Itisallgreek2me

First of all, just to mention… I make no apology for the number of Images throughout my Blogs, featuring the local moggies 🐈‍⬛🐾❤

Just as we had done the previous morning, up and out early Tuesday to catch the 07.15 hours bus to Apollonia. The plan had been to then take the 11.00 hours bus to Vathi, spend a relaxing day at the beach, returning on the 16.25 hours bus via Apollonia, in time for Anna to catch her ferry… she thought 🤔 was departing at 18.45 hours.

As we strolled along “To Stenó” … the picturesque pedestrian street in Apollonia, Anna happened to stop by and check the ferry timetables in a window. Oops! … mistake! The scheduled departure time of Hellenic Seaways ferry Artemis was, in fact, 16.45 hours. Buggar… no time to return from Vathi.

So, after enjoying breakfast at Tselementes Kafeneio-Ouzeri, caught the bus back to Artemonas where we had been the day before, eventually returning to Margarita Restaurant. Made the most of the opportunity to do more catching up, whilst sipping homemade lemonades, later ordering lunch… a Greek Salad with Mizithra and Kaperi, Ankináres (Artichokes) and a half kilo of white wine.

Somehow we had led ourselves to think our bus was leaving at 15.00 hours so plenty of time. When a number of customers got up and left around 14.00 hours, we weren’t bothered. To cut a long story short, we missed the bus, there were no taxis available in Artemonas and we walked back to Apollonia where Anna managed to summons a cab.

After Anna finished packing, sat in our courtyard drinking peach juice and eating cake Theodora had made and very kindly left in our room. Precious moments before walking to the Port… farewelling Anna on time, bound for Lemnos via Syros.

So many wonderful memories made together… until next time, who knows where, who knows when.

Monday morning and an early start, catching the 07.15 hours bus from Kamares to the beautiful historic village of Kastro. Featuring medieval fortifications and overlooking the tiny cove of Seralia, with amazing architecture and narrow winding streets, it is a photographer’s dream. Positioned at the top of a hill, the views are spectacular.

After purchasing coffee and pastries for breakfast, made our way down the path to the small Church of the 7 Martyrs. Bearing all the characteristics of Cycladic architecture, with white washed walls and a blue dome, what makes it most memorable is the location. We ate our breakfast, enjoyed the company of a lone moggy at a swimming spot nearby, before heading back up to Kastro for a well deserved homemade lemonade 🍋

Second bus of the day took us to the village of Artemonas. After walking through the maze of little streets, we decided to take on a walk to Panageia Poulati, a small church few people go to see on the east coast, close to the sea. Following asphalt, dirt roads and tricky paths and in intense heat, we made our way down to the church then on to a rocky beach below. By the time we arrived back in Artemonas, the consensus was we had shown true grit and a load of determination, albeit close to showing signs of sunstroke… not an easy trail.

Sat down at Margarita Restaurant and rewarded ourselves with a delicious saláta róka (rocket salad), pantzarosaláta (beetroot salad) and a couple of cold Amstel beers, before catching the last bus back to Kamares.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take my phone charger and by the time we arrived at Panageia Poulati, I had run the battery out. Such a memorable day, most of which I captured in Images.

Prior to leaving New Zealand and coming to Greece, Anna… a very dear friend of mine from Montreal, Canada, made plans to meet me on Sifnos for a 2 night stay – exciting!

Early Sunday morning Anna messaged to say she was on the Sifnos Jet waiting to leave Piraeus… expect her to arrive around 09.00 hours. In spite of an on time departure, they eventually arrived at 10.30 hours. No explanation, however, I over heard someone claiming the operator was travelling slow to conserve fuel.

Anna was somewhat tired after a 15 hour bus journey from Bulgaria and I was still getting over jetlag. With 3 years between this get together and the previous one, we had lots of catching up to do and I think it would be fair to say, we both exhibited a case of having verbal diarrhea. 🤣

After settling into our accommodation, we walked to O Simos Greek Restaurant for lunch. At a table right on the waters edge, with masses of tiny fish swimming around, we enjoyed Rivithia… Chick Pea Stew (on Sifnos, it is traditional to eat this after church on Sundays) with a Greek Salad (again, Sifnos style with Mizithra soft cheese and Kaperi (capers) and a white wine. In Greece, the latter served in a jug and ordered by the 1/4 kilo (enough for one person), 1/2 kilo for two and so on.

Returned to Theodora Rooms for a siesta and in the evening, around 20.30 hours, walked to 7Seas Infinity Pool Bar at Hotel Delfini in Agia Marina to watch the sunset. Shared a 200ml bottle of Tsipouro… a strong distilled spirit made from the residue of the wine press, together with meze. The perfect way to end our first day.

