Friday, May 21, 2010








It seems I have an obsession about the roads in Greece.

Today I will stop talking about the roads and or lack of. Getting directions at the local water fountain from a older gentleman who was there to fill his water jugs started my morning. He looked at my map pointed in several directions and spoke rapidly all in Greek, I nodded at what must have been the right places as he left me with a huge smile and a wave. I love that there are at times water fountains to be found along the road.
This morning finding one allowed a nice bath and refill of the water bottles. Okay so the bath was with refreshing cold spring water need I say more.

This section of the Island was barely populated with just a sprinkling of colorful houses. I had heard that the island boasted 20 million olive trees my count so far was a tad over 18 million 600 thousand. But I think I missed a few.
A sand road along the coast tied into a rough gravel road that boasted a military tank at the intersection.
This was the second tank I had seen ‘dug in’ as the say as a defensive part of past island protection. Both of these tanks were now abandoned left to rust with there guns still pointing out to the sea.

There was no real goal in mind for today's travels but (the infamous but) there was a town in striking distance that I have stayed in once before. Hell I even knew where the bakery was there.
With thoughts of fresh hot raisin buns I got slapped in the face with one of the longest and steepest climbs of the whole trip so far. Yeah I hear you all laughing. This was the 2 liter plus climb where another church that was spotted as a speck in the clouds would finally become a full fledged building.

Sheep are not my friends. I have already posted several shots of cute sheep herds that have shared or crossed my path. But sheep are not my friends. It as hot today. Fresh sheep dung from those oh so cute sheep attracts huge swarms of flies, riding through the herd allows the flies to abandon the sheep dung and become my new BFF or best friends forever. If I was luckily this would happen where I would have a spot of downhill or flat stretch to get enough speed to lose them. If it was as today on the uphill push you got to see the Greek version of Lord of the Dance. As I wasn’t getting the steps correctly I was able to practice this dance many times during the course of the day.






After several days of connecting the dots to travel from village to village I find myself back in the arms of civilization. Coming in from the coastal route I discovered a part of a village that when passing during my last tour I was totally unaware of. Sort of like in the states when the freeway passing a town and soon there is an newer town out by the freeway exit, All new and modern that has no real connection to the original town except the name. When I had passed this village once before all the trappings were mostly modern so I just peddled on. Coming in via the coast route I wasn’t sure that I was even in the same town. A huge church high up on a rock sitting right in the middle of the old village. How?? Had I missed this??
Must have been high on coffee and raisin buns.

I found my Pizza sign from last year.

As I topped the ridge the entire town of Molivos was spread out before me. The blue house was going to be my home for a few days as rain was once again on the agenda.

I lucked out and once again had the house to myself as the only other guests left in the morning. They were an uninspiring couple from Washington D.C. who wore the shell of totally out of they comfort zone tourist as they traveled.

Molivos is a great little village, tucked tightly again the ridge overlooked by the castle above. Lots of smiling people and good restaurants. I even found myself back in the same restaurant as I have eaten in last year. The owner a surly woman who lacked a personality made up for that with her cooking skills. Her husband was the opposite treating me to shot after shot of homemade amaretto. I told him he was a good man for they made a great couple together…

Monday, May 10, 2010

And what do you do for fun?




Yesterday ended with a nice camp along a remote section of beach. What from a distance looked soo inviting turned out to be a serious letdown upon my arrival. The winding mountain roads had finally brought me back to some semblance of civilization. Hell there was even pavement for a few hundred yards.
Then gravel, then pavement, then gravel, I could keep this going but I think we all have the picture. Do not take any of this as a complaint as I am just passing on the conditions I went on while I sang badly at the top of my lungs, happy to be on tour. Several miles around this bay sat an old abandoned fisherman’s shack along a single track trail. I made my way over thinking that there would be some flat ground nearby to pitch my tent. I was in for a surprise as all I found was large rocks and garbage. Lots and lots of junk, everywhere. My options were limited as to what I should do as daylight would leave me stranded before I would be able to retrace my route back to a suitable camp spot. Make lemonade was the best solution as I rolled out my ground cloth right on the path that got me here. I cleaned a circle of junk away from my camp area and started a blaze with the debris. What started as a five minute project to clear a space around my tent became a hour as I cleared off a large area on the rocky beach of plastic bottles, jugs, buckets, old nets and other junk that had be washed up by the water to this shore.