skagiopouleio

Panagiotis Skagiopoulos was a famous and wealthy raisin merchant in Patras in the end of 19th and begining of 20th century. He was also a great philantrop and active citizen. In 1926 he fully financied a construction of orphanage center, named after him. Today, the same name is used for the whole neighborhood, south east from the center. The orphanage was inaugurated on December 29^th, 1929 by Eleftherios Venizelos, greek prime minister at that time.

The building itself was renovated in 2001, with help of Kostas Dimitriadis, but regardless of that, is not in use since then. In 1982, half of the area surrounding the orphanage, including it’s gardens, was awarded to the citizens and is now the only green spot available in the neighbourhood. A.O. Skagiopouleio is one of the oldest basketball clubs in the city and has participated five times in the First Division category. It features also volleyball and, in the past, climbing and cycling sections.

Photo: NIKON D70s, AP, f 1/9, 1/400s, -0.3EV, f=27 mm (for 35mm), GIMP software

tristate area

Prespes lakes are the highest located (800m above sea level) lakes in all Balkans, and lie in three countries. The bigger lake (the greek name is as simple as “the big prespa lake”) belongs in 2/3 to Skopja, in about 1/5 to Greece and the smallest part to Albania, while the smaller one (again the name is “the small prespa lake”) is mostly greek with very little part in Albania.

The region is considered as underdeveloped, as a result of many years of strong military presence and limited civilian access. This has changed over last decade and region became a major tourist attraction for both winter and summer seasons. Also, with its unique fauna and flora, it is a popular destination for ornithologists and botanists coming from all over the world to study wildlife (bears, wolves, pelicans). Villages like Psarades, Agios Germanos, Agios Achillis are renovated with traditional style, stone houses and narrow steep paths.

The first photo was taken from the shore of the Big Prespa, just next to monastery of Saint Eleousa, accessible only by boat from Psarades. The other is a panoramic view over the lakes taken from nearby peaks of Varnountas range, south east from the lakes.

Photo1: NIKON D70s, AP, f 1/6.3, 1/2000s, -0.3EV, f=33 mm (for 35mm), GIMP software

Photo2: NIKON D70s, AP, f 1/8, 1/640s, -0.3EV, f=52 mm (for 35mm), GIMP software

the other side

The fortress of Antirio is a “brother” one for the Rio’s one. In fact, they combined for a defense system of Corintho’s gulf in the past, a defense from Venetians during Ottoman times. I have already written about Rio, so now the time came for the other half.

During one bike trip from Patra to Nafpakto, when crossing the bridge, I had a nice view from the top over the Antirio’s fortress and that’s exactly where the photo comes from, with nice background of Paliovouna (“the old mountain”).

Photo: NIKON D70s, AP, f 1/7.1, 1/800s, -0.3EV, f=75 mm (for 35mm), GIMP software