A relaxed day today……if you can call a 1,300m ascent relaxed!
We are planning a crossing of the highest pass in Greece…and Neraidochora is the last place I could find to stay…before the big one!!
We were not overly sorry to be leaving Karditsa! I did read up about it. And its primary claim to fame seems to be three fairly recent Olympians. All walkers! And of all the Olympic disciplines…walking must be the least exciting! Perhaps appropriately…Karditsa is possibly the least exciting Greek city I have visited!
So…25km of fairly flat straight road…as we eyed the mountains we are planning to cross!
But once we started climbing…it was as lovely as ever…..
This bridge…is extraordinary…! Mostar?…eat your heart out!!
And…a wild pig! Not very big…but when she grunted at me…I was not hanging around!
We had a good break here…at Elati…(elation that most of the climb was over by now!). But as we enjoyed our coffee…the storm was rolling in!
Thunder in the distance…getting closer! Thought about daft storm-chasers….as we were ‘chasing’! Cycling as fast as we could to keep ahead of the approaching storm!
…past another of Greece’s ski-fields (a one-lift wonder!)…apparently they really only open two months a year…if they are lucky!
And we did well…a bit wet…but nothing too serious…as we pulled into Neraidochora just before the heavens opened!
Seriously wet. And COLD again. Long johns back on again!! 28 May in Greece!! Hahaha! But we are staying at 1,200k so no real complaints!
Rain…sun…rainbows…gorgeous really!
Our main concern was the morrow..as we have another 1,500 metres to climb!!
Fingers crossed!!
Again today….simply fantastic roads…serving not many villages at all! And after my musing of yesterday…I looked up the numbers.
“Greece with a GDP of $218B ranked the 52nd largest economy in the world, while New Zealandranked 53rd with $204.9B. By GDP 5-years average growth and GDP per capita, Greece and New Zealand ranked 158th vs 72nd and 45th vs 25th, respectively.”
So…amazingly close really!….but pro rata….NZ considerably wealthier and ‘growing’ faster……..so how is it that Greece can afford such spectacular infrastructure!!?? The EU helps of course….but…!! (Do not mention Brexit)….. I remain a bit confused!
Ho hum……
Until tomorrow…alas…Iain’s last riding day!
