It has been three days since I had Internet access, so some brief catching up needed.
Fitting a new derailleur got me on the road on Friday 26th.
I wimped out of reclimbing the Pendeli hills and headed off to Marathon at a good pace on the main road out from Athens, which is pretty flat. Small pause to tie mudguard on with string. Mid-morning snack overlooking the mound in Marathon where the Greeks buried their dead after the battle. Somehow very poignant still, and my first real experience this trip of Greek wildlife, the scent of the dry plants and the coloured flicker of butterflies. Occasionally bougainvillea sends out a lasso of scent to encircle me. Headed off down a tiny road to the museum... No distances on signs and the bumpy road went on and on... Almost turned back but glad I persisted. Stunning finds, you can look down into tombs that are 5000 years old, only found in the 70s, so untouched by time. The superb museum has beautiful finds from these and from later tombs and temples nearby. Amazing to see pots 5000 years old. The Marathon plain is clearly fertile, vines, cabbages and poly tunnels everywhere.
Pushed on on a whim to ruins well off the main route. Very hot and hilly. Really welcoming girls at the ticket counter. A beautiful site, overlooking a sparkling, intensely blue sea. This is where Helen was born to Nemesis, whose temple still glitters in marble here. The story is that the statue of Nemeis was made from a lump of marble Persians brought with them to carve their victory monument, before the Greeks defeated them. You have to love the Greek sense of irony. The girls bring me a chair to sit in the shade while I eat my lunch. A kitten is so eager to join in, she jumps on my lap to grab bread. This kitten is not underfed, she is plump. Clearly the girls are kind to her as well! Kitten manages to beg bread and salami but draws the line at tomato.
Leaving at 3, I changed plan and headed for the ferry at Agia Marina to Evvia. The early sunset is a surprise, light is fading by 5.00 which doesn't leave much time for cycling in a day. This may affect plans. Fascinating old chap on the ferry talking about growing up on Evvia 70 years ago, and the famous Evvia winds and sea currents. Like most people I speak to, he is angry about what politicians have done to this country. People are having to work so hard for little, even for no money. Worse than the UK, tough for many ordinary people.
New Styra is pretty empty, set up for Germans, so a good breakfast is served before I head up into the hills. have no map but have managed to google a route on my phone. No idea of the hilliness, though, so expecting a tough day.
Fitting a new derailleur got me on the road on Friday 26th.
I wimped out of reclimbing the Pendeli hills and headed off to Marathon at a good pace on the main road out from Athens, which is pretty flat. Small pause to tie mudguard on with string. Mid-morning snack overlooking the mound in Marathon where the Greeks buried their dead after the battle. Somehow very poignant still, and my first real experience this trip of Greek wildlife, the scent of the dry plants and the coloured flicker of butterflies. Occasionally bougainvillea sends out a lasso of scent to encircle me. Headed off down a tiny road to the museum... No distances on signs and the bumpy road went on and on... Almost turned back but glad I persisted. Stunning finds, you can look down into tombs that are 5000 years old, only found in the 70s, so untouched by time. The superb museum has beautiful finds from these and from later tombs and temples nearby. Amazing to see pots 5000 years old. The Marathon plain is clearly fertile, vines, cabbages and poly tunnels everywhere.
Pushed on on a whim to ruins well off the main route. Very hot and hilly. Really welcoming girls at the ticket counter. A beautiful site, overlooking a sparkling, intensely blue sea. This is where Helen was born to Nemesis, whose temple still glitters in marble here. The story is that the statue of Nemeis was made from a lump of marble Persians brought with them to carve their victory monument, before the Greeks defeated them. You have to love the Greek sense of irony. The girls bring me a chair to sit in the shade while I eat my lunch. A kitten is so eager to join in, she jumps on my lap to grab bread. This kitten is not underfed, she is plump. Clearly the girls are kind to her as well! Kitten manages to beg bread and salami but draws the line at tomato.
Leaving at 3, I changed plan and headed for the ferry at Agia Marina to Evvia. The early sunset is a surprise, light is fading by 5.00 which doesn't leave much time for cycling in a day. This may affect plans. Fascinating old chap on the ferry talking about growing up on Evvia 70 years ago, and the famous Evvia winds and sea currents. Like most people I speak to, he is angry about what politicians have done to this country. People are having to work so hard for little, even for no money. Worse than the UK, tough for many ordinary people.
New Styra is pretty empty, set up for Germans, so a good breakfast is served before I head up into the hills. have no map but have managed to google a route on my phone. No idea of the hilliness, though, so expecting a tough day.
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