Week 5 of our adventure takes us further south through Greece, from Damasta to Lygourio, taking in Athens on the way.
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The Detail:
Distance Covered: 420 miles
Financial: Fuel £133; Site Fees/Parking £18; Groceries £103; Alcohol £13; Eating Out £18; Entrance Fees £9; Total £294
Stopovers: Damasta; Mandra; Athens; Mojito Bay; Lygourio [3 nights]
A week of contrasts this week. From the hustle and bustle of a major city to the tranquility of the olive groves From snowy mountains to sun-drenched days.
And finally we find somewhere to stop and chill out for a few days.
Portaria to Damasta
Up and about quite early this morning. The workers were out in force cleaning up after the weekend.
Bin lorries emptying the rubbish containers and a lorry shuttling to and fro from the village carrying full loads of snow – they were clearing the centre now there weren’t so many people around. He was tipping it over the edge of the car park to fall down the mountainside. Not that that was a problem, there was nothing significant below.
Mostly a driving day today. Heading in a generally southwards direction.
On route, we stopped at a town that goes by the awesome name of Gorgopotamos. Why would you not visit?
The town itself is known as the site of Operation Harling, a World War II mission by the British Special Operations Executive, in cooperation with Greek Resistance groups, which destroyed the heavily guarded viaduct on 25 November 1942. This was one of the first major sabotage acts in occupied Europe and the beginning of British involvement with the Greek Resistance.
We stopped for the night a little further on at a tiny village called Damasta. A sweet enough place, but it appeared that there was not a lot there other than a handful of houses and a bar – then we found out about the thermal spa and decided to check it out in the morning on our way out of the town.
Not sure how well we’ll sleep between the church bells, barking dogs, and the nearby road.
Damasta to Mandra
It was quiet enough overnight, but, as feared, we were woken early in the morning by the “dawn chorus” of cockerels crowing and dogs barking, with the church bells joining in at 7 am for good measure. The icing on the cake was the chap driving around with his megaphone.
The intention today was to head towards Athens and find things to do along the route. Our first stop was the thermal spa then we planned on looking for more places as we went. The outdoor spa was lovely in itself however the surrounding area was a bit tired and rundown with the usual graffiti. We only stopped to take pictures as vehicle break-ins were prevalent in the car park. We carried on, however, the brown signs we did detour off to go have a look at were either very disappointing or we couldn’t find it. It seems there is a sign on the main road but after you turn off you are on your own – no further information, signs, any idea how far, or what direction it might be.
We intended to stop in Livadia for lunch and a look at some of the historic sites there. We found a suitable parking place and duly programmed it into the satnav. Well, let’s just say it didn’t go well. Firstly the town was way bigger and busier than we expected. The satnav took us right through the middle of it all. Cars and people everywhere. Parked on both sides of the road, and often double-parked.
Then the roads got smaller. The next street we were supposed to go down was narrow with parked cars everywhere, some blocking the passage of other cars, let alone the motorhome.
Time to call it. Detoured off and pulled over. Found a place to park outside of the town and had some lunch.
Took Zeus for a short walk. There weren’t really many places to go with him so we ended up just walking up and down the road. Stopped outside one property admiring the magnificent “BBQ”. It was more like a complete outside catering area, a brick building with a store room, a huge built-in grill, worktops, and a separate area for prep/clearing away.
Well strictly speaking I was admiring that while Carol was admiring their dog. The dogs (one of which looked like an older Zeus) quite understandably, started barking. Shortly after the lady of the house came out. We tried to explain to her that we thought she had a lovely home. Not sure if she completely understood as she only spoke a very limited amount of English. But there were lots of smiles, waving of hands, and happy faces.
We wandered off in the general direction of the motorhome. Suddenly she started calling us, and “ran” to the bottom of her garden and proceeded to pick some narcissus, which she pressed into Carol’s hands. A beautiful gesture, lovely flowers, with a heavenly scent, and on Valentine’s day too.
Back at the motorhome we had both had enough so we decided to move on and find somewhere to park for the night, then make our way into Athens in the morning.
That didn’t really go to plan either. The first place we tried was a bit of ground between a cemetery and a sports arena. Practical but not pretty. As it was still early we decided to push on. There was what sounded like a nice place up in the hills a few kilometers further on.
