Preparing myelf for a disappointment... or between glorious self justification and the purgatory of homelessness

Today, we finally found a flat... or maybe we didn't. It seems that the fates intend to keep us swinging between glorious self-justification and the purgatory of homelessness for a time longer...

Maria was contacted today by sms, a rare response to our long running ad on the internet, about a flat that was available in the centre of the oberstadt. Not only was it a 2 room kitchen bathroom with balcony in such a location as to raise eyebrows, but from their method of contacting us we could safely assume that this was a private deal... without the kind of competition that we have found so... inconvenient.

Being a hardened old Wohnung-nik of three months service, I could not be moved by these details and read her email of our imminent viewing with forced detachment, focussing instead on the three lessons that I still had to plan... but it looked good and I did allow myself a brief recon. of the apartment block on the way back up the road from work, learning thus that it was indeed a location worthy of fantasies of self-justification.

Maria and I met outside the flat at 1 pm and went for the viewing and, from the moment they opened the door, it went exceedingly well. If we can be said to have a secret weapon as a couple, something so heart-warmingly charming that even the most stoney faced German has to yield, it must be Maria when confronted with a particularly cute young puppy... and this couple had a really, really cute young husky pup type thing with a full-on tilting head and waggling gait.

From thence on, as we intermittently broke off our viewing to pet and coo over this plasmataki (I feel the Greek word best here), things went well, so well in fact that we were offered the apartment there and then... and we took it.

Walking out into the sunshine again, it felt almost too normal, as if nothing had really happened, as if our nightmare was not yet over...

On parting from Maria I headed homeward for to waste my vacant afternoon sleeping, dreaming and reading. As for Maria, she headed back to work where she would receive confirmation from the landlord. It was somewhere in the middle of ceiling gazing whilst contemplating the fate of Chris McCandless that I got a terse sms from Maria stating only that you should "Read your email". The message I read as follows:

Fuck it! The owner wants to meet us and she is not giving the appartment until 15th of April for some reason. It was too easy to be true. And I've already cancelled Max, that house is gone. Hope she will like us.

I hope so too...

And who is Max?

Max is the owner of a cute little sunny apartment in the Sudviertel which we had good chance of getting if it weren't for the fact that we told him definitively that we were no longer interested in it on account of finding this other one.

FXXX !!!

Why should I camp in Greece

Here is a little piece I just wrote for a facebook group about camping in Greece. Kinda neatly sums up why I do it.

Why should I camp in Greece?

For me, the main advantage of Greece's climate is that one can spend time outdoors comfortably. Not only this, every little effort made to explore further off the beaten track rewards the visitor with inspiring vistas and the proximity of raw natural beauty. On the smaller islands in particular, the experience of living in a little tent on a quiet island beach can be magical. So if you think you might like to spend

A: your days fishing, walking, swimming or reading
B: your evenings in your 'local' beachside taverna
C: your nights sipping raki outside your tent under a dome of stars while listening to the waves breaking on your front porch...

... this might well be the kind of holiday for you.

Can I Free Camp in Greece?

Let's get the facts straight: free camping is technically illegal in Greece. In practice, however, the law is applied to prevent gypsy settlements, and summer camping is tolerated and even welcomed in quieter places (which means NOWHERE on places like SANTORINI, MYKONOS, PAROS, IOS etc.) as long as the following conditions are met:

A: You respect the locals which means no nudity, no drugs, no 'commune'
atmosphere. As a general rule, think scout camp; not peace camp.
B: It also means being discrete with your pitch. Seek out remote beaches
with few visitors and facilities. Don't pitch in the prime spot on the beach and if possible pitch off the sand. AND ALWAYS BE SCRUPULOUS ABOUT
GARBAGE AND MATTERS RELATED TO YOUR TOILET!!! Basically, the sea is for soapless bathing and tavernas, cafes, bars etc are for... well, I think you understand.
C: Relatedly, the money that you are saving by not paying for accommodation should go to the locals in the form of payment for coffees, drinks, meals, shopping and souvenirs. Free camping will only continue to be tolerated AND WELCOMED if you show the locals that you appreciate the beauty of their home and pay for the privilege of staying there.

And where can I free camp? Got any suggestions?

Yes. The following places are tried and tested. Here is my top 3.

1. Crete: Souyia, Agia Roumeli, Lendas, Gavdos. Many other places on the south coast in Heraklion province (esp. near Tsoutsouras and Keratokambos)

2. Donousa island, Kyklades (although definitely out of season as it can get quite crowded in high summer.)

3. Tilos, Dodecanese.

And what about organised sites?

If you have experience camping elsewhere in Europe, don't expect Greece to be the same. Most sites are simply no more that an olive grove with a shower and toilet block. Often times they are some way away from shops or places of interest and have no transport links. Having said this, there are some really beautiful sites in some really beautiful places. Again, if you like the simple life of walking, swimming, fishing, reading, eating, drinking all accompanied by heart-breaking beauty, these are the kind of places for you.

When and where should I go?

As a rule, avoid high seasons and popular resorts because the campsite will be so crowded and have such terrible facilities that you will feel like you are in "Bridge on the River Kwai". Here, again, are my top 5 sites (again all on islands).

1. Aegiali Camping, Amorgos, Kyklades.

2. The campsite called something like Stefanos Camping or Flower Camping on Patmos, Dodecanese.

3. The little site on the tiny island of Koufonissi, Kyklades.

4. Camping Paleohora, Hania Province, Crete.

5. Camping Rocks, Patitiri, Alonissos Island, Sporades.


If you want any further details, do not hesitate to message me. I am always happy to talk about this topic.

Happy camping and remember always to respect nature, your hosts and your fellow campers.

