Km 18,601 - Almir's Beach, Greece, 15/02/2011
To put in the background: http: / / www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpOAnWEyzt8
When we woke up in this Tuesday, February 8, it offers a cool (-2 ° C) morning walk along the lake on which we slept. The place is full of sound of birds, it seems our spring! ... Then it takes off and we let down south towards Arta, along a charming national meanders of a river clear, the hollow of a valley. This beautiful picture is however disturbed by the intermittent whistling following us for some time, which today gives special voice. Exasperated, do as the last time we dismantled, one breath we talk nicely to the discs and calipers, and we go back. This time without success, the squeal persists ... Lunch break in a cozy little fishing port, and here we go again! This afternoon the sun still shines and the road is beautiful. We continue our descent to the Peloponnese along the coast with our noise. Having blown a stop sign, not on purpose, it is tied up by a taxi which we nicely argument in English. The discussion begins: - and if not, where do you go?
- we do not know ... mean? ...
- ... hehe, 'are fun kids! ...
- and if you know where Would there a garage?
- um, bah to that time of night everything is closed (in Greece the shops close at 15h) ... whatever ... not move, I make a call.
Once the phone call happened, he tells us that a mechanic ahead 2km away. And here we hop in a mechanic who speaks only Greek Greek, to explain our problem with little negro English and mime Marceau. An hour later it starts again from there, all smiles, without our noise (and increasingly cheap)! And wham: police roadblock! Guys wearing dark glasses and commando ask us, their faces "You go where?" and there Rebelote: with a shrug: "We do not know ... there." "(Small white face relaxes, even grins) OK, move along ..." One wonders why they stopped us. Still, it's really fun to meet people who ask us where we go we know nothing! Then there is a squat in the hills between Paleros and Mytikas, and we admire a sunset behind the majestic mountains of the islands in front, the sound of sheep bells grazing ...
The next day, Wednesday, 9, objective Agenda: update the blog. These days, we strive not sought, without success, from wireless, but today it says will be found! Good thing, Patra, 3rd largest city is on our way. Will there indeed a McDonalds or a shopping center with a network of train ... While waiting to be there in the morning we savor the sweetness of a February in Greece, along a deserted road in a picture postcard. Sun and blue skies, turquoise seas and shores of neighboring islands on the right, mountains yellowish rocks on the left, sometimes a herd of cows biquette or grazing the asphalt at a bend ... Ouaiiiiis is good holidays! We halt on a pebble beach just waiting for us this afternoon for a meal of the quietest at the foot of a mountain which rises to 999M (not 1000, the lazy!). Afterwards we take the longest suspension bridge in the world (according to our travel guide), Dado yes, weep no more! He attached to Antirrion Rion, close to Patra. Stops there as expected, but the atmosphere of the city near where we landed we did not ordered to loiter there: all the red lights, 2 or 3 guys wash their windshields, sometimes guys out from under the truck, groups of types lurking everywhere along the harbor are parked where many large ferries ... We flee so after a little walking tour. We stop in a nearby town to buy bread, when parking badly outside a hotel. At all events we see if there's no network lying around, and bingo! So that's where we accomplish our mission for the day. When it's done, it is already time to find shelter for the night. It turns a little long narrow ranges, but they come with pretty terraced restaurant decorated throughout. So we fell back in the lands as the night eventually fall, and you park on the roadside among the olive trees (and the dozens of tires with a local merchant has obviously not known what to do ...). The previous night was clear, and you can enjoy a starry sky where the moon throne that grows a little more each day ...
Wake under the sun, it becomes a habit! Let's hope it lasts! Today (Thursday 10), nothing really special: we drive. The landscape is mountainous as the day we crossed into the Peloponnese. In the early mountain version is "gorges" stiff, tall, a river that flows gently down, rock walls that awaken in Caro's instinct climber who sleeps in a corner, next to his climbing shoes (which are currently covered 18000km warm in the truck). Next is the mountain version broad valley, and then reached in the afternoon version "snowy pastures. Late afternoon we see a corner that seems nice from above. We are therefore trying to reach via a dirt road obstructed branches of olive trees and various shrubs. After 15 minutes of session 4x4, still no news from the cozy corner. So turn around, re-4x4, and you park at the river Erymanthos. It then offers the luxury of an outdoor shower to relax after the emotions What caused the final moments steering. Poppa evening (for a change !)...
Friday, February 11, we visit a city well known for our sporting friends: Olympia! Finally ... we visit the archaeological museum. And it's so interesting that it passes almost without realizing 3h, read carefully all the explanations and comments that accompany the objects, pieces of buildings, statues and presented. It's funny, we're all alone in the museum, except during the time when a quarter because of Asian tourists toured the museum at a run (sorry for the cliche). After a quick snack on the parking pad, we continued our journey until Kalamata. We park near a beach front what should be an outdoor bar in summer, and spend a night rocked by the barking of a dog in the corner.
Mom, Dad, and ...?
