John Bickerstaff

John Bickerstaff

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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Some you win, some you lose.
July 30, 2023 in Hungary ⋅ 🌧 21 °C
Relatively lazy start to the day. Breakie was at 8 and the cycle could be anywhere from 36 - 55 miles depending on the weather and the forecasts were not promising. Checked out & almost got away without paying. She came dashing out after me. Not that it was that pricey. It was at that point the rain came. Sheltered for a while but at some point it was a grin and bear it situation because there was no imminent prospect of better. A matter minutes and I was soaked. A matter of a couple of miles and a pot hole and the first puncture of the trip. Some vague shelter under a tree and some road side bike servicing I claimed to enjoy - pah! Was a swift replacement inner tube job except when back on the road there was a regular thud. Checked that no spokes had gone - the wheel was still true(ish) - think the pothole buckled the other way and it was both annoying and concerning. Nothing to be done though, other than worry. Pushed onto to the solitary stop - the Pancho Arena - one of the most unique football stadiums in the world, built for a 3rd tier (at best) team. It just happens to be the president's home town - I'm saying nothing more... A bit further than expected but in a village a stadium kind of stands out. Followed signs for home and away fans & no-one was at the gate so just sailed through. Started the usual circumnavigation of the stadium and as luck would have it, there was a gate open. Parked up and had a little explore. A lady went through at the same time & said nothing. A couple of other people were around and equally ignored me. Carried on to the front, quite unique. Took in the statue of Puskas and the private parking spot of the president right by the VIP entrance. Carried on round to where I was planning to come in and was roundly shooed out and away as was a Swiss guy I got chatting to. The guard wasn't for tourists taking photos. Told him there wasn't a guard at the other entrance & wished him luck. Clearly luck evens out, not that the rain stopped, nor the thumping from the wheel. Ah well. Classic rolling terrain and rain - all felt very British and mad drivers getting way too close. On the last climb into Budapest, some old guy greeted me at the summit with a round of applause. Wouldn't get that in the UK. Downhill to the hotel and dryness.Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
A strange Hungarian version of St Helens
July 29, 2023 in Hungary ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
Post ice cream, it was back over the border to Hungary and the bike lanes continued though in places they were labelled as tractor / horse and cart lanes - no matter at least the mad drivers weren't my concern. Getting across the numerous level crossings however was - lethal. Next stop was the lakeside resort of Tata - lunch stop and with only 10 to go. Settled down in a shady spot by the lake, watched the comings & goings both on the lake and lakeside. Very pretty - also quite busy. From here Tatabanya was signposted but strangely it was unclear when it began. Before getting to the hotel I went through various districts (ish) and none seemed central. Lots of Soviet looking tower blocks then in a stone's throw you seemed to be back in the sticks. Just down the hill from the hotel were three supermarkets all next to one another & nothing else. That is apart from the athletics stadium the hotel overlooked and the mining museum round the corner from Aldi. Clearly it was formerly a mining town but felt more like lots of little towns. On arrival the provincial theme continued - Not a word of English & she wasn't keen on Google's attempts either. At the moment Google isn't doing so well for me. In fairness she hunted down the AIRCON remote for me. Once cooled down, decided to have a little look at the mining museum. Unsurprisingly no-one spoke English though one of the other people visiting suggested she'd translate the tour guide. Didn't think that was fair on her so photographed the map & key and mooched on my own. Interesting window on life in Soviet times. Back to the hotel & thunder was rumbling as was an athletics meet. As the heavens opened I sat on the balcony watching the athletes compete in the rain. Decided to opt out of walking to the rather distant restaurants that might or might not be open according to Google. Lidl was definitely open and close enough.Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Hopping over the border.
July 29, 2023 in Slovakia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
An alfresco breakie for once this trip and not a bad spec either in the hotel courtyard. Once packed, had a little mooch around Gyor then headed off. Wasn't long before the cycle lanes began & this time we weren't talking a mess of gravel. The surface was superb and didn't peter out. Negotiated some industrial stuff and then it was into the rural heartland. For a while the route followed a little river and this is more, albeit naively, what I expected from the Danube Way. Crossing back and forth, fields filled with different crops and exploring little villages. Made it to the first main stop - just under half way by about 10ish. Good going. A 1900's ish fort, which according to Google was closed. On arrival (just in case) the greeting was soldiers being shouted at (or was it me?) Bit uneasy. Saw some people walk past them and be ignored so it looked like it was open. Well done Google again. Had an interesting little explore, watching the people play at being soldiers and yet another view of the Danube. Onwards & back across the border to Slovakia again to Europa Court - a plaza modelled on the architectural styles of each European country. Had an ice cream and enjoyed the mist spray coolers.Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Hungry in Hungary
July 28, 2023 in Hungary ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Surprised to see drab, grey skys. At least the most was made of the sunshine yesterday. Bizarre mixture of things for breakfast & no rolls to cadge for lunch. Still, a relatively early start. Across the tram and bike bridge which had seated quiet areas half way across & when you think about it as bridges go it is relatively quiet. Even had a guy doing some painting. Once off the bridge the cycle lanes were hit & miss. When resorting to the road, again the shoulder was erratic in quantity to the point where4 there was none & the verge was used. Relieved to hit the cycle route. First stop - Gerulata Roman fort. Got there to find it closed. In fairness it did look a little underwhelming. Pushed on towards the Danubiana Modern Art Museum. Not really my thing but the surroundings looked nice. On arrival, again it looked closed but thankfully not. Decided to bite the bullet and ignore the jazz music being piped in. From the roof you got a sense of it almost being an island & it was quite tranquil. A lot of the stuff was a bit pretentious but it was a nice walk / break from cycling. There were some sun loungers down by the river which helped the relaxation. And I learned something - Andy Warhol was of Slovak heritage - his birth name was Warhola, with both his parents being from Slovakia. Only about 10 miles down 40 to go and the vast majority was straight as a die along the Danube. Sounds idyllic - cycling along the river but it became a little tedious. Little things became the focus - watching the swifts dancing around catching insects. The grasshoppers jumping out of my way. Pings as they hit the spokes & thuds if it was the panniers. One landed on the handlebars - realised its mistake and scarpered. Ended up racing one of the barges & made it to the lock complex 1st. Watched it go through, which was interesting. All this & not a shop in sight. Definitely hungry & thirsty. Google suggested a shop just off the route - assured it was open. It was not. Pushed on over the border & was given the choice - motorway or shitty gravel track. Given how much of a bully boy the police looked at the border, gravel was chosen. Amazed at no puncture & still no shop. First shop located with 7 miles to go. The shop keeper recounting a Queen song to me - happy soul - the shop itself seemed a little forlorn. Pop and chocolate to get me through. Priority on arriving in Gyor was rehydration salts. Not enough drink & too much sweating.Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Brilliant Bratislava.
