To the small gorge of Spilia
Close to the settlement of Ágios Dimítris lies a river valley along which one can walk to a small idyllic gorge. The riverbed is dry for most of the year; water only flows here after very heavy rainfall. Such intermittent rivers are called torrente.
The most characteristic plant of the torrente is the oleander (Nerium oleander), which in May and June marks the courses of the rivers with its magnificent intense pink colour (the pictures with blooming oleander were taken in June).
After a heavy rainfall, the valley looks like this. The water may run for a few hours or days.
The highly poisonous oleander is doubtless one of the most beautiful plants of the Mediterranean region.
The large, fragrant flowers are pollinated mainly by large moths.
Many saplings grow in the river bed.
Along the valley grow also quite a few other tree and shrub species.
Plane trees (Platanus orientalis) need more water than oleander and are more common in the higher, more humid areas.
Another characteristic plant of the torrente is sage (Salvia fruticosa), the leaves of which can be used to make a delicious tea in winter that is excellent for relieving sore throats.
One of my favourite grass species is the Greater quaking grass, Briza maxima.
Finally one reaches a small gorge.
The gorge is very narrow with 10 metre high rock faces.
It ends at a steep rocky drop.
A little water still flows here, forming a small pond which dries up in summer.
In several places, water runs down the rock walls.
On the wet rock grows the maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris), the only species of an ancient fern family that has survived in Europe as a relict of the Tertiary period.
Above the gorge lies a small shepherd’s farm called Spiliá (= cave). The name refers to some hollowed-out half-caves above the gorge.
One of the natural half-caves has been closed by a wall and was used by the shepherds for the cheesemaking.
Here the gorge is so narrow that the shepherd boys used to jump over to the other side.
In the area north of the gorge, the spiny broom (Calicotome villosa) grows in some places so densely that it is almost impenetrable.
These fields were once cultivated with wheat and barley; today they are more or less overgrown with phrygana or maquis.
Halfway back to Ágios Dimítris we pass another old stone house that served as home for a family of farmers or shepherds until around the middle of the last century.
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