Saturday 12, orgy of scenery for my birthday! We attack a tour in the region of Mani. The principle of the decor is still: mountain on the left, sea on the right, and between the two, sometimes inhabited areas (small rural villages or cluster of large stone houses with swimming pool and all and all for wealthy tourists), and sometimes wilder areas. We stopped at a beach, wind in your hair, for lunch. In the afternoon, it goes crescendo with the grand finale when we reach the southern tip of the region, as the sun begins to descend. Wow! And then began the ascent on the north by the east coast. It arises in the mini port Kokala desert, while the wind blows hard, for a small city tour and a night of madness in the truck! Festive meal, Loved son of the family (merciii!), birthday cake (see photo) ... Yippee!
We get up Sunday morning, and that's sad we do not look Telefoot.
Instead, you can enjoy the landscape that continues to hit us in the eye. Atmosphere relaxing beside the road: people are installed at sidewalk cafes and restaurants, chat in the sun, some greet us ... it goes through and its friendly Gytheio seafront before returning inland to a meal among the olive trees. In the afternoon we cross Sparta, whose surroundings are in turmoil: the harvesting of oranges at this time. There are truckloads of oranges everywhere, the trees bend under the weight of fruit, yum yum! And then rises to Mystras, where you get ready for our Sunday drive afternoon at 15h time of closure of medieval Byzantine World Heritage of Unesco, we do not visit. Then we resumed our journey, a little disappointed ... To animate an afternoon too quiet little adrenaline rush: the driver (whose name withheld) knock up the truck with the sign of a store, trying to make room for a car during a cross tight. Fortunately, the damage is minimal and the sign is hung up in 2 seconds with gentle good understanding onlookers. Now you park in the hollow between the mountains and Geraki Leonidion in a corner of a dirt road, with some carcasses biquette (peace to their souls) sown everywhere around. Tonight it's cold, so we stay warm by watching a movie, like when we went to the movies Sunday night to forget that morning he had to wake up to attack one week of work!
The next day, we quickly understand why we did not get hot tonight. 2km of our squat, the edges of the road begins to be snowy. We drive long without seeing a car on this road which, in places, one lane was cleared ... alone among the mountains, to sing in the car with the heart completely. In some lace descends the mountains, and follow the road to the bottom of the gorge. That rock is wild and beautiful! Passage through Leonidion with his grandpas who discuss the bistro while the grannies are in the market. Stop lunch on a picnic area with a nice view, and we arrived in Nafplio in early afternoon. We visit the charming old port city "colony" Venetian, pedestrian streets colorful, its staircases that lead nowhere, cats who are blind garbage ... the atmosphere is sweet. On the road again to go in search of a squat on the beach, hoping to find showers. It's done a few miles away: it arises in Plaka's beach (which must be a district of the city Drepano). It's crazy how easy it is to find nice squats in this country! So here we are parked around 17h, between a coconut and a shower that works, 2 steps of a terrace of beach, on a seaside promenade almost deserted. It is motivated for a small (but so tiny!) Jogging. Wah, it's good to remove dirt from the time! And reward the shower! Which, even cold, is still much good! We own everything is all fine for an evening of Valentine's most original: dinner in a trailer on a Greek beach! ...
The next day, Tuesday 15, breakfast on the terrace on the beach, oh that's good! Our departure was somewhat delayed by the discovery another advantage of this squat decidedly cool: there's wifi! Reading emails and comments on the blog, search for campsites on the road ahead (we have to do a big laundry !)... We also learn some good news: after endless weeks of intense suspense, the confirmation fell Marion and Tony come to us in late February in Thessaloniki! We went and smiling and singing Engelbert Humperdinck (the téléphoooooOOne crying! ... "She has. Eyes. Bleus. Belinda! »...), To Epidavros . We visit the historic site dedicated to Asklepios (god of medicine) after a little food in the nice car, under the pines. It begins with the famous theater (wah!) continues the ruins of baths / temples / altars, and you finish with the small archaeological museum. All this is very interesting! We leave here happy to have grown, and wondering how long we will remember what we learned ... When the road again, just a light rain to end the reign exercised without sharing the sun for 2 weeks. It joins the odds for landing late in the day to Almirante.
On the agenda for the coming days, the bulk of the dense, heavy of: passing through Corinth, then a few days in Athens before returning to North.
In summary, the atmosphere of the trip has really changed since we crossed the Adriatic. In Greece, it is beautiful, the scenery is beautiful, the very nature of this (at least in the corners where you go), there is more waste and abandoned buildings everywhere, people are smiling and welcoming, Roads are nice (wide, in good condition) ... In short there is much more relaxed than at the end of Italy, and we no longer feel like unwelcome intruders. Now we are intruders fun! And if, after spending some time on the (pretty) these road days, and we are glad to see a few visits to towns and sites get the program to enrich our discovery of the country.
Here Almir's beach, you France!
PS: Answer to the riddle of the last times: the most spoken language on the ferry Bari - Corfu (as we took) is Bulgarian! When waiting to board, we saw a good dozen vans taking up, loaded ras edge of goods and Bulgarian, it was funny ...
reps: Good news for all those who wanted to leave comments, but did not arrive: now you no longer need special email address! Do not be shy! Make us an pti coucou, we will be happy!
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