click on pictures to enlarge
Wednesday
The noise from motorbikes went on until after midnight and I was forced to make earplugs out of tissue paper. I couldn’t understand why the local residents put up with this kind of behaviour. It was surprising that an establishment that called itself a hotel, didn’t provide a breakfast, so I was forced to go out for some.
I rode south to where my map indicated Nestor’s Palace should be, but a kind lady saw me peering at my map and came to see if she could help. She pointed out the road to the castle on the coast and also to Nestor’s Palace which was inland. I decided to go to both, starting with the coastal route and ended up at a superb beach in a circular cove. The castle was high up above the cove and would have involved a lot of climbing and I was reluctant to leave my bike, so I had a snack and a swim instead.
I
Aeropoli platia
I would have liked to go all the way to the south end of the peninsular as Edward had done, but time didn’t allow this and I took the road through the mountains to Gythio on the east coast. This turned out to be a very pleasant place with some nice architecture and buildings perched on cliff tops. I had a peaceful drink by the harbour side until a coach party of elderly Greeks arrived and I decided it was time to move on.
Gythio waterfront
I pressed on to Sparta along a busy road and then into the busy metropolis itself. I found a rather dated hotel, both inside and out, called the Leonidis, but it had everything I needed at a very reasonable price. After the usual routine of shower, clothes washing and a rest, I went out to explore. I found an internet café and was able to do a bit of catching up with the outside world together with a beer.
Saturday
The reason for my stop at Sparta was really to visit the Byzantine city of Mystras about 8 kms west of Sparta and this was to be my first stop this morning. The hotel provided an excellent breakfast and I chatted to an Australian couple who had hired a car for two weeks and had worked out a two week itinery to visit the Peloponnese and Epirus to the north of the Gulf of Corinth. I met up with them a couple of times more at Mystras.
Mystras was founded by the Franks in 1249 and presents a commanding position over the surrounding countryside. The Frankish occupation was short lived and the Byzantines commanded and developed the site from 1262.
views of Mystras
I could easily have spent a half day wandering round and I would have liked to go right to the castle at the top, but I couldn’t afford more than a couple of hours. It is quite amazing how low-key the Greek attitude to their historical sites is. The entry fee is low at 5€ and you are left to wander with no sight of souvenir shops and cafés, as would be the norm in many countries.
I chatted to an Australian Greek from Melbourne (of course) outside the site, as I prepared my bike and when I mentioned I was on my way back to Kefalonia, he just put his hand to his brow and said “oh my God, good on yer mate”!
I had to retrace my route back to Sparta to find the road to Magalopoli. This was a change of plan because I had originally intended to go to Tripoli, but it turned out to be a good decision, with a quiet road, breathtaking scenery and beautiful villages.
The road was a bit of a switchback, mostly going up, it seemed. When I looked down at the valley that the route seemed to follow, I couldn’t understand why they didn’t put the road where the contours were easier. Then it dawned on me that the villages were all founded in the mountains for safety and would have been joined by tracks which have now become roads.
I passed the 7th century castle and village of Karytena and the road followed a route above the River Alfios flowing through a spectacular gorge for some distance.
Karytena Castle and River Alfios
Nearer to Megalopoli there was evidence of the catastrophic fires of two years ago.
On arrival in Megalopoli I had a quick scout round and found a hotel quite easily, but this turned out to be the biggest disappointment of the whole trip. The Lito Hotel had very small bedrooms where I was constantly banging my feet on furniture, the shower had no curtain and the water on the bathroom floor did not run away, so I was constantly getting wet feet. There was no fridge, which was usually provided and worst of all, there was poor soundproofing and I was kept awake by a lot of noise from voices that echoed in the hotel lobby downstairs.
The only good thing about the hotel, was that I was inside it when the distant rumbling finally arrived and a full blown thunderstorm and downpour ensued. At a momentary lull I made a dash round the corner to a café on the platia for a beer and to send my daily text messages.
