30 days plus one: 4300 km tour of Greece

[hayabusaTravels]

Thank you!
Greece is worth a visit. If you cross the ocean for it, make sure you are prepared for an extensive tour.
Rent a motorcycle and plan at least for a month.

Let's continue:
Early in the morning we run to the Delphi Archaeological Site.

Little to no visitors there and we had time to visit the place.
Obviously it started raining at the end, possibly Apollo was upset that we came without gifts to his temple.

There is a lot to say about Delphi.

This small town built on a mountain in Greece had an extraordinary career.
Delhi was a local altar and an arbiter of international events. A concentration of national unity and an arena of intense political rivalry
His messages, "know yourself" and "nothing in excess" still have power and value now.

Every important event in history has been represented here in bronze, gold or marble.
The location quickly became a place of trophies, of Greek victories, especially in wars with the Persian Empire.
Celebrating these victories, an ideal of Greek unity was created.

A walk to Delphi was a walk through the history of ancient Greece
considering that nothing could be destroyed because each heat and satire was dedicated to Apollo.

Of course, there's a lot of informations over the internet.

What it looked like in antiquity:

The treasury built by the Athenians after they defeated the Persian Empire at the Battle of Marathon

The monument of the Battle of Platea:

perhaps the most important in the area, the original is in Istanbul. This monument was erected to celebrate the total victory over the Persian Empire.

Temple of Apollo, where the oracle was:

The Gods return to Delphi:

The stadium where the Pithia games took place:
these games competed with the Olympic games from Olympia.

Here's a video but it has a voiceover in Romanian. You can mute it and only see the the landscape:

 

[Bumblebee]

You are fortunate to have a good riding partner to enjoy these trips with you...in this day and age I figure there will be less and less such excursions in the future.

Well done, it's almost like watching a National Geographic write up.

 

[Red05]

 

[hayabusaTravels]

I can't imagine traveling without Kitty.
She is most important to me. Her safety and confort always comes first.
.It's a loss to travel without having a close partner to share the adventure and the beautiful places you visited.
The beautiful moments but also the less pleasant events.

My wife had a medical problem in Platamon, I will tell when I get there. Imagine beeing alone, sick in a foreign country, miles away from home and having no medical insurance.
Good think I planned for this problems also. I'm a control freak and prepare for everything in advance.
If I don't have a backup plan for every bad situatiation that might happen, I postpone the travels untill I have a plan for that situation.
It was stupid to go without medical issuance and this will never happen again. The problem is that I didn't find any to cover motorcycle travels. Basic issuance does me no good as we never needed before in 6 years since we a seriously traveling with our motorcycle.
And the thing that Kitty had was complently her fault because of not eating right and not hydrating enough.
Now we know and good thing it wasn't serious although it costed us over 150 euros.
I'll search for international motorcycle travel issuance for our future travels as those will be more far away and longer distances spaning multiple countries.

Of course, you just cannot plan for everything, but you can deduce some things that might go wrong.
I don't like those kind of adventures when I have to rely on luck, or the help of other people.
Rigorous planning doesn't mean removal of the adventure because adventure will always find you anyway, you are far away from home, well out of our habbits and comfort zone.
In Athens we barelly found a hotel. It got dark outside and I found a hotel by shear luck.
So adventure always finds you...

Beeing stranded on a scorching sun with no water, no phone signal but with mechanical issues is not the kind of adventure I want for myself.
That's why I ride that slow, always prepared to stop nomatter the case, always ready to plan an exit.
For me the reward of the adventure is getting safe to the planned destination.

Back home, when I choose a destination for a long tour, I plan it months in advance to know well before how much time and money will I have to invest.
If that tour is over my time or budget, I simply postpone. Or pick another destination that better fits my current situation.
I have many plans for the future: 6 months tour of Africa, going from Romania to the Cannary Islands and back... and others.
But those imply a serious budget and time. One day I'd like to also do a 6-8 months tour of all US, Canada.
Also going from South to North America...
The world is inviting us to find our own adventures.