A

I take that back... competition is no longer welcome

So a week on and we are still looking for a flat. Maria viewed two at the beginning of the week but was unimpressed with the fact that they "looked like apartment blocks in Athens". I for one wouldn't mind living in an apartment block in Athens... but therein lies another story. At the moment, these two will suffice.

Wednesday and during dinner with a visting American guest, Maria mentions that she had been called during the day by an old lady who had seen our ad in the local paper and that she was offering us a 3 room flat in the oberstatd for 45o euros. More than this, we had an appointment the next day to view a flat in the river side area of Weidenhausen. All this, you must understand, was told to me over candlelight in a lively student bistro with much food, drink and high spirits to set the tone. We both agreed that we had turned a corner and would find something soon.

Morning brought the first viewing: a 2 room river-side flat, 1 floor up, in a old timbered building facing a central courtyard. Despite the timbered exterior, the flat was modern in appearance with a real cosy feel. I wanted it immediately.

But when the time came to talk business the owner revealed that he had already promised the flat to someone else. But if, for some reason, the other interested party should fail to sign the papers (if his hand fell off for example) he would definitely give us a call. (??!!)

Now I can see his side: he wanted to cover his back. But what about us? To drag someone away from their work and show them round a flat that they want only to tell them that they can most probably never have it seems a little off. Perhaps we wouldn't have minded so much if it weren't for the fact that we had made the appointment some days before. If he knew he had others coming to see the flat, why break our hearts by giving it already?

Bu that is not all: from the description of the landlord, we strongly suspect that the successful tenant is none other than he who beat us to the oberstadt flat.

That would make sense in world which, at the moment, seems divest of justice.

Then there was the old lady... with the old flat.

To be fair, she was very nice... in fact, she reminded me of my grandmother... but the problem was her flat was very old too... as was everything in it... and it smelled like a hospital...

... and it felt more like a tombstone in a graveyard that a charming timbered flat in the lively Marburg oberstadt.

Which is why I wouldn't mind living in Athens at all.

Flathunting in Marburg is a thankless task

So we decided about a month or so ago, in a flurry of hope and expectation, to move out of our shoe-box of an apartment... blissfully unaware of the nightmare that was about to unfold.

Being a student town, Marburg has A LOT of competition for apartments. In fact, it would be no exaggeration to say that a flat can be advertised and gone all within a matter of a few hours. So you gotta move fast if you want to get the opportunity even for a viewing.

Also, it seems that many landlords actively favour a student tennant, for reasons perhaps of the reduced rates that they might have to pay. So straight from the off, a fair number of decent places are unavailable to hard working tax payers like ourselves.

As if this weren't bad enough, it would seem that the student population have a system whereby they can preclude the possibility that anyone bar another student can move into a soon to be vacated flat. The devilry works like this:

1. Student couple want to move out
2. Student couple contact landlord who asks them to advertise the flat, attract a fistful of potential tenants and inform him of their intimate private details (professions, back account details, bra sizes, immunizations pending, etc.)
3. Student couple do as he says thus raising the hope of innocent lambs such as ourselves that they might just be able 'get the cute little house with the apple tree on the corner for their very own'
4. Student couple invite said lambs to their place and earnestly extol the virtues of the plumbing in great German detail whist assuring them also that they would get on very well with the landlord.
5. Student couple wave goodbye to lambs who now face an agonising week long wait where they dare not hope for fear that they will be disappointed... but what if...
6. Student couple close door and heartily recommend a student buddy of theirs as next tenant... as was their plan since before they decided to move out.

In short, the student population of this town has something of a monopoly on the housing situation, but fortunately there is the odd place that favours professional couples... it's just that the landlords here, paradoxically I would conjecture, wish to have one of your vital organs on ice as a deposit.

Enter Herr Miser... (the name has been changed to protect him from the shame that he would otherwise endure).

It was the first flat we saw, a turret tucked up on an old tiled sandstone building surrounded by a rose garden in an impossibly cute position on the corner of two Oberstadt alleyways. Temporarily agog at its niceness (and proximity to our current place; we can see it from the window) and naive at this apartment hunting business, we tripped in to chat with the current tenant all stupid grins and ignorant hope.

Our first disappointment soon brought us back down to earth: the owner, we were informed, wished at least a 2 year lease, which for a couple of foreigners bound to work for the moment in a small German town on variable salaries was not ideal. So we hesitated, held out for a less than 2 year lease, asked the current tenant to suggest this to the owner, and left... only to return ten minutes later with the news that we liked the flat so much that we would accept the two year minimum lease after all.

Maria had a good feeling about it from the off, and was even on the point of bringing me round when we received the news that we should write a letter to the owner, a fella by the name of Miser, in order that the parties should 'get to know each other'.

This caused a little stress on our part as it handicapped our chances by reason of the sole emphasis on the written word as medium of contact: neither of us are native speakers of a language renowned for its (unnecessary) complexity. Also, their were question marks too over the appropriacy of this request: none of our German friends had heard of such a procedure; but write it we did...

... not that it made a blind bit of difference. The very next day after we mailed it, Maria got a phone call from the current tenant informing her that Miser had made a spontaneous visit to Marburg and would appreciate the opportunity of meeting with all interested parties at the flat in question.

Maria was thrown. For her, it was a matter of pride, and this character appeared to be taking the piss. She got in touch with me to ask what we should do. As it turned out, I couldn't attend as I had an evening lesson, but I also thought that Maria should give him the benefit of the doubt and head along to the flat to meet up. Besides, she was more than capable of giving him a hefty tongue thrashing should he reveal himself to be... the arrogant c*** that he actually was.

So go she did, and indeed she came back with a positive feeling: the other interested parties didn't really amount to much and perhaps, just maybe...

He was to let us know by the end of the week.

