Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Greece is the most seismically active country in Europe, with more than half of the con-
tinent's volcanic activity.
Forests
It seems as if every village on the mainland has a plane tree shading its central square;
however, the lush forests that once covered ancient Greece are increasingly rare. Having
been decimated by thousands of years of clearing for grazing, boat building and housing,
they've more recently suffered from severe forest fires. Northern Greece is the only re-
gion that has retained significant areas of native forest, and here you can experience
mountainsides covered with dense thickets of hop hornbeam
(Ostrya carpinifolia),
noted
for its lavish display of white-clustered flowers. Another common species is the Cyprus
plane
(Platanus orientalis insularis),
which thrives wherever there is ample water.
Herbs in Cooking
is an illustrative book by Maria and Nikos Psilakis that can be used as
both an identification guide and a cookbook for Greek dishes seasoned with local herbs.
Watching for Wildlife
On the Ground
In areas widely inhabited by humans, you are unlikely to spot any wild animals other
than the odd fox, weasel, hare or rabbit scurrying out of your way. The more remote
mountains of northern Greece continue to support a wide range of wildlife, including
wild dogs and shepherds' dogs with bad attitudes, which often roam the higher pastures
on grazing mountains and should be given a wide berth if encountered.
The brown bear, Europe's largest land mammal, still manages to survive in very small
numbers in the Pindos Mountains, the Peristeri Range that rises above the Prespa Lakes,
and in the mountains that lie along the Bulgarian border. It is estimated that only around
200 survive; if you want to see a bear in Greece nowadays, you're better off heading for
The grey wolf, which is protected under the European Bern Convention, is officially
classified as stable. However, at last count, there were only an estimated 200 to 300 sur-
viving in the wild and it's believed that up to 100 are killed annually by farmers' indis-
criminate (and illegal) use of poison baits in retaliation for the occasional marauding and
mauling of their flocks. The Greek Government and insurance companies pay compensa-
tion for livestock lost to wolves but it doesn't appear to slow the killings. The surviving
