Warm sea

Friday 13th June.

We are parked this afternoon on a campsite near the town of Kiato about 15 kilometres from the Corinth Canal which we are planning to visit tomorrow. Last night we stopped at a campsite near Akrata, we needed to do some washing and planned to stop a couple of days but they charged top dollar and the showers were rubbish so we've moved here to the Blue Dolphin campsite, the hammock is strung, the washing is on the line and I'll report back later on the showers!

 

Yesterday we took the ride on the narrow gauge railway which was pretty good, plenty of ooh and ahh moments as we travelled up the Vouraikos gorge with our heads sticking out of the windows and then abruptly pulled back in as we entered a tunnel with the stone walls just inches from the carriage. The smell of wild jasmine and thyme as the train climbed up through the gorge was amazing. I would imagine the journey would be even more impressive when the river course we followed had more water crashing down but even at this time of year there were a few small waterfalls.

Heads in, here comes a tunnel,

And another.

And a bridge.

We are parked here right next to the beach which, unfortunately, is shingle and pebble however it was so hot this afternoon that I went for a dip in the warm sea. With my sandals on, of course, being British I am unable to walk on pebbles barefoot without taking about twenty minutes to cover five metres or so. It's a case of looking an idiot splashing about in sandals or looking an idiot trying to walk barefoot. The former idiocy is less painful. I think this whole coastline is much the same and we won't see sandy beaches for a while yet. Despite that it's very pretty here and to prove it I have the inevitable "blue boat on a beach" photo for you.

 

One of my priorities over the next few weeks is to be near a TV or have a decent wi-fi signal so I can watch the World Cup, especially England's games. I managed to watch the opening game last night on the iPad (it was never a penalty) and it's a good signal here so Spain vs Holland is on the agenda tonight after dinner. I don't miss work at all but I do miss the sweepstake action on major sporting events and the drama of the fantasy football teams. The other thing I need, or want, is a cheap fishing rod, one of those retractable ones. We've stopped at so many places where I could have fished and, no doubt, caught our supper but all the gear I have seen so far in the shops has been expensive. I should have bought one from Aldi before we left home. I got chatting to a Greek guy on the beach last night who had caught a Dorado. I complemented him on his fishing skills and in return he gave me an apricot, nice eh?

Just back from the showers and I'm giving them a 7/10. Plenty of power and hot water but not the cleanest I've been in. Last night's only managed 2/10 so this is an improvement.

Pat

ps After not meeting any English folk for weeks, last night we parked next to a couple with GB plates, got talking to them and it turned out they lived at Oakworth, about seven miles from our home. Today we met another English couple on the campsite here who are from Leeds, about twelve miles from us. They're like buses, Yorkshire folk, you don't see any for ages and then two come along together!

 

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