The week past with an occasional 'what if' moment... but mostly I tried not to let myself get carried away. It was difficult though, and soon it came to the point where I just wanted to know one way or the other. After all, we had other places to see and to have this decision that we could not influence about where we might live for the next 2 years hanging over our heads was, to say the least, unsettling. Maria in particular had made up her mind that 'Herr Scheise' was playing silly buggers. She wouldn't live in his flat even if he paid her.

The 2 weeks passed with no news, not even when we re-contacted the current tenant and she regretfully announced that she had heard nothing. Then finally, on Monday afternoon of the next week, when we had alternately fretted and hoped ourselves worn for more than 2 weeks, when we were so poisoned against him and his fucking flat that it didn't matter a damn anyway, the shameless one phoned to let us down gently.

It was a low, low moment; not, in the end, because we didn't get it, but because of the journey from sugar coated hope for dream home to the grim reality of being played by a c***.

But there may just be some justice in this world...

... yesterday we went to look at a non-descript place down by the Elisabeth Church and who did we meet but one of the interested parties for the flat. In fact, it was the successful new tenant as we found out; but he wasn't happy. It seems Herr Scheise wants all but one of his vital organs on ice as a deposit before handing over the keys. It has, he said, become a matter of pride. He was once again on the look out for a flat.

Even the prospect of increased competition cannot make up for the satisfaction of knowing that someone bad has got their comeuppance.

A Tale of Two Dogs... OR Alonissos Travelogue Part 20

And so we come to the last post in what has become something of an epic travelogue of my time on Alonissos. Like I said a couple of posts ago, I never meant to write something as long as this. In fact, this whole thing began life a post holiday email to Dave and Gerry describing a couple of photos that I had taken whilst walking around their island. It only became a travelogue proper when they suggested including these comments as part of a 'visitor's travelogues' addition to their site, at which point I thought I should write something more befitting of the genre 'travelogue'.

In this, the last of my posts, I do not intend to describe a walk for the simple fact that there are no more to describe! I only did four routes of the many that are described in the two guides that I have mentioned... perhaps next time I will add to this tally. Instead, what I would like to do is tell you the story of how I left the island. I had to leave the island suddenly and before I had planned on account of receiving some bad news. However, the sadness of this time was offset by more than enough happiness... as is always the case provided we look hard enough.

* * *

As you may recall, my job, being that of an English teacher, allows me plenty of free time to escape Germany and live the simple life camping and trekking under the sunny skies of the Aegean. However, not everyone can afford the luxury of 6 weeks summer holiday every year - especially if they are a doctoral student of archaeology in the middle of their Phd - and it was for this reason that I was holidaying alone on Alonissos without the company of my wife. For Maria's part, she had decided four weeks was all she could spare from her studies and so would fly out two weeks after me when we planned to go on a kind of busman's holiday, touring the archaeological sites of Minoan Crete.

I completed the fourth walk, the walk through the Kastanorema gorge, some time early on in my second week on the island and although I had walked a lot, there was still a lot more walking to be done. Leafing through my walking guide late that evening whilst sitting in a taverna in Patitiri finishing off the last of my retsina, I considered my next outing... I had still to explore the western and northern regions of the island. Perhaps I could do a walk taking in the area around Megalo Horafi or Tourkoneri? Perhaps I could rent a bike again and drive up to the northern tip of the island to walk round Yerakas? Or perhaps I could take a boat to one of the satellite islands? I could easily spend another week here!

Rising from the taverna with a yawn, I started out on the walk back to the campsite stopping, as was my custom, at the phone box next to the ruined hotel Galaxy to give Maria a ring.

The minute she picked up the phone I could tell that something was wrong... I could hear from the sound of her voice that something very bad indeed had happened.

"What's the matter... what's happened?" I inquired.
"Lara died", the answer came back.

Lara was the family dog, a little tan coloured sausage dog who had lived with her at the family home in Athens since she was a child. Now that she lived abroad, she only got to see her during summer vacations when typically she would spend the whole morning lavishing attention on her velvet belly. Quite simply, she loved that little dog, as did the whole family, and this was going to be difficult, especially given that she was all alone up there in Germany.

It was frustrating. That it should have happened was bad enough; but for it to have happened when we were apart, just a matter of a weeks before we were due to visit the family home again was particularly cruel. It was a helpless situation... so we did the only thing we could do to take back some measure of control. She would change her ticket and we would meet in Athens in 2 days time.

This gave me one more full day on Alonissos, and I knew exactly what to do with it. Some days previously Dave and Gerry had asked me to get in touch with them before I left the island such that we could have a final lunch together. So I called them to tell them the news and arrange to meet them the next day in a restaurant near Paliohorafina.

It was always a pleasure to spend time with Dave and Gerry, not least of all for the insights they afforded me into everyday island life. But it was particularly nice to see them at this time. Not only did I need someone to talk to about our little tragedy, it turned out that they had some news for me to put things into perspective... they had just 'acquired' a little dog of their own.

As the reader of their website will no doubt know, like many of the ex-pats living on Alonissos, Dave and Gerry are actively involved in the local animal charity ASAP. More than this, if you get the chance to loiter in their yard, you might find yourself experiencing a little difficulty moving for the number of cats milling about! It was no doubt in their capacity as animal caretakers that they had begun to look after a very young stray dog that they had found scrounging for food with the cats outside local tavernas. It now seemed that they had finally taken her in as their own having assured themselves that she was indeed homeless and having just gotten her checked out by a vet.

And the name they had given to her? Zoe, a name which most readers will immediately recognise as the Greek for life.

It was a fitting end to my time on the island, to get a little boost just when it was required and under such poignant circumstances.

And with that, I bring this travelogue to a close.

A quick visit to Garbitses... Or Alonissos Travelogue Part 19

Leaving Mourtitsa at about 6 o'clock, I was still more or less on schedule for my evening ritual of showering, dressing for the evening, and sipping an ouzo outside my tent. But there was still one thing that I wanted to see now that I had the Vespa: the archaeological site of Garbitses.

