Km 17,260 - Ioannina, Greece, 07/02/2011
Here is the continuation and conclusion of our adventure Italy! ...
On 28 January, as planned, we visit the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento, which includes several temples in Doric style, popular in the years 500-400 BC. One of them has been well preserved since transformed into a basilica in the 500s. It is also an opportunity for us a beautiful walk among the olive and almond trees in bloom. On the road again in early afternoon, heading east of the island. The National we take is lined with huge claws, but what can they be home? We arrive late afternoon in a village by the sea, almost empty at this time. And therefore you park in a street along the sea front of empty houses, to watch the sunset over the water ...
The rain made its appearance in the night and drumming on the skylight. Grrrr ... In this Saturday, January 29, we decided to rally Syracuse. Heading east, Ispica through a small town at the foot of a large fault rock in which are cut cave dwellings, according to the guide. We stop for a quick walk in the rain at the foot of the rocks and you can reach our goal in the early afternoon. At that hour of the day, the city is like sleeping with shops closed, no one strays in the streets, only a few sinners tease the fish ... We improvise a stroll through the narrow streets of historic Ortigia, located on a peninsula. It passes the Duomo, built on the foundations of a temple dedicated to Athena: the mix is original! But what strikes me are the railings of balconies: in painted iron plates, all washers and swollen, a bit like Gaudi ... On the way back, past a laundromat (and no laundry!): Neither one nor two, we'll search our dirty laundry and the lady (an American who speaks Italian like Brad Pitt in Inglorious Bastards, and yes, it exists!) tells us we can move it back in 1:30. It is this very nice lady, it seems to be in a restaurant! We're going to sit on a bench, enjoying the last rays of the sun (it is 16h) and find a sport that we did not know: the kayak polo. After 1h30 of observation, it has still not too the rules but it looks natural! We get our clothes back and keep the worms north of the city to find a place for the night. It misses a flame of fire oil that makes intense orange highlights on the clouds, it is troubling. We park close to a yard (tomorrow is Sunday), on the outskirts of Augusta and we spent a peaceful night.
The next day, Sunday 30 January, leading to Messina to catch the ferry and return to the old continent. It rolls, it passes through villages, bypassing Catania, we do not see Etna because it is in the clouds, and we reached the port of embarkation just before 15h. The next departure is 20 minutes, okay. It leans on the railing of the upper deck to enjoy the scenery and keep an eye on the truck. Landing at Villa San Giovanni, Reggio di Calabra bypass, and presto, there is a nice little beach just steps from the road, but quiet. Just arrived, we take the plates désembourbage for help a guy stuck in the sand 4 * 4 ... So he gives us a coffee troquet corner. We thought we could discuss a little (it seems to be the same age as us), but the guy is in a hurry, too bad! We still leaves her phone number, "if we ever need." We return to the beach, quiet at sunset. And we took the opportunity to afford a nice cool shower, but after a walk on the beach, run by a very funny session rebound.
When wakes up on Monday 31, we discover that Etna is our neighbor camp, just across the sea had to be cold that night, because it is covered with snow! We resumed our journey along the east coast of the tip of Calabria, but rather, a day sacrificed to the road, because we want to join Greece quickly. It bifurcates into Cantazaro inland, towards the Parque Nazionale delle Sila . Unfortunately, the clouds do their appearance and one can enjoy the scenery for which we had chosen this route. We pass through several villages, one gains altitude, and we end up not park on the edge of a pine forest, slightly apart from the road, and completely away from civilization: it is peaceful! What make a good night ...