Many fellow motorcyclist from my country are laughing because I ride slow. They make jokes...
It's not my wish to be the fastest one. My plan is to be the longest-lived, to enjoy motorclycling as long as my health allows me to. So what if there are better suited motorcycles for touring? I want to ride the motorcycle that I love. Nor the motorcycle everybody thinks, or tells me is better.
The best motorcycle is the one you already have. Just prepare the poop out of it and yourself and go live your adventure.

And yes, sharing the travel adventures with someone close, is the next best thing aside doing the travel itself.
But that no reason to not go for the adventure of your lifetime.
Thank you for the appreciations.

 

[Red05]

But that no reason to not go for the adventure of your lifetime.

Alone is indeed better than not at all

 

[georgiabusa_05]

I really love your travels. Your write up are great to follow along with. I can get lost in them and the videos and it almost seems like I am there. Having a great riding partner and a bike you love make all the difference in the trips you are doing. Keep up the great work on your trips, looking forward to seeing more. Thanks for sharing them with us. Tim.

 

[hayabusaTravels]

Thank you!

We run away from the archaeological site and head to the Archeology Museum where there was already a huge queue due to a group of tourists.
We decide to wait for them to pass and we enter 20 minutes later.
Anyway, it was very crowded at the museum.

The "omphalos" stone, a symbol of the center of the world:

This statue is also of great importance among the archaeological finds at Delphi:

Known as Heniokhos, it is one of the most well-known surviving statues of ancient Greece, being considered one of the best examples of ancient bronze statues.
There is a lot of information on the internet.

 

[hayabusaTravels]

Forgot to post the video from the museum.
It has no romanian voice over:

After visiting the museum, we head towards the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, two km below away from the city.
Athena Pronaia means "Athena, the one before the temple", referring to the fact that, this sanctuary was first encountered by the visitor who came to the oracle on the east road.

The Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia was a group of buildings comprising temples and treasures, as well as the famous Tholos of Delphi.

Built to the southeast, it is dedicated to the goddess Athena, whose duty it was to protect the oracle, the sacred enclosure of brother Apollo.
Athena fulfilled her task well, because Herodotus tells us that in 480 BC the Persians were stopped on their way to Delphi by an earthquake.
The rocks that fell after the earthquake stopped the Persian advance over Delphi but greatly damaged this temple, which was struck by another earthquake in 373 BC.

This is what remains of the Tholos of Delphi:

The excavations revealed that the location was a Mycenaean village between 1500 and 1100 BC, during which time the main religious emphasis was placed on a cult of the Earth goddess.
Around 1000 BC, worshiping Apollo became dominant when this new god was brought into the region by either the Cretan settlers, or the northern tribes of Thessaly.

There were two archaeologists working on site while we visited.
Video from the location, again with romanian voice over:

From here we retire to the city to eat something and make plans for the next day.
We ride to Platamon to enjoy a few days on the beach.
But on the way, we just have to make a stop at the Thermopylae.

 

[Bumblebee]

Where you able to get to a Mezze yet?

I went to a few when I was deployed to Cyprus and made the mistake of eating everything at first not realizing there were 10 courses coming....I was stuffed like a Christmas turkey...

 

[hayabusaTravels]

No, we didn't. We only ate at small street taverns and local small places. Still, the prices were a bit high on some of those places. No way we planned to spend 80 euro or more for some fancy restaurants.
Our budget was tight because we had a lot of locations to cover in 31 days.

Two meals a day for two persons were about 25 - to 35 euros.
Multiply that to 30 days and you get 1050 euros. Add petrol (1.4 to 1.9euro/l) and 50eur/night for acommodation... just one accomodations price was 36 euros/night as the rest started from 50 or more.

We spend 4500 euro in this trip. A sum wich is very high in my country, but not enough to allow yourself some luxuries in Greece, such as renting a boat, or eat at a restaurant in touristy locations.
In Oia, Santorini we had to get back to the hotel were there is a local street food tavern. We just coult not pay 30euro each for a simple greek salad in Oia and leave that place still hungry...
All ferryboat crossings were 550euros...
Then came museums and other things. We didn't by any souvenirs and gifts because first of all, where to put them all and second, many were expensive.
We came home with just two refrigirator magnets, two soaps made of "vulcanic rock" from Thira, Santorini and one beach towel from Zakynthos

 

[Bumblebee]

Of course....it was in the '80s when I was in Cyprus so I reckon their prices have risen quite a bit as well...

