Beekeeping In Southern Greece: When John 1 hipps moved to a small hill village in Oreece he had no idea that he had made his home in a region which was rich in beekeeping tradition

摘要

It is in the Maniot village of Neochori, about 300 metres above the seaside resort of Stoupa, that my wife and I made our home almost eight years ago to the day. As I write this it is 35°C (95°F) in the shade and Homer's 'wine dark sea' of the Mediterranean below is an enticing prospect. Behind me, the mountains of the Taygetos rise to over 6000 feet, and although we have had no rain for the last three months the olives, oaks, pines, firs, strawberry trees and heather are still a vibrant green, unlike the bleached and burnt ground flora. All I possess of my long years of beekeeping in the UK is a Sherriff veil which has given me good service for nearly 20 years. All my bees, hives and other beekeeping equipment went under the hammer at two local association apiaries six months before my departure from Lincolnshire and I was in that strange position of having no bees at all.