From the camp by the shore I could see the last line of ridges need to be crossed to return me to Mytilini. My plan was to ride to town. Get a ferry ticket for the following day to Turkey then ride two days in Turkey before catching a ferry back to Athens.
But first a bakery, (just so you all know I have not eaten a slice of bread nor a single bakery item since I returned from Greece) Much to my surprise there was a nice bakery not a half mile from my camp area. The road being closed had sliced their walk in traffic by 2/3rds. Greek wife & Aussie were the owners. He gave me a sesame bread ring, 12' in size, which was out of this world delicious. Why had I passed these along the way? All the bakeries offered these and now I find out how good they were.
The long climb to crest the last ridge ended right where the city began. I coasted down passing the detoured closure now onto tight streets with one-way traffic. I pulled over to stop several times as this was a long downhill run. My Squealing brakes worked as a loud horn keeping me from plowing into a lady who looked right past me then stepped into my path. I swerved, she jumped back but the passing margin was so close I could smell that she had eaten a garlic roll for breakfast, with eggs and sausage, Pork sausage.. okay the pork sausage was just a wild guess it could have been beef sausage.
Finally I was back at the harbor that was the heart of the city of Mytilini. Bustling cafes, street merchants, pedestrians jamming the sidewalks this city was alive and happy.
I found the ticket office for the Turkish Ferry Line. I had stopped here and inquired about the ferry to Turkey just before I left on the start of this island ride.
I was told then that the ferry ran everyday between here and the Turkish mainland.
Today I asked to by a ticket for the next morning, sweet lady said the ferry only ran on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
I asked but doesn't the ferry run every day? 'Yes, Yes' she answered.
'So can I have a ticket for tomorrow?'
'No, only Tuesdays and Thursdays'
So I concluded that everyday is any day that begins with a 'T'
I found a nice guest house two blocks from the harbor run by a Greek who was a former Chef in London. We drank Ouzo together as we talked about the fun of being a Chef, running restaurants and the like. This place was just a block from all the hustle and bustle of Mytilini but with a large high walled private courtyard filled with orange trees in bloom that cut out all the noise of the city.
Free again from my bike I was able to wander this city until my feet started to hurt. A small café right across from the harbor had a chair that called my name. I sat down with a beer and a roast chicken dinner that was the best meal I had had the entire trip.
The server was Russian, finally an accent that I correctly guessed.
No Turkey allowed me to wonder what was going to be plan 'B'
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