The only good thing is we were being hosted so the Mezze cost us nothing.

 

[Red05]

Memories make great souvenirs
Beautiful pictures of that region once again

 

[hayabusaTravels]

Exactly how we feel!

Let's continue:

The road to the Thermopiles is absolutely brilliant.
Wonderful landscapes and picturesque villages, although sometimes the laneis a bit tight.
What to do? We go ahead to where "Father" Garmin says.
At least it was very hot outside, maybe too hot.

Who hasn't heard of the Battle of the Thermopylae?
That is why I will not insist on historical data. There is enough information on the internet.
What is worth mentioning, however, is that the battle took place in a location opposite this monument, now a small hill, after crossing the main street and climbing on a path.
The street and statue monument here were under water back then.

Many do not visit the actual place of battle either because they do not know about its existence, either because they are too lazy.

When I get back to the motorcycle, I see in the distance a bigger parking lot and some tables with umbrellas.
Hmm ... let's just go and cool off and then we're off.

In fact, that was the "Thermopile Museum".
Just a room with projections like the movie with details about the battle, but no archaeological findings as all of those we saw at Athens Archaeological Museum. And the endless souvenir shop.
6 euros to see the projections. No, thanks.
At least they had a toilet and a small shop where you could buy your coffee, juice and sandwiches.

We sit down for a coffee, cool off and go "finally" - says Kitty, to Platamon.
I'll take a final picture before we leave.
Let's go to the beach!

 

[Red05]

Let's go to the beach!

I have my plastic bucket and shovel ready lol

 

[hayabusaTravels]

Sorry for the slow pace but we're nearly at the end of our trip.
Before posting here I have to edit the videos and post them on youtube.

We continue our road to Platamonas:

When we arrive at the hotel and go to the sea to try the water.
It's a bit cold, we don't worry as from the next day temperatures will rise. September is almost gone so in the evenings is a bit chilly outside.

Didn't take more pictures as there is nothing of interest to make pictures of.
Just your ordinary small beach town.

We stayed at Hotel Morfeas, two stars but very ok. Private parking, large room and breakfast included.
Being the end of September, the resort was not that crowded.

We spend a few days relaxing at the beach and one evening we go to Neoi Poroi which is very close to Platamon.
More out of curiosity ... not that many tourists there also.

Although we wanted to go on a motorcycle ride at the base of Mount Olympus, where you can enter by motorcycle, we gave up that plan.
We prefer to have a good rest and hang out at the beach.

We will stay a few days in Platamon, then we leave for Kavala, not before visiting Meteora.

 

[hayabusaTravels]

On September 30, 2019 we leave for Kavala with the plan of visiting Meteora on the way. This is a detour but Meteora is worth a visit if you are still in the area.
The road to Meteora is good, without events, the GPS taking us to the first monastery.

Great heat that day. That's how it always happened: when I was sitting on the beach it was 26°C with clouds and the wind was blowing more or less with gusts. But when we had to visit a location by foot, directly +30°C views without any breeze.

But let's go back.
The purpose of the visit to Meteora was just to put it on the list, to check that we were there. We had some distance to cover for that day, somewhere up to 530 km.
And as we left Platamon late, we arrived in Meteora after 2 pm, if I remember correctly.
It takes time and effort to climb every monastery and I would have done it just to marvel at the landscapes that are revealed to you from those heights.

Meteora is one of the largest and most important Orthodox monastery complexes in Greece, second only to Mount Athos.
Included in the UNESCO cultural and natural heritage since 1988, the location rewards you with wonderful landscapes.

 

[Bumblebee]

That monastery view is like something right out of a movie, great shot. That sure is an ancient land.

Kudos to your gal Kitty in taking care of all that hair on this trip, she sure would be feeling the heat.

 

[08BusaKY]

Looks like a cool place to ride and see!

 

[Red05]

That monastery view is like something right out of a movie, great shot.

Yes what an incredible place to build it.

 

[hayabusaTravels]

It is, but you have to stay at least a full day in order to take it all in properly.
That wasn't an option for us.