At 46 kilometres with an 800 metre total ascent it was a bit of a long day, the morning in wooded mountains and after lunch among farmland and scrub.
I left early to enjoy the cool of the day, the noise of my departure masked by the racket made by the council rubbish collection. The first part of the day was climbing through the typical oak woods, occasionally on sections of tarmac road but mainly on dirt tracks. In amongst the woodlands were small orchards of what appeared to be cherry trees, some neglected but others being maintained to a high standard. Archaggelos was the first village where the local market was selling fish, clothes, biscuits, cheese and the like. I watched the scene over coffee at one of the nearby cafés. Then it was along a dirt road rising for a while and then loosing all the height gained today and yesterday (a depressing thought). As the track down had innumerable twists and turns the section took longer than I had hoped. Near the bottom pomegranate trees grew beside the track, the over-ripe fruit splitting in a macabre "grin" to reveal the seeds inside. Eventually I reached the village of Foustani at the base of the hills in time for lunch. Ordering was helped by a kind lady who spoke English and lived next to the cafe come restaurant. One Internet source indicated accommodation was available in the village (oreivatein.com), so I asked the lady about it. The rooms were just opposite but it appeared the owners were elsewhere and had not left the key with the usual lady.
Consequently I carried on, through the next village of Theriopetra. The E4 then took a route at the base of a range of mountains that formed a barrier to north. I passed farmland, scrub and a field of solar panels (not the first I had seen). I had a decision, should I camp on some scrubland and wait hot and sweaty for a number of hours until it was time to sleep, or should I try to reach the town of Aridaia where booking.com confirmed a hotel with vacancies existed, and where I could get a refreshing shower and beer. I decided on a long walk to Aridaia arriving just after 6:00 pm making it almost a 12 hour day of walking. Somewhat frustrated by the very complicated shower cum jacuzzi cum radio at the Hotel Lidra I eventually washed away my sweat with cold water. The cold, draught beer (in a glass from the fridge) was somewhat easier to procure at the bar next door.
I left early to enjoy the cool of the day, the noise of my departure masked by the racket made by the council rubbish collection. The first part of the day was climbing through the typical oak woods, occasionally on sections of tarmac road but mainly on dirt tracks. In amongst the woodlands were small orchards of what appeared to be cherry trees, some neglected but others being maintained to a high standard. Archaggelos was the first village where the local market was selling fish, clothes, biscuits, cheese and the like. I watched the scene over coffee at one of the nearby cafés. Then it was along a dirt road rising for a while and then loosing all the height gained today and yesterday (a depressing thought). As the track down had innumerable twists and turns the section took longer than I had hoped. Near the bottom pomegranate trees grew beside the track, the over-ripe fruit splitting in a macabre "grin" to reveal the seeds inside. Eventually I reached the village of Foustani at the base of the hills in time for lunch. Ordering was helped by a kind lady who spoke English and lived next to the cafe come restaurant. One Internet source indicated accommodation was available in the village (oreivatein.com), so I asked the lady about it. The rooms were just opposite but it appeared the owners were elsewhere and had not left the key with the usual lady.
Consequently I carried on, through the next village of Theriopetra. The E4 then took a route at the base of a range of mountains that formed a barrier to north. I passed farmland, scrub and a field of solar panels (not the first I had seen). I had a decision, should I camp on some scrubland and wait hot and sweaty for a number of hours until it was time to sleep, or should I try to reach the town of Aridaia where booking.com confirmed a hotel with vacancies existed, and where I could get a refreshing shower and beer. I decided on a long walk to Aridaia arriving just after 6:00 pm making it almost a 12 hour day of walking. Somewhat frustrated by the very complicated shower cum jacuzzi cum radio at the Hotel Lidra I eventually washed away my sweat with cold water. The cold, draught beer (in a glass from the fridge) was somewhat easier to procure at the bar next door.
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| View across plains from mountains by Skra in early morning |
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| The village of Archaggelos on market day |
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| Track through the trees |
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