42. Glyfa to Tymfristos

The sun was out again this morning…good news…for today we were heading back into the mountains!

It was a lovely start to the day…sort of following the convoluted coast of the “Malian Gulf”…..

……difficult to follow what was mainland…and what was Evia…and where the open sea was!!

Until we left the sea and headed through the city of Lamia…when the riding became…just difficult! Strong West wind all day…..and an all-too-busy road!

Beautiful views of the mountains (…..Greece is just so mountainous!)..but….!

As we started climbing properly…the traffic thinned out! 

And it was a good grunt up to our overnight stop at Tymfristos.

Indeed…..we both arrived here with buggar all battery left! That wind had seriously taken its toll…on batteries and bodies! A well-earned double ton today!

No accommodation booking was available on line…so we arrived in hope only…or else we would have to recharge for the 14km uphill to Karpenissi! …Another of Greece’s ski resorts (always a surprise!)..…which we knew had plenty of accommodation!

Tymfristos on the other hand is just a small village….clinging to a switch-back road….. and on one of the corners we saw a sign for ‘apartment’.

An elderly woman was sitting on a wall…supping on a glass of wine (4.30pm it was). “Where are you from” she asked in perfect 

English. And so ensued a wonderful conversation. Yes…there are apartments here….but the owner is away. She called for us….but advised that he was probably asleep (siesta from 2.30 to 5!).

So we retired to a cafe/mini market on the same corner for frappe and water!

We were not expecting much…but 30 minutes later….we were ushered to this!!

An extraordinary house…with an extraordinary view (we are up at around 900m here).

One of the very best accommodations of the trip. Not often you get Nescafe Gold!! Hahaha!

Wonderful shower…and back to the corner store….for beers…..and one of the best souvlakis and Greek salads anywhere!

Plenty of Google-translate conversations….everyone was just so kind and welcoming!

What a find!!

And to cap it off…after last nights backgammon drubbing by Iain…I gave him a hiding tonight!

We both felt we had really lucked out today!!

That is our place…just to the left!

A further 600m to climb first thing…looking forward to it already!