{"id":1228,"date":"2015-11-28T16:16:53","date_gmt":"2015-11-28T13:16:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thepaleochorasite.com\/bobsblog\/?p=1228"},"modified":"2022-10-08T16:45:58","modified_gmt":"2022-10-08T13:45:58","slug":"a-walk-round-voutas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thepaleochorasite.com\/bobsblog\/a-walk-round-voutas\/","title":{"rendered":"A Walk Round Voutas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Voutas<\/a>At only a short 12km drive north from Paleochora, Voutas is one of my favourite villages in this area, and the starting point for several fine walks (see \u201cExplore\u201d – April 2012, ‘Villages above Voutas’.)\u00a0 But Voutas has seen better days…..<\/p>\n

Less than half a century ago, Voutas was a thriving community, the commercial centre of the area, with a population (c.600 during the 1950s\/60s) larger than Paleochora.\u00a0 Residents in twenty-one nearby \u201csettlements\u201d, from Archondiko through Kalamiou, Kitiros and Lagadas to Vothiana, enlarged the district even futher.\u00a0 The village had a forge, blacksmith and saddlery to serve the needs of many equines, (donkeys especially) and many shops and businesses. These\u00a0 included\u00a0 (water-driven) flour and olive mills, a tailor and seamstress, cobbler, furniture maker, at least eight cafenia, a mini-market, bakery and butcher.\u00a0 A ‘taxi’ and bus (with hard seats) connected Voutas with Paleochora, although the road through Kondokinigi was not made up and surfaced until 1985. A cinema provided popular entertainment. The village school flourished, with some 70\/100 pupils attending. There was a community centre, police and fire station, doctor and medical centre.\u00a0 Even so, until 1969 the village had no electricity, drainage, or main water supply.<\/p>