Greece Part 2

Freshly styled with shorter, darker hair, we continue our journey south the next day. We bypass Thessaloniki generously via the highway, but manage to catch a glimpse of this huge city as we drive past. Enormous, situated right by the sea, with white houses as far as the eye can see. The houses shine beautifully in the sun. Unfortunately, our little one is not ready yet for us to visit a big city.... so Thessaloniki will have to wait. Here, too, we see thousands of colorful beehives scattered around the city. You can see them everywhere. In the mountains, near the beach, and around villages and cities... there must be millions of them throughout Greece. Many countries could learn a thing or two from that.

Eventually, we pass by the mythical Olympus. With snow-covered peaks, it looms large in front of us. We spend the night at the beach at the foot of the mountain and decide to drive up the next morning. To the Agios Dionissos Monastery and the holy cave. The road winds up the mountain for 37 km. Our van has to work hard. We see a super cool old Mercedes bus of the Dydo brand coming towards us. Too bad - wrong direction. We would have liked to meet the drivers :) The view becomes more and more spectacular... we see a huge section of coastline and many villages and cities in the plain. Then we reach the top and follow the hiking trail to the holy cave. Right in the middle of nowhere - deep in the forest - stands a small chapel directly inside a cave. (Even with a confessional - we don't need that, hehe) And from the mountain flows the 'holy spring' as a trickle down the mountain. We let our dogs stand in it - can't hurt. Then we want to see the real highlight - the monastery of St. Dionissos. But unfortunately, the gates are closed :( So we walk back to the bus and drive the 37 km again (of course with breathtaking views) down the winding road back to the sea.

About 40 km further, we find a beautiful sandy beach just outside a village - and oh, who is standing there!! The Berliners with their amazing old Mercedes bus. If that's not fate? We meet Jan and Paula and their dog Lilli (I think of my mom). They also saw us on the mountain and thought it was a shame that we were going in the wrong direction. But the world is a small place - and here we are :) The two of them left everything behind. Gave up their apartment... packed their bus... and hit the road!! They also started in April-May and first went to Scandinavia, then followed the same route as us to Greece - and we had never met before!! But it's about time now :) The chemistry is immediate and the dogs romp around together. Their Lilli is also very young. They also got her on their journey - in Latvia. So she's also a traveler dog, just like our Lucy. We spend the evening with them in their bus and Paula serves us one schnapps after the other. Homemade by her dad in Romania.... Oh dear, it's delicious... and yes, oh dear, the hangover is big for all four of us the next day. But we're on vacation, so we just spend a day by the sea and recover. The guys do a little fishing - unfortunately, no bites. Jan and Paula are then given a freshly caught sea bass by a Greek man - not bad, huh?

Our little Lucy has had diarrhea for many days now - and now there's blood in it :( We cook rice and give her a bland diet and charcoal tablets. The nearest vet is over 100 km away and it's Saturday.... we'll keep an eye on her. Unfortunately, little Lucy is a true eating machine and doesn't find the bland diet very appealing.

The next day, we all decide to drive to the Meteora monasteries in the inland mountains together. So off we go. Away from the sea and into the mountains. The road takes us through deep gorges into the inland. A beautiful sight awaits us. Rocks rise up on the left and right. And here too, thousands of beehives can be seen on the slopes. The sun shines from the blue sky - it's warm - and it's the 2nd Sunday of Advent. After 2 hours, we arrive.

Meteora!! From afar, we can already see spectacular cliffs rising behind the city. The road winds uphill and the view becomes more and more breathtaking. When we finally reach the top, our jaws drop. What a sight!! Are we still on our planet? Gigantic rock formations line up one after another, and some of them have monasteries built on them at dizzying heights. It's almost unbelievable. Mother Earth is simply beautiful here. Since it's getting late, we decide to spend the night below at the Arseni guesthouse. Jan and Paula join us again. Parking is free here - of course, it is expected that we come for dinner. And we're happy to do so. Costa, the boss, tells us right away what his mother is cooking for us today. We're excited - we haven't eaten out in a long time. The souvlaki, sausages, fries, and Greek salad are all super delicious. We probably would have stayed longer, but Costa is quite a talker. He sits down with us at the table (well, we were the only guests) and starts telling us a story. He repeats himself about three times with each sentence - it's becoming extremely exhausting, so we decide to politely but firmly say goodbye and go to bed.

