations like Vourliotes, Manolates and Ambelos overlooking the aegean sea with tremendeous views. Stavrinides too, but this is already a bit too high up the hill, and more for individualists.
And then, further to the west ... ?
Wait, before we reach Karlóvasi on the coastal road, isn’t there a road leading up to another village? Well, yes, it’s called Kontakeika!


Kontakeika? "Where on Samos is Kontakeika (Kondakeika)?" most tourists will ask! Either they have never heard this name, don’t know how to pronounce it, have never been there or most probably will confuse it with Skoureika, Koumaradei, Koumeika or Kondeika. But maybe some of them - by walking, or in their cars/jeeps - already have passed through this village on the way to Petaloudes or to Ydroussa.

Well, what about a stop there, getting out of the car and paying a visit to this place?
With a couple of photos I will try to convince you that it might be really worthwhile to do so! (click on the photos to enlarge them!) A place, flooded with sun almost all day, in a beautiful hilly landscape surrounded by lots of gardens and vineyards. With a breathtaking panoramic view to the west to the Kerkis mountain range and down to the coast and the town of Karlóvasi. Those spectacular sunsets and colourful evening skies need to be experienced!
The picturesque small platia is a nice play to make a stop over! And in addition, as a teaser: since the end of 2007, there is a very good restaurant, open all year!

Here is a comparison: in the first photo, this small square of Kontakeika is shown in October 2008; and in the second photo as I came to know it end of August 2007.

The massive church is looking almost like a fortress!


And for those, who want a bit of excitment up in even higher places: a dirt road leads from Kontakeika all the way up to the range of Ambelos mountains and then again down to either Stavrinides or Vourliotes. It will be a fascinating adventure, but it is necessary to have a four-wheel drive and the detailed „Road Editions“ map of Samos. And please don’t smoke or drop empty bottles on the ground, we all want those beautiful forests with lots of green trees up there to remain as they are!

Said the straight man to the late man
Where have you been?
I've been here and I've been there
And I've been in between

I talk to the wind
My words are all carried away
I talk to the wind
The wind does not hear
The wind cannot hear

(I talk to the wind, King Crimson)

Port of Pythagorion

Two short videos that were taken in the middle of July 2007, almost exactly two years ago.

First one shows the port on a sunny day with quite a good breeze. I heard that the bar "Varka" is not anymore existing.

Port of Pythagorion from Peter Molz on Vimeo.

The second one is about captain Jiannis: he knows, he is a tourist attraction when he is on his boat Agia Irini. You can see him in the harbour after he comes back with his boat from the daily tourist trips, usually after 5:30 pm. Then the anchored boat is his stage and he "performs" free of charge. And he enjoys very much being in the center of "his show". With the additional two young goats on the boat, who wouldn't stop there to take a look and a picture!