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Oh how lucky we are to have the fast road out of Athens.

I’d heard my mother-in-law say this dozens of times as we headed out of Athens en route to the Peloponnese.  She’d roll her eyes in that way only Toula could, closing them as she leaned her head back against the headrest, smiling her knowing Toula smile she’d whisper kakia skala, the evil staircase. Sometimes the story was one I’d heard before, how as a young woman she’d close her eyes and pray her stomach would stay in place as the car lurched upward and over the pass; sometimes she reached back into her memory and I could tell she was lost in thoughts of someone she knew long ago whose life had been taken along that spot. But each time we passed Megara, about 30 minutes into our journey, my eyes were drawn toward the rocks reaching up from the sea alongside the highway.

Skyronian rocks

Today it is an easy drive. As you drive from Athens toward Corinth, just as you pass Megara, you will notice to the north the Geraneia mountains rising almost vertical from the sea. These cliffs with the large caverns are the Skyronian rocks (in more
contemporary times known as the “Kakia Scala” – Evil Staircase which my mother in law referred to). In the old days the ominous road that connected Athens with Corinth clung to the cliffs as it crossed the narrow passage.

The road was also known as Skiron’s Road, though there’s some debate as to whether Skiron was good or evil. The Athenians believe he was a thief who obliged his victims to wash their feet before he hurled them into the sea where a giant turtle feasted on their remains. Thankfully, Perseus took care of him (and contemporary road improvements have taken care of us).

Of course today we understand where those legends come from, and as my mother-in-law and husband tell their tales of traveling on the narrow road between the rock cliffs and the sea it becomes plausible that more than likely, it was the fierce winds
that wisk over the Geraneia mountains that were responsible for people losing their lives while crossing the narrow land between the mountains and the sea.

By Athensguide

How does a little girl from Skokie, Illinois find herself in historical Athens, leading curious explorers through the winding streets of Plaka, down "pezodromos" to hidden ouzeries for tempting mezedhes and homemade barrel wine? The journey began more than twenty years ago, and regardless of whether the wanderlust comes from the spiritual and culture DNA flowing through my veins, or the alignment of the stars on that cold mid-December day this Sagitterian came into the world, I never seem to tire of exploring my adopted homeland of Greece. Here you'll join me as I explore Athens: be it the back streets of Psirri and Gazi, or through the National Gardens and Zappeio where a family of turtles makes their home, or down wide, treelined Imittou Street in Pagrati, which pulses with Athenian life 24 hours a day. And while Athens has stolen my heart, the rest of Greece vies for my curiousity and wanderlust. My two guys (that'd be the Greek God, Vasilis and our Greek dog, Scruffy) and I can often be found settling in for a long weekend in some charming mountain village, or a quaint fishing port on a nearby island, or learning how Greek vitners are producing wines that rival some of Napa Valley's finests productions, or celebrating a panayeri in Epirus or sharing in the festivities as a family of Cretan sheepherders come together to sheer their 1500 sheep in the spring ... And if you happen to find yourself heading to Athens, consider finding yourself a real home for your stay. Living amongst the locals, be it for 3 nights or 3 weeks, will offer you the chance to experience true Athens, beyond the Acropolis. Choose from one of our 5 beautiful penthouse and historical homes, and who knows, I may be leading you down that winding "pezodromo" to our favorite hidden ouzerie!