The title of this post used to be an unthinkable case before I started travelling intensively (mostly on 2 wheels) but for the last decade (plus) it has been rather a normality for me, unless weather sucks big time making it time to stay home. Well, "home" has also become relative as the saddle of my bike frequently feels more like home than my official one but that's another story (and another post maybe).
There couldn't be a longer middle finger to the energy war we all experience than this beyond superb weather that we still have here over Hellenic soil even in the beginning of November, embarrassing the summer days. Simply couldn't get any better under this bright was sunshine so I'm leaving the big city named Athens behind and head West.
West of Athens there's lots of industrial/dodgy areas so I'll spare you that part of the route but as the traffic drops after Mandra I start enjoying the good tarmac and the sweet bends on the E962:
As the tires feel nice and clean on the sides I turn left here heading West and the scenery gets more rural, traffic is zero and I can't be any happier:
Especially when I cross this dense pine forest:
Not so happy when those burnt pine trees remind me of the recent disastrous wildfires:
Despite that the rest of the route up to this view point is biker's heaven by no stretch of imagination but I'll leave it up to you to characterise the view point itself:
Can it get any better? Probably not. I have the bay of Porto Germeno filling my eyes on a perfect day with zero traffic. I think the bike's happy too:
No doubt with a view like this:
Irresistible:
In the distance right in the center you can see part of the local ancient castle (4th B.C.!) but more on that later. For the moment I enjoy the absence of human activity in such a wonderful spot:
At a next lower view point I get a closer view of the castle, unfortunately peppered with some burnt trees:
The view behind is more green:
But the scars of the wildfires on the other side spoil the colours and the joy:
But who's the master of colouring? The sea of course, the one at Porto Germeno to be precise:
Fancy some contrast? Look what's on my back:
This run down has been lived recently but in the possibility of still being lived I didn't explore it. You can have a bite on how it's like inside though:
As a bonus, see the art it hosts on its wall:
For some reason I get the feeling it was done by the guy who used to live there (or still is). Go figure...
Let's focus back on the more vivid side of things:
Not sure these colours match the sea but definitely better than the bare concrete anyway:
My eyes are caught by these millstones:
Look how mercilessly the sea has treated all the metal parts:
They do make a contrast with the sea's shades of blue:
After all this time I am wandering solo around there I am finally not alone anymore:
She meows rather sad and walks away when she realises I have no food to offer. She looks so small in the next image, basically cause she actually is:
You know you are walking over Hellenic soil when the trees have olives and there's history in the background:
Yep, I made it to that ancient castle. Looks lovely but it's closed. There's one day in the week they close and that's my birthday haha. No worries, I'll show you around from the outside:
This impressive piece of ancient fortressing suffered extended damages during a local strong earthquake in 1981 (which also shook Athens very badly) but a restoration project started in 2011 despite the intense economic crisis. It's actually still going on:
What a contrast the burnt trees make with their luckier and greener brothers:
I like how the sky compliments this detail of the ancient ruins:
Time to take the road back home. On my way I make a stop to a local abandoned hotel. It's all Greek to you literally but it's funny to read the offers written on the entrance. Feels like they could be hand written by the owner him/herself 🙂:
That's how the entrance look today:
I know you'd like a closer look to that van don't ya?
As you can already guess, few places are promising URBEX wise as much as this is but with a heavy heart I am going to disappoint you. No time - gotta go! (What keeps me busy might be a future post).
One last shot with that Ancient Acropolis in the background outside this leftover a hotel before I hit the road:
And it's so nice to enjoy empty roads like this one:
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As I pass by the view point I showed you in the beginning I make a stop to show you how the locals decorated the water tank donated by a cement company:
The route back offers the same weird feeling once more - nice as it is I can't take my eyes off the dead bodies of the burnt trees:
This next water tank also took a treatment like the previous one:
Judging by the intensity of the fire they guys definitely beautified it. Nothing they could do to make this trees happier though:
The local tiny church took no fire risk helped by the surrounding cement:
Not these guys though:
Who likes empty roads?
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Later I meet this sad abandoned house totally in the middle of nowhere, which also used to have a water well:
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The open road is more attractive so I don't hesitate to hop on my bike:
The last fires made the scenery around more bare but still worth capturing this combo of colours which will be greener every year hence kinda unique right now:
What a birthday would be without some sweet treat? Ladies and gents, here's a good profiterole and the sole best fucking banoffee I've ever tried. By far:
Would you like a 4K video summarising the above to help you digest? Be my guest:
