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Day
30: Rest day in Igoumenitsa
Shortly after 6:30am, our ferry approaches the coast of North Western
Greece and into the harbour of Igoumenitsa. An outline of the distant
mountains behind the town of Igoumenitsa reveal themselves gradually
as the sun starts to emerge from the horizon. My what a spectacular
view.
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| Lunch
with Deputy Mayor of Igoumenitsa |
By 7am,
we land in Greece and are welcomed by our hosts, which include two
deputy mayors of Igoumenitsa. Kali Mera Igoumenitsa! We try to quickly
switch tongues but keep pinching ourselves when we accidentally speak
Italian instead of Greek.
We soon get the hang of it after ordering breakfast and sort out our
hotel rooms. We rest for a few hours and then go for lunch with the
deputy mayors at the 'Drepanos Camping' restaurant, where we meet
four new Greek cyclists.
We spend the day together and then attend a reception in the town
centre in the evening. After the reception, we go back to Drepanos
for Dinner, again with the deputy mayors. What a very warm welcome
from the Greeks. A truly memorable day. "Efgharestu poly Igoumenitsa!"
Day 31: Igoumenitsa - Arta
The
day starts with a long climb out of Igoumenitsa which really warms
us up to what we expect to be a tough weeks ride through the mountains
of Greece. Our new Greek companions really gel in well with all the
cyclists.
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| Mustafa
and team |
The weather
is fantastic and we start to feel the heat by 9am. We peddle on at
a good pace and arrive in Arta by 5:30pm, where we parade the town,
then retreat to our accommodation.
In the evening, a large reception is organised for us by the town
council and supporting organisations, where live music is played and
speeches are made to welcome us.
I make a speech on behalf of the group to thank them for such a wonderful
reception. We attend dinner with some important figures and then say
"Kali nichta" to everyone, which means 'Good night'.
Day 32: Arta - Messolonghi
We set off from Arta slightly later than usual due to some mechanical
faults with some bikes. One of my tires gets punctured by a very fine
staple that hides so well, that I end up spending half an hour trying
to locate and eradicate it. Eventually we manage to resolve the problem,
and then set off.
The
terrain is very inconsistent as we continue to cycle along the coast,
but we still enjoy beautiful scenery and weather. The day hosts some
very tough climbs, but we have time for a breather as we stop for
a break in Agrinio due to an invitation from the mayor.
We
eventually round off the ride with a nice descent through a fantastic
canyon, as we approach Messolonghi. Upon our arrival, we are welcomed
immediately by the mayor and other supporting organisations, which
include the chairman of the messolonghi cycling association, whom
awards us with a bunch of flowers.
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| Messolonghi
town centre |
Later
this evening, we learn that we were aired on Greek television for
a couple of minutes. It is now quite apparent to us the amazing support
we are getting from the Greeks ... Efgharestu Hellas!
Day 33: Messolonghi - Itea
Again the weather was fantastic as we peddled eagerly towards Itea.
Today the terrain was smooth and was probably the most horizontal
stretch of road that we would be cycling along throughout our stay
in Greece.
We reach Itea at around 6pm where a reception is arranged by the mayor
and town council to welcome us. This included a fantastic display
of traditional Greek folk dancing, in line with live music.
After, we enjoy dinner in the company of some of the Greek organisers.
We are all so happy for the hospitality that has been provided by
the Greeks. The food has proven to be very popular by all of us. A
truly fantastic memorable day that really brings out a huge smile
on our faces. Support like this is what really keeps us going from
day to day as we struggle up those mountains!
Day 34: Itea - Thiva
The day starts off well with a 16km stretch of flat terrain. To our
amazement (and horror), we approach an 11km climb that elevates us
approx 400 meters to the ancient town of Delphi. We struggle up and
then manage to enjoy a couple of hours of sight seeing at the home
of the sanctuary and oracle of the god of light (Apollo).
After our rest, we stroll on and reach the lovely town of Thiva at
around 6pm. The town council including the mayor organise a welcoming
reception for us, then we enjoy dinner with local organiser. Just
one more day of cycling to go until our cycle through Europe will
be OVER. It is still hard to comprehend that. Wow!
Day 35: Thiva - Athina (Athens)
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| The
famous Acropolis |
Today
is going to be our final day of cycling in Europe. What better way
to complete our European section of the journey than to enter on bike,
the one and only Olympic city ... Athens.
We
set off in high spirit. The sun is shining and the roads are smooth.
Like the last four days of our journey in Greece, we have a police
escort consisting of 2 police vehicles and an ambulance. Every cyclist
is feeling special and particularly proud of one another for being
able to make it this far. Morale is high, encouraging a good cycling
pace. We manage to reach Athens for around 4pm, then we parade around
one side of the famous 'Acropolis'.
We retire for a few hours, after which we attend a reception overlooking
the 'Acropolis' organised again by members of the city council as
well as the Palestinian community association in Athens. Our day is
officially over and so is our 3200 kilometre cycle through Europe!
The journey is not yet over however. One thing is for sure though,
we have cycled through Europe from London to Athens and nothing will
ever change that!
The feeling amongst members of the group now is that we have overcome
the physical challenge of cycling 3200km. However, our greatest challenge
of the journey is only a few days away (arrival to Palestine/Israel),
which is the emotional challenge.
Day 36: Rest day in Athens
Day 37: Flight from Athens - Amman (Jordan)
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