A divine's intervention

I had doubts about this route when I checked it out on Google maps. But both my taxi driver and the hotel manager's brother urged me to take this route of the three options. Advice of this sort is tricky: people tend to worry about distance when the real limiting factor is how long the really steep hills last. Can they be cycled or will I be pushing?

Consensus was that the climb to Kurya is 25 km up, with 10km of switchbacks. At a cycle of 7 kph that is 4 hours plus rests. Pushing at 3 kph it isn't doable in the available light. So I have to stay in the saddle as much as possible. And minimise rests.

Had wanted to pay the hotel the night before, to get a really early start and climb in the cool morning as much as possible. No luck as there is nobody on the desk. Same issue on Monday morning. Eventually I pay and am on the road by 9. The hotel makes up for this by following me 10 km to give me my phone, which I left behind. This is lovely of them - and it's fortunate I asked advice on the route.

At this point, the climb begins. It is already very hot and I slog away at 7 kph.

It goes on and on and I go ever slower! At this rate I cannot make it in the light. As is traditional in such cases, the original signed distance of 24 k is still 24 k after 30 mins pedalling and a lot of sweat. No point grumbling, the journey is what it is and I cannot alter that.

Up and up, turn after turn. I look back and can see maybe 10 loops of my snaking path.

It is a real admission that I am planning to push for a while when I replace cycling shoes and helmet with sandals and sun hat. Although it is a first, I had planned this, and reckon the timing can still work if my guess/hope is right and the straighter route after the zig zags is gentler. Of course, there is a chance it is worse, as the zig zags are designed to make a very steep road manageable.

Not much to describe. this was a real challenge and had few good points. I got huge bruises from the front changer through failed attempts to restart pedalling, as the bike fell before I could get my second foot on the pedal.

People would stop their cars to chat. Where am I from, where am I going, how long am I in Greece, am I married, do I have children, what work do I do, am I German? I can now cope with this much discussion in Greek, with some gestures to help.

As I reached a fresh corner (the steepest part), a recent chatter reappeared, having turned his car and trailer. Bless him, he lifted the bike into the trailer with ease (!) and gave me a lift about 2 or 3 km. As we covered the ground I was aghast at the terrain, and really am not sure I could have done it, in the heat and tired as I was. I suppose it was only 2 to 3 hours at my present speed of 2 kph pushing, but I was needing rests even from pushing...

I have never accepted a lift when cycling before. They are not often offered, for the obvious reason that cars cannot easily take a bike. Father Aemiliou is a priest in Kurya where I am headed. He is charming, and drops me at a point where he says the bike will be ok. I thought he meant the uphill would become less steep, but in fact the road started to go down. The last 7 km, which I had been assured by two locals went up, actually went down. If I had known this I would have felt less anxious as I climbed so slowly.

That lift made all the difference. I reached Kurya at about 1.30 pm and decided to break there. I had only covered 32 km but they were some of the toughest of my life. I hardly ever push the bike. It is hard work and slow, and it tends to hurt my back. Of course, the load is heavy and the heat fierce. I suspect the road is exceptional, too. There is a strong headwind that means even as the road levels out I am still going at a snail's pace. All reasons for the earliest end ever to a cycling day.

Kurya is delighted with me...a Martian could not have been regarded as more bizarre. But everyone is charming and happy to take time to understand my feeble Greek. English is unusual here in the hills.

Caught up on blog drafts but couldn't send them as naturally there is no wifi. Early night as the wind hurtles through the shutters. Guess I shall still have a headwind in the morning....