When I say up in the hills, what I really mean is at the top of a mountain. We climbed up, and up, and up on the main road. The snow at the side of the road got thicker and thicker. The place we were heading for was up a small side road about 1.5 km. Narrow, winding, and steep with a drop on one side. We got to the turning – no way, absolutely no way, was I going to try and get up there, especially as a right-hand paperclip bend – covered in ice, snow, and slush.
Carried on to the next one and somehow completely missed it. By now we were starting to run out of options. Pulled over to look for somewhere else. Not much around, so decided to head for one in Mandra. Not our usual sort of thing but we were getting desperate.
Arrived, and well, it was horrid. Just a bit of wasteland used for parking. A few cars and lorries on there, but to make matters worse, strays everywhere on the rubbish-strewn shrub land opposite. Wouldn’t have wanted to walk Zeus there. Needless to say, we moved swiftly on.
Last chance, a monastery in the middle of nature that I originally discounted because of the snow. However, as we get closer to Athens the snow seemed to be disappearing.
Whew. Finally, we are in luck. It’s a lovely spot, right in the middle of the olive groves, far enough away from anywhere that strays shouldn’t be a problem.
Mandra to Athens
So quiet last night. Literally couldn’t hear anything.
Woke up around sunrise. Shortly after, a couple of cars turned up. Hunters. And shortly after that, the peace was shattered. No complaints though, although Zeus wasn’t too happy. We had a lovely evening and we are the foreigners here.
Today is all about Athens. It was just a short drive into the centre of the city.
Like any other city, if you leave your vehicle in a less desirable neighborhood you run the risk of someone breaking into it, or worse, stealing it. The Greeks are lovely people and you would like to think that something like this would never happen. However, as the van is also our home we decided to use a secure parking lot close to the city centre.
It’s just that, a parking lot for lorries and coaches. Nothing glamorous, but they do have toilets and showers for the drivers, and you can sleep in your vehicle. There are also electric hookups should you need them. It is manned 24 hours, well lit and water is also available. €20 per 24 hours, it was definitely worth it for us for the peace of mind.
It was a 45-minute walk (nearer hour and a half with Zeus) to Acropolis Hill from there. The majority of the other historic sites are also in the same area.
At this time of year, entry fees are half the usual price. There are also certain days where entry is free, but understandably those days are stupidly busy.
You can also buy a pass for €30 which gets you into all the major sites, but that really only offers substantial savings when they are charging full price. And to add another layer of complexity you can also pay extra to jump the queue.
Pets are not allowed on any of the historic sites in Greece. Although that doesn’t apply to the dozens of “stray” cats everywhere. They are definitely not wanting for food and water though. There are bowls around every corner. They may not be pets, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t looked after.
Zeus and I waited outside while Carol went in to have a look around the Acropolis. Fortunately, it was warm so I had a vastly overpriced beer at €6 for about half a pint. Expected in tourist central in Athens.
Much of the city is lovely to wander around. Gorgeous buildings, and so much history.
However, we went through some of the places tourists don’t see while walking to and from the parking. Abandoned buildings, litter, dirty.
The thing which was really noticeable was the graffiti. It was almost everywhere. Not on the historic places themselves, but all around the surrounding area. Retaining walls, rocks, steps, sides of buildings, and even on some parked vehicles (which I guess hadn’t moved in some time, at least I’m hoping that was the case).
We had a lovely day seeing what Athens has to offer. We would have liked to hang out for a while in the evening too, but it is still just a little too chilly to be sat outside and Zeus isn’t allowed into the bars and restaurants.
Athens to Mojito Bay
All things considered it wasn’t too bad at night. Not too much noise from the city and not too much movement within the parking lot. Carol did say she heard gunshots at around midnight, but we can’t work out why? Will have to keep an eye on the news to see if anything went down.
Decided to head south and explore that area before heading into the Peloponnese Region.
Stumbled across a lovely beach as we were heading toward Poseidon’s Temple. Called Mojito Bay it was once a thriving beachside bar, club, restaurant, and events centre. Sadly it must have fallen on hard times as today it is just a shell. The whole place has been almost completely stripped out, with broken stuff everywhere. Clearly not been used for a while and is not likely to be in use again for some time unless someone is prepared to spend a considerable amount of money.
All that said, away from the buildings, or what remains of them, the area is a stunning location. We stopped for lunch and actually sat outside in t-shirts while we ate.
