There is something reassuringly solid, yet disarmingly contradictory about Mani. This entire southern Peloponnese region just out into the Mediterranean, almost achingly yearning to break free, capturing soul and mind with its untamed, indelible beauty and undeniable allure. The snow-capped peaks of Mount Taygetus, the austere local architecture with the fortress-like tower houses, and the rocky, almost barren land build visual tension, but the soporific union of the infinite horizon separating the baby blue skies from the cobalt waters appeases all senses.