I don't really know why: I knew and still know nothing about the site, despite numerous internet searches. So if anyone can illuminate me as to the significance of the site, I'd be grateful. But I think that I mostly wanted to see it because it was an archaeological site and my wife would be disappointed if I neglected to visit it.

Signed off the main road on the way back, I drove carefully up the dirt road on my trusty Vespa until I came to a sign by the side of the road directing me the last 100 meters or so through scrub and olive groves to the site itself.

I almost missed it. The fact of the matter is that there really isn't all that much to see, just these blocks:

And no matter how much I nosed around, overturing stones and parting the fronds of ferns, I just couldn't find anything else.

However, if the site wasn't exactly the most interesting that I have visited, I was compensated by the surroundings. Standing next to any ancient stones in the early evening, high up on a hill side facing the sea is always an experience.

And so is an alfresco ouzo back at your tent after a long day's walking... so with this on my mind, I left Garbitses and headed back to the campsite.

The Yellow Route: "I just did a little circle hereabouts"... OR Alonissos Travelogue Part 18

I didn't mean to walk the Kastanorema gorge... it just kinda happened.

You see, when I left Mourtitsa I was only curious to see what the gorge looked like. Besides, it was a little late to be attempting an unaccompanied 4 and half hour walk up a gorge. If I did choose to do it, I would get back to the campsite at something like 7 o'clock and that just wouldn't do. You see, as is always the case when camping on the islands, I had gotten into this comfortable routine. Morning and afternoon were for walking; but 6 o'clock and the softening colours of dusk were for showering, dressing for evening, reading the paper, listening to my little pocket radio, low key socialising round the communal fridges and, or course, libations. `So you see I really couldn't set out on this walk...

But it was a terribly nice path, heading north with the sea to my right and the mountains to my left. In short, it was a coastal path and therefore just the kind of walk a like.

And the landscape was just that little bit different. Gone were the pines and olive trees, to be replaced with low lying strawberry-trees and hollyoaks. And here in the northern half of the island was an unfamiliar seascape of scattered islands whose forms I hadn't yet encountered.

And there was this surprisingly appealing sense of isolation, made more intense with each step away from Mourtitsa.

In short, I wasn't focused on any goal and so time seemed simply to fly by until such a point when the landscape opened out in front of me to reveal an extensive area of flat pebble and boulder strewn land sandwiched between two low hills and the sea. I had reached the mouth of the gorge.

It occurred to me that now that I knew just how pleasant a walk it was I could come back next year with my wife and walk the rest of the way together. But I should probably find the onward path through this mass of pebbles and boulders to the start of the gorge proper, there had to be some way markers here somewhere. Perhaps if I follow the thin depression of the river bed?

Heading inland on the dried up river bed, the slopes of the low hills on either side of me gradually began to close in and rise above me. As they did so, the sound of the waves disappeared and the clicking-clacking of the bone dry pebbles displaced beneath each step I took got louder and louder. If silence can have a sound, this was it. There was no one, not a soul around.

Now this was beginning to feel a bit special, a bit like you feel while standing on a cliff top looking out to sea; a bit like being drawn inexorably into something wild yet totally alluring.

And it got better. Down in the gorge, things started hotting up as the walls closed in higher above me and the pebbles beneath my feet gave way to sheer rock face gouged and polished by heaven know how many years of flow, and it was round about when I took these two photographs that I decided to hang with the evening ritual; this was simply too special a walk to turn back on.

Stream channel, Kastanorema gorge.

Overhanging gorge wall, Kastanorema gorge

So I ended up adding the Kastanorema gorge to my list of conquests upon the island, and it was quite fitting that this last walk should be the most dramatic.

Other than extol the drama and thoroughly romantic sense of isolation that the walk engenders, I should probably give the prospective walker a rundown of highlights and advice:

1. The walking guides are right: once you are in the gorge there is no way you can get lost. Also, for the most part, the terrain is smooth rock or boulders. I walked up the gorge in a pair of trekking sandals so it really isn't the most demanding of walks underfoot.

2. There are snakes in the gorge. I disturbed a couple on my way up which slithered away as I clumsily came tramping through their domain. They looked to be the same species and of a light turquoise colour. I've just done a google image search to find out what species they are and if they are poisonous but to no avail. Very beautiful though.

3. At about the half way point, the stream bed becomes quite shallow with scrub and shrubs to the sides which at some points meet overhead forming a little arboreal tunnel for you to walk through. Further on, the stream bed becomes shallower still to the extent that you can see the landscape clearly on either side. At this point you should look out for a daub of red paint on a rock to your left indicating that you should leave the stream bed. It's quite obvious but best to be extra aware when the landscape starts to flatten out.

After this point, you walk through a little olive grove to emerge at a dirt road with a watering point for goats facing you. At this point, there is a sign post directing you up onto a little path which gently ascends the hill in front of you.

Now at this point I had been walking for about 3 hours or so having made good time in the gorge. I was, however, a little disorientated having been effectively blinkered by the high walls of the gorge such that I didn't know in which approximate direction the sea might be found. It was far from a worry however as the path was obvious as well as being periodically signposted.

In fact, it made the scene that greeted me as I rounded the crest of the hill all that more impressive for being unexpected:

As the landscape flattened out at the crest of the hill, I was greeted by this field of wild thyme and the realisation of just where I was. Here in front of me I could see the familiar form of Peristera: I had reached the top of the hill behind Agios Dimitrios, which was spectacularly confirmed when I walked down this path and looked down:

Like I said, Agios Dimitrios is best viewed from above.

If ever you find yourself on Alonissos with your own transport at dusk in late June, you could do worse than drive up here (a dirt road off the island's main road north terminates just beyond this point). If you do, I would heartily recommend a bottle of chilled white wine and the company of someone special to share the view and what must be a royal carpet of wild thyme in bloom.

