A Couple of Days Ride Outta…….

We took the day off option last night it rained. And the town is so pretty a second day was not a chore.

Without cycling the day must be filled and sightseeing can get boring so eating comes to the fore.

As can be seen, Napflion is georgeous. But for some reason, walls, rocks, ancient buildings, all along the fantastic walkway around the ancient town promontory, everywhere is smeared by graffiti, shit, crap, childish graffiti, there is so much I just couldn’t bring myself to take any more pictures of it. I know I am old, but this is hardly great street art.

Harry a Greek guy from Athens but living in Napflion suggested a resturant Kakanarakis 1986, sync that I am was dubious, but Brett and I walked past, it looked OK so we sat down and ordered what turned out to be one of the best meals I have had for many, many years. So good, I really cannot recommend it enough.

Then we had ice cream.

Our night in Agios Theodoroi, was tranquil and the Greek salad we ordered had the most amount of Kalamarta olives, I had to leave some.

The Corinthian canal is spectacular. But from the other bridge, ours was particularly boring. You can see the other bridge in the photo.

High up we rode/with ramps of 15 to 18% our tongs hanging out. Our one solace was knowing that once up there was only down toll the end of day. 800 meters up, then plunging down along sweeping roads with views 😲 into Napflio.

We wandered the streets of Napflio drinking in the rare atmosphere.Brett persuaded me to walk the 999 steps to the castle, nearly causing me to have a heart attack; we are both showoffs and whizzed past all other tourists walking up. It was tough.

Then a small burger and home to bed. No stupid brioche buns here. But way too much for me. Its embarrassing how much weight I have put on so far this trip.

Breakfast and out, we were in good spirits, legs not so tired/as we thought. We agreed on a 10am start. And that was about right.

The route was originally designed as a gravel route and it started on the road to get part Chalkida, a little convoluted, but some interesting sites. Then as we went the road started to rise up. Unfortunately as delays someone had decided to ruin our georgeous vistas.

The route turned on us with a vengeance. Off road, gravel 🤔 its all in a personal definition. This vicious track massive stones bouncing our bikes left and right, throwing us off balance and a gradient way beyond what a road would give us. Our gears lowest 30 chainring 34 cassette way too high for this torture. Tempers frayed, thighs screamed and walking was an option. There could easily have been tears.

Could we keep this up for 7 days, the collective agreement was, no fucking way. Do we found a taverna and adjusted the route to more road while consuming the largest lunch 2 people could eat

Then we set off to finish the mountain.

Then, just down hill to the coast and find our hotel.

Happy days, showered and ready for a night on the town….. and a shorter day tomorrow. 😲

Brett and I spent the evening discussing plans. How much stuff we should take, clothes for heat clothes for cold.

The weather for the last few weeks had been abysmal snow, rain, wind……. oh how unhappy was I, frozen cold, fire on every night, this most certainly was not what I had signed up for when I came to Greece.

As you can see I made good use of the cold weather by trying to make myself as comfy as possible.

Brett and I did a preliminary ride on Thursday. The sun shone, I called the route a gravel route but Brett, mid ride asked if it was a mountain bike route, 🤔. I suppose gravel has a variety of descriptions.

Up with the sparrows, porridge consumed we left the house at 7am for an 8am boat. Arriving at the Linaria perfect timing. Someone, I’m blaming Brett but if course it’s my fault, had not checked the timetable, the ferry was scheduled for 3.30pm. We cycled home dejected.

A day hanging around the house. The journey back to Linaria. We are finally enroute.

Arrived in Kymi at 5.20pm 1st and second off the boat. And just cycled. I had promised the guesthouse would be with them by 8pm. Our route went up through gorgeous countryside the epitome of everything you desire, olive trees, grapevines, arid mountainscapes we were in cycling heaven.

But the sun quickly went down behind the mountains, the temperature dropped to cold. We cycled on ever up, Brett strong, forging ahead me whimpering behind. But by this time it was now dark, our lights were strong but only flashed to be seen not to see by. We struggled on, it was tough and not being able to see was scary as hell especially descending the switchbacks.

Eventually arriving at the hotel at 9.30pm. No-one to welcome us just the key in the door. The room was small but 2 beds and 2 bikes fitted, just.

Shower, food, and bed, finally sleep by 12.00.

Off the boat st Nea Styra I started to cycle hard up the excessively steep hill. And push on towards Kymi and the 5pm boat.

There is a spring water stop half way down one of the hills where I stopped to replenish water supplies. I took the opportunity to check the ferry timings to Skyros. It was now I found out that my ferry was not at 5pm as thought but at 8.45pm. I felt deflated, I now had 6 or 7 hours to wait when I reached Kymi but also missed an opportunity to meet up with Athanasios while I was in Nea Styra.

But the die has been cast and I ploughed on down the road. Now stopping often to replenish supplies, drink coffee.

The boat left Kymi late and we eventually arrived in Skyros at 11.30. I was home by 12. Showered and bed by 12.30

Today I’m tired and deflated.

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The route out of Sounion towards Athens is beautiful, the self proclaimed Greek Riviera. And very much like the French Riviera it is spoilt by a fair few crap buildings and in Greece some pretty horrendous graffiti. But most of all there are the road both ways is full of cars, motorbikes, mopeds, lorries with their operators all thinking they are racing drivers.

But when designing the route Lake Vouliagmeni seemed to be recommended. And I can wholeheartedly endorse that recommendation.

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The receptionist were fantastic they allowed me to lock my bike away in a cupboard so I felt relaxed. The €15 is for the whole day. You can use any free chair and just sit away from the hubbub outside. The waters are therapeutic and at 29⁰ and there are benches to sit on and gave your feet chewed at. There’s about 20mins where they swarm around you feet, obviously at this point I didn’t have my phone. I loitered for about an hour which was long enough for me you could easily wile a good few hours if you were with friends.