Sunday
The day dawned cloudy with rumbles of thunder and I wondered what the day would bring. It was dry so I made an early start, but finding the road to Krestena was not easy. After a blank look and a phone call, the hotel supervisor sent me on the road to Tripoli. Other people I asked (in Greek) just didn’t seem to realize there were other towns beyond their own sphere of comprehension. Eventually, a kafenion owner had heard of Krestena and sent me on the correct road.
Just outside the town are the ruins of Ancient Megalopolis (Megalopolis means Great City), a vast area of city remains with two power stations as a back drop.
This site seems to be a very well kept secret, so much so, that I couldn’t find a way in, so I made do with viewing it from the road.
I soon started climbing and the mountains here seemed more barren than the previous day, but the road was quiet and I was going along nicely in the cloudier conditions.
It was on this mountain road about 50 kms from the sea, that I came across a crab. He (or she) was trying to drag a stone off the road which it had taken a liking to. I know there are such things as land crabs and I assume they live in or near streams. The only Greek land crab I could find on a web search was on the endangered list, so I hope it didn’t spend too much time on the road.
After stopping for lunch in Andritsena, I came across another curious thing, a Starfighter jet aircraft set on a plinth. The plaque seemed to indicate that it was a memorial to lives lost during the last war.
After Andritsena there was mile after mile of fallen and dead trees, killed in the fires of 2007 and it brought it home, the scale of the destruction. Everywhere there were piles of cut logs, so it must be a good place to go for firewood, but it will take perhaps 20 years for the area to recover.
I arrived at Krestena by mid afternoon and the Hotel Athina, was by contrast, a dream and at the same price as Hotel Lito. I had a large well appointed room, there was a swimming pool and breakfast was included.
Hotel Athina
There was another heavy thunderstorm this evening and thankfully I was in a dry hotel once again.
Monday
I left the hotel by 09.00 and was in Pyrgos by 10.00. It was then back on the Death Road to Killini and I made good progress on the flat terrain, arriving in Killini at 12.00 having covered 72 kms. I then had 3½ hours to wait until the next ferry, so I had some lunch and went for a swim.
On arriving back in Kefalonia, I had a further 18 kms to cycle home and as I arrived, the cycle computer clocked up 700.35 kms, so I had achieved my target.
The number of calories used was 12,490 and I found I had lost 5 kilos. The bike had performed perfectly without any mechanical problems or even a puncture!
Click on an image for an enlarged view.
Prologue
The idea for my trip came to me in two ways. Firstly, I had watched a TV programme where a guy had cycled 18000 miles round the world in about 180 days, averaging 100 miles a day. Secondly, I had read Edward Enfield’s excellent book about his cycle travels in Greece.
At 65 years old, there was no way I could manage 100 miles a day, but just maybe I could do 100 kms a day. The idea of where to go came from the book ‘Greece on my wheels’, which describes Edward Enfield’s travels in South and North Greece. The Peloponnese Peninsular was only a short ferry trip from Kefalonia and I planned to follow Edward Enfield’s route down the west coast and then visiting the Mani peninsular. But I had to attempt 700 kms in 7 days, so instead of continuing round the east coast as Edward had done, my plan after visiting The Mani, was to head north and west through the mountains.
I planned to use a Merida hybrid bike with front chainwheels ranging from 22 to 42 and rear block ranging from 11 to 32.
The idea for my trip came to me in two ways. Firstly, I had watched a TV programme where a guy had cycled 18000 miles round the world in about 180 days, averaging 100 miles a day. Secondly, I had read Edward Enfield’s excellent book about his cycle travels in Greece.
At 65 years old, there was no way I could manage 100 miles a day, but just maybe I could do 100 kms a day. The idea of where to go came from the book ‘Greece on my wheels’, which describes Edward Enfield’s travels in South and North Greece. The Peloponnese Peninsular was only a short ferry trip from Kefalonia and I planned to follow Edward Enfield’s route down the west coast and then visiting the Mani peninsular. But I had to attempt 700 kms in 7 days, so instead of continuing round the east coast as Edward had done, my plan after visiting The Mani, was to head north and west through the mountains.
