Our first run for eleven days…a bit creaky but what a lovely place to run…..  Plentiful water supply so showers were in order – and then adieu to San, Dave and Phil, although we’ll see Phil next week on our return to Elea – definitely one of the best ever wilding places… 

 

The road through the hills to the Temple of Apollo (about one hour and a half) had suffered badly from recent rains – rocks on the road, subsidence, slippery mud, etc. But quite safe.  Very narrow towns and villages – but well worth the drive – the Temple is amazing – K’s photos do it justice! 

 

We could have stayed overnight in the Temple car park but decided to Jezzy on to Adritsiana…  Well, with vino at €2.00 per reasonable glassful – could we resist? Our dry night became a little less so… never mind – most of next week will be completely (mostly) alcohol-free – a real challenge but necessary after the Christmas and New Year festivities. We treated ourselves to a local meal out – with Oscar in attendance – €30.00 in total. (We found out in the morning that we had won £50.00 in Premium Bonds – yippee – good old Ernie!!!  

 

No morning run – but all brekkied up and on to Karytaina. It’s the feast of Epiphany which is more important (or as important) than Christmas in Greece.  A much easier drive and the town was buzzing because of the feast… We were extremely lucky to get a parking place in the town centre where we will overnight – we had to wait in Jez until a space became free.  It may well be busy until much later…  Lovely steep walk up to the castle with magnificent 360 degrees panorama. Coffee in town – and moist orange cake!  Plenty of tourists around – what a nice place to stay…we are so lucky in our chosen lifestyle…  Quiet overnight once the charming church bells finished tolling the hours – our parking was lit up brightly all night.

We drove from Karitena to Megalopoli to see more Grecian remains – it was closed but we walked around the perimeter fence – not a lot to be seen but a work in progress…  An ‘interesting’ drive to Stemnitsa – fallen trees almost blocking the road and snow!  A very slow drive indeed with no chances take…..multiple z bends as well.  Into the town – the overnight parking was through the centre – very narrow streets, cars parked – mega busy due to Epiphany feast weekend. A large easy carpark alongside the road, but few using it.  We’ve been told by a Greek, that the Greeks do not like walking and will park as close as they can to save walking!  Sound familiar?  Think the Brits are often like this too.   A folklore museum – the town was for centuries the the premier metal smithing place. We had previously lunched in Jez.  

 

To the Lousios Gorge for our night stay – Scandinavian serious z bends all the way down with cars coming up on a very narrow road – some reversing and wiggling.  Not to mention the rock fall and subsidence!  

When we arrived at the parking it was  busy and remained so until quite late – some people stay at the monasteries atop the gorge – maybe some ‘courting couples’ also. What a nicely old fashioned word – do girls and boys still ‘court’ each other?  We hope so….. our courting went on for some years before the ‘question’ was popped.

zzzzzzs in absolute blackness until the moon came over the mountain.