The final leg, down off the hill and back to Mourtitsa where I had left the Vespa was accompanied by a song and the inquisitive looks of mountain goats. Slowly, the triangle of land that was Agios Dimitiris grew bigger and closer until I was a matter of minutes from the coast. Unfortunately it was at this point that the surrounding scrub grew tall and so thickly knit that the path was at some points virtually unpassable. But passable it was, and jumping down onto the dirt road along which I had driven about 3 and 3 quarter hours before, I met a Greek couple out for a stroll.

"Apo poy pidixes?" = "Where did you spring from?"

"Molis ekana ligo kyklo edho gyro gyro" = "I just did a little circle hereabouts..."

And with that they wished me kali ekdromi, took their leave, and left me to pick up the Vespa to drive back to Patitiri... by way of just one final distraction.

A little persuasion goes a long way... OR Alonissos Travelogue Part 17

Taking once more to my little pig, I left Kokkinokastro behind and continued my journey slowly north toward Agios Dimitrios. Having travelled for about twenty minutes or so, I was by now familiar with the machine, and all in all the drive was shaping up to be a very pleasant one -- not least of all for the sense of intimacy that I felt for the environment having tramped all around it for the past week.

But then the inevitable happened... Like I told you, I have never had the most successful of relationships with motorbikes and it seemed that it was now time for us to have our bi-annual falling out...

There I was driving up the hill before the descent to Steni Vala when suddenly, for no reason as far as I could tell, the engine stopped and I ground to a halt on a bend. Once, twice and three times I tried the ignition but to no avail. It was no good. So, pushing her off the road I worked on the kick start, but even then the little pig refused to grunt for more than a couple of seconds. It was useless, no matter what I did or how patient I was the little swine was not for moving... by conventional means at least. But I wasn't going to let her have it all her own way. No sir-ee.

Grabbing her by the handlebars, I marched her puffing and panting up to the crest of the hill before the descent to Steni Vala, which took some doing on account of considerable bulk. Then, gently urging her forward over the crest, I hopped on her back and let gravity persuade her that maybe it would be best to cooperate with me after all. Almost immediately, she began to see it my way and so coasting along quite smoothly, we reached Steni Vala in a matter of minutes.

On reaching the harbour, I made a quick phone call and me and my little pig were separated... which could only have been for the best... and I got myself a newer, more reliable model. But unfortunately, someone had forgotten to inform the mechanic at the rental shop of my track record on two wheels as my replacement was not a quad-bike but a Vespa.

After everything that had happened I was in no position to argue, so simply took the keys, waited for him to get out of sight, took a deep breath and climbed on board. And then it was off to Agios Dimtrios with my mantra ringing in my ears: "don't fall off... don't fall off... don't fall off... don't fall off..."

And, to my credit, I didn't.

In fact, it was a really nice drive, taking it easy along a quiet road north from where I had reached the previous day, with the sea lapping a thin strip of beach to the right beginning just where the asphalt finished. All too soon, I arrived.

Agios Dimitrios, of course, is famous for its shape: a triangle of pebbly beach pointing out to sea in the direction of Peristera. As we will see later in the next post, it is best photographed from a position high up in the hills behind it, but I just couldn't help snapping the 'apex' if you will of the triangle up close:


If you look closely at this photograph you will probably be able to make out a dark blob on the beach to the left of the photograph. Once more, this is a sea urchin and once more, great care needs to be taken while swimming in the waters here as the seabed was simply full of the little blighters. (And once more I dived in without a care and was merrily splashing away quite the thing before I realised this was so... )

What else of Agios Dimitrios? Well, it is exceedingly picturesque, with good swimming and enough beach space to cater for all those who, understandably, are attracted to one of the best beaches on the island. However, if you are looking for a little more peace and quiet, can I suggest the little beach of Mourtitsa just a ten minute walk north? You can see how to get to it from this map:


As you can see, the main road ends at Agios Dimitrios but a dirt road (here marked in yellow) continues as an access road to a villa for rent which overlooks Mourtitsa. After taking a dip a Agios Dimitirios, I drove the short distance up here and was very impressed with what I found. Basically, Mourtitsa consists of a single old style villa complete with balcony of flowers looking out over the strait to Peristera above what to all intents and purposes is a private beach. And to top it all, a picturesque rowing boat lies hauled up on the little shingle beach below, just picture perfect. So much so that I spent another half an hour here on the beach just dozing and dipping... and no sea urchins!

This travelogue has been a long time in the writing, especially considering the fact that it originally started life as a hasty email to Dave and Gerry cobbling together the bullet pointed highlights of my trip to their island. But we are almost at the end. It only remains for me to describe my fourth and last walk on the island, the walk depicted here on the map above by a broken line heading first north from Mourtitsa before looping inland and round the bulk of mount Strovili, to lead back once more to the coast -- the walk through the Kastanorema gorge.

An unexpected surprise at Kokinnokastro... OR Alonissos Travelogue Part 16

Pulling out of Patitiri on the back of my little goyroyna, I had a plan. My travels to date had seen me take in a substantial swathe of the island's terrain; but I had yet to explore those worthy attractions in the more northern part of the island. From both my pre-holiday research and my occasional meetings with Dave and Gerry, I knew that no visit to Alonissos would be complete without a trip to the beaches of Kokkinokastro and Agios Dimitrios. I was also intrigued by the archaeological site of Garbitses and furthermore by the Kastanorema gorge... it was to be another full day.

My first stop was Kokkinokastro. A short drive north on the main road, it was an opportunity to ease myself into the saddle of my little pig. Arriving without event, I de-saddled, parked my little friend under a tree out of the fierce sunlight and headed down to the beach.

