As we leave Ayios Konstantinos, we pass through an enchanting area known as " Aidonia " ( " Nightingales " ) and climb by the road which leads to the Commune of Manolates, we can hear the sound of the pure water of a brook which flows winter and summer and see vast trees, some of which are more than 15 metres high, shading the whole of the route as far as Manolates, four kilometres from Ayios Konstantinos.

Manolates currently has 167 inhabitants, and although many visitors fall in love with this village, the population is constantly diminishing. In 1951, it was 395, in 1961, 375, in 1971, 266, and in 1981, 201.

Up here you can walk along small freshly whitewashed streets which still retain the evocative aroma of the old village, with its hens wandering about the street, its goats bleating down in the lower floors of the houses, and the donkeys - the only of transport for the farmers - uttering cries of puzzlement at seeing so many people in their village.

At Manolates you can find food, good local wine, and Greek coffee fit for connoisseurs. There are restaurants, bars, and tavernas in and outside the village.

When you sit down to eat at the tavernas, you will be served, without charge, with chick - pea croquettes, " souma ", the local version of grappa, wine made locally, and fruit in season.

As you go along the streets, almost touching the windows of the houses, you will be greeted by the local people from the half - open doors or windows, and if they see that you are hot, you may well be invited to rest on their doorstep and given a cooling glass of water accompanied by coffee or homemade preserve.

From Manolates you can follow a dirt track to the village of Stavrinides, which lies to the west.