The next morning, we set off. Monasteries, here we come. Our two old vans race each other uphill. We stop in between and enjoy this truly exhilarating landscape. Then we visit one of the monasteries. For 3 euros entrance fee and a skirt for the women, we are allowed to climb up. The monks live quite well up there. With a terrace that is second to none, a museum, and prayer rooms (showoffs), we are somewhat impressed. After extensive sightseeing, we decide to drive back to the sea together. The trip was worth it.

We quickly find a spot by the sea, and 2 hours later, we are sitting on the sandy beach again. The guys go fishing - in the dark - they are keen to catch a sea bass (which apparently swims in the surf here in the evenings). Good luck to both of them. Tomorrow, we'll barbecue together and enjoy the day. The next day, the weather is (of course) beautiful again. The sky competes with the blue sea. We gather firewood and make a huge bonfire. We dine sumptuously with everything that belongs to Greece. Meat, tzatziki, tamaras, feta cheese, and lots of garlic, of course. The fire burns until late at night, and we sit comfortably by the fire with our three furry friends. Life is good in such pleasant company :)

The next day, we continue inland. We spend the night at Lake Volos. It's very cold and windy. It snows at night, and in the morning, the sky is gray. But complaining won't help... on we go to Volos. We have errands to run. Vet - pick up deworming medicine - supermarket for groceries and so on... Lucy is already feeling better. Paula gave me some deworming medicine, and it's working. But we need to repeat the process to kill all the worms. We arrive in Volos. A huge city by the sea. We park in the harbor. A giant Christmas tree welcomes us. A Christmas market is set up, and Christmas carols are playing in the harbor - along with the smell of fish from the fish market and the palm trees (with Christmas decorations hanging from them), it's all a surreal and bizarre mix. We buy Greek specialties and beg for two boxes at the supermarket. The plan: two packages for our families for Christmas. Then we continue.

Our destination: The Hot Springs of Lamia (a long-awaited destination in the cold weather). We drive through spectacular snow-covered mountain landscapes in the inland until we reach Lamia. Once there, we see steam rising from the ground everywhere. It smells strongly of sulfur (doesn't matter - the warm water tempts us more). In Lamia, a spring springs from the rocks, which has been spouting hot water since ancient times. We see old Roman ruins - even the ancient Romans built their baths here and used the springs. Six big dogs are hanging around our van. They're all hungry. They're all very friendly and tame. But we unfortunately don't have enough food to feed them all. In the evening, Jan and Paula arrive as well, and we sit in our van until late at night - the conversation never seems to end. The two have brought a huge bag full of bones from the butcher, so all the dogs will eat today. In total - including our dogs - there are nine dogs here!!

And the next morning, it's time for a dip in the warm water. We glide into the water, which is about 39°C, and our muscles sigh a 'thank you'. Over the course of millennia, the water has carved out seat-like formations in the river, and so we all sit comfortably in the water up to our necks below a small waterfall. It can't get any better. We bob around together in the warm water, and our day consists of swimming, sleeping, and eating. In the late evening, surrounded by candlelight, we go for another swim. The starry sky sparkles, the water steams - we can only think of one thing: this is definitely 'schöner-leben.de' (a German expression meaning 'living beautifully'). Clean and refreshed (and smelling slightly like rotten eggs), we start our next leg of the journey on the day after tomorrow.

Today's program: Delphi - ancient archaeological site. To get there, we have to drive through the Parnassus Mountains. According to the travel guide, it's a great hiking area - but right now, there's snow here. We spend one more night just before Delphi on a small hill with a great view of a city on a steep slope. The sun shines from the blue sky, and the city on the hillside glistens in the sun. We receive pictures from home. It has snowed - today is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Jan and Paula have brought more barbecue meat, so we light another bonfire and dine more than sumptuously. Then, the next morning, it's off to Delphi. A well-preserved ancient site awaits us. There is an amphitheater, the Temple of Apollo, the Treasury House, and much more to see. In summer, it's apparently completely crowded here - now in winter, it's just great. We also visit the museum, and then we've had enough culture for today. Now it's time to say goodbye to Jan and Paula for real. The two have to go to Athens - their ferry to Crete is booked. They will spend Christmas there with their families, who will come especially for that. So with a heavy heart, we now say: Goodbye to you two. It was a joy to spend the last week with you. We have thoroughly enjoyed this week in such a relaxed and pleasant company. There should be more people like you. We hope our paths will cross again here in Greece, and we wish you a merry Christmas with your family for now and a safe journey.

