Bread Machine Severin Recipes

Ascent to the North!

19 875 Km - somewhere between Volos and Larissa , Greece, 24/02/2011

We here on Wednesday morning 16 to the gates of Corinth. You reach the old city, surrounded by orange trees, olive trees and souvenir shops. No visit the archaeological site or museum, because you just walk along the fence to have a very good overview of the ruins:-P. It rises at the foot of the citadel overlooking the village to admire the view. Then return Corinth, the new, crossing the canal and making the Peloponnese an island. It's impressive and very fast, not even time to pull out the camera! We chose to join the capital on the north coast. We made our lunch stop beside a quiet beach where they recovered two abandoned blocks (cool!). Then we continued our way through villages colored marshmallows, which seem to wait for summer to be reborn from the ashes. The road is crumbling in places making the crossing difficult. Found civilization in Elefsina (suburb of Athens) and then things get complicated. It has a vague idea of location of the camp that wants to achieve, but it is very vague! And circulation of a large city does not leave much room for improvisation: between motorcycles, buses, trucks and all those people who know where they go, it feels a bit small. After passing through the port of Piraeus and a few round trips, we finally found the campsite "Athens", the edge of a 3 * 3-way (it's noisy!). We set up, virtually alone, and we launch the laundry while publishing the last blog entry. The evening passes between drying of linen and preparation of future visits.

The next day, Thursday 17, as the washing is dry, advantage of the camping facilities until the time allowed: 14h. Hot shower, emails, open the fridge, tracking squat ... Our strategy is, as in Rome or Venice, to find parking close to public transport. We broke camp on time and we began a tour of Athens by the ring road north to near the airport. And here we are to Koropi behind the mountains Ymittos before the last stop of Metro Line 3: it will be fine. We end the day there, between the planes, subways, buses and courageous workers who pick up their car. Bed early, because the clock is scheduled before the dawn.

Friday 18, the day begins at 5:30 am: ding dong, you must get up! We do not want to miss the first train at 6:40. And as there is a protest for pensions, the subway is free today nice! It joins the center of Athens, Syntagma Square, at around 7:15. The city wakes up, sellers of pretzels and donuts are set up, traffic becomes denser. We walk randomly Balthazar and we discover the narrow streets of Plaka (the old quarter 'tourist'), empty world. Cafes set up their terrace while La Poste Hellenic opens its branch located at the foot of the Acropolis at 7:30. It awaits the opening of the site by climbing the hill Aeropagus to discover the vast expanse of the city: the buildings are only adopted by the mountains and the sea And there we were, at 8:30 on the dot, before the Parthenon, accompanied by a group of young Italian and Asian tourists because of (them again, but they follow us ?!!). In fact, Sacred Hill is a great site! Everywhere cranes, lifting doors, carved stones, scaffolding ... One regrets the absence of explanatory signs, but the site is still worth a visit. Then continues with a visit to the Theatre of Dionysus at the foot of the Acropolis, on the southern part (like that of Epidavros, but in less good condition). We walk around the hill, with a guide dog, and discovers some old caves that served as temples, there are very, very long time. Then it walk in the streets and picnic in a small park. We take our first Greek coffee on the terrace: it is rather dense, it sticks to the teeth, but is good with a small pastry! To end our day tour (all museums and tourist attractions close around 15h), it becomes the new Acropolis Museum. We discover a building while exposed concrete and monumental windows, which reveals, beneath a glass floor, excavations being cleaned. Technically, it's a trick phew! The exhibition looks at the museum of Olympia, with vases, statues and offerings. The originality comes from the re-creation of the Parthenon the last level from fragments of pediments, metopes and friezes that were recovered (you will look in a dictionary unknown words!;-P) and arranged according to their original place. You know what I mean? " We then see the replacement guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of Parliament. The choreography is worthy of Kamel Ouali and small pompoms at the end of the shoes are the most beautiful effect! It goes in search of the Office of Tourism for a map of the city, in vain. You can walk the streets while shopping district, while enjoying a tyropitta (cheese pie) any hot: what a delight! Then after 11 spent in the Athenian streets, we joined our household gods and the evening passes quickly, we are tired of this eventful day.