I planned to use a Merida hybrid bike with front chainwheels ranging from 22 to 42 and rear block ranging from 11 to 32.
Tuesday
Following an early start to catch the 07.00 ferry from Poros to Killini, I had a calm crossing to the mainland and started my journey at 08.30. After joining the busy National road, I turned south to Pirgos, a distance of 45 kms. The last 10 kms consisted of three parallel duel carriageways, each one with two directions of traffic. I assume the outer two were intended for local, slower traffic, but it seemed to be completely chaotic at junctions. This road could be called the Death Road, because I counted 9 dead dogs and countless other unidentifiable remains and that was only on my side of the road. Pirgos was very busy, so after a short break, I pressed on south. I briefly turned off the main road to have lunch by the sea. I was tempted to have a swim but the thought of sand in my clothes put me off, so I settled for a paddle.
Following an early start to catch the 07.00 ferry from Poros to Killini, I had a calm crossing to the mainland and started my journey at 08.30. After joining the busy National road, I turned south to Pirgos, a distance of 45 kms. The last 10 kms consisted of three parallel duel carriageways, each one with two directions of traffic. I assume the outer two were intended for local, slower traffic, but it seemed to be completely chaotic at junctions. This road could be called the Death Road, because I counted 9 dead dogs and countless other unidentifiable remains and that was only on my side of the road. Pirgos was very busy, so after a short break, I pressed on south. I briefly turned off the main road to have lunch by the sea. I was tempted to have a swim but the thought of sand in my clothes put me off, so I settled for a paddle.
beach at Zaharo
This part of the coast is known as Kiparissiakos Kolpos and consists of miles of unspoilt, sandy beaches.
I stopped for another break at Kiparissia, where I had considered stopping for the night, but decided I could manage another 15 kms to Filiatro. Many of the roads in Kiparissia were closed for a massive market and I cycled through it at a walking pace.
After arriving at Filiatro, I did a tour of the town, only to determine that there appeared to be only one hotel. The room seemed perfectly adequate and it was a pleasure to shower and wash the grime and perspiration off. The next task, which became a daily ritual, was to rinse out my cycling clothes and try to get them dry.
I stopped for another break at Kiparissia, where I had considered stopping for the night, but decided I could manage another 15 kms to Filiatro. Many of the roads in Kiparissia were closed for a massive market and I cycled through it at a walking pace.
After arriving at Filiatro, I did a tour of the town, only to determine that there appeared to be only one hotel. The room seemed perfectly adequate and it was a pleasure to shower and wash the grime and perspiration off. The next task, which became a daily ritual, was to rinse out my cycling clothes and try to get them dry.
hotel in Filiatro
Filiatro platia
My cycle computer was reading 125 kms for today and also gave a calorie usage of 1500, so I would have to eat plenty of food to maintain energy supplies.
Wednesday
The noise from motorbikes went on until after midnight and I was forced to make earplugs out of tissue paper. I couldn’t understand why the local residents put up with this kind of behaviour. It was surprising that an establishment that called itself a hotel, didn’t provide a breakfast, so I was forced to go out for some.
I rode south to where my map indicated Nestor’s Palace should be, but a kind lady saw me peering at my map and came to see if she could help. She pointed out the road to the castle on the coast and also to Nestor’s Palace which was inland. I decided to go to both, starting with the coastal route and ended up at a superb beach in a circular cove. The castle was high up above the cove and would have involved a lot of climbing and I was reluctant to leave my bike, so I had a snack and a swim instead.
beach and castle near Pylos
I then changed my plan, which eventually added quite a few kilometres to my day’s tally. I decided to head for Pylos, which Edward Enfield had praised and then I would retrace my route back to Nestor’s Palace. Pylos is set in the Bay of Navarino, which in 1827 was the site of the Battle of Navarino, which effectively sealed the start of Greek independence from the Turkish Empire. In fact the fleet of Britain, France and Russia had been sent as a show of strength against the Turk, Ibrahim Pasha. In the event, a stray canon fire started a full scale battle and most of Pasha’s fleet was sunk without a single loss on the part of the allies.
view of Pylos
After retracing my route and heading uphill and inland, I came to the site of the Palace. It must have been quite impressive in its’ day about 3,500 years ago and would have been visible from the coast when Telemachus came looking for his father, Odysseus.
