Last cycling stage 2022 - Greece

Leaving the Meteora rocks is a bit difficult, but the travel soul urges us to venture into new territory with curiosity.

Our route will take us on mostly less traveled highways through Trikala and Karditsa and Lamia, across the country towards the Aegean coast.

Travel companion Kévin, with whom we are still on the road and who is a very sensitive guy, verbalizes the nostalgic and sometimes oppressive mood that accompanies us in the coming days and that we cannot grasp for the time being.

At the beginning, it is still a joy to speed through the flatland and be immersed in the wind. Like in so many plains on Earth, agriculture and industry also shape the landscape here. It eventually weighs a bit on the mind. Luckily, soon after, the hilly terrain offers some variety and we unexpectedly come across a warm shower in the forest. The area here is filled with warm springs.

These days, our emotions fluctuate. Traveling and experiencing together means that our inner state is usually in similar conditions.

The parking lot at the hot springs near Thermopylae, from which we only emerge when our skin is softened and wrinkled, turns out to be an unfortunate place for our camp. We catch shady thieves trying to load one of our locked bikes onto their pickup truck at night. Not with us! Maik scares them away with his brightly shining flashlight.

Somewhat agitated by that and not in the best physical condition, we set out to rest for a few days at the nearest campground. It is closed.

We are in the village of Agios Konstantinos. The last kilometers and the next ones run parallel to the highway. Mountains on one side, the sea on the other.

We have crossed Greece, starting from the Adriatic, over the mountains towards the Aegean.

As so often on this journey, one thing leads to another and we find ourselves for a few days with our camp in the garden of a beach tavern. We are not only tolerated here, but even courted.

Thanks Sulis! For allowing us to participate in your love for the simple and small, and for showing us what aging can look like.

Filled with many impressions and stories, the continuation of the journey is also a bit of an escape to tranquility after a few days. All three of us urgently need time on the bike and thus time for ourselves.

We ride along the coast for a short distance before later crossing the Attica region in the inland. Quite satiated from all the things seen and experienced in the past weeks, we look for a route that seems unspectacular to us. There are no imposing mountains to conquer anymore - although we still go up and down hills. There are no more intense encounters. All ancient stones and ruins are left behind. We are quite satisfied with cycling through farmland and wide plains. Even pushing on gravel paths is enjoyable. It requires focusing on the moment, the steps, and balancing the weight.

During these days, we take our time again, shorten the daily stages - also according to the increasingly shorter days - to very comfortable distances.

Most nights, we stay near churches. The floors there are usually less uneven and flat.

Time passes slowly and quickly at the same time. The travel days with Kévin are coming to an end.

Shortly before Corinth, we make a stop at a sparsely frequented campground. Due to the nearby EuroVelo 8, which passes by here, quite a few other touring cyclists come here. We joyfully exchange information about routes, equipment, and everyday vagabond topics.

Thanks Andi! For inspiration and your travel blog.

With shared cooking, eating, and drinking coffee, we finally say goodbye after almost two months. To Kévin, this curious adventurer. He is heading to the ferry to Patras to cross over to Italy and cycle home to the French Alps via the Apennine Mountains.

Thanks Kévin! For morning coffee. For your patience with our break management. For your stories. For the New Zealand/TeAraroa plan. For your ability to enjoy and for allowing us to remain silent with you!

Maik and I are now embarking on the journey to Methana. Due to the abundance of experiences, the wonderful, often changing landscapes, and the increasingly shorter days, we decide to end our bike trip on this small peninsula in eastern Peloponnese for this year.

We ride the last 100km there in three short stages. We fully enjoy sleeping outside in our cozy tent once again.

The landscape changes noticeably from the Corinth Canal onwards. Mediterranean mountains with cedar trees contrast with the dark blue of the sea. The dryness, still fueled by the autumn sun, makes us sweat profusely once again.

In the sleepy, somewhat rundown town of Methana, we rent an apartment. We are allowed to hike and run here for two weeks before heading to the big city of Athens and then to our winter quarters in Crete at the end of the month. From now on, the ferry will be used for further travel.

The preliminary summary of Greece? A beautiful country with people who have discovered during years of crisis that solidarity makes things easier.

The summary after more than 4 months on the bike? We want to continue. We love this type of travel! Our heads are filled with plans and ideas that can keep us pedaling for years to come. The joy of traveling by bike and the curiosity about the world are our engine.