My overnighter in Piraeus was, shall I say, okay, however, nothing memorable. Accommodation establishments need to remember their guests’ reviews count for a lot!

On my early morning walk to Gate E9 at the Port, stopped at an amazing place for takeaway Spanakopita (spinach pie), a sweet custard type pastry and orange juice, all for E4.67 (NZ$7.68). 08.00 hours ferry departure for the island of Sifnos.

Having pre-booked all my accommodation, I walked to Theodora Rooms in Kamares where the delightful Theodora was waiting for me, my room all ready for early check-in. Spent the day quietly settling myself in, shopping for essentials, a sunbathing stint at the local beach and my first dip in relatively warm waters.

Not wanting a late night, walked early evening to The Old Captain Bar where I enjoyed a Sifnos Sunrise cocktail during Happy Hour, before moving on for dinner at Agianemi, an upstairs Greek restaurant with a lovely view of the harbour.

20.00 hours and still 26°C… the heat as well as the stress of the previous 3 days caught up with me. An early night was in order.

My final two days on Samothraki came and went without fanfare. Just as I wanted them to be… relaxed with time to reflect on the past three months and my travels around Greece. So many memories… something no one and nothing can take away. My diary being the 43 Blogs and endless Photographs I have added to my website for all of you to share and enjoy.

The early morning high speed ferry had me back in Alexandroupoli on the mainland before 9.00am. However, no advantage at all since I had to wait until 2.30pm for my bus to Kesan, Turkey. In fact, the bus arrived and departed several minutes earlier than scheduled and by 3.00pm we were at the Greek/Turkish border.

Just as well I had no idea what lay ahead or I might have had a panic attack! The English language was non existent and I was relying upon the head scarved woman sitting next to me to prod and poke whenever we were required to handover passports, show tickets, get off the bus etc. The opportunity for duty free shopping before leaving Greek territory was a nice surprise but then… as we all waited patiently for our passports to be returned, duly stamped by the Greek Police, the bus driver’s second in command boarded, pointed at me and uttered one word… Police! Shite!!! Naturally, I obeyed… got off the bus and was escorted to the Police. They asked “Do you have another passport”? “No”, I said, “You have my passport”. He, pointing at the entry stamp dated 24 April “you overstay”. Me “No, sorry I am allowed 3 months and today is 25 July”. Cutting a long story short, according to the new extremely strict rules and regulations, I was 92 days in Greece, 2 days more than is legal and liable for a 600 Euro fine. Somehow by smiling a lot, apologizing profusely and swearing I will never let it happen again (and I won’t) he let me off.

Entering Turkey was somewhat less stressful, however, not entirely stress free. The Turkish Police wanted to know where was my Visa? As I told them, my understanding is that New Zealanders do not need a Visa for Turkey. I am not sure what his game was as he stamped my Passport and sent me on my way. All of this carry on took 2 hours and we still had a trip of around one and a half hours to reach Kesan. Fortunately, the buses in Turkey are not only super comfortable but just like on aeroplanes, they have entertainment screens and passengers are offered cold water, as well as tea, coffee and snacks.

On arrival in Kesan, I immediately had my first taste of Turkish friendliness and helpfulness. A man approached me and asked where I wanted to go, then took my trolley case and led me to the appropriate bus company office. The man behind the counter was equally friendly and helpful, as was the attendant at the toilets who let me in without payment as I had no Turkish Lira.

I thought the fields of sunflowers in Northern Greece were amazing but in Turkey they are even more spectacular… passed masses on the way from Kesan to Eceabat. Arrived, disembarked, began looking around for an ATM or Money Exchange when a taxi driver approached me. Same thing, trolley case taken over, directed to the ATM’s then better still, to the Money Exchange. Charming young man there… gave me a pretty fair rate without a fee on top but mind you, I was not issued with a receipt. Stepped outside to meet the young man’s father who happens to be the Mayor of Eceabat. I then waited for Anil the kind taxi driver to fetch the car and take me to Casa Villa Hotel.

My 3 months, or to be exact, 92 days of travelling in Greece are over for this year. Since my website is set up for sharing My Travels In Greece, I will sign off for now but you can look forward to Postings on my Facebook Profile Page about my travels in Turkey over the next couple of weeks.

A Greek island close to Turkey in the north eastern corner of the Aegean sea, perhaps best known for the statue “Nike of Samothrace”. Discovered in 1863 at the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, if you want to see it, you will have to visit the Louvre in Paris. It is nearly 11 feet tall, winged, headless and armless.

Samothraki attracts mostly Greek tourists, as well as “hippies” who stay at organized camping sites near Therma. The pristine nature of the island and the many waterfalls and rock pools where even nude swimming is not frowned upon obviously appeals to these alternative people.

