Tag 84 bis 90 - Greece to Athens

13.10. Thurs

https://www.komoot.de/tour/952071611?ref=aso
Off to Athens. But first, we'll go to Delphi. After starting our day with a dip in the thermal spring at Thermopylae, we climb the first mountain, pass through a valley, and ride over the second mountain. We go through a narrow, rocky valley. We're in good spirits, I'm somewhat optimistic, Benjamin a bit skeptical about the day's program. In the end, it was exhausting. After the second mountain, we descend through beautiful serpentine roads into a valley full of olive trees. The place looks great. We have fun going downhill. The weather gets significantly warmer. This is how we imagined Greece. We continue on through huge olive plantations that stretch up the steep mountain slopes. One can imagine how the ancient Greeks enjoyed themselves here.

Then Delphi appears before us. High above us. The ascent we choose is steep. One could also follow the road and ride an extra 3 kilometers. We don't want that. We want to arrive. It might have been just as fast on the outside. Benjamin is the specialist when it comes to steep shortcuts, somewhere in Albania ;). We ride through the serpentines up to the town before Delphi. The view over the Delphi Valley to the sea is overwhelming. Once we reach the top, we find ourselves at the year-round campsite of Delphi and make a mistake in choosing our spot, which we will notice tomorrow. We set up our tents. Since rain is forecasted for tomorrow, we make our tents extra rainproof. I make a canopy from my poncho, which turns out pretty decent. Then we feast in the tavern, which is really good. The olives as an appetizer/greeting from the kitchen were fantastic. Perhaps the best olives we will ever eat - simply because the place and the experience of the day have an impact on our memory. Tomorrow we want to visit Delphi and then continue on the day after.

14.10. Fri
It's raining. We sit comfortably in our tents with slightly limited head space and prepare our breakfast. Then the rain gets stronger. No problem for our tents. But then we see a small catastrophe approaching. The site is slightly sloping and... well... we unfortunately are at the lower end... A large water puddle slowly but relentlessly rolls towards us. We quickly pack everything back into our tents and wait. Then we swim. Luckily, my tent is pulled up high. Inside, I've placed all my things on the waterproof packsacks in case water seeps in. Benjamin's tent is not pulled up as high, but he also survives. The heavy rain subsides and the water slowly drains away. After a while, we pack up our breakfast and have it under the canopy in front of the tavern.
Then we visit Delphi. A 40-minute walk and a few navigation problems later (not everything here is as perfectly signposted as Germans are used to at particularly important historical sights) we find ourselves at the entrance. There is a museum and the outdoor area. We first visit the outdoor area. Busloads of tourists, all somehow visibly belonging together, pour into the site, but it is spacious enough so that you only have to wait and then let the place affect you. Delphi is definitely worth a visit. One can easily imagine how it looked back then. The museum includes many interesting artifacts and is not too big or overwhelming.
In the afternoon, we head back. In the town, we both buy a Greek helmet (actually a keychain) as a mudguard figurine and fasten them to our mudguards with a little cable tie. They look great. At the campsite, Benjamin suggests moving the tents to a dry spot further up. A good idea! Then I accidentally leave my tent open. A big mistake. One of the many cats on the campsite curiously wanders in and chases the little flying insects sitting on the tent walls. In doing so, she makes some big scratches in the fine inner tent fabric. I am annoyed and my love for cats is severely shaken. The next morning, we even see cat paw prints on the outside of Benjamin's tent. The cats here seem very bored. Not a good combination with our expensive tents...

In the evening, we eat delicious food again and I learn from Benjamin that you simply can't eat shrimp in an elegant way. Now I don't feel so clumsy anymore when eating ;)

At night, there is light rain but no further catastrophes. Everything stays sealed and dry.

