Another early-ferry start to the day…..as we resume the journey in earnest.
They had put on an extra sailing today (good for us!)…but we had to wonder why when only three cars clambered on board, plus us two..plus four foot passengers! The six crew members were somewhat under-employed. But the on-board cafe…was closed!
An hour across flat calm waters took us to Vasiliki, at the bottom end of the island of Lefkada. Connected to the mainland by a bridge…..but an island all the same!
200m from the ferry…a bakery appeared! To make up for the guys on the ferry who were too busy to open the on-board cafe!! Nae feeling very seedy.
So we really did not get away until around 10am….and it turned into a long…hot…day!?
Really nice ride across Lefkada…
…but as we got ever closer to the airport (on the mainland at Aktion)…traffic increased and became impatient…..possibly mostly Brits in hire cars racing for flights!….with some unnecessarily close shaves (..and lots of swearing…from me! Honestly….they might save a few seconds…but those seconds seem more important than cyclists’ safety.).
Thankfully..the ‘bridge’ closed for traffic just after we crossed it…so we had a full half hour of no following traffic at all!! Ticked over 4,000km here…..
And then onto a huge almost deserted new road…past the airport…and then it stopped! But we carried on through the construction! A short cut which worked…haha!
And immediately to here! The toll booth for a tunnel. Bikes not allowed!! But this route saves around 150km….! (..sorry out of focus photo!)
I had read about this…on cycling blogs. There used to be a bike transport service to take bikes through…until some bikes got damaged and the owners sued! Since when…folk have simply hitch-hiked through, putting their bikes in the back of utes etc for the 2km ride.
So…..here we were!
We gave ourselves half an hour…..and thought we could otherwise pedal back to the airport and find a taxi…! And just as that time limit expired….this arrived…!!
A lovely guy….who confirmed the bike transfer service is still operating…very informally!! No charge…but please sign a disclaimer! And ten minutes later we popped out the other side of the tunnel! Phew…! Another short-cut which had worked (for all those doubters!)
Then up the coast…full of fairly sparse new developments, of the hydro-slide variety…to a nice wee taverna at our 80km mark….for far too much lunch at nearly 4pm!!
We opted to carry on for another 30km or so..to find a real town to stay in, beyond the coastal dross.
I had not checked the state of my battery! So as we headed off at 4.30pm…I knew I did not have enough juice…once again! So into battery management mode….”eco”….and in the heat…and up unexpected hills…it was hard, hard work…and when we pulled into Ammoudia….I was a panting overheated sweat-ball! Nae too exhausted to even make it the 300m for a swim. I am sure steam rose when I dived in!
We had crossed the legendary Acheron just before arriving (with no help at all from Charon the ferryman)….and it runs into the sea here at Ammoudia, providing safe harbour for a thriving fishing fleet. No sign of Dante’s distressed souls!!
Lovely wee spot.
Certainly (mostly) a destination for local tourists. Prices back to Greek normal. Our apartment here is just exceptional, a third of the price of last night in over-hyped Liskardo…and three times better!
And…a lie-in tomorrow…for only 60kms or so to Igoumenitsa (& our very late ferry to Italy).
Not our last evening in Greece…but our last night!
Nae showing off her tan…..evidently clinging on to handlebars for too long!!
