Ka Pai Kiwis

21. 7/6/19 The day got off to a slow start with a late breakfast. We then off for a walk to the neighbouring town of Fira which turned into a 20km walk in 30+ temperatures. A section of the walk.  We climbed a prominent rock outcrop called Skaros which actually had an element of rock climbing in it. Going up was easy but as usual descending was tricky and a fall would not have been pretty. The views from every angle are breathtaking.  Santorini is basically the rim of a volcano which exploded and you can see other nearby islands which once made up the rim of this huge crater. The resulting tsunami is what is thought to have extinguished the Minoan culture on the island of Crete. So one side of Santorini has precipitous cliffs and the other side is the gently sloping and fertile land which was once the slopes of the volcano. We caught the bus back and gratefully fell into the swimming pool. Boy this overlanding is a tough gig.

Early start today. Need to be at ferry terminal by 6 am. Day ferry for the first time. Robyn got her cruise! Lovely day of sailing in flat calm water and the boat stopped at the islands of Paros, Naxos and Ios before depositing us at Santorini. The port was crazy busy and I got to try out the air horn. Effective! The steep road from the port was a challenge but what a view from the top. Once Tomtom got its bearings we headed for accommodation in Oia. (Lose the O for correct pronunciation). A nice reunion with Reijo and Barbra, early dinner then photo opportunities at the top of the island. Crowds waiting for the sunset. I think we will enjoy our time here, our room has exceeded our expectations with a lovely view from our balcony. 

Day 18 Housekeeping today. We have shed around 10 Kg of weight ( sadly not off us but the bike) and more importantly heaps of volume. Plenty of challenging terrain ahead so every little helps. Good workout, must have walked nearly 5 km with the bag before we found the "right" post office to post it from, and after all that, it was only 380 metres from our hotel!!!!! So maybe both of us will be able to contribute to the weight loss programme after all. Spent most of the afternoon route planning our new entry into Iran which means we must go from Turkey into Georgia and then Armenia. Bought a couple of extra T shirts today and got yesterdays lecture in reverse, "just because we're sending stuff home doesn't mean you can buy more!!!!" Piraeus is a busy port area with mostly local shops etc but a smattering of tourist things also as the cruise boats dock here. Nice in parts, run down in others but a nice enough place for us to take stock and plan the nex...

As I was packing up the bike a guy on a pushbike stopped and introduced himself as the Mesolongi motorcycle club secretary. Very nice man,so welcome to the blog Gerassimos. He is also a psychotherapist so Robyn has booked a session. ( not sure who needs it most) - Robyn  Down the motorway towards Athens then we turned off for coffee. Had a wee wander about, nice little seaside town. As we were passing a cafe got a "gidday". Guy from Melbourne just saying high. Followed the last 100km on the B roads which are a bit rough and slow in places but the views and the ability to stop make it worthwhile at least for an hour or two. We have a hotel for 3 nights in Piraeus near the port. We have reassessed all the gear we are carrying and have decided to send the camping gear home. I doubt we will use it. A few other bits and pieces have got the cut also. ( quite glad I didnt get culled! Robyn )

Another lovely day -  another very nice breakfast. Sorry to say goodbye to this spot but needs must. A lovely drive along the coast on motorcycle friendly roads. Wonderful views and the roads fairly quiet. Arrived for coffee in the seaside resort town of Sarande, lovely little harbour town with a couple of visiting super yachts moored in the bay. From here we rode through a national park until a river blocked our path, for 300 Lek we were transported to the other side on a wooden barge.  From here we had about 20k to navigate over rough and narrow country lanes until finally emerging back on the highway. Quick stop for gas then the border which was quick and straightforward. We have loved our time in Albania and could have spent more time exploring this hospitable country. But we’re on a mission...... So into Greece, followed the coast for a while then inland through fairly uninspiring country but as we moved south the lush valleys appeared and also what must b...

As requested by avid followers of this blog I will periodically update the mileage reading.

Beautiful day today and began with breakfast served to us in the garden by our very nice host Niko. We set off about 9 once again through mainly agricultural areas. The farms look to me to be on a fairly small scale by our standards, I’m guessing that they would be mainly family affairs. We saw families in the fields - mum and dad working and children playing around the donkey and cart. Passed through a massive farmers market which was obviously a weekly occurrence. The farmland disappeared as we neared the coast and we stopped for morning tea in Vlore which is a large seaside town full of beachside restaurants and apartments a bit like the gold coast in Aussie. From here along the coast it was all tourist hotels and apartments but we are very early in the season so not too many people about. The road then turned inland and up and over a very large hilly section, very windy and rough in places. Spectacular views down the coast from the top and a very popular spot for motorcyc...