15.10. Sat

https://www.komoot.de/tour/953743061?ref=aso

In the morning, it is still raining lightly. As time goes by, the rain subsides. We have breakfast near our tents, Benjamin cooks the eggs we bought yesterday. Then, around 11 a.m., we finally get going. We want to visit another part of the outdoor area of Delphi - the most photographed columns. However, the oracle was not there, as we thought, but up in the Temple of Apollo where we were yesterday. We meet Erin, the Canadian woman I met at the campsite near the Meteora Monasteries. We loosely arrange to meet in Athens, as we will be there at the same time. When we return to our bikes and want to continue, we encounter a very eccentric, green glittering person. A strange American who mistakes my Albanian flag for the German flag and claims to be participating in a marathon somewhere around here tomorrow, allegedly in a different outfit. He practically forces us to take a photo with him, which is actually good because now we have a visual memory of him.
For us, it's uphill from here. We're worried whether we can do some shopping along the route, as there are only small villages on the way and you never know for sure. And then we reach Arachova, which is so fancy, touristic, and upscale that it blows our minds. I buy Greek mushroom risotto and bar-shaped snacks made from dried figs with pistachios and such. Then I realize that my rear tire is losing air. I pump it up and observe it. It remains unproblematic. But now I regularly check the tire pressure. Then we continue. Our path leads downhill and it gets really windy. We skirt along the edge of the storm without fully realizing it. There are strong floods in Crete and other parts of Greece are affected as well. We only experience wind and light rainy weather on this day. Down in the valley, we ride on well-built roads almost straight ahead. We have difficulties finding accommodation and have to ride further than planned (an extra hour in the evening) to get to Thiva. There we have to climb a steep hill as the city center of Thiva is on a hill/mountain. It's so steep that I have to push. The hotel is already waiting for us, dripping wet we push our equally wet bikes through the sliding glass door into the reception area, unload, and take our rooms. Very bike-friendly! Thank you very much :) After washing our clothes and ourselves, we go to the city center to look for food, find a fancy restaurant, and order way too much. Pizza, salad, cheese balls, I don't know what else. Finally, we have cocktails. A great evening :) The bar is full of locals. At the outdoor tables, children's groups sit and drink water or soft drinks. A very sociable city! Well-fed, we stagger back to the hotel and sleep well.

16.10. Sun

https://www.komoot.de/tour/954686845?ref=aso

The breakfast is simple but functional. You take the milk cartons and orange juice yourself from the refrigerator in the breakfast room. Overall, some items from the breakfast buffet are somewhat hidden. There is no fruit and vegetables. My favorite: toasted toast with honey. Strengthened, we head towards the Gulf of Corinth. We have identified two bays that look interesting and we hope to find a good wild camping spot. We buy the essentials (I get 1.5 liters of water) and off we go. After a pleasant flat section, it gets very steep in a town. Komoot wants it even steeper. This time we collectively decide for the detour, which is steep enough as well. In the town, there is a nice bakery with a very pretty baker. But she doesn't want a photo of the interior. We buy typical sesame rings, which are thinner and drier here compared to those from the Turks. We ride uphill from the village on a highway??? At least the sign with Athens written on it is green. However, there are parked cars on the side of the road and small field paths lead off from time to time. So maybe not a highway after all. After the ascent comes a very long downhill stretch that is mostly straight. We reach a speed rush. I want to break my record and I succeed. With my stomach on the saddle, I race down the mountain at a top speed of 71.5 km/h. Crazy.
Our path turns right. The landscape is very beautiful, but we also see many burnt forests. We encounter many motorcyclists until we reach a town that seems to be the Mecca of motorcyclists in Greece. The roadsides are overflowing with parked motorcycles and the cafes are full of leather-clad figures. After the town, we come across an abandoned place. An old inn - totally opulent. When we enter, it smells like goat excrement. Obviously, the best times are over. Probably a consequence of the economic crisis. Then a motorcyclist gives us a tip on where we can get spring water, which we then do. The further ride goes through beautiful pine forests up and down and then further and further up. It smells wonderful. From up high, we can already see the sea. It becomes noticeably warmer. Then we reach a beautiful viewpoint on Psatha Beach. A beautiful bay. The serpentine roads downhill already look great from above. I film the downhill ride and almost fly out of the curve... Oops :D
Once we arrive at the bottom, we explore the entire bay, find several options for our tents, but nothing really good. We first have a bite to eat. There are a lot of cats here. And I have fish on my plate. That makes for a funny picture. The cats get the fish leftovers. Then we drive to the end of the bay and find wonderfully terraced terrain. We just have to be careful with the very thorny dry thistles (?) that are standing everywhere. We set up camp (click here for time-lapse video) and enjoy the sunset. Benjamin goes to the neighboring town for a quick shopping trip. I write a lot on the blog. For dinner, we have leftover pizza and wine. Psatha Beach is a wonderful place and in October, there are very few people here. Many of the restaurants are already closed. But that doesn't bother us at all.