After lunch, we continued on to have a look at Poseidon’s Temple. We didn’t go in, partly because of the parking, and partly because you had a really good view without paying the inflated entrance fee.
This is a lovely part of Greece. More like what you imagine Greece to be like when you think of the unspoiled beaches and seaside tavernas. Not too commercialised or built up, with some stunning scenery, beaches, and hidden coves.
There were a few options for places to park up for the night. We had a look at a couple of them, but in the end, we decided to return to Mojito Bay and stop there.
Mojito Bay to Lygourio
Well, that could have been a better night. The traffic and the aircraft weren’t a problem. Hardly noticed them.
The group of youths playing loud music from 1.30 am until 4 am wasn’t a highlight, however. Needless to say, we won’t be stopping another night here.
In need of a launderette and a few days R & R we decided to head for a new camper stop we found in the Peloponnese peninsula. Bit of a drive to get there but as we will be stopping for a while I don’t mind that.
The drive around Athens was interesting, to say the least. It seems that the Greek drivers believe that the rules of the road don’t apply to them. But we made it in one piece despite their best efforts.
The journey took longer than I expected. Mainly due to negotiating our way through Athens. Didn’t really stop other than for a bit of lunch, to take some pictures of Corinth canal (impressive), and also to pick up some vegetables from a roadside stall.
Arrived at the camper stop around 5 ish. It’s run by a German family, who speak very good English. It’s a fairly basic site, but In a decent location and has everything you need. Perfect for us.
Dinner was sheftalia in red wine and tomato sauce. Delicious.
Sheftalia is a traditional sausage, originally from Cyprus, made with caul fat (the membrane that surrounds the stomach of a pig or lamb) to wrap around the sausage meat instead of the usual sausage skin. Simply flavoured with red onion and parsley.
The following day was a day of practicality.
I repaired the awning and spent much of the day working on the computer. Whilst Carol caught up with the laundry and gave the motorhome a deepclean.
The weather was pleasantly warm. Sat outside for much of the day under the newly repaired awning. We did have a wander around the town, but our timing sucked as most shops were shut, and the tavernas hadn’t opened yet.
The following morning brought another gorgeous day. We planned to do nothing much, except chill.
We wandered into the town for lunch. Had a simple meze with a couple of beers. The place was a real locals bar. Didn’t even have a sign. We wouldn’t have even known it was there if it hadn’t been recommended to us by the owners of the camper stop. Called Ilias Cafenion, it doesn’t even appear on Google maps!
Nothing fancy, just some sausage, sheftalia and halloumi with some bread. Perfect for a light lunch.
Purchased some pastries on our way back which were also superb.
Just spent the afternoon chilling in the sunshine.
Some menu highlights from this week
Click on the picture for further information. If you would like recipes or further information let me know in the comments
We have been in Greece for about 2 weeks now. What are our first impressions?
The people are lovely, there are some beautiful places and scenery. Unfortunately rubbish and graffiti spoil some of them.
There are many loose cats and dogs, not always strays, and often well-fed and looked after. They tend to be generally friendly and will back off if shooed away.
Pets are not allowed into the majority of historical sites throughout Greece. If you have a pet then you may have to leave it in your vehicle, or like we did, take turns to look around.
Driving in Greece is an education. Because it is a mountainous country the narrow, winding, steep mountain roads cannot really be avoided. Throw in some ice and snow and things can get really interesting.
Greek drivers are made from a different mold. The rules of the road don’t apply to them, or so they believe. Be prepared to be cut up, undertaken, or overtaken, in some very risky places. No respect is given to pedestrian crossings, chevrons, speed limits, double white lines – the list goes on.
The shrines on the roads. They are ubiquitous. Sometimes in memory of a person, but often there to wish drivers safe passage. I can understand why given some of the driving we have witnessed,
There are large numbers of apparently abandoned or unfinished buildings almost everywhere you look.
The food we have tried so far, both home-cooked and where we have eaten out, has been delicious. Roadside market stalls often offer the freshest produce at the best prices. Wine sold in 1.5 litre plastic bottles for around 3 euros is what the locals tend to drink, and, for the price, is actually not too bad.
As before, There is so much more we saw and did that I haven’t included here – you’ll just have to go see it for yourself!
I haven’t gone into great detail about anything in particular in this post, so if you would like me to expand on anything please leave a comment and I will endeavor to write another separate post on the topic.
Happy Motorhoming.
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