Serifos Hiking Adventure - The Road to Pyrgos

A pastoral view of Kythnos as seen from the road to Pyrgos on Serifos, Greece.

The Northern part of Serifos is a place of small-time agriculture. Sustenance farms, wild unpicked fruit, shepards and mule-packers.

At the beginning of my hike, I munched on some Greek dandelion roots and buds and wild raspberries. Suplimented with some oil crackers and water from my pack, they made a energy packed breakfast.

Greek dandelions have a delicate flower and soft crunchy root. The best specimines are picked between loose rock where there is not a lot of sediment. A bud or two about to open are best. As always, it is important to rinse anything you find on the trail and wash it down with plenty of water.

Located at the end of the Petrias trail, the Road to Pyrgos leads up a steep incline of thistles and spiny local folliage.

Of all my time on all the trails here, I have only communicated with two local hikers and I exchanged greetings with them on this walk.

Creon was sitting at the base of the first peak with his cane in brown pants and a brown shirt, missing his front teeth. He was very affable even though my Greek failed me. He managed to offer his name and that he was from Hora. I offered mine and said I was from California. I was wearing a very flashy t-shirt on which a stoned walrus was driving a 22 Fillmore bus out of which money was flying. I must have been quite a sight for him!

Once over the crest, I continued on the road as led to a handsome view of the island of Kythnos and the Mirtoon Sea.

It was here I found an outcropping of cedar berries. The flesh is loose with a sticky persimmon-like gel inside, the seed is astringent like pine sap. While the seed may be eaten, I discarded it since I was not familiar with this particular variety.

I also found a ripe white fig and got a surprise when I opened it and a small, albino bug was feasting on the inside. I left it on the trail to distract the many flies that were following me.

Closer to Pyrgos, I saw a good deal of livestock. A mule was very patiently and precariously vertical on a steep incline. There was a sheep herd drinking from a trough with a mother and her ewe admiring one another. In the valley, another woman was calling her sheep to follow her.

When I finally reached Pyrgos, I could see it’s sister city Gallani in the distance. Both are perched cliffside. I crawled up the steep stairs along with a mule packer and his dog for a better look. There is no visible tourist infrastructe here, but there is daily bus service in the am and pm.

On the road back, I saw some really cool bugs. I had my first taste of vine-dried raisins and then grapes, growing along the road back to Hora.

After picking them, I slipped and fell at the sound of a man singing, smooshing most of them and sustaining and injury to my elbow. (I'm healthy, just a little bruised up.) Had I not been convinced to leave my scissors at home, I might have had grapes and rasins even now!