We are two families, 7 people, one team. We like mountain climbing, walking in the nature and the free life, and we are really happy that our children like it as well. The Mountain climbing on weekends, staying overnight in the mountains and climbing on the peaks, are offering great feelings of satisfaction. So, through our texts and photos, we are trying to transfer, as much as we can, these feelings and we urge you to follow.
The routes described, have in addition to the path itself, useful information too, such as where to stay, where to eat, where to camp, how much will it cost, etc. All of them are time stamped, which means that, for a route taking place in 2008 for example, some of the useful information may not be valid (eg toll prices, hotels, taverns, etc).
We called our web site “The Ursa Minor” ,which is the Latin name for the constellation of the Little Bear ,for two reasons. It has the element of the family but also the element of orientation.
And some knowledge (From Wikipedia and astronomos.blogspot.gr)
The Little Bear (Latin, Ursa Minor, symbol: UMi) is the constellation located in the North Pole of the celestial sphere. At its end there is Polaris, which helps to locate Geographical North. Both, Little and Great Bear constellations, are known from the ancient times, with different names, in all civilizations of the Northern Hemisphere, from China to the Indians of North America.
According to mythology, the Great Bear is nymph Callisto, the only daughter of the King of Arcadia, Lykaon. Zeus fell in love with her and made her a son, Arcadas, the forefather of the Arcadians. Hera, however, was jealous of this illegal relationship and transformed the beautiful Callisto into a bear. The unfortunate Callisto, as a bear, was wandering for years in the forests of Arcadia, until one day he met her son, Arcadas, a young man hunting wild animals. Urged by mother’s love, she ran to embrace him. Arcas, however, was afraid and was ready to kill her. Jupiter, watching the scene, was deeply moved and in order to save Callisto from death, transformed Arcadas into a bear. Only then the little teddy bear recognized his mother and ran cheerfully to her. Zeus, who wanted to save them from the wrath of Hera, sent them both to the skies, turning them to constellations to rejoice one another for eternity .So, Callisto became the Great Bear and Arcadas the Little Bear. But the jealousy of Hera did not stop there. Extremely angry with what Zeus did, he sent Thetis to order Oceanus, never to allow these constellations to find rest in his arms. Thus, she forbade them to rise and fall, so that they can never bathe in the kingdom of Oceanus and never to rest. In this way, they became circumpolar constellations.
Homer , without clarifying which of the two Bears he meant, or if he meant both, wrote in the Iliad: (Book 18 ,462 Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D.)
” and the Bear, that men call also the Wain, that circleth ever in her place, and watcheth Orion, and alone hath no part in the baths of Ocean. “