I am staying in the port town of Kamariotissa from where the local buses take you to all corners of the island. Yesterday morning I caught the first bus to Fonias… anticipating I had two and a half hours to walk the Fonias Gorge before catching the next bus back as far as Therma. Fonias – “the killer” sees massive floods in the Spring and over time, these waters have opened up tree trunks and created a dramatic landscape.

I started out okay meeting some of the local wild goats of which there are large numbers, as well as sheep and came upon another froggy paradise! However, it wasn’t long before the path became unnavigatable for me so I instigated a change of plans and set out to walk the 5km to Therma, meeting more friendly goats along the way. In comparison to the arid lands of the Cyclades islands, Samothraki is amazingly green. The aroma of wild thyme and oregano filled the air as I walked the coastal road.

At last in Therma, a small hillside village amongst lush foliage and probably best known for its sulphur springs, I thought… I cannot let myself be beaten by all paths today. So, after looking around the village, I set out for Gria Vathra, making it to the first rather insignificant waterfall and rock pool, however, then content to catch the bus back to Kamariotissa for a well earned rest.

This morning I took my first bus to Paliapoli to visit the Sanctuary of the Great Gods. This is where the Kaviran Mysteries – ceremonies took place. We know very little about the nature and purpose of the mystical ceremonies, therefore the Gods, namely Kaviroi, remain extremely enigmatic. I feel that I walked on sacred ground today.

My other excursion today was to Chora, a village located on the slopes of Mount Saos and built amphitheatrically on the ruins of the medieval castle of the family of Gattiluzzi. The 2 storey houses are constructed in such a way as to allow all to benefit from the sun and as I walked the cobbled streets, I came upon Maria Ververi-Krause who invited me into her private folklore museum… the house she grew up in. Maria… author, poet, painter, singer – a very charming and beautiful woman.

At the moment I’m thinking I will spend my last two days in Greece for now, relaxing… we will have to wait and see!

Years’ ago, travelling by bus in Greece was not the greatest… memorable only for the bone rattling experience and the inability to know just when you would depart and arrive at your destination. Oh how things have changed. These days the buses are extremely comfortable, air conditioned, Mercedes coaches, often with background music playing and they run on time!

In order to get from Litochoro to Alexandroupoli, I had first to take a bus to Katerini… quick changeover there and on to Thessaloniki. Brief moment of panic when informed the 1300 hours bus to Alexandroupoli was fully booked, however, put my name down on a Wait List and by 1230 hours I had a seat confirmed.

Not only have the buses improved over the years but also the roads… motorway all the way but with more toll booths than I could keep account of. Some impressive tunnels as well. The temperature outside was 35°C so quite nice to sit back in air conditioned comfort taking in the views of the countryside. First there were an overwhelming number of Kiwifruit orchards. Later on, the landscape changed to not only olive groves, vineyards and cornfields, but more interestingly, swathes of yellow Sunflowers, all with their faces pointing in the one direction. Of course, as a snack, Greeks love to nibble on sunflower seeds. Unfortunately, the speed of the bus made it impossible to get any decent photos.

You could say Alexandroupoli connects Europe with Asia… west meeting east. There are no tourists there to speak of and the people go about their business in a very leisurely manner. Their “volta”… evening stroll around town after the heat of the day has gone, dressed decently, seems to bring everyone out on the streets, including me.

But I was only there en route to the island of Samothraki… apparently I booked the high speed ferry which brought me here this morning. Staying at Niki Beach Hotel… seafront, pool, 1st floor room with balcony, bar. 5 nights to relax before I hit Turkey!

After Tuesday’s rain, awoke the following morning to a wonderful freshness in the air… perfect for meandering about town. Walking down to the main Square and beyond… I couldn’t help but look back at Golna peak towering above me. To think that I walked all the way up there on Monday… aided by sheer determination and stubbornness.

Made my way down to the Enipea River where I stopped for coffee… befriended a local feline or rather, she befriended me. From there, walking on a little further I came upon a path leading up the river canyon. I followed that path, eventually reaching a point where I felt the terrain was becoming a little too risky for me. Returned as far as a bridge crossing to the other side, up a steep incline and back to civilization. I had discovered a place of great beauty… mother nature at her best!

Returned today to the same cafe… sadly no sign of my feline friend. More meanderings, however, nowhere did I find as beautiful as yesterday. Tomorrow I must move on… bus to Thessaloniki then another bus to Alexandroupoli, a journey of around 400km. I will stay overnight in Alexandroupoli before catching a ferry on Saturday to the island of Samothraki in the northern Aegean Sea.

Late Sunday afternoon, the weather cleared… time to venture out for a walk on the outskirts of Litochoro. Uphill through the trees, on the path from Agia Paraskevi church, there is one of those little shrines you can see all over Greece. Many are located roadside, it is true, in remembrance of a traffic accident victim. However, they can be erected to publicly thank a Saint for lives saved. Through an opening glass door you will see an oil lamp burning, faded photos, images of Saints and other religious paraphernalia. Just a short distance further, standing in a clearing, there is a small church… such a peaceful place.

Monday and the Gods brought sunshine. Molly, the resident cat where I’m staying was making the most of it. On the other hand, I had some serious hiking to do.

Most of the trails in the Mount Olympus National Park are listed as being anything from “medium difficulty” to “dangerous route”. I chose to walk from Litochoro to the Golna peak… at an altitude of more than 1000m, it is listed as an “easy route”. From the top you can look down on the Enipea Canyon and across to the highest misty peaks of Mount Olympus. If you wish, you can descend to the Kastanas Spring near where the trail intersects with the E4, between Prionia and Litochoro. I chose to play it safe and return via the same path by which I had ascended and believe me, it most definitely was NOT an “easy route”.

This particular hike takes you through an area of mainly broad leaved evergreen forest, but Olympus is characterised by a wide variety of vegetation types. There are more than 1,700 plant species, representing 25% of all Greek flora. Add to this, 150+ species of birds, 40+ species of mammals including the brown bear and wolf, 34+ species of amphibians and reptiles including snakes (I only saw a dead one) and numerous invertebrates including 155 species of butterflies. And, what did I see? Tortoises, lizards and a brown coloured animal which moved so fast through the trees, I couldn’t identify it.

There were also very few humans in the area although I had a lovely conversation with Vangelis at the Golna shelter. He had walked up behind me with his wee dog, 2 year old Loulou. I found it incredible that she could do this but apparently she loves such adventures.

I carried on for about another kilometer until I reached the point where the path began to descend… it was time to turn around. On the way back down, I stopped to sit on the one and only bench seat provided, with a view, to eat my lunch. You cannot imagine how wonderful a banana and chunk of bread can taste!

Tuesday, persistent rain… I’m in recuperation mode with feet up, doing very little and I would like to think I have earned it!

As we zigzagged around other motorists at speeds hitting 120km an hour, I’m not sure whether my taxi driver on Thursday night had a death wish, or if he was out to end my life! Fortunately, we made it in one piece to central Thessaloniki and I was able to catch a bus on Friday to Litochoro, located in the foothills of Mount Olympus.

A wise decision to take a taxi to find my Airbnb studio in the upper reaches of the town and certainly, well worth the journey. I’m here for a week and happy to say, this place feels more like home than anywhere else I have stayed on my travels this year. Everything is here including a washing machine and outside there is a lovely vine covered courtyard. My hosts live upstairs in this beautiful stone building and there is another studio downstairs where Mimi’s sister in law lives. The traditional Greek hospitality is second to none. I have been provided with a jar of amazing salt, a bottle of their own produced olive oil, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers from their garden and this morning they made me a Greek coffee.

There are 52 separate peaks in the area of the mythological home of the 12 Gods of Olympus… first and foremost the almighty Zeus. It was never my intention to attempt a climb to the summit of Mytikas, the highest peak of Mount Olympus at 2917m and the highest mountain in Greece, rather I wanted to walk some of the many trails in the surrounding National Park which has an incredible diversity of flora and fauna. Unfortunately, there are two obstacles standing in my way. Firstly, the weather… intermittent rain and thunderstorms – the Gods are not terribly welcoming. Secondly, I feel that most of the trails are too risky for me at the moment with my left hand still pretty much useless.

I did go on a lovely, easy walk yesterday to a waterfall on the Enipeas River. This river supplies the town water… you can drink from the tap which makes a change from buying bottled water everywhere you go. The little things you remember from these outings, like the squirrel in the foliage, scurrying away as I passed by. Grigori, the friendly Park Warden who if I wish to return one day after 3.00pm, he will escort me along one of the trails I feel uneasy to attempt alone.

So I am enjoying a well earned rest in the town of Litochoro, a settlement which dates back to the 14th Century. In complete contrast to the Cycladic architecture I had become used to of late, here the traditional Macedonian architecture prevails and of course, it snows here in the winter. The houses are interspersed with little parks, the environment is green. Locals and visitors alike are well catered for with some excellent cafes and restaurants. I enjoyed a great risotto on Friday evening at Meze Meze… pumpkin, prawns, parmesan, dill and poppy seeds.

If I can trust the weather forecast, tomorrow, Monday, should be a really nice day and if so, I hope to find somewhere I can walk in nature.