Freedom

Sometimes the best things in life happen by accident. Or maybe they aren´t accidents, they are meant to happen, on the way, you couldn´t even imagine. When I decided to leave to Greece for three months, I didn´t know where to go. I only knew that I need desperately my Greece. I had lived earlier in Athens and for a moment in Nafplio. I wanted to go somewhere south, to some new place, close to the sea. I didn´t feel well on that time. I had had problems with my health for more than one year and I knew that life just can´t go on like this. So I took a risk and decided to start studying the things I was extremely interested in- environmental sciences and sustainable travelling. But I also needed some rest – and what could cure me better than Greece? So I took a map and an old Lonely Planet and started to look, what Greece has to offer me this time. I ended up to village called “Kardamili”, because Lonely Planet said it is one of the prettiest villages on Peloponnesos. This information was enough for me, and I started to look for an apartment. It turned out to be quite a bad idea. I found only one apartment to rent and that was too expensive for a student. But when the time pasted, I got offered a small apartment from Stoupa and this seemed to be my only option. Soon my travel to unknown destination was to begin. I came to Stoupa when the evening was turning black already. Still I managed to see my first glimpses about the mountains of Peloponnesos , when I travelled from Kalamata to Stoupa by bus. I was watching them mouth open – where was I actually, what was this all beauty?? Greeks seemed to be calm, as if they couldn´t see properly or as if it didn´t mean anything to them, what was behind the window. I became mad the more I saw those mountains. And slowly Peloponnesos conquered my heart. Did I say slowly? No, I saw the extraordinary beauty immediately, but beauty is not enough. There has to be also soul. And Peloponnesos, especially Mani, had everything. I was watching this beauty here, but it seemed to take some time before I realized it is true. I had seen so many places in Greece, and I loved them all, but no one is like Mani. Mani has it all. The mountains, which are both exciting and gentle, the sea, which is clear and turquoise and holds me with its caresses. Peace is also here. The old fashioned life where is no need to rush. Actually, watching the normal Finnish life from here – it seems to be one big circus. Only horse I was missing, it would have made this all perfect. So, one day I was cycling to Agios Nikolaos and I saw the most beautiful horse in front of me. He was white and strong and full of power and beauty. At first I thought it must be mirage, this horse straight from my dreams. But I went closer and he didn´t disappear. I started to laugh – this place had fulfilled all my dreams now. And then one day I was walking with a guide on the gorge of Ridomo. My body was health, my mind was free. The guide told me that I had done the right decision when I decided to come here. My heart knew, what to do. After the trekking we went to one very small village. We sat down, I got a glass of wine. I watched how the sun was kissing old platanios tree and how stone buildings stood there, stable and confident, like props on the stage of beauty. Cats were walking slowly on the street and the old man of cafeneion told us about the olive harvesting. I realized suddenly, how much I love Mani. This still moment made me understand it. Suddenly I knew that I, restless soul, will come back here. Still many, many times. It was an accident that I chose Stoupa. I just picked it up from the map, without knowing anything about it. Or, Actually, I didn´t even pick Stoupa, but Kardamili. Or are there such accidents? Maybe life knows better, where to take us, than we. On the sun I still memorized the trek and the free beauty of nature there. I could still hear the unique, soft sound of bells of the lambs on my ears. That is a sound, calming sound, which you can´t hear anywhere else. That sound tells a story about time, which is already gone and still here, in Mani. Mani also gave me something I had been dreaming about, but I was afraid if I will ever get it. Because all these things are not in our hands. When living in Nafplio, 17 years ago, I hoped to be part of this country some day. I wanted to speak Greek and somehow belong to this country – not to be outsider always. It didn’t´succeed in Nafplio, neither in Athens later. I already started to lose hope, this old big dream of mine. I thought that maybe I will stay as an outsider and so it is. But Mani changed this. After this sudden feeling that I had came home, I started to live my life here. I mean, really live, not only wait when is the day to go back home. I had two homes now. I was already speaking good Greek in Mani, but the most important is that I found friends. And not only just anyone to stay with, but these kind of people, who are my people. We have the same stories, same values and same dreams. What a joy. So Mani welcomed me here as a someone, who has been lost for years. Who has wandered around the world but never found his home. I had wandered, but in Stoupa I found a second home for me. It is something you can´t demand or take to yourself, you can only hope to get it, as a gift from the world. After the love came the curiosity. What is actually this place I had ended up to love? This place I had ended up to keep as a home to me? “ As a passerby you need three days to see Mani, as a visitor you need three months, but to see her soul you need three lifetimes. One for herself, one for her mountains and one for her people” they say. Coincidence, again that I stay here for three months. And when I started to read the history of Mani, I understood, why Mani chose me. There is one word, maybe three, if we want to go further: freedom. And then comes the words remote and mysterious. We were just playing this game in Finland, before I left that if there is only one word which was describing you the best, totally, which it would be? My word was definitely “freedom”. And, this seems to be the word of Mani too. Mani is remote and mysterious and the people, the Greeks in Mani they say that they are the only Greeks, who have never submit to a foreign power. Throughout the history, the Mani has never lost its freedom. This place tells the story of freedom – and for me freedom is the air I breathe. I can´t imagine any other way to live my life. So of course we would meet each other, Mani and me. Later I also found out that Maniots have a weird fascination with death. Well, I have been born in the month of death. The word November, in Finnish language it is called “marraskuu” and it comes originally from the Russian word “smert”, which means death. November is the month when nature is dying, there in north, where my other home is. For me it is not a bad word, it is a word which tells about life and the circle of nature. And somehow I find the same feeling here, although “marraskuu” is totally different here. It is actually a golden month, but I am especially fascinated about the siga trees – figs - who lose their leaves and give themselves over to November. I feel we have the same kind of soul, me and figs – and me and Mani. People keep asking me, why I came here. Did I know somebody here? They say, no one comes to Mani by accident, normally someone asks them to visit here. I didn´t come by accident either, but it was Mani who asked me to visit. I have heard that the words “Know Thyself, Γνωθι Σαυτον”, were carved above the doorway into Apollo´s temple, at Delphi. Two little words, but so much meaning inside them. Coming to Mani opened me these words. Between the mountains and the sea I finally learned to know myself after my difficult years. After that I also wanted to know Mani. I feel that it had learned me so much during these weeks. I learned to trust myself and I lost the fear in future I used to have. There is no fear in Mani. There is only trust, beauty – and freedom.