According to rumour, Telemachus was bathed by Nestor’s daughter, Polycaste, and emerges with the body of an immortal. Just by co-incidence a bath has been excavated within the Palace rooms.
According to rumour, Telemachus was bathed by Nestor’s daughter, Polycaste, and emerges with the body of an immortal. Just by co-incidence a bath has been excavated within the Palace rooms.
I
Nestor's Palace
bath at Nestor's Palace
I continued inland on the minor road towards Kalamata, which seemed a far better choice than the main road from Pylos to Kalamata. However, after going through a village called Metamorfosi, the road gradually got smaller and then turned to a dirt track. When it became a very rutted dirt track and I was forced to walk, I started to worry a bit. I was still heading east so I decided to stick with it and to my relief I joined the road I should have been on, about a kilometre later. In fact, I now made good progress on a well engineered road with gentle gradients and a smooth surface. I stopped at a kafenion for a drink and after telling the owner in my best Greek, that I had left Kefalonia two days earlier, he answered with “man, you gotta have guts”!
A little later I came across a tortoise trying to cross the road and I moved him safely to the other side.
A little later I came across a tortoise trying to cross the road and I moved him safely to the other side.
By the time I was within 20 kms of Kalamata, I started sneezing and my nose was running together with feeling very weary. I thought this might be symptoms of sunstroke, so I battled on to Kalamata and stopped at the first hotel I came to, called ‘Comfy Hotel’. This was a bit more than my budget, but with breakfast included, very upmarket fittings and a swimming pool on the roof, it was certainly worth it.
Today, I had done another 120 kms and it definitely felt like it.
Today, I had done another 120 kms and it definitely felt like it.
Comfy Hotel bedroom
Comfy Hotel rooftop pool
Thursday
I took advantage of the included breakfast to stuff myself with cereal, 2 slices of toast and jam, a yoghurt, orange juice and two filter coffees and I felt a lot better than when I had arrived. I got on the road to the Mani Peninsular and after about 10 kms the road made a series of spectacular twists and turns around a deep gorge. I stopped briefly at Kardomili, but wasn’t impressed by the shingle and rocky beach.
After Stoupa the road begins to climb and seemed never ending to the top. Perspiration was running off me in buckets and my nose had begun streaming again. There was no shelter from the sun and I was glad to be able to stop at Platsa, a village at the top of the climb. It is surprising how the locals seem to be struck dumb, as soon as a mad foreigner appears on the scene, without the use of an engine powered vehicle. I sat for a while trying to recover and to admire the beautiful architecture.
I took advantage of the included breakfast to stuff myself with cereal, 2 slices of toast and jam, a yoghurt, orange juice and two filter coffees and I felt a lot better than when I had arrived. I got on the road to the Mani Peninsular and after about 10 kms the road made a series of spectacular twists and turns around a deep gorge. I stopped briefly at Kardomili, but wasn’t impressed by the shingle and rocky beach.
After Stoupa the road begins to climb and seemed never ending to the top. Perspiration was running off me in buckets and my nose had begun streaming again. There was no shelter from the sun and I was glad to be able to stop at Platsa, a village at the top of the climb. It is surprising how the locals seem to be struck dumb, as soon as a mad foreigner appears on the scene, without the use of an engine powered vehicle. I sat for a while trying to recover and to admire the beautiful architecture.
Platsa church
The Mani Peninsular is an area of wild and mountainous countryside with precipitous cliffs down to the sea. Because of its’ isolated and defensive position, it has been a centre of resistance to invading forces throughout history. This resistance however, has not always come from external sources, because there has been considerable feudalism among the Maniot families. This is how the circular and square tower houses characteristic of the region, have come to be built, to provide a degree of security for individual families. Although I saw some of the old towers, the vast majority seemed to be modern copies. Even the modern copies still provide individual and attractive architectural features and I could not criticise the modern developments.
