On the wine trail with Jill Campbell Mackay
Out pottering
This month we visit the village of Fini, a five-minute drive from Platres on the Troodhitissa bound highway
En-route to the village of Fini we stop off for the obligatory spot of wine tasting, along the way enjoying grand scenery. From Limassol, the drive is only 37km, while from Paphos, you can take the longer, scenic route on the F616, following the river bed along the Diarizos valley, where, in the distance is the ruined village of Prastio a result of the catastrophic earthquake that hit this part of the island in 1953.
The road now offers drivers less of an adrenalin rush, having recently been re-surfaced and it takes a little over an hour to get there. On the way, you meander through the lovely old villages of Kedares and Praitori. Just outside Praitori is the family run, Nelion winery. It’s well sign posted and owners Neophytos and Nitsa Ioannou warmly welcome visitors to come for a tasting, and those with an appreciation for a good Shiraz will relish the opportunity to buy a few bottles.
The left turn to Fini is 1km up the road from Pano Platres, a further 1km and you see Fini nestling in the valley on your left.
Coming off the main road, make a careful journey through the very narrow main street and park in the square opposite the Co-op. Walk back on yourself for a few metres and you will see a sign for local pottery.
You have to climb some steps to reach Sofronia Theodorou but it’s really worth the puffing and panting to reach her combination home and workshop. The latter is basically an old vine-shadowed barn and it’s here this sprightly 70-something woman still sits, one foot clad in a boot, the other sporting a navy blue woollen sock, for she turns her potter’s wheel the old fashioned way: by foot propulsion.
She, like generations of her family before her, has hewn by hand the fine reddish clay from the surrounding mountain face. She carries it home by donkey to make Kleftico pots, platters, jugs and some lovely, highly-decorated, unglazed bird and animal-based decorative confections.
Old pictures of her parents and grandparents hang, along with years of accumulated dust, testifying to this age-old craft. Women were the potters in this village, with their men folk acting as travelling salesmen, going from village to village selling the women’s wares.
After carefully negotiating the climb down from Sofronia’s pottery place, turn left and after a few minutes’ walk you will see a coffee shop on your left. Directly opposite stands the Fini museum.
Theophanis Pilavakis is the grand old man who has, single handedly, created this shrine to the age old craft of making those bosom shaped pots called pithary. What was his grandfather’s house, that dates back to the 16th century, is now the resting place for the family owned pithary collection, some of which date from as far back as 1731.
The Pilavakis family were to the making of pithary what Lordos is now to the making of plastic chairs. Every villager knew the name Pilavakis as being synonymous with pot making and it’s all here in the museum for visitors to enjoy, from learning how they were made, and what was put in them. Mainly used for wine, they also held zivania, oil, and women – yes women, but only on a temporary basis.
Four days after a woman gave birth she would have a pithary prepared for her: a fire was laid under the pot, water poured into it along with bay leaves, eucalyptus, and wild sage. The new mum would then take this ‘sauna’ every third day for a total of forty days. After each soak in the pithary, she would be laid on a bed and cloths were wrapped tightly around her stomach. After forty days her pre pregnancy figure would have returned and she would have been cleansed.
This is a private non-profit making museum but visitors are kindly asked for a £1 entry fee, which is then donated to the local children’s cancer charity. You would be a fool to miss this museum as it’s pure pleasure to listen to Theophanis who, in excellent English, extols the virtues of his family’s now firm place in Cypriot history.
For lunch I strongly suggest a walk back to the main square and further on down the main road to the Fini Taverna. Owner Augoustis Soteriou is the perennially smiling host. He’s also genuine in trying to make visitors feel welcome, and is particularly expert at feeding those hungry after all that physical and visual pottering. Trout being the speciality of the house, we started with a plate of the delicately smoked version accompanied by a big bowl of home made horseradish sauce (delicious). You can also order non-fish and local dishes and wash them down with a dry white wine from the Pitsillia winery.
Time to return home, following the well-placed road signs once you get back on the Platres road again.
Theophanis Pilvakis can be contacted to open the museum for you on 99 529293. The Fini Tavern Tel: 25 421828. Nelion Winery Tel: 25 442445