After this relaxing time I only had 20kms to get to the campsite. Unfortunately when I arrived it was nonexistent and had not been there for a bit. This threw my plans totally out of wack. There is a campsite near Central Athens but I really didn’t want to go there, so I decided to return to the Neo Makri campsite I had stayed at a few nights before. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the fires are getting worse and its best I return to Skyros.

The 1st ferry I needed to take was sort of towards the fires. Luckily I received a text saying there would be an early ferry at 7.30.

At 6am as I left the campsite site, still dark expecting to see the glow of flames from the fires on the mountains to the north. Hopefully the firefighters have subdued them a bit in the night. But it did feel counterintuitive to cycle towards where the fire is. But turning a bit west there was blue sky. I caught the boat.

The sun like a blast furnace on my back I veered to and over the center line of the road, suddenly the screech of brakes brought me back to the moment I had been contemplating where I could get some food and drink and unwittingly allowed myself to meander across the road. It most certainly can happen to us all.

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During my coffee break in Rafina 90mins earlier I had been contemplating returning home but for some reason I just slowly rode to Sounion. The morning temperatures were OK but 12.30 onwards there is a spike that saps every gram of energy from my body. But 1.30 arriving at the campsite. 1.5 litres of milk and a litre of OJ and I’m set to put up the tent.

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I was all for going immediately but Lefteris the campsite manager suggested I go to the temple at sunset. Let’s face it I had nothing else to do. Loitering all afternoon then food at about 7 and ride the 5kms to the temple. Of course its still hot at 7.30 so I arrived a soaked person.

But my negativity was unjustified and I was in easily.

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On my first ever cycling trip to Greece I came to Sounion. As the saying always goes, when I first came here you could walk all over and there was no payment. Now there is a man with a whistle and €10 at the gate.

The end of this first block was to ride to the top of Mt Ochi, its about 1100m there is a Dragon house there, the best preserved of the 25.

Out the hotel at 7 straight to a cafe. Only truck drivers there at that time of day.

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My Komoot router loves to take me up the steepest climbs, today these were either gravel or concrete many of which I had to walk. So already tired when I reached the climb proper. It’s straight up from now on. Mainly off road. It’s steep and rough. The route became vague and I walked 100m and talked to some guys who directed me back. Eventually after wandering a bit and pushing my bike up some ridiculous slopes I dumped the bike and started to walk, serious uphill. Spotting some cairns I decided that my direction was correct. Up and up, by this time the sun was a furnace of heat beating down and I was struggling to move forward. Blisters on my heels wasn’t helping. Then I sat on a rock I knew I had 1 to 1.5 kms to go but the will had left me. I did contemplate for 30mins or so but when I stood up I walk down deep disappointment in myself.

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The path down on the bike was violent and the worst of things happened, I lost my back light. Absolutely gutted. Back on the road a couple of up hills and straight in Mamari to catch the boat to Rafina. I immediately fell to sleep my head on the table. Still 0nly 3.30 in Rafina I searched out the closest campsite Camping Nea Makri and booked in for 2 nights.

There are fires raging around Greece and I need to just check on them.

I met Athanasios on my last mini tour while eating in Eretria (the town not the country) and he suggested I visit the Dragon Houses of Southern Euboea. This first stage is his fault.

The boat had only a few passengers, so I manoeuvred to the front of the boat and was first off. I do like to play a little game of see how far I can ride before the bus catches me, 13kms today, I think that’s a new record.

After all the faffing with my luggage my frame bag rubbed my inner thigh until it stung as the sweat ran over it. 🤦 I’ve adjusted the contents.

I did see a sign saying 35⁰ at 9.30 it’s going to be a hot day.

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I know the pictures don’t look that spectacular but the house up in the mountains near Styra was really impressive. I tried to get my bike up the last 100m track but it proved too steep to carry it. The houses are thought to be about 3000 years old, hidden in up in the mountains great slabs of limestone converging to a central roof. Put together without mortar.

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As always the end of my day was a mess. I rested from 3 till 5 then set off did about 5kms decided to rest for another hour, one guy did stop and ask if I was OK which I appreciated said I was but I was seriously overheating. Then as I neared Karystos, I saw a hotel and moved in, now €70 over budget.

I rode to the supermarket bought too much food and drink and am now struggling to consume any of it.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings. 🥵

I finally worked out how to share the detailed routes. It is split up into 8 parts of uneven length and fully readjusted to incorporate most of Plato’s suggestions. Peloponnese route.

Here is the bag I was waiting for with the bag it replaced for comparison. Although the old one was an OK size the inside was coming off and although waterproof was not a worry structural integrity was.

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I couldn’t be less Greek in my eating habits if you paid me, I usually eat at 5pm then do not consume anything but water till 8.30 the next day.

So after a lazy afternoon and early evening at the beach I walked up to town at 9pm to eat my evening meal 😖

This morning I was feeling a bit out of sorts, forgot to do my 5 Tibetan Rites, forgot to have my cold shower, forgot to eat breakfast and went straight into packing 🙈🤷‍♂️.

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Around 20kg that sounds about right. I broke a rule, (Rule 1. If you have 2 of anything you have 1 too many) I have 2 pairs of cycling shorts

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What was that, you want me to do one of those wanky shots of me lying in my laid out bags and kit, go read another blog for that. 😘

I’m sort of ready to go now. Buy ticket tomorrow morning. I forgot the ticket office in town is closed on Sunday evening.

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