Gravia - History?

[Ang]

yes I can see a big old croc, great pic John
Ang

[vivian]

It has always fasinated me and even more so now, Ive seen it as a croc, a turtle, and as Sandy says different things from different angle's but I havent noticed the woman doing her washing on Gynaika before I will have to look for her in October. Viv

[june]

We saw dolphins when walking up the the track to San Steph and told many people about them.
It was only the following year when they were in the same spot that we realised they're actually rocks in the sea.

june

[riggers]

Ha ha yes i fell for that one too June.......and have many more.....

riggers.....

[justphil]

We must have spent more hours than anyone sitting and watching Gravia. Our Dimitris had a big joke with us two weeks ago, saying he would get the army out to put it back when it moved. (Little s*d.) There are many others who are as fascinated by that set of rocks as we are. This thread proves it.

Dimitris bless, has given us a bit of history to work with. I am sure that on behalf of the forum we thank you and all the others who have joined in. Jen and me have done mezes at Graziella with local red wine watching Gravia every time we have been to Arillas. Thomas will confirm. What an amazing way to spend an afternoon.

Phil

[Samwell]

Wow, yes, thank you Dimitris!

Really fascinating, Ive always wonderd about it! Maybe one day Ill venture onto it, if possible. I cant beleive Figs used to grow there to?!! And still has goats!

Myths, legends, history, stories, tales etc... all interest me when its a place or object I like

Thank you everyone else to have contributed too.

[TerryW]

Do you wish you were going out to Gravia now on this boat?

[sharonF]

YES !!

[justphil]

Phil YES!  Jen YES!

[justlynn]

Ah, we did that in June, but yes, I'd love to be there repeating the experience........

lynn xx

[iluvsangeorge]

For several years Gineka, the smallest island of the Gravia group has interested me since we took a small boat trip around the area and I was puzzled by the white rock perched on the top. 
Run Samwell's video "Quick scan around Arillas's bay" and pause it near the end when you see the island with a white rock on the top. The rock even shows up on satellite photos.  Photographs from several angles show that it is separate from the island with gaps underneath (see below).  But how did it get there ?
It is at least 1km offshore so could not have rolled there from the mainland of Corfu
So has it been there since pre-history times when the Mediterranean was much lower and the islands were attached to the rest of Corfu ?
Did one of the great Greek mythical heroes hurl it from Afionas or Ariilas in a huge temper ?
It shows how sad I am that such things fascinate me and I searched the net for information.  I had puzzled over this so many times that a few years ago I tracked down an International expert on Tsunamis and sent him my photos etc.  I knew the Med had had its share of huge tsunamis in ancient times and this expert confirmed that it WAS probably a huge tsunami which deposited this quite large rock there. He could think of no other explanation and said he had seen similar things in Japan.
Could it have been about 8000 years ago when an avalanche of 6 cubic miles of rock etc on Mt Etna in Sicily fell into the sea causing waves  taller than a 10-story building to spread across the entire Mediterranean Sea at speeds of up to 450 mph, slamming into the shores of three continents in only a few hours .
Something more to ponder on Phil when sitting on your bench in Arillas !

Dennis

[Sandy x]

What a fascinating story....

[Erja]

Something more to ponder on Phil when sitting on your bench in Arillas !

I can see that happening....

Seriously though, what an interesting story and I would of never thought of the likely explanation. I think a mythical Greek hero sounds more exciting though