Our journey takes us to the sea towards the Peloponnese. We spend the night in Eratini. We refill our water at the beach shower and then quickly head towards our last stop on the mainland - along a breathtaking coastal road with olive trees, oleanders, orange trees, and pine trees towards Patras (Peloponnese). From afar, we can already see the giant white bridge connecting the mainland with the island. We quickly pay the 20 euros toll and then we're on the bridge, saying goodbye to the mainland - hello island life.

Peloponnese - here we are.

Patras welcomes us with white houses, blue sky, and 15 degrees Celsius :) Chic houses line up next to each other. The trees are full of oranges and mandarins. The city itself is bustling. We desperately search for a post office that is open. We find one right in the city center. But there are no parking spaces anywhere, and people are queuing up all the way to the street. Well, great. Christmas is just around the corner here too. Eventually, we give up in frustration and decide to look for a post office in a smaller village. As we drive out of the city, we pass by a dried-up river. There's a slum here. The poorest of the poor live in barracks and tents. There is garbage everywhere, and skinny dogs and neglected children come running. All we want now is to get out of here quickly. The 'other' side of Greece is not beautiful. While everything near the sea is well maintained, we see a lot of poverty in the hinterland.

We drive along the west coast and want to go to a secluded beach in Limanaki. Unfortunately, the path there is super steep and everything is flooded down there. It has rained a lot last night. If we get stuck down there, nobody will find us until next spring, and we will probably die of starvation. We decide not to take any more chances and turn around. Many pink flamingos wade in the water at a lake. In Kalogria, we finally find a spot. A wonderful long sandy beach with a gravel parking lot. There's even a beach bar that is open. We already imagine sitting at the bar, enjoying a cool beer while watching the sunset. But it turned out differently. I unsuspectingly open the door. Lucy jumps out, and immediately five large black dogs appear, and one of them attacks Lucy and bites her on the leg. The little one is terrified (so are we) and jumps back into the car. Amy barks and growls like crazy, and Lucy cries heartbreakingly. I quickly close the door. We inspect Lucy's leg - the little one screams and whines nonstop - as if her foot had been completely bitten off. But it's just a scratch, the shock was greater. Amy licks the wound and nudges her with her nose - it's not so bad - it will be fine. But we can't stay here and quickly drive away. A few kilometers further, we find another spot at the beach in solitude. The dogs are playing outside again - everything is forgotten. We stop at a village to go to the post office and send some Christmas cards and the two packages. The postal lady tells us (somewhat embarrassed) that sending the two packages to Germany will cost a whopping 84 euros!!! I'm momentarily speechless. Seriously? Wow. We think about it for a moment but decide - that's just too expensive for us. Damn, damn, damn!! We would have loved to send a greeting from Greece to our families. In that case, we open the packages again - and, well, sorry - we'll eat the things ourselves. Because carrying them around for the next few months is not possible. We don't have the space. Every gap in the van is filled. In that case, those are OUR Christmas packages, and as we eat them, we will think of our families :)

Then we continue towards Aginara - and there, we actually find a little paradise by the sea. An inexpensive campsite right on the endless sandy beach. With palm trees as far as the eye can see and a grand total of four washing machines. Yeahhh, the housewife's heart is happy (or what's left of it). We check in and decide to stay here for a few days, wash everything (which is necessary), and get everything in order again. The dogs also get a bath (fortunately, they don't know that yet). There are only 5 other campers here... on a site that could accommodate 200... all German... and spending the winter here. They warmly welcome us, and we immediately feel at ease. Today is T-shirt weather, the sea is roaring, the palms sway in the wind, the laundry is in the machine... we lean back and simply feel satisfied. Greece.... a winter dream....