Thursday 2nd June.
Over the last few days it's been getting progressively warmer and today has been a scorcher. At 6pm it's over 40degC in the van. We left Blue Dolphin this morning and set off on the coast and mountain roads to where we are now at Psatha (38.11275 23.21830). We are parked up next to a shingle beach on the Bay of Corinth and although I would have preferred sand under my feet it was so hot this afternoon that I had to hobble into the sea for a float. Whilst the hardy footed Greeks strode out of the sea like Adonis, I crawled out on my hands and knees like a bleached starfish. Walking on pebbles is hard enough but hot pebbles are crazy, like I would imagine walking on coals.
We crossed the Corinth canal today using the bridge just outside Corinth at the north end of the canal. It is a remarkable bridge, when ships and boats come through the bridge is lowered until it is completely submerged. It is then lifted back up with water cascading off and cars and small vehicles drive over until the next boat comes along and the whole performance is repeated. We waited about fifteen minutes this morning for a couple of boats to go through and it was only when it was too late to turn back that we noticed the three ton weight limit. All went well and I didn't break the bridge.
The bridge lowered:
Boat coming through:
And up she comes:
Tonight's parking spot:
Friday 3rd June.
Yesterday the sea was dead calm with hardly a ripple disturbing the shingle beach but last night the wind got up and this morning the waves were crashing in.
We set off this morning on a pretty uneventful but long, for us, drive to where we are now parked up at Galaxidi on (another) harbour (38.37477 22.38699). This is the third time we've stopped here and it's a beautiful stop, great views, walks around the headland and a fantastic little nautical museum. We parked up and walked away from the harbour where this place looked good for lunch:
Unfortunately the owner said she could only offer us pork souvlaki which neither of us fancied so we just ordered a couple of drinks which were delivered with complementary sardines, chips and bread! Back to the harbour where we had a delicious meal and watched the swallows feeding their young:
Tonight's parking spot:
And today's weather report - windy and HOT.
Saturday 4th June.
We drove today along the southern coastline of West Greece to the Sacred City of Missolonghi, so named in honour of those who died attempting to leave the city after resisting a year long siege by Ottoman forces during the Greek War of Independence. The city is also famous for it's salt water lagoons and for being the final resting place of Lord Byron who died here in 1824 and who supported the Greek struggle for independence. Surprisingly there is no real tourism here, we expected to see lots of coaches and other motorhomes but we've got the place to ourselves and unlike many other places we've been to recently there are hardly any directional signs in English. We walked into the town earlier and it's quite beautiful so we're surprised there's not been more effort made to "sell" the area.
Our Camperstop guide offered a location next to a "Tourist Office" in the Marina but that turned out to be a "Tours Office" selling boats and moorings and when we were asked if we had a boat and replied in the negative we were firmly and not too politely asked to leave. So we've driven round the corner and parked, again, on the harbour (38.36154 21.42582) and those folk whom we've asked whether we're OK parking here have all shrugged their shoulders and given the reply we get everywhere "Why not?"
There are a few restaurants and cafe/bars around the harbour and as there is what looks like an army barracks on the edge of town and lots of "squaddies" strolling around I suspect it might get a bit lively later tonight but we can't really ask them to turn it down can we?
Sad news about Muhammad Ali today, here are a few pics:
Pat
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