July 27, 2023 in Slovakia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Just the small matter of 7 miles to Bratislava. Checked in and located my 'pod' - a more secluded version of a dorm - there are 10 pods in the room but you wouldn't know it. Cleaned up & off to explore. Headed down to the UFO observation deck, so called because it looks like a UFO. Ambled through the old town taking in the Cumil statue in honour of the country's sewage workers. Lots of shady green spaces and pedestrian areas - all very civilised. No queue at all for the observation deck which was good. Cursed not taking my glasses but still some stunning views. Back down and thoughts of tea. Further down the river had been recommended as a possible area & what do you know - there was a Wagamama. Nice stroll along the river, past the 'beach' Noodles by the river & in the sun. Happy days. Took a different route back taking in the inverted pyramid that is the Slovak Radio building and the water based madness that is freedom square. All in all, really like Bratislava - very walkable and pretty place.Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
The Iron Curtain
July 27, 2023 in Slovakia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Curiously, I entered Austria on a cycle bridge and left that way as well. On this occasion, the Freedom Cycle bridge, had been talked about for decades but only enacted in 2012. The original route missed this and Devin Castle out. Would've been a mistake. Ummed and ahhed about paying to go in. But the views from the higher castle were stunning - all with the backdrop of the Danube. Caught a glimpse of the bridge with the help of a telescope - too many trees around it. Around here, there were a number of memorials to those who lost their lives trying to get across the border during communist rule. The heart of Europe monument was made with barbed wire from the fences. Had a late lunch watching the epically big cruisers battle against the current of the Danube.Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Korean camera carnage.
July 27, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Route had been adjusted to try and have a bit of a mooch around Vienna, without fearing for a soaking. For once the weather played ball. Just the small matter of figuring out Vienna's bike lane setup. They can be superb, vanish, allow you to go down 1 way roads but not always. They can be pavement, sometimes indicated but again not always. And as for the cobbles and tram lines - the devil has a hand in those bastard inventions. Took in the ornate roof of St Stephan's Cathedral - didn't climb but have many moons ago. Up the hill to Belvedere Palace - scooted round the parks - v posh. As for the Koreans taking endless photos with endless poses - not impressed. As it happened the SATNAV on the way out took a route past the Rapid Vienna stadium. The vast number of lorries suggested something was happening. The characters queuing suggested it wasn't something to my taste - Rammstein as it turned out. Again, a gate open, but guarded this time. Chanced my arm and the bloke was wavering but the women with him jumped in with a flat no. Nothing lost, though it would've been interesting to see. Now to getting across the Danube - and the spiral access to the bridge was great fun on the way down. All a slow start to the day in terms of distance. Flat market farming land, a tailwind, well maintained road & little to distract meant the next 20 miles rattled along very quickly. A final Austrian bus stop break and a final Austrian palace. Then the small matter of the border.Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Soaked again.
July 26, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Ominous sounds of rainfall were heard throughout the night so it was with some trepidation the curtains were drawn. Damp but not raining. Breakfast, grabbed bike & paid. Back down to the Danube for what was the basis of the next 3 or so days cycling - should be flat. Looked like there was a tailwind into the bargain. Quickly into my stride but all that came to a grinding halt - there was a guy squatted by his bike hammering away with what turned out to be a stone. Stopped & offered help. Darius was on a 4 month cycle without any tools. I hid my horror (I think) and offered the use of my sparse kit. We botched it up but his front carrier needed refitting. We chatted away trying to ignore the annoying noise and he made a sharp exit at the next town hoping for a bike shop. Ambled away for a little while further - saw a huge carp jump out the water. Crossed one of the many hydro-electric damns and spotted a nearby pier to try and get a better view - not chained off. Just as I left a family approached - the little lad instantly wanted to wander over seeing that I had - parents didn't look keen. Big kid... Flat with a tailwind meant the miles rattled off and was only disturbed by some uber professional cyclists zooming past me then slowing up. All matching gear no idea. Just before stopping for lunch, coming off the main path a deer darted in front of me - not sure who was more shocked. Lunch was with around 12 to go. Settled down by a lake just as a game old lady was heading in for a dip. Looked cold - she maintained not. She was impressed by the idea of cycling from Prague to Budapest - I maintained it wasn't so much. Pondered climbing upto the nearby castle but apparently it was closed and you couldn't get to see the impressive views. Saved me a climb I guess. Approaching Vienna and the first spots of rain were felt. Managed to shelter under an underpass. Was I going to be lucky - nope. Managed to get a bit lost & while trying to decipher the SATNAV the heavens opened. Absolutely drenched before I could even look for a bus stop. Glad to get to the hostel to dry out. Early tea at the hostel and then chanced my arm going back out to the big wheel. