Patras

Friday 11th July.

We are parked up this afternoon at the ferry port at Patras, waiting to board our ferry at 9pm for a midnight sailing. We've topped up at Lidl with the essentials (beer) and filled up with diesel, hopefully a tank full will last us while we are in Italy.

We stopped at a campsite 60 miles south last night so we could top up/empty and get the last of the washing done. Yesterday morning we awoke to find the the sleepy town, Katakolo, that we had parked up in was a hive of activity. Two enormous cruise ships had docked and the town was alive with groups of tourists setting off by coach or train to Olympia, mostly. There were horse and buggy rides around the town, buskers, all the shops were open and best of all - a Beer Bike!! A couple of enterprising young men had built the bike with a long bar and seats with pedals attached down each side. The idea is you buy a ticket, get a beer and then pedal furiously while one of the young lads sits up front steering you around the town. Amazing. I doubt whether it would be street legal in the UK.

The Beer Bike in action.

We stopped to watch the fun for a while including all the big yellow life rafts being lowered off the cruise ship and then puttering around the harbour. Reassuring to see that they get tested we thought and then set off for our campsite.

Cruise ships, you can just see the second one behind the stern of the big one.

So we have to sit in this car park now until 9pm, we tried to drive onto the quayside through immigration control a couple of hours ago but the guy said we were too early and sent us back here again in a very stern voice. There is a non stop game of cat and mouse going on between the guys climbing over the fence trying to find a vehicle they can hide in which will take them to Italy and the port police, army and immigration guys. No sooner do they chase them back over the fence than they climb over further down and the game starts all over again. Every vehicle going through the control point onto the quayside is being thoroughly searched and it's a long process.

I doubt we will post to the blog whilst aboard ship because they will probably want an extortionate rate for their WiFi so the next time you hear from us we will probably be in Italy. We have had a truly wonderful time here in Greece, fantastic scenery, lovely people and great weather, albeit a trifle too hot over the last fortnight. Here are a few facts for you:

We've driven 2065 miles in Greece since arriving on May 22nd

We've driven 4487 miles since leaving our home in Yorkshire on April 28th

We stopped at 20 different locations before arriving in Greece, 6 were free

We have stopped at 34 different places in Greece, 20 have been free

We have only met 4 other British Motorhomers in the six or seven weeks we have been travelling

On every campsite we have stopped on the WiFi has been free (are you listening France/Spain?) One campsite owner wanted to charge us so we left on principal.

We have not knocked over a single stray dog whilst driving. Those of you who have driven in Greece will appreciate what an acheivement this is. (Are you listening Bernd?)

Our Ferry?

 

Pat.

 

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