Except that at 0:37, we are awakened by a man tapping on the plate and say "hello sir" with an Italian accent. It emerges, Christopher gets up, looks the window, "Oh, it's carabinieri!". He opens the side door, a man in uniform comes and asks us our papers, what we do here ... He looks at me with a look slightly suspicious. Yet with my fleece and my ski socks, I like anything but a prostitute! He goes back to his car and follows Chris to see. With the help of a colleague, he notes the references to our papers and tells us we can not stay there, it's too dangerous, and should be followed. It takes a little time to understand, his mind still fogged, and Christopher finally take the wheel in pajamas. We follow them for ten minutes, the snow appeared on the side. Finally, they park in front of a campsite closed at this time of year. Christopher made it clear to him who has his finger on the doorbell (it is 1am) we do not need to go and dark blue Fiat Punto Carabinieri sinks into the darkness with the feeling that we have saved his life. Here we are at 1 am, parked in a parking lot at the edge of who knows what route, and no way to get to sleep. It takes a certain time to sleep, under the "shock" and fun of this unlikely meeting.
For the first time in our trip, wakes up in a different place than where we left off the day! Aided by the compass, we find our way and SS179d. We pass through small snowy mountains, alongside lakes, the road is lined with trees and cottages with wood: it is like Switzerland. It joins Acri at noon. And as the fridge is empty, we'll eat pizza shares and foccacia in a local bar. The lady is smiling and pizzas are good. Thereupon, a coffee and a cappuccino, and we resumed the road to the north, under sullen skies or very wet. We made our last races in Italy and at the same time, full of good fresh pasta and pesto! Then moves into a seaside resort near Taranto (like Tarantino, but without the "in").
The next day, Wednesday, February 2nd is the day when moving to another country! On the road, the crunch is increasingly heard. We stop at Taranto to take a look at the right rear wheel. We actually nothing, but I feel better afterwards! Then we drive to Brindisi, to try to find a ferry to Corfu. You will be announced in the last article we were going to go to Igoumenitsa, but finally we said we would go through Corfu, if we could. Here we are at the port of Brindisi to 13h, a time when everything is closed for lunch break! It is therefore the same as everyone. And after an unsuccessful attempt to open one window, we're setting sail on Bari, home port of utmost importance. 115km later, we joined Bari and the ferry terminal for Greece. We take our tickets to Corfu at 16:45 and the lady tells us that the next Boarding is at 17h, 19h for a start at what timing! Except that, as we descend in Corfu, the first stop of the line, you go up the last ... We therefore hanging around 1:30 on, watching the trailers who board. So here we are about 18:30, finally, in the salons of the Ionian King, chartered by the company Agoudimos Lines. The last ferry leaves at about 20h. We leave behind us the lights of Italy ... On the boat, the journey is epic: after having been lugging a living together by various crew members, landed in a room is dark and noisy. In addition to the TV, you are entitled to music on portable and odors grilled sardines! A As the people spread blankets and lie around. It also crosses many entire families (from grandma to the little son) that only truckers, with their bottles of red. Around midnight, we settled into a quieter room and we can finally "sleep." After 10 hours of travel, you arrive at your destination at 7am local time, and it landed with a few trucks. Taking a road just randomly goes south of the island and there is a parking lot to end our night, while schoolboys waiting for the bus ...
It emerges at around noon, and after a big party and you can admire the landscape in the distance, the snowcapped peaks and before us, a clear sea. We continue our path towards the southern end of the island, with no other aim than to find a nice beach to enjoy the weather ... We drive through stretches of olive trees, you pass through small villages colorful houses. After some improvisation, it lands on a mini-port, with a range (Kalivioti Beach), a restaurant closed this season and an old shack in ruins. So we sit there for the rest of the day: it is 14h30! Shower, reading, pictures, Greek vocabulary ... The wind picks up as the night approach.
