Hikers Peter Manos and Demetri
Mazacoufa nearing the end of the
Samaria Gorge.
Greek “Americans” who sign up to experience Greece firsthand with their “Greek” friends.
GORGE WALK WEEK
The Walk is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25. On Sunday,
June 22, most of the walkers arrive in Chania to join a family
of walkers from Ohio already there. Over the next two days,
the rest of the group shows up.
On Tuesday, June 24, we visit the orphanage at the St.
Nektarios parish in the morning. In the afternoon, we meet
with representatives of Orizontas, a charity dedicated to
helping children diagnosed with cancer.
The next day is the Walk. We gather at the bus station
in downtown Chania at 6:00 am. At the bus station, we are
joined by former PAA President Ted Manousakis, who, at the
Akron PAA convention, pledged to walk the Gorge with us
and makes good on his promise.
The Gorge walk takes the entire day. It is a day filled with
excitement, joy, wonder, challenges, adventure and perseverance …
and emotion. After a year-anda-half of planning and eventual
execution, “Walk the Gorge” ends
up with all the walkers making
our way through the Samaria
Gorge – 20 American walkers, five
Cretan charity volunteers, and 30
Angelopoulos Fellows.
The last group event for
the Gorge walkers is on Friday,
June 27. We accept the invitation from the Manousakis family
to visit to their winery in the village of Vatolakkos. In the
courtyard, we listen to stories about the history and development of the winery, as we sip samples of this quality wine and
enjoy the delicious Cretan food prepared for us. As a “thank
you” for this display of Cretan hospitality, the group, using
their own personal funds, makes a 1000€ ($750) donation to
ELEPAP-Chania, a charity offering assistance to the disabled
and supported by the Manousakis family. It is a special way
to close out the “Walk t H