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday 19, the alarm goes off later and the subway drops us off at Monastiraki around 8am. It wanders the streets of flea market stalls with doors that open slowly. Regulars take coffee on the terrace. It begins with a visit to the Ancient Market, which was the administrative center, cultural and commercial city, once. The monument is the best preserved Temple of Hephaestus, because He served as a church, mosque, museum and castle over the centuries. A quick tour of the museum annex, located in a "stoa" (the ancestor of the mall) rebuilt. It then went on foot to the National Museum of Archaeology, but abandoned the idea of the visit when we see that many venues are closed for lack of staff. It prefers sunbathing and exploring the Athenian streets. After a good tyropitta (we would have preferred a taste gyros, but it was not the right place), we surveyed the residential areas located at the foot of the hill Lykavitos to land in the National Gardens and afford a break. We made a quick passage through the stadium Panathinaikos, who saw the first modern Olympics, and the Temple of Zeus, one of the columns collapsed during a violent storm. Finally, after a walk in Plaka, we find the truck, waiting for us on the parking Koropi. We have enough time to get to Cape Sounio south of Athens and find a quiet place to sleep. The road is diverted by dams craft, manned by insurgents who defend their territory from the invasion of a landfill. It happens to and you park at the foot of a temple in ruins, while the sun sets behind clouds. We thought to spend the night there, but did not count on that two friendly French, reading, laughing, the definition in the back of the truck, drive us out of our torpor. We met Alexis and Sylvain: one lives in Athens and worked there since 2004 and the second is a teacher of circus traveling indefinitely around the Mediterranean, cycling. Alexis offers us all go to accompany them for a bite. And go for a crazy night that begins in a taverna local taste a thousand things and ends, well watered, in Alexis, in a modern apartment to play thousand kilometers is home and sleep in a real bed. The evening was unintentionally censored: the camera has been in the bag!

The next day, like all the aftermath of (big) party, inefficient and calm. We limit ourselves to the point: take a shower and eat pasta! We departed from our host improvised in the afternoon and the boat headed north towards Delphi. But the sun is sinking quickly and we stopped a little after Mandra along a path. We spend a quiet evening and short, as the sound of the rain.

Monday, 21, on the road again, it starts in the mountains, we passes at the foot of Mount Parnassus and it passes through villages more likely to ski on the beach. We stop to eat Aspra Spitia (Hello Aunty!) And Delphi reached at 15h, at the close of the archaeological site and museum! Too bad! It aerates a moment to admire the sea of olive trees below. And we take the road towards Lamia. We then discover the different landscapes of those crossed until now: a vast plain grid of green fields and brown, which spring a few mountains. We pass through the city late in the day. After a galley of payment to the gas station (you must have tjs cash, as the cards bank does not go well everywhere!), we moved along the old road into the clouds.

woke up Tuesday 22, we discover the landscape around us, with snowy peaks in the distance. And we take the direction of Meteora. The road is straight across the plain and we are progressing quickly. It can be seen slowly approaching the rocks that make the site curiosity. At noon, we stop along the road leading to the monasteries. Then we discovered stone buildings, built on rocky outcrops, which are accessed by bridges and stairs carved into the rock. Only monks are entitled to zip lines! We choose to go that of the Holy Trinity, in which three French who crosses around Europe by bicycle. We chat a bit, then leave them in the direction of Bulgaria. Maybe our paths will cross again ... We continue our visit: the interiors are simple and dark, only a chapel is completely painted from floor to ceiling. But that view is spectacular! It takes the truck to go for a ride to other monasteries, but it stops every 500m to admire the scenery, climb a rock and enjoy the sunshine timid to take pictures. We leave the site to 16h, remaining before the stunned many caves which pierce the rocks. Larisa was spun around toward the plain. Our squat of the evening is the parking lot of a small isolated cemetery, which allows us, despite the wind and cold, take a shower. Then, after nightfall, one sees a car. A priest comes down and see us after finding a dialog language (German!), He made it clear to Chris that we should not sleep there, it's dangerous and you can sleep next to his church, where there is also a small parking lot. And we're back at the wheel to follow the priest and finally sleep in the center of the village.

The night was punctuated by rain and still raining when we wake. With Wednesday 23, our goal is to reach the peninsula mountains Pilios. Under a white sky and the sound of good old CloClo, continue crossing the plains. We joined Volos at noon and it arises in the hills to eat. The road became more sinuous and clouds cover the summits. Turns lead us straight into the fog. And the snow makes its appearance. We pass without seeing them at the foot of the ski resorts, before losing a little height to pass under the clouds. We pass through villages and forests where it seems to rain for 6 months, so everything is wet. We finally borrowed a small road down to the sea and we did get in a car park overlooking the beach. We explore the area on foot, impressed by the rough sea that is fun in geysers of foam on the rocks. We would love to eat out of the beach that says "open" in his window. But no one appears, we finished our last Italian pasta, and the piece of Parmesan that remains dry. This evening, the waves will lull us.

After a rather restless night (wake nuisance by drops of water falling on our pillows at 4am), we wake up under a gray sky. We continue our journey towards the end south of the peninsula and the village of Trikeri. The terrain is softer and the fog fades As our progress. It approaches the west coast and every turn we discover a new creek. Too bad it rains! We joined Trikeri, peaceful fishing village, just after eating. We really feel like arriving in a village of indomitable Hellenes after this journey of fifty miles between mountains and sea. We return to Volos via the more accessible villages. After a short races, one lane north and one goes to the cemetery of a village of the plain. We would love to see the sun again previous days ...

For the next few days, we go back to Thessaloniki to get Marion (the roommate!) and Tony on Saturday night. They are 2 / 3 days with us, then we will head to Bulgaria, via Istanbul ... and vice versa ...

Here ...? To you France.