And the wind blows all night, accompanied by showers. We wake up later in this Friday, Feb. 4, not yet completely recovered from our night short boat. We back on the road southward, quietly among the olive trees. We really feel like a vacation! Kavos we joined a little before noon. In this season, everything is closed: we imagine the world that there must be summer, given the amount of pubs and bars. There is even a McDonalds! In wanting to reach the beach, it is blocked by a truck maneuvering in a narrow street. A granny then comes to meet us and asks us, in French: "But what are you doing here at this time of year? Must come in the summer, there is nothing now! ". We are surprised and delighted and discussion ensued. It is Greek, her French husband and they spend their retirement here. She loads the hands of oranges and lemons from her garden, we learned a few words in Greek and you leave, pleased with this unexpected encounter. It runs along the west coast to move north of the island and we tracked down a new track for lunch. This time, it leaves even a hammock! Great! In the afternoon, we are forced to fill: 1.44 € / liter diesel, and is the least expensive of the island. 1 year ago only a liter of diesel was worth less than 1 euro, says the attendant. It is therefore a full € to 108, a record! Suddenly, and as we were the first tourists, the guy gives us a mini bottle of ouzo and a crest GR to stick on the truck. You feel better here than in Italy: people smile, are quiet, less suspicious ... We resumed our journey to stop at Ermones Beach, a cove facing west to enjoy the sunset!
The night is cold The wind blows hard. In the morning, the windscreen is frozen! We leave the cove and found the sun. We continue our journey northwards along the coast more or less. All is quiet! Some people prune olive trees, grandpas talking on the terrace of a cafe ... We cross the "seaside villages, almost empty, which only echoes the speaker for a seller of fruits and vegetables in the street. After passing north of the island, the landscape changes, the relief is found. The wide streets lined with modest houses aligned to each other turn into the winding roads between large villa with pool. But, fortunately, trees are always present. It takes a little road leading down to the sea and we settled on a beach of small white pebbles in front of large holiday homes unoccupied (Kerasia). We go there to end your day with calm, try to mount the rod and watch the ferries go away ...
The next day, Sunday, February 6, we reach the port of Corfu Town in the late morning, after completing our loop through the north-east of the island. We take our tickets for the ferry that takes us from 18:45 on the continent, to Igoumenitsa. We took the opportunity to take a stroll in the alleys of the old city, where only scooters are able to circulate. It's nice, families are output (tuning cars too!) And there is an impressive world in coffee shops. It takes the truck to leave the city and find a quiet corner to eat and spend the afternoon, not far from our first squat on the island. For the occasion, we made our first breakfast on the terrace of the year : It installs the table on the beach in the sun! There followed a long-nap reading, always the sun ... In due course, we wake up in the camp we entered the port. Aboard 45min before departure, in a deserted ship at the moment, responding to the sweet name of "Eleni". We spend the next 2 hours during which the crossing, half asleep on the couch, watching TV, squinting to try to decipher the info banners written in Greek. We train! 20h30, paf is coming! And go to a search by night squat. After tours and ratatours, you end up finding the beach which was shown to the output port. Dinner at the Italian (pasta ...), and what dodo!
Monday, February 7, sun hat at the window, but it is as if we had not seen and it emerges as 10am, then a gentleman bathe naked in the sea just behind the truck . That wakes. Oh a shower! there on the beach, 20m from the truck! Go hop is gone, refreshing towels, under sunny skies. It was good to struggle to find this beach! We set out for our 143rd day of travel, direction Ioannina. It then leaves the coast and it is rapidly gaining height on a road laaaarge and with beautiful mountain landscapes which become dry. It's nice. Break for lunch at the roadside by 25 ° C (the sun), it makes fart t-shirts and sunglasses! Then re-route to reach in the region of Zagoria AM, snowy mountains, its crumbling rock, its tranquil villages ... An attempt to ascend a route which we do not know where they go, except toward the top. You end up being blocked by snow. Exploring on foot from the corner, then back to the truck to turn back, with chains, because there is no way to do without. Going down we stop to visit with dogs of the village, Monodendri, paisiblissime hamlet with houses made of rectangular stones of the region, which lies at the edge of a canyon 900 m deep (Guinness Book of Records 1997!) . Then it fell again in light of the sunset in Ioannina to shop (at Carrefour!) And find a squat not far from the lake.
Riddle! An amazing thing has arrested : In your opinion, what is the most spoken language on a ferry between Bari in Italy and Igoumenitsa in Greece? You'll be surprised at the answer!
Ioaninna Here, you France!
PS: Today we went to Patra, north of the Peloponnese. We'll go around in the next few days, then back to Athens ... That's the program!
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