Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 is cycle touring in Greece on Tuesday, 15th-October-2013. Kamena 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. And a local did tell me that nobody would stop me because I’m a tourist) 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 just 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!
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