Return to the Peloponnese: June 2022

 No alarm this morning! Breakfast overlooking the beach and an early swim in the calm clear turquoise sea with the mountains in the background. Bliss! We will miss this. Our flight is not until 17.55 so we have a leisurely morning reading and soaking in the last rays of the sunshine and I am relieved we don’t have any mountains to climb today. We have Greek Salad and whitebait with some rosè in the shade of a tamarisk tree. A hot 5 mile cycle to the airport which is already rammed with queuing people. We manage to find a corner to bag the bikes and get very sweaty in the process. We wait to check in last and carry the bikes through security. We’re delayed by almost an hour so probably just as well we aren’t trying to catch the last train back to Exeter. The train strike means there is no Heathrow Express after 18.30 so we are marooned in the Premier Inn for the night. Navigation here was a challenge and we narrowly escape cycling on the M25. We share a late night sandwich from Cost...

 We are able to enjoy an early breakfast at 7 in our hotel and sit in the shade by the pool. On the road soon after 7.30 and make our way through the streets of Sparta towards the Langada Pass. We did this 4 years ago and it was the peak of our challenge. This year it seems less so! Luckily the steep sides of the gorge offer cool shade and a gentle breeze as we loop up and up at a steady gradient along the hairpins. We see goats and even a wild tortoise! Plenty of stops for drinks and refuelling. It is majestically scenic. 3 hours later we summit and are pleased to do so! A long sweep down and we’re in Kalamata for a late lunch on the beach. I am so relieved that we managed it! We have an Aperol Spritz by the sea. The town is humming with life now and we discover that Greek school holidays started this week. Supper by the marina in a restaurant we visited last time. Perhaps more Italian than authentic Greek but delicious and probably time for a change. I’m looking forward to not se...

 On the road at 6:50 as it’s a long day and will get up to 37degC later. We climb for 18 miles along the mountain pass that follows the dried up Dafnon  river to start with before hairpin bending upwards passing the monastery of Elonas perched high in the mountains. The road just seems to never want to flatten out. It takes us 3 hours 40 minutes to get to the mountain village of Kosmas where we sit in the shade of giant plane trees . We have freshly squeezed orange  juice cappuccino and very sweet Greek cakes in the square whilst local men play cards.  Even after Kosmas the road still seems to want to climb. Eventually though we make the majestic descent -  all 9 miles of it. We arrive at a crossroads and it seems like we’ve arrived in an oven. It is crushingly hot. The road is littered with dead cicadas. We take sanctuary in the cool of a little chapel and as there’s a hosepipe nearby we soak ourselves in cold water  The Spartan plain is searingly hot as w...

 No pick up trucks, no lift just an early alarm at 5.30am. Neither of us slept well due to live music in the town which continued until after 2am. We see the sunrise over the sea as we head off. It it blissfully cool! We follow the new coast road which undulates northwards. Our shadows are cast on the red rock beside the road as the sun inches higher to our right, the temperature rising accordingly. The road is deserted and we barely see a car. It is certainly stunning. One long pull gets us to Fokiano where we had hoped to get a coffee and some breakfast. The taverna is large with hundreds of tables and beach umbrellas. It is very picturesque but very closed! It is only 8am! We dip in the sea to cool our bodies before some peanut brittle, crisps and stale bread. We then climb steadily upwards, the road looping in hairpin bends. Finally we get to Pigadi where we are thrilled to find an open door to a taverna. We enjoy a fruit juice and restock with water. The old man cannot get the...

 Another bright sunny morning. We are first to breakfast again! We then wander around the pretty town (actually it’s Paralia, Kiparissi is higher up the mountain). Mitropoli is the third settlement and where we eat last night. Slightly unusual in that the elderly lady who served us asked (in Greek) what we wanted as soon as we sat down (no menus) and her younger assistant also spoke no English. Why should they of course but it was unusual. We did though add to our Greek vocabulary adding Ndaxi meaning OK! There’s a Greek wedding going on at Cavo Kortia and so the taverna is closed. So no lunch. But we get to use the comfortable seating and loungers below with fabulous views back towards the 3 villages and the mountain backdrop accompanied by much Greek music. No plate throwing or bauzouki we can determine.  We are a bit apprehensive about tomorrow’s route but decide to leave at 6 am and we will see how we fare in the earlier and hopeful cooler part of the day.

 There are no sun beds or umbrellas on the beaches here so we managed to buy a couple of rush maps and borrow an umbrella from the hotel. It is very hot even as we cycle off unladen at 9.30. I think I’m still suffering from the ill effects of my heat exhaustion yesterday (somewhat underplayed in Simon’s description in yesterday’s blog!) We find a lovely quiet spot and are relatively comfortable leaning on rocks. I am seeking shade all day so sometime must be wrong! Clear water for frequent dips and nice light lunch at taverna overlooking the beach.  We’re a bit anxious about the next few days cycle as it seems very mountainous around here and I’m worried I might feel I’ll again. I’m hoping we can get a lift in a truck….or we may have to leave at 6am…

 Up early for a dip below the walled town and after breakfast on lower terrace we’re on the road by 8:30. Flattish route to start with along the coast with fine views of the other side of Monemvasia. Then the somewhat relentless uphill  starts and it goes on! We stop for coke and iced coffee at a café frequented by elderly men and then resume the battle with the heat  and hills. Eventually  we make the stunning descent along a narrow road hewn out of the steep cliffs. Sheer drops in places and with dramatic views. C feeling the effect of the hills and the heat and we wait for an hour in some shade before being able to reach the hotel. Kiparissi is very remote and it’s mainly Greeks who are here. It is surrounded by steep mountains and has beautifully clear water. Surprising number of tavernas which we start to frequent!

 We set a slightly earlier alarm and start walking uphill along the well worn cobbled streets and steps to the ruined upper town while it is still a bit cooler. Lovely views of the rooftops, Laconian coastline and turquoise seas below. The big church at the top is meant to be open at 8.30 but no one comes so we descend for a dip off the rocks. A little rougher today and no sea turtles. We then cycle about 5 miles back to Ampelakia beach again where we are very comfortable on sun beds soaking up the sunshine, swimming and reading with a beer and spinach and feta pie from a local bakery for lunch. Back for tea and drinks on our balconies. Preparing to move on up the coast tomorrow.