A walk past orchards and farmland through a number of villages between the towns of Aridaia and Loutraki.
I woke to the sound of bells at the church next door. As I had a shorter walk today (just under 24 kilometres) I decided on breakfast at the hotel and strolled around the town until it was available. Mass was being sung by the priest at the church, the doors open so you could peep in and see the gold glinting in the shadows. In one of the streets they were setting up for a market, mainly clothes. Sheets had been hung across the road to protect shoppers from the sun.
From Aridaia I headed north to rejoin the E4 through villages with ladies' names, Dorothea and Agatha, passing orchards of plums and fields of maize. The E4 proper continued along the embankment of a wide, pebbly dry river bed. Surprising that it was dry as despite it being late summer there was plenty of water coming off the mountains, much of it I suspect went into irrigation channels that often ran beside the track or was piped to more distant parts.
After passing the village of Garefi the E4 climbed the edge of the mountain a little along a track cut into the side of the rock. This offered a view across the plain below with the little orchards and fields of grass making a patchwork in places. On coming down into the village of Promachi it was time for a little refreshment, a lemonade and ice cream from a booth on the square served the purpose while watching the comings and goings. The owner spoke good English, it was always surprising who had some English and who did not.
Another, albeit modest climb followed, across a ridge then down to the village of Likostomo. The sun was now hot and the final stage along the road, by orchards of trees I struggled to identify, was somewhat tedious. I looked forward to a shower.
On reaching the Guesthouse Athanasiou (or what I took to be the place based on my understanding of the Greek letters) I searched for some sign of what to do. There was no obvious reception so I rang the guesthouse's phone number. Phrasebooks do not tell you how to say "I am standing outside of the guesthouse, please let me in" although I have needed the phrase a number of times on my travels in various countries. As the lady answering had little English (and me no Greek) it took some persistence to get her to open her door on the top floor of the building and look down on me. I think she was expecting a car, but I could be wrong. Anyway the room is lovely, the shower simple to use. I washed my clothes and they are now drying on the framework of the four poster bed and I have stocked up with supplies at a Mini Market nearby. So all is well with the world!
I woke to the sound of bells at the church next door. As I had a shorter walk today (just under 24 kilometres) I decided on breakfast at the hotel and strolled around the town until it was available. Mass was being sung by the priest at the church, the doors open so you could peep in and see the gold glinting in the shadows. In one of the streets they were setting up for a market, mainly clothes. Sheets had been hung across the road to protect shoppers from the sun.
From Aridaia I headed north to rejoin the E4 through villages with ladies' names, Dorothea and Agatha, passing orchards of plums and fields of maize. The E4 proper continued along the embankment of a wide, pebbly dry river bed. Surprising that it was dry as despite it being late summer there was plenty of water coming off the mountains, much of it I suspect went into irrigation channels that often ran beside the track or was piped to more distant parts.
After passing the village of Garefi the E4 climbed the edge of the mountain a little along a track cut into the side of the rock. This offered a view across the plain below with the little orchards and fields of grass making a patchwork in places. On coming down into the village of Promachi it was time for a little refreshment, a lemonade and ice cream from a booth on the square served the purpose while watching the comings and goings. The owner spoke good English, it was always surprising who had some English and who did not.
Another, albeit modest climb followed, across a ridge then down to the village of Likostomo. The sun was now hot and the final stage along the road, by orchards of trees I struggled to identify, was somewhat tedious. I looked forward to a shower.
On reaching the Guesthouse Athanasiou (or what I took to be the place based on my understanding of the Greek letters) I searched for some sign of what to do. There was no obvious reception so I rang the guesthouse's phone number. Phrasebooks do not tell you how to say "I am standing outside of the guesthouse, please let me in" although I have needed the phrase a number of times on my travels in various countries. As the lady answering had little English (and me no Greek) it took some persistence to get her to open her door on the top floor of the building and look down on me. I think she was expecting a car, but I could be wrong. Anyway the room is lovely, the shower simple to use. I washed my clothes and they are now drying on the framework of the four poster bed and I have stocked up with supplies at a Mini Market nearby. So all is well with the world!
Later I walked around the town with many other visitors, it is a popular town for tourists due to the nearby spa, looking for somewhere to eat. Surprisingly many restaurants looked closed, but I found a place with a sign saying "fast food" where I joined many others enjoying a typical meal (Greek salad, gyros, chips and an Alfa beer). On the way back to the guesthouse I also slipped into the "sweet shop" for a little cake....
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| Morning view from my room at the Hotel Lidra at Aridaia of the church with the bells that woke me up |
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| Dry river bed north of Aridaia |
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| Looking down on the patchwork of fields and orchards |
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