About Smiksi, Wace and Thompson write: “Smiksi is a picturesque village of about a hundred houses and, as it lies in the hollow at the head of the valley, is not seen till close at hand. Despite being reported as airless and relaxing, its inhabitants invariably winter in the plains about Elassona and Larissa. Smiksi was not always an entirely nomad village; some inhabitants once lived there permanently and devoted themselves to agriculture. They say that lower down in the valley at a place called Biga, there was once an agricultural village. The people of this joined with others and founded Smiksi, which was initially higher up the hillside than it is today.
In the valley, there stands one tall pine, called the tree of Ayios Kosmas. They say that when he visited Smiksi, he blessed the tree and fastened a wooden cross to its top. The tree has since grown very tall, but the cross remains, bearing witness to the tale’s truth. The houses in Smiksi are neatly kept but small, except for a few built by emigrants or successful brigands. Vlach is the only spoken language in the church, but the dialect contains many Greek words. The people of Smiksi practice the same trades as Samarina, mainly shepherding and muleteering. A difficult track from the village leads over Ghumara to Briaza and the Aous valley, while another leads to Avdhela, about two and a half hours away.”