Consisting of a high triangular outcrop separating two picturesque and sheltered beaches, Kokkinokastro was bound to be busy on this, one of the last days of July. And sure enough, as I reached the bottom of the lane, the beach was crowded with holiday-making families, umbrellas and the like. However, it wasn't the opportunity to bathe that brought me here, but an interest in the arachaeology of this site. From the few resources I could find about it, it seemed to be a site with a long history and one which some claim to have been the Ikos or ancient capital of Alonissos. Certainly from the topography of the area one can imagine that such a high outcrop would have attracted the attention of ancient peoples. However, it is worthwhile noting that the present day coastline bares little comparison to that of the past. Looking at Kokinnokastro today the sea licks its shores; but it is arguably the case that centuries of earthquakes and subsidence have served to raise the sea level in the area to its present position and that there is good reason to believe that the site would not have appeared so impressively well-defended in earlier times.

However the fact remains that it is extremely well defended today... so much so that I was unable to access the triangular outcrop no matter from which direction I approached! My apologies for using such a low quality image of the site, but it really only is with an aerial view (as is provided by this postcard) that one can appreciate just how impenetrable this site is today.

The beach I have described is the one that you can see here... even with such low resolution I am taken aback at how nice it looks! But to get back to the point, as you can see, it is impossible to gain access to the raised triangular outcrop from the beach itself. You either have to swim out and look for a way to clamber up the rocks on the seaward facing side, which is equally steep, or somehow get up to that little spine of earth that connects the outcrop to the island proper and walk across it. This was my plan, so I found a way through the trees you can see here (actually someone's garden!) to the edge of the spine. But when I arrived and took a good look at it, I knew that it would be impossible to cross: it was just to sheer.

Undaunted, I carried on through the trees to the other side of the outcrop to assess the situation here. Perhaps here I could find a way to access the site?.. no dice... it was the same story on this side: steep rocky slopes. However, I was compensated for my trouble with this:

With a picture like this, you don't really need words but me being me I have to say something and that is this: thank God that Greeks, on the whole, value sun-umbrellas, company and the proximity of a cantina over such isolation... for people like me (and, I suspect if you are still reading this, you) it is a perfect trade off.

Four wheels or nuthin' at all... OR Alonissos Travelogue Part 15

I have never really had the most successful of relationships with motorcycles. I got my one and only motorcycle at the tender age of 19. It seemed a good idea at the time... along with purple shoes, lamb-chop sideburns and 32 inch flared levis. I should have seen the omens coming... it absolutely poured it down the day I picked it up from the bike shop, so much so that I felt I should make my way back to my little village on the back roads on account of the fact that there would be less traffic for me to collide with. When I finally got to the end of my street, soaking wet and very much in need of a hot bath, the local village idiot decided to cross the road between two parked cars without looking and wham! That was my first accident. To be fair, it wasn't my fault... my light was on and I was driving as cautiously as I could without actually getting off and pushing the thing home... but it was not a good omen. My second spill came about a month later on the back roads near Loch Lomond. It was the height of summer and I had just spent a thoroughly pleasant summer's afternoon by the Loch, alternately swimming and reading Lolita and was now driving home to meet up with some friends when wham!... A car full of young guys out on a joyride sped round a corner giving me the fright of my life and causing me to make a sharp left turn into the kerb. As the front wheel clipped the kerb I lost control and down I went, skinning my knees, denting the petrol tank and ruining my favourite pair of flared trousers. But the last straw came one summer, years after, when I was travelling round Crete. I had found myself in Matala and, tired of relying on busses and the limited number of coastal resorts that they could take me too, had hired a scooter to take me inland. I had it for 3 days and the plan was to tour the interior in a huge circle, driving by day and sleeping out in some olive grove by night. As it was only a scooter, I planned to travel light: just my sleeping bag, a hammock and a change of clothes for the evening. Otherwise I would be driving in my sandals, swimming trunks, shades and bandana... note the lack of helmet. ... I didn't get very far. I had only been driving for about fifteen minutes when I saw a sign for a beach. Heading down a quiet asphalt road early in the morning, I opened up the engine a little more than I should and before I knew it was fast approaching a tight right hand bend. Pulling on the brakes, I tried to swing the bike out to the left such I could drive into the bend at my higher speed, but at the moment I hit some gravel and the front wheel skidded out from underneath me, throwing me down hard onto the asphalt. I hit the road with my head and skidded on my unprotected limbs for a while before finally coming to a bloody halt somewhere in the middle of the opposite lane. I didn't feel any pain at first, just shock and the shame of being such a fool... again. Jumping to my feet I walked unsteadily over to the scooter, it's engine still running, to survey the damage. It was then that I noticed a lot of blood was gushing down over my eyes from an open wound in my head... but this seemed to matter less than getting the bike off the road. It was as if hiding the evidence of my stupidity from passing cars would somehow undo the damage... I guess I was in shock. Stemming the blood flow with my bandana, I wheeled the bike into an olive grove, then gingerly pulling back the bandana, checked my head wound in the broken mirror of the bike... there was a big hole in my head... there was no way I could just pop back on the bike again and carry on as if nothing had happened; from previous experience I knew that this needed to be cleaned and stitched. Besides, the wounds on my limbs were pretty extensive too and they too were beginning to hurt. I don't know how long I spent alone in that olive grove with only my conscience and and ever more keen sense of pain to keep me company, but I do know that I was eventually discovered by the driver of a rubbish truck who kindly informed the bike company and called me an ambulance. But once again I had to wait alone in that olive grove, replaying the incident; dealing with it. I swear I could have kicked myself with shame... if I had been able to find a part of me that wasn't bleeding already. One X-ray, five stitches, a trip to the rental office and 100 euros later, I sat in my sleeping bag in a hammock strung between two trees on the campsite in Matala. My wounds had been sprayed but not bandaged as they needed to breathe, which left them at the mercy of every insect that happened to be passing that corner of Crete. They had also started to tighten to the extent that I did not have the necessary flexibility of movement to put up my tent in what was a stiffening breeze. So that night, I slept out in a hammock, sweating in a sleeping bag that had to be zipped up tight to protect my wounds from flies. I say slept, but closer to the truth would be agonised... both on account of the pain and over what might have been. It was then or then-abouts that I made a promise to myself never to ride a motorcycle again, and to my credit it was a promise that I managed to keep... until I got married. I got married in August of 2006 on the island of Anafi, a simple ceremony in the village mayor's office with only a handful of friends to witness it. The day after the wedding the point was mooted that it might be a good idea to rent some bikes and head off on a tour of the island; or, to be more accurate, everyone apart from me was dead keen on the idea and I was beginning to look like a bit of a party pooper. So bowing to pressure and participating in the spirit of the occasion, I broke that promise. Needless to say that carrying my recently acquired wife on the back of the bike as pillion passenger was more than enough incentive to take it very easy indeed. However, just because I was the very model of the careful driver didn't mean that I wasn't, at times, haunted by the prospect of... well... falling off. Indeed, the very fact that I was responsible for my wife's welfare too only served to heighten my anxiety. So in a nutshell and like I said, I have never really had the most successful of relationships with motorcycles. That's why when I went to the bike rental office that morning in Alonissos I walked in asked them...