17.10. Mon

https://www.komoot.de/tour/955815247?ref=aso

After a relaxed breakfast, we pack up. Today's stage is easy. First, a manageable hill and then flat, two ferries, and then we're already in Athens. But first, we go swimming in the beautiful sea at the place.

Click here for swimming in the sea

Check, done. In the next town, we do some shopping, including nuts and dried fruits - perfect for snacking. Today I have a great day. The tailwind motivates me. I can mobilize a lot more power than usual and climb the mountain at speeds of 7 to 12 km/h with a lot of pressure on the pedals. Once at the top, we take a break to catch our breath and take a drink. Then we ride downhill at a leisurely pace. It is increasingly populated. You can tell that we are entering the Athens metropolitan area. There are many bars with very cozy seating areas right by the sea. This is definitely where many parties take place. Then we take two ferries. I pay for the first one, Benjamin for the second one. I get the better deal. Mine only costs 70 cents per person. His costs more than twice as much. 😇 We have to wait for the first ferry. I'm in the mood for ice cream. Benjamin buys a coffee and the woman ignores me so much that I decide she shouldn't earn any money from me. I can do without ice cream. For the second ferry, we want to go directly into Piraeus. We ask which ferry to take when buying the tickets. The white one with the blue writing... There are at least 20 ferries at the waterfront and the description of which one to take is more than ambiguous. Although we believe we know the name of the ferry, we still take the wrong one and arrive at the waterfront before Athens. That's not a big deal. It's good that the ferry didn't go non-stop to Lesbos. 😅

We ride the two-lane road into Athens. The traffic here is quite fast. A group of young people zooms down the road at 100 km/h on motorcycles. Of course, without helmets and with pretty girls as passengers. Unimaginable in Germany. After another shopping trip for dinner, we arrive at the campsite in Athens and experience real inflexibility for the first time in the Balkans. The place is full. Even after multiple inquiries, we are only told that they wouldn't do something like accommodating two cyclists in a niche. But in the end, it was good because we now ride to the Baloo Hostel, which is much more centrally located and just as cheap (15€). The hostel is one of the best I have ever visited. The kitchen is super nice and at the same time a common room, outside there is a cozy bar, and the rooms and the bathroom are very good. Our bikes stay in the courtyard. We settle into our rooms and decide to cook (Benjamin doesn't want to, but I really do - we bought all the stuff and have a proper kitchen!!! I'm highly motivated, as I said, I'm having a great day). We have risotto (Greek instant mix, but fancy) with a salad - Greek with feta cheese, pomegranate seeds, and olives, and canned octopus. When we start eating, Julie (a lively young French woman looking for an apartment in Athens) comments on our food with 'This is the most fancy meal I have ever seen in a hostel'. We chill for the rest of the evening, have a beer, and don't do much else. We have reached our destination. But that also means that our paths will soon diverge here. However, that is still a little way off. We'll stay here first and explore Athens, do laundry, and make plans.

18.10. Tue and 19.10. Wed

We pay a mandatory visit to the Acropolis. It's outrageously expensive at 20 euros. The line is horrible and we wait for a while. A solo German art student stands behind us in line and joins us. The Acropolis is worth seeing, but the crowds of people bustling around with us are already bothering the "letting it sink in". Delphi was much more enjoyable for me. Still, the visit was worthwhile. The view over the city and the ruins and reconstructions are great.

One evening, we meet Erin and eat at a restaurant called 'Il Kriti' near our hostel. When we register at the restaurant and say that we would like to sit outside, the lady is shocked: 'Outside??? But it is cold!!!' No, it's not. I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt :D They're crazy, those Athenians ;) Then she asks where we're from. German - oh, a cold country. Canada - oh, a really cold country :D :D :D With Erin and Benjamin, the evening was very entertaining and the conversations were enjoyable.

Benjamin is still working on his sleeping mat. After we finally found the two holes in Albania, the problem now is that the patches don't hold properly. I give him some of my patches. There's plenty of space for that in the kitchen of the hostel. A leaky mat is really annoying. The result is somewhat satisfactory. The mat now loses air more slowly. Better than nothing...

We did laundry, well Benjamin did. On our small balcony at the room, I made a clothesline with my 10m paracord and we dry all our laundry there. Benjamin washed almost everything he had, and I also gave quite a lot. After all, Annika will come to visit me in Crete in a few days, and I need fresh socks ;)

The neighborhood of Athens where our hostel is located is quite mixed. There are many homeless people who gather in large groups under the graffiti arcades on the streets in the evenings and cook something on small stoves. In the mornings, you can see someone lying on the street or in some corner, obviously under the influence of strong drugs. The contrast between totally worn-out, poor figures and a wealthy man in a chic suit eating comfortably in a restaurant right next to them is really depressing. In many corners, there is a smell of urine. But there are also other neighborhoods that present a completely different picture of Athens. I think it's good to get to know the different faces of the city to get a somewhat undistorted picture.

We visit a Chinese shop. These are more common in Southern Europe. They are markets packed with plastic items, small electrical appliances, and tools, among other things. The smell of plastic inside seems unhealthy or at least questionable. We don't understand how these stores can survive. The same goes for the many small mini markets that are everywhere in the city. There are hardly any people in the stores, but there are many employees. Very strange...

On one of my walks through Athens, I come across several craftsmen who showcase their art on small tables. Strategically positioned on the path between various main attractions. I see many earrings, bracelets, and other trinkets, as well as an artist who has made bicycles of different sizes out of wire. I take a closer look at the items. Unfortunately, they are too big and delicate for me to take with me. I tell him that I think the bikes are great, but unfortunately, I can't buy one. Then I discover smaller bikes and ask for the price. ... No reaction. I ask again. Then he flips out. Didn't I just say that I wouldn't buy one, why am I now asking for the price? I try to explain. No chance. He is extremely offended and doesn't want to talk to me anymore... Wow. Well, then forget it...

In the evening, we chill at the hostel. Get to know various roommates. An Indian guy who is stuck because some authorities don't process his visa application properly and some documents are stuck in the mail. An Australian woman who spends most of her time in bed and gets homesick a lot. The Frenchwoman talks a lot and fast. I get advice on hair and skincare with shea butter. The girls are thrilled 😆 A young Greek woman works at the hostel. She looks like the male version of Mowgli. She fits perfectly with the jungle hostel, but next week she is already moving to France with her boyfriend. The hostel owner is in his early 30s and has just opened the hostel. He says there isn't much other work besides tourism. It's exciting how many different stories you come across. I like hostels!

20.10. Thurs

My ferry leaves in the evening. In the afternoon, I head towards the port. In the morning, I take another ride through the city, buy a fabric backpack, and look for something else - but I no longer remember what 😉 In a jewelry store, I see a TV crew from WDR (a German broadcaster) and Tamina who is filming there. How cool. But I don't dare to go inside. She probably gets talked to by other German tourists frequently, and besides, I'm too shy. On one of the pictures, you can see her.

Later, I visit one of the most interesting museums about ancient Greek technologies. A great museum, not too big, and some exhibits are interactive. The Greeks were really talented. Man, oh man. Beverage vending machine robots, automatic puppet theaters with lighting effects, self-propelled automobiles. I am impressed and highly recommend the museum! Then I pack my things at the hostel and say goodbye to Benjamin. It was a really great time together!

He plans to ride towards Patras and then take the ferry to Italy and cross the Alps to Germany. Exciting! Although the thought of the Alps in November seems strange to me. I'd rather stay by the Mediterranean.
I ride out of Athens towards Piraeus on good bike paths. Along the way, I buy provisions at a bakery. And cookies! 😋 In Piraeus, there are chic shops and many street performers. You can also spend a day or two here. Athens is very versatile. In the huge harbor, I buy my tickets and look for a restaurant where I can eat delicious food and wait for the departure. In the evening, Benjamin sends me a picture of the sunset towards the port. A beautiful farewell. I definitely want to visit him in Germany on the return trip or later!

***Video about our joint tour in Albania and Greece by Benjamin***

Then I board the ferry. My first ferry ride of the tour. Man, is the boat huge. But it's also a 9-hour journey to Heraklion in Crete. We set off at 9 p.m. and are scheduled to arrive at 6 a.m. I'm excited. I spent a long time rearranging my luggage so that I have everything I want to have on the ferry. Food and drinks, sleeping bag and mat, charger, a few clothes, toothbrush, valuables. I leave the rest on the bike.

Off to Crete! And Annika is coming to visit me there! We're both incredibly excited!!!