931 – Monday 18th December 2017:  Vonitsa

After a nice quiet evening (is there any other kind of night on the road for us ‘pikies’?) – we pushed each other out the door for an early-ish run – at a nomadesque pace – like time travellers from ‘snugurbia’…..   Then we noticed this rather moisture type stuff coming from above – in large litres full……  This kind of occurrence often leads to a conclusion – like “Oh my goodness, we cannot possibly venture out today – there’s so may jobs to be done inside the van!”.  We resigned ourselves (it was hard) to admin….. ADAC renewal – they don’t take payment by phone (too expensive to do bank transfer) – but they take credit card by phone – no contradiction?  But they’re worth every penny.

Later, destination Vonitsa – via road signs saying “Underwater immersed tunnel”!  But you engineering types (Edward, for example) will know – two types of tunnels – ‘bored’ or ‘immersed tube’. I think this one is immersed concrete box….. someone is bound to correct me!  Now then, when K and I travel by “Tunnel sous la Manche” from (or to) Blighty – we have a little tradition…..  Due to certain logistical considerations (like one of us having to drive) – regrettably, this was not possible.  Well, it might have been – but that requires more descriptive material than you could shake a feather boa at…..

Vonitsa – wearing full Aegean Sea diving gear  against the rather incessant rain – we dove (linguists, take not of the Americanese) into the first restaurant for sustenance!  It wasn’t difficult. Oscar was left in ‘vanitsolo’…..     An easy long lunch and for afters, we tried Ouzo – not unlike Sambuca – our ‘Sicilian’ motorhoming friends from 2015 will remember sharing Sambuca with us… another lovely family establishment in this town.   I retrieved his nibs – who was all over me for 3 seconds – and then wanted to bolt to where K was waiting – I know my place…   We walked off the lunch to an island across a humpbacked stone bridge to a chapel – and marked the route for a possible run tomorrow.  We noted fresh snow on the distant hills.

Pic from last night, after we got back and got out of wet clothes … my brushed cotton PJs and Oscar warming me up.

Along the beach at Vonitsa.

Another chapel in an island.

932 – Tuesday 19th December 2017:  Mesolongi

Longer runs this morning – the raining schedule is ramping up nicely – (and so is the training) – where will the 2046 Olympics be held? (I will be a mere 99 years young…).

Mesolongi doesn’t offer too much – harbour, Lord Byron’s heart – and history……….

Moved form the first choice overnight to very peaceful Tourlida – only a nearby restaurant and caravorting couples for company.

Your heart is underneath you!  The rest of Lord Byron was shipped back to home.  He assisted with raising supplies for the War of Independence and died in Mesolongi.  I checked his ears … they did not look that small, which is what Ali Pasha said!  The Park of the Heroes has monuments to the great and good of Mesolongi, but could do with a bit of a sprucing up.

933 – Wednesday 20th December 2017:  Nafpaktos

No run.  Dog walking was difficult as there were 8 dogs coming from all sides.

Along coast to Nafpaktos …. another Venetian fort, pretty harbour and a lunch out… movie.  Lovely evening view of Rio bridge.

Nafpaktos Harbour

Oscar’ Diary

K and J asked me to write this entry – very kind of them!  I was going to write it anyway…..  This could get combobulated…  After Croatia, Bosnia and Herzogovina, Montenegro and Italy – they put me on a boat (well, a big boat where I had the embarrassment of having to ’toilet’ on deck)  – to a place they called ‘Greece’…..  I’ve seen the movie – John Travolater and Olivia Newt Injun – but that looked like America where girls wore ‘bobby sox’ and funny pettygoats?  That’s a small frilly goat, by the way – for those born before 1950  There’s a few of you old timers out there….. “No names please Oscar” 

Well, we landed safely – and not a frilly sock in sight!  It looked the same as lots of countries to me – mountains, sea, nice roads – and K/J said we would see somethings called “Reeking Gropin”remains….we visited some straight off the boat – they smelled quite normal to me – and nobody groping that I could see.  These humans do get their twickers in a mist, sometimes.  Where was i going with this story?  Oh yes – we went to Nafpaktos (which is Sotkapfan backwards).  “Oscar – we don’t think the readers really want this information!”  Ok, the town is nice and a really posh eatery (posh because they asked me in) gave good fare. 

For our overnight, we have (J told me) a view of the Rio Janeiro bridge which crosses into the Polypennies.  Ok, I didn’t pass my Geography K-levels – I phlunked. 

I really don’t like all these wild dogs that come from nowhere (and everywhere) without warning…. I know they’re my kin – but in post-recession Greece, they are just out of control! I try to be aloof – and J and I had to ‘hoof’ it this morning, a bit sharpish.  

Overall, K9 life is still most excellent – I must give the owners the plug they paid me for – they are really good folk – K is the good looking one – and James – is…a craggy sexyjenhairyone, I think…..

Kibble to all – and a Happy K9ristmas

Oscar