"Mipos ehete mia goyroyna?"

Strictly translated this means: "Do you happen to have a sow (as in a female pig)?" But you will no doubt better understand my meaning when privy to the knowledge that this is the name that Greeks give to those sturdy, grunting off-road quadbikes.

Now that my responsibility had been halved since that last time I drove a motorcycle, I was taking no chances: it was four wheels or nuthin' at all.

The Pink Route: 3 beaches, 2 turkeys and a bus back home... OR Alonissos Travelogue Part 14

The onward route from the stable where one emerges out onto the Isomata plateau down to Steni Vala rivals that of the first leg of the red route for one of the most scenic of the island. Not only is one high up on a plateau with ever more expansive views of the neighbouring islet of Peristera, the landscape of the plateau itself represents a stark contrast to most of the rest of the island with its red earth interposed between rutted grey rocks... not to mention its forest of cedar trees.

However, searching my photos of this part of the walk it was the sight of two turkeys which appeared out of nowhere to strut 'neath the shadow of pine tree that seems to have arrested my attention!

The cedar forest is worth another mention, which is not to say that the trees are tall; but rather that they are so thick and densely packed at times that with a little bit of imagination one might believe one was wandering in a maze! No doubt for this reason, the descent down off the Isomata plateau through the cedar forest is one of the most well-marked of Alonissos' routes with yellow and black poles supplementing the familiar red splotches of paint upon rocks. I should also add that half way down (or of course half way up) there is a beautifully situated picnic bench with great views of Peristera from amidst the cedars... just the thing for a nice evening picnic watching the exposed rocks composing the neighbouring islet taking on an ever more intense and firey hue.

On reaching the foot of the hill, a dirt road greeted me and led me after five minutes to Agios Petros beach, the beach neighbouring Steni Vala. Although it was a little difficult to find the beach at first given the amount of residential buildings crammed into the land behind the beach (I took a few wrong turns here into the yard of a private house) I eventually found the unsigned way down to the water through a garden there to bathe a while and enjoy the tranquility of one the islands more sandy, if small, beaches.

However, soon curiosity go the better of me and, seeking shelter behind a low wall, I changed out of my swimming shorts and back into my walking trousers to take the path for the final five minutes or so round the headland to the next bay of Steni Vala.

As Alonissos goes, there isn't really much in the way of accommodation, facilities or indeed substantial habitation besides Patitiri and the Hora. The notable exception to this is of course Steni Vala, a little anchorage catering for summer yachts with a couple of tavernas, cafes, a shop and even accommodation options which extend to a fairly large campsite. It was this latter feature which had attracted my attention many months before when I was casting around for a summer holiday destination which would allow me a range of camping options. In fact, I had at one point planned on heading straight for Steni Vala on arriving on the island for fear that the southern half of the island might be over-run with tourists given the time of year. In the event, this was far from the case; I had settled in well at campsite Rocks and was very much enjoying my quiet little patch. But still, I was curious to see what this other site had to offer. Very seldom do you find an island the size of Alonissos with two campsites and I felt I might just be tempted to move here for my second week on the island, or at least have it as a viable option for a future visit to the island.

On approaching Steni Vala by the coastal path, I didn't have to wait long: the campsite enjoys prime position right behind the beach:


If you look closely in this photograph you can see a tent just overlooking the beach behind a boat which is pulled up on the pebbles -- a pitch which, if not always the most private, certainly affords a wonderful view. Also impressive was the scale of the site, an important factor if you are to secure sufficient grounds around your tent to give you enough privacy. Taking a walk around the perimeter fence I could see that it stretched back some ways from the beach end, getting quieter and quieter the further one chose to be from the sea.

Although I never entered the site and have no idea what the facilities are like, I would say that little Steni Vala's campsite is worth a visit especially if you value peace and quiet and the tranquil atmosphere of a little harbour. However, it is probably an option to move on to after first having located to the south of the island or, like me, one to return to on a second visit.

Moving on round the bay, I enjoyed spotting which nationalities had moored here by the flags adorning the yachts, and once more allowed myself to be carried away by the little fantasy of one day owning one. Then it was a quick visit to a cafe for a frappe, to stock up with water, make inquiries about bus times back to Patitiri and, seeing as I was in the mood to explore a little more, make inquiries about the onward path to Glyfa, the next beach to the north.