Mani coast looking south
Mani tower house
The road levelled out and the castle of Kefala came into view looking quite magnificent. It was built by the Turks in 1670 and is in reasonable condition. I would have liked to explore it but I couldn’t work out how to cross the gorge which separated me from it. In any case, I was pretty exhausted now by the day’s hill climbing and having covered a distance of 80 kms, so I dropped down to the coast at Itylo to look for accommodation.
I found a room somewhat more basic than the Comfy Hotel, but it had all I needed and at only 30€, it made up for the 70€ I had spent the night before. It also had the advantage that I could park my bike just outside the door and a tap to give it a clean.
I went to explore Itylo and after a swim, I had a cold
beer in a waterfront taverna. Most of the conversation with some locals was in Greek and we had a discussion about why the Pound is expressed as Lira in the Greek language. It seems that their impression of Kefalonians was that they were all a bit mad, but I expect they thought that of anyone outside the Mani.
I found a room somewhat more basic than the Comfy Hotel, but it had all I needed and at only 30€, it made up for the 70€ I had spent the night before. It also had the advantage that I could park my bike just outside the door and a tap to give it a clean.
I went to explore Itylo and after a swim, I had a cold
beer in a waterfront taverna. Most of the conversation with some locals was in Greek and we had a discussion about why the Pound is expressed as Lira in the Greek language. It seems that their impression of Kefalonians was that they were all a bit mad, but I expect they thought that of anyone outside the Mani.
Friday
View of Itylo
I went out next morning to find some breakfast, but everywhere was closed, so I packed up and cycled the 8 kms to Aeropoli.
It was a fearsome climb out of Itylo and I had expected the road to drop before Aeropoli, but at the top of the hill, there it was. Aeropoli has some very nice features and after some toast, juice and coffee to revive me, I spent a happy hour or so exploring the town.
View of Itylo
I went out next morning to find some breakfast, but everywhere was closed, so I packed up and cycled the 8 kms to Aeropoli.
It was a fearsome climb out of Itylo and I had expected the road to drop before Aeropoli, but at the top of the hill, there it was. Aeropoli has some very nice features and after some toast, juice and coffee to revive me, I spent a happy hour or so exploring the town.
views of Aeropoli
Aeropoli platia
I would have liked to go all the way to the south end of the peninsular as Edward had done, but time didn’t allow this and I took the road through the mountains to Gythio on the east coast. This turned out to be a very pleasant place with some nice architecture and buildings perched on cliff tops. I had a peaceful drink by the harbour side until a coach party of elderly Greeks arrived and I decided it was time to move on.
Gythio waterfront
I pressed on to Sparta along a busy road and then into the busy metropolis itself. I found a rather dated hotel, both inside and out, called the Leonidis, but it had everything I needed at a very reasonable price. After the usual routine of shower, clothes washing and a rest, I went out to explore. I found an internet café and was able to do a bit of catching up with the outside world together with a beer.
Saturday
The reason for my stop at Sparta was really to visit the Byzantine city of Mystras about 8 kms west of Sparta and this was to be my first stop this morning. The hotel provided an excellent breakfast and I chatted to an Australian couple who had hired a car for two weeks and had worked out a two week itinery to visit the Peloponnese and Epirus to the north of the Gulf of Corinth. I met up with them a couple of times more at Mystras.
Mystras was founded by the Franks in 1249 and presents a commanding position over the surrounding countryside. The Frankish occupation was short lived and the Byzantines commanded and developed the site from 1262.
views of Mystras
I could easily have spent a half day wandering round and I would have liked to go right to the castle at the top, but I couldn’t afford more than a couple of hours. It is quite amazing how low-key the Greek attitude to their historical sites is. The entry fee is low at 5€ and you are left to wander with no sight of souvenir shops and cafés, as would be the norm in many countries.
