Tag: BicycleTouringGreece

Garry McGivern (Travelsonabike2) bicycle touring Greece on his trusty bike, Passepartout

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Bicycle Touring Europe: Greece, In Athens | Travelsonabike2

Old building with colunms on hill

Bicycle Touring Europe: Greece, in Athens

Cycling Europe, heading for Athens, my latest bicycle touring update from Greece, on Thursday, the 17th October 2013. In Athens. I was starting to get a bit worried first thing this morning. After managing to get everything yesterday that I needed to pack my bike and gear away for the flight home, apart from the box for my bike!

I was told yesterday by one shop that they would have a box for me today and to come back at 10 o’clock today, which I did, but no box and got told to come back in another hour. Again, after another hour, I went back, still no box! I was definitely starting to get a bit anxious now. But they assured me that it would be ok and that they were just waiting on a delivery! I eventually got a box at about 1 pm and quickly went back to the hotel to start packing my bike away.

Tour Information

It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:

Follow My Bicycle Touring Adventures

Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I continue to travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.

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Bicycle Touring Europe: Greece, Elefsina To Athens | Travelsonabike2

Garry McGivern with his touring bike

Bicycle Touring Europe: Greece, Estefini to Athens

Cycling Europe, heading for Athens, my latest bicycle touring update from Greece, on Wednesday, the 16th October 2013. Estefini to Athens. 28 miles. I was still on the road nice and early despite not having far to go. I know what it’s like when I go into big cities. I always get lost, and yes, as per normal, I did!

Once I sort of found the centre, I found a hotel booked in. I wanted to make sure I had a room. I also got a city map from them so I could go in search of the sights. Mainly the Acropolis. Whilst I was checking in, it started to pour with rain really heavily. So I sheltered in the hotel lobby for an hour or so and picked the receptionist’s brains. I wanted to know where bike shops were and where I could get some packaging material from.

The rain just wasn’t letting up so I just went for it. I needed to get on.
I found the Acropolis, but unfortunately, it was up a big hill. And not accessible with my bike, so I never really got my picture taken with it. I also managed to sort packaging and bags for my stuff. The only thing I haven’t sorted is a box for my bike, hopefully, I’ll get one tomorrow!

Tour Information

It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:

Follow My Bicycle Touring Adventures

Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I continue to travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.

Follow Garry on his travels

Subscribe to my email and follow me on my travels

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Bicycle Touring Europe: Greece, Kamena Vourla To Elefsina | Travelsonabike2

Touring bike by road

Bicycle Touring Europe: Greece, Kamena Vourla to Elefsina

Cycling Europe, heading for Athens, my latest bicycle touring update from Greece, on Tuesday, the 15th October 2013. Kamena Vourla to Elefsina. 106 miles. Well, today didn’t go quite according to plan. But that was the gamble I took yesterday afternoon. The route I should have taken went up another mountain, and I couldn’t take another climb, not late in the day anyway! The route I took, I knew, turned into a motorway. I was just hoping to either ride on it ( there aren’t any signs saying you can’t) or maybe there was another road that wasn’t on my map.

It all started okay, and I was making good progress flying along on the motorway until I came to a toll booth. I knew I should have got off before it. But I was just hoping that it would have been like it was in China, where I used to ride through! No, the police got me before I got there and made me cycle back to the last exit, the one I should have got off at! The police were ok, really. They seemed more interested in the big stick I was carrying in case of dogs. When I explained to them what it was for, they just smiled.

Long Day

I did manage to follow the motorway for a good few more miles on the service road that ran alongside. But even that ran out, and I found myself on a dirt track heading away from the motorway! I eventually found my way back and then, at the first opportunity, headed inland on a road that was on my map.
I think I might have pushed myself a little bit too much today. Not sure if it was the heat or lack of food. But I felt really faint this afternoon and just had to stop and have something to eat and drink. I could really feel myself going. I was going up another big climb at the time, and I’d already done ninety miles! Luckily, I still had plenty of water and some Gummy bears to get my sugar level back up. After about 10 minutes, I felt fine and continued up the climb.
I finished in the dark again tonight, but I’m more or less where I wanted to get to. I think I’ve got about a ten-mile ride into the centre of Athens tomorrow. Although I don’t know what or where I’m exactly heading for!

Tour Information

It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:

Follow My Bicycle Touring Adventures

Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I continue to travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.

Follow Garry on his travels

Subscribe to my email and follow me on my travels

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Bicycle Touring Europe: Greece, Larisa To Kamena Vourla | Travelsonabike2

Rocky landscape

Bicycle Touring Europe: Greece, Larissa to Kamena Vourla

Cycling Europe, heading for Athens, my latest bicycle touring update from Greece, on Monday, the 14th October 2013. Larissa to Kamena Vourla. 93 miles. I got told by some other cyclist yesterday that it was flat all the way to Athens! Now I don’t know what drugs or what he’s been smoking. But it certainly wasn’t flat. Not with a 1200m climb anyway! But I always take what other people say with a pinch of salt. I hope they’re right, but I’m not disappointed when they’re not!

My dog stick came in handy today. I had to fend off some other dogs today. I’m really not enjoying the dog situation! I’ve been in the clouds for most of the day (some say I’m permanently in the clouds!) and have not been able to see anything at all. It was even raining for a while, but it’s so humid the sweat just pours off of me!

Nice hotel tonight, or rather the location is nice. It’s right on the seafront, I’m sitting on my balcony writing this with the sound of the sea lapping on the beach. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t alone! But only for a moment!

Tour Information

It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:

Follow My Bicycle Touring Adventures

Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I continue to travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.

Follow Garry on his travels

Subscribe to my email and follow me on my travels