This weekend we climbed Mt. Perneli, which is to the north of Athens. It provides a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside, all the way from Marathon to Piraeus. When we climbed to the top, it was extremely cold and windy, but that didn't stop us from having a good time. The hike was fairly easy, with there being a very slight incline for most of the trip up. It didn't take long either, about an hour to get to the mountain, an hour or so up, then matching times going down.
The view was what made the trip worth it. Even on a cloudy, windy, cold day, the sights were gorgeous. Being able to see Marathon for the first time, and even all the way to the Piraeus was a fantastic sight. The pictures I took don't even do them credit. The wind was truly fun as it could almost support you at times. It almost blew my contacts out as well. Getting a perspective on Attica and how large and beautiful an area it is was well worth the cold. Areas like this don't exist back in the States. On the one hand, there's a big, large, sprawling city, then pretty quickly there's beautiful, green farmland.
The mountain is protected by the EU against development, so thankfully it will remain the way it is for years to come. However, it is not immune to disasters. There were clear signs of fires which devastated parts of the mountain, leaving little but charred rock. I hope it all grows back, as it was truly a sight to see.
Tomorrow (or maybe tonight) i'll post about the Acropolis, which i also visited this weekend and that TRULY was fantastic!
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