As it turned out, I had a good two hours or so until the last bus so I set off round the coast once more relaxed and unhurried. Glyfa beach, situated some five minutes from Steni Vala was a real treat: a long, smooth white pebble beach with clear water and only minimal construction in the large area of olive groves behind. The kind of place where you could spend an afternoon with a good book and hardly notice a soul around you.

Glyfa beach: quiet with clear water... but bring a pair of bathing shoes!

More than this, climbing the low hill at the far end of the beach takes you onto the main road again for all of 2 minutes where you can descend a little onto the patch of land heading down to the coast to find a little secluded cove all to your own. However, one thing you must be very careful of on this stretch of coastline is sea urchins. They seem to thrive on the combination of smooth pebbles and clear unpolluted waters, and are by no means always apparent from the shore... as I can testify. I had plunged headlong into the water at Glyfa and was gaily splashing around when I suddenly noticed the bay beneath me was a mindfield of sea urchins! Best to get yourself kitted out with a pair of hard soled bathing shoes, available in local shops, before getting into the water along this stretch.

As I still had the time and the energy, I thought I might as well push on further north on the asphalt for a while to see what sights lay in store after Glyfa. However, when I reached nearby Kalamakia, another fishing harbour lined with tavernas, but nowhere near as cute as Steni Vala, I could see that there wasn't much more mileage I could get out of this stretch on foot and that it would be better to return to this stretch the following day... this time with some wheels.

So that's exactly what I did, on reaching Kalamakia, I took a walk out onto the little jetty to better see the lay of the coast line further north. Tantalisingly, Agios Dimitrios with its triangular shaped beach could just be made out. This would be on the cards for tomorrow, but first the gentler rhythms of the evening beckoned... as did my bus back to Patitiri.

The Pink Route: Trekkers' Etiquette OR Alonissos Travelogue Part 13

The reader of this travelogue will by now be well-acquainted with the landscape and paths of Alonissos. Thus there are no surprises to begin this, the description of the third and penultimate of my walks on the island: the route from Patitiri to Steni Vala. This is particulary the case given the fact that the first leg of this walk is exactly the same as that of the white route, taking the walker from Patitiri to Mega Nero via a pleasant detour off the main road to the hora.

Indeed, after this stretch there is little else of note till at least half way to Steni Vala. Which is not to say that the initial stages of this route are dull or in any way unpleasant. It is rather that in comparison to what lies ahead, the route that takes one from Mega Nero to the half-way point on a quiet dirt road interspersed with short spells lopping off a bend or two via a quick jaunt through a glade of pines is simply a pleasant stroll...


Twin cypresses snapped on the dirt road through Rahes, stage 1 of the walk to Steni Vala

... the real work begins when this dirt road hits the main road at the northern edge of the region known as Rahes.

On connecting with the main road I knew I had a kilometre or so on the asphalt so I whacked on my ipod to enjoy Giannis Parios' Nisiotika in the kind of landscape that they were written for. I must have got through about 4 or 5 songs by the time I reached the beginning of the footpath to Steni Vala. Here at the right hand side of the road lay a sign beyond which a dirt path descended into a lush valley scarred by the grey stony vein of a dried up river bed. I had found my way to the middle of the island and the sea, though visible to my right was not yet my immediate destination. First I would have to follow the river bed for a whiles before ascending a table topped hill onto a rocky plateau. This was more like it I thought, unhooking my earphones and silencing my ipod.

Then it was off down into the ravine, hopping from one smoothe sun-bleached stone to the next and all the time looking out for the familiar red splotches of paint that would tell me when to leave this river bed and start ascending the dark bulk of the hill to my left. After a little whiles, the way-markers appeared and I cut sharply north, first through an olive grove, then over a low wall, and eventually into the thick shade of some deciduous trees where I started my ascent onto the plateau.

This was exactly the kind of challenge I needed after the Sunday stroll along the dirt road. The path was becoming steeper, composed now of exposed rock steps leading me, bouncing on the balls of my feet, with ever increasing levels of endorphines, ever upwards through a mosaic of sky and branches.

Hitting the top of the hill, I found myself, as the guide had described, skirting the perimeter fence of a stable stuffed with goats and surrounded by quacking ducks before entering out onto a dirt road... whereupon I came face to face with a lost Greek holiday couple in a car whom it pleased me to set off on the right path, with an appropriate wish I might add, in their own language.

And that is the thing about Greek: it seems to have a wish for every occasion. In our, in this case, impoverished tongue, we can only muster the following set responses for occasions of non-celebration:

Have a nice meal!
Have a nice trip!

And perhaps 'Have a nice walk!' and other wishy-washy combinations along the lines of:

'Have a _____!'

But in Greek one can, and indeed, at times, should, come up with one of the following on parting depending on the occasion:

Kali douleia! = Something like 'have a nice working day'.
Kalo dromo! = Something like 'have a nice trip' but for driving; or 'safe drive'
Kalo banio! = 'Have a nice swim'
Kali diaskedasi! = Literally 'good entertainment' but in my experience seems to be the kind of thing that is said when one needs an all purpose, non-specific wish as is the case with
Kali sineheia! = which means something like 'keep on keeping on'!

As is so often the case with exclamations, one can feel a little strange using them if they have no equivalent in your language -- no doubt because they lack an emotional connotation for the non-native speaker and are thus too close to empty gestures. In fact, although I have been speaking and living with Greeks for 8 years now, I still do not feel completely comfortable with them.

So it was that at the close of my conversation with the lost Greek couple, having shown them where they were on the map, I made them endure a pregnant pause as I, aware that a wish was required yet unsure which one would be appropriate, detained them a moment or two before releasing them with the utterance:

Kali Ekdromi! = 'Good excursion'

By the looks on their faces, it seemed that this would do and off they went, bound for Steni Vala, as was I... but by an considerably more scenic route.