Nfplio

 Yesterday we decided that we would go for a bike ride so we hired bicycles. I had found on google a little shop that hires bicycles for the day. It’s called the bike basement and is just off the main road close to the old town. We went there just as he opened at ten am. A nice guy runs the shop and within minutes we were at the helm of two great, fairly new, city bikes. 

As I said before Kalamata is a city built for cycling. It is completely flat and every road has brilliantly designed cycle lanes. Even the intricate junctions and roundabouts are designed with the cyclist in mind, coloured tiles and direction markers guarantee that you can’t put a wheel out of place. 

We cycled down the main precinct and out along the harbour. The harbour turns to beach and stretches at least a mile along the city sea front. Cycle lanes all the way. All along the shore small cafes and bars provide every conceivable commodity. Coffee bars, smoothie cafes, eateries. It is very cosmopolitan. Every place has cycle racks to secure people’s bikes whilst they take their comforts. Not that I think it would be necessary to lock the bikes here as people seem far too nice for that kind of thing.

We had been talking to a young lady who lived in a small village called Avia, four miles down the coast. When I told her we fancied a bit of cycling she suggested that we try there. You can see it from Kalamata and it seemed achievable. We made this our objective for the day. It was 34 degrees in the shade when we set of on our two wheel transport.

The cycle ways ended at the furthest extent of the beach and led onto the small highway that follows the line of the coast. The road was quiet and what drivers there were proved to be very accommodating. We cycled for about two hours. Crispy is used to battery assistance when cycling as she is the proud owner of an Ebike at home. I am used to pedal power as my bike is of the traditional type without a motor. We cycled for two hours that increasingly felt like an eternity. The temperature continued to climb and by the time we reached Avia the temperature was touching 42. It was Hot, very Hot. Every small incline turned into a mini mountain section of the Tour de France. By the time we reached Avia we were both tired and exhausted. At home we can easily cover 20 miles with no real effort but here the heat was taking its toll. Crispy only ever gets fractious for three reasons. 1. She’s tired. 2, She,s hungry and 3. She,s hot. This was the perfect storm as all three factors kicked in together at the same moment. I could sense the dark clouds appearing as I cycled behind her. The pleasant comments about the scenery ended. Her shoulders arched over the handlebars and I could see her chest heaving as she cycled onwards. Her legs pumped mechanically like the pistons of “my engine”. She suddenly stopped….and turned to face me. Her face red and angry. Sweat poured like a river from her forehead. “ you didn’t mention hills did you” . “This is bloody stupid”. “Its 42 degrees and I’m on a fecking bike”. “You have some bloody crazy ideas”. She had obviously chosen to forget that the ride was her idea. . The abuse came in torrents like bullets from an automatic rifle. . I knew the signs. I had to cool her down before a total meltdown occurred.

As luck would have it we had just passed a small taverna. One of only a couple on this stretch of the coast. I suggested we turn around and take a comfort break there. We got into the shade and Crispy immediately ran into the crystal clear life saving waters of the Mediterranean. Once immersed in the water the Demon within her was exorcised. She sat in the cool water till her body recovered and stasis was resumed. Now cool we sat on loungers and had a cheeky cold drink and rested. 

Once fully recovered we leisurely cycled back to Kalamata to swim and enjoy the afternoon. After returning the bikes we called at the supermarket and we dined on our roof terrace to use up our supplies as we were departing Kalamata in the morning en route to Nfplio. Our last stop on this amazing adventure before Athens.

In the morning we headed back to face our arch enemy Ktel. The bus was due to depart at 10:30 and we got there early to prevent any chance of missing it. There is a bus that goes direct to Nfplio from Kalamata and according to the internet it runs every day. In reality it only runs on the seventh Sunday of the month and only then if the wind is blowing from the south. Special services are provided following alien invasions or the second coming of Christ. Thus we were obliged to take a bus to Isthmos on the Aegean side of the Corinthian canal before changing buses back the way we had come to Nfplio. (Isthmos is geographically closer to Athens than Nfplio but there was no other way to manage without backtracking at some point).

Surprisingly the buses worked and we arrived at Nfplio just after 4pm with no traumas other than our original connecting bus was full and we had to wait 2 hours for the next one. 

We were determined to get here by hook or by crook. It is reputedly one of the nicest places in Greece. It is cited as the most romantic city in the whole of the country. I wanted this to be a special place for us to chill before moving onto the chaos that undoubtably will be athens.

We found our lodgings in the old town and got showered and freshened up after the days travelling. To be fair Ktel did not let us down today and the travelling was good if just a little protracted. This not to say that we now forgive them for their previous naughtiness.

We had a quick walk into the old town and grabbed a bite to eat. Crispy was ecstatic that we stumbled across a quaint gyros cafe offering gluten free pitta. She was like a kid in a sweetly shop and insisted that we eat there. A team of wild horses would not of pulled her away from that table till she had her pitta. It was good,very good and probably the first time she has eaten anything other than salad since we left home.

Tomorrow we are going to explore. From first opinions it is beautiful and lives up to its hype. The host is amazing and very friendly. He has given us lots of tips of where to eat and what to see.

The huge Castle of Palamides is just outside our window. 1000 steps climb a near vertical rock face to the castle gate. Crispy is keen to get up it and I am sure it will be on our to do list.

Bare and Crispy signing off, under the imposing castle of Palimedes, Nfplio, Peloponnese, Greece