Published: 28.09.2019
After breakfast, we headed out: off to the mountains! The plan was to drive to Lake Doxa and stay there for the night, hike, swim ...
So we set off, had our first experiences with Greek highways (they're good, but not cheap for motorhomes), and arrived in Nemea. The new town is not particularly worth seeing, but around Nemea, wine production has experienced a renaissance in recent years. A new generation of winemakers, some of whom have been trained abroad and gained experience, has brought prestige to the "Appellation Nemea" that has existed since 1971 beyond Greek borders.
A drive along winding roads then took us to the Stymphalian Plain with Lake Stymphalia. This lake, whose size fluctuates greatly depending on the season, is a huge wetland. The villages around the lake smelled enticing: almost every tavern had suckling pigs roasting on a charcoal grill. Whether there is a special reason for this or it's just Saturday food? Unfortunately, we were too early, otherwise we would have gladly tried this delicacy.
And on we went on narrow, pothole-ridden roads. Our navigation system was no longer reliable here, and the map proved to be only partially helpful. We had to navigate by cardinal direction and gut feeling. Finally, we reached the small Lake Doxa. And immediately there was a problem: a sign that said "Camping prohibited". If you are caught violating this rule, you have to pay a flat fee of € 300. Damn! So we circled the lake, didn't find a hidden spot, took a break, went for a walk (Ziva went swimming), and continued driving. This was not how it was planned!
Now we have arrived back on the coast, sitting in Agrato drinking wine, and will continue tomorrow to Patras and across the spectacular bridge to mainland Greece.