I chatted to an Australian Greek from Melbourne (of course) outside the site, as I prepared my bike and when I mentioned I was on my way back to Kefalonia, he just put his hand to his brow and said “oh my God, good on yer mate”!
I had to retrace my route back to Sparta to find the road to Magalopoli. This was a change of plan because I had originally intended to go to Tripoli, but it turned out to be a good decision, with a quiet road, breathtaking scenery and beautiful villages.
The road was a bit of a switchback, mostly going up, it seemed. When I looked down at the valley that the route seemed to follow, I couldn’t understand why they didn’t put the road where the contours were easier. Then it dawned on me that the villages were all founded in the mountains for safety and would have been joined by tracks which have now become roads.
I passed the 7th century castle and village of Karytena and the road followed a route above the River Alfios flowing through a spectacular gorge for some distance.
Karytena Castle and River Alfios
Nearer to Megalopoli there was evidence of the catastrophic fires of two years ago.
On arrival in Megalopoli I had a quick scout round and found a hotel quite easily, but this turned out to be the biggest disappointment of the whole trip. The Lito Hotel had very small bedrooms where I was constantly banging my feet on furniture, the shower had no curtain and the water on the bathroom floor did not run away, so I was constantly getting wet feet. There was no fridge, which was usually provided and worst of all, there was poor soundproofing and I was kept awake by a lot of noise from voices that echoed in the hotel lobby downstairs.
The only good thing about the hotel, was that I was inside it when the distant rumbling finally arrived and a full blown thunderstorm and downpour ensued. At a momentary lull I made a dash round the corner to a café on the platia for a beer and to send my daily text messages.
Sunday
The day dawned cloudy with rumbles of thunder and I wondered what the day would bring. It was dry so I made an early start, but finding the road to Krestena was not easy. After a blank look and a phone call, the hotel supervisor sent me on the road to Tripoli. Other people I asked (in Greek) just didn’t seem to realize there were other towns beyond their own sphere of comprehension. Eventually, a kafenion owner had heard of Krestena and sent me on the correct road.
Just outside the town are the ruins of Ancient Megalopolis (Megalopolis means Great City), a vast area of city remains with two power stations as a back drop.
This site seems to be a very well kept secret, so much so, that I couldn’t find a way in, so I made do with viewing it from the road.
I soon started climbing and the mountains here seemed more barren than the previous day, but the road was quiet and I was going along nicely in the cloudier conditions.
It was on this mountain road about 50 kms from the sea, that I came across a crab. He (or she) was trying to drag a stone off the road which it had taken a liking to. I know there are such things as land crabs and I assume they live in or near streams. The only Greek land crab I could find on a web search was on the endangered list, so I hope it didn’t spend too much time on the road.
After stopping for lunch in Andritsena, I came across another curious thing, a Starfighter jet aircraft set on a plinth. The plaque seemed to indicate that it was a memorial to lives lost during the last war.
After Andritsena there was mile after mile of fallen and dead trees, killed in the fires of 2007 and it brought it home, the scale of the destruction. Everywhere there were piles of cut logs, so it must be a good place to go for firewood, but it will take perhaps 20 years for the area to recover.
I arrived at Krestena by mid afternoon and the Hotel Athina, was by contrast, a dream and at the same price as Hotel Lito. I had a large well appointed room, there was a swimming pool and breakfast was included.
Hotel Athina
There was another heavy thunderstorm this evening and thankfully I was in a dry hotel once again.
Monday
I left the hotel by 09.00 and was in Pyrgos by 10.00. It was then back on the Death Road to Killini and I made good progress on the flat terrain, arriving in Killini at 12.00 having covered 72 kms. I then had 3½ hours to wait until the next ferry, so I had some lunch and went for a swim.
On arriving back in Kefalonia, I had a further 18 kms to cycle home and as I arrived, the cycle computer clocked up 700.35 kms, so I had achieved my target.
The number of calories used was 12,490 and I found I had lost 5 kilos. The bike had performed perfectly without any mechanical problems or even a puncture!
Click on an image for an enlarged view.
Jolly Roger (Steven)
