Page:The nomads of the Balkans, an account of life and customs among the Vlachs of Northern Pindus (1914).djvu/52

 the centre of the village is naturally the place where all roads to it meet. From the north-east corner goes a road which leads over a wooden bridge across the Valitshe, past a couple of food shops and a row of booths where tailors and cobblers work, below a mill and so to the bridge over the stream from La Greklu and into the Ghrevena road. The Yannina road leaves at the northern corner by a cafe and then for a short distance runs between cafes, food shops and sweet shops. One of these cafes is kept by a deaf and dumb man reputed the best barber in Samarina. Curiously enough the keeper of a cafe often combines these two trades, and some will further undertake to cure toothache by the application of pitch. Next is a small open space by the Shoput al Bizha round which are several more shops including yet another general store. Leaving this on the left the road goes straight on, then turns to the right by another sweet shop, passes the conduit called La Penda not far from the house of the Hadzhibira family to which Leonidha belonged, crosses a small stream below a mill and ascends a steep pitch on the top of which is a small green called Mermishaklu, a favourite walk in the evening, where boys and young men collect to play games. The Yannina road runs below the topmost part of Mermishaklu, along some meadows enclosed by stone walls or wooden fences to the Shoput al Sakelariu whence it follows the valley leading up to the Greklu ridge.

From the southern corner another road leads off past two cafes to the Shoput al Papazisi (Plate XX 1) which derives its water from a spring on the spot and is reputed to yield the best and coldest water. Thence the road slants up the hill leaving the church of Ayiu Athanase below it, passes several mills, and runs round a deep ravine where is the Shoput di t Vale, and climbs the other side to where stands the church of Aigl'a in a grove of tall pines. The school attached to this church is that used by the Roumanian party. Hence the road runs along the hill side to the monastery for about half an hour through woods of pine and stunted beech, amongst which are open spaces carpeted with bracken and wild strawberries. From the monastery the road goes on to Briaza and