Another beautiful week in the Ionian Sea

So last weekend ended with a great hike up what I'm going to call "Goat Mountain" (not in B'ham though ;).  Christian, Ben and I headed out across the pedestrian bridge built by the British a century or two ago toward the giant windmills that line the ridge across the bay.  We continued up a steep narrow road past small farms with ancient rock walls and terraces.  We came to the tiny village of Faraklata with new construction built connected (literally) to the old ruins.  As we rounded the bend into town we saw a wonderful, apparently brand new, soccer stadium!  It was far bigger than anything we would have expected in this small village in the hills. 

We continued through town - sticking out like three sore thumbs - and greeting the local men sitting outside a Kafeneio and passing an elderly lady sweeping the street and sidewalk (yes, outside...)  We left town and decided to take a random little dirt path heading off into the olive orchards.  We continued along and the path forked - regathered and forked again every 50 meters or so.  Soon the slope intensified and the trails dwindled down to narrow goat paths cut into the terraced hill side.  We kept heading up and up until we stumbled upon two small buildings - apparently a little mountain farm - way up in a saddle just below the summit of the large hill we were heading toward. 

We skirted the house and zig-zagged our way up over rocks and wild thyme to the domed top.  When we reached the apex, the view was almost as startling as the heard of sheep huddled together under one of three scraggly trees.  As we approached they groaned and meandered over to another tree - bells clanging like wind chimes. 

We hung out up there all afternoon - watching the sky, napping, wandering and listening to the bells of the sheep and a herd of goats that came ambling up the slope behind us.  We returned to Argostoli from a different direction passing vineyards and a family dinner - at least 12 people packed into a house the size of a shed.  We discovered our only route home was along the highway littered with trash and speeding cars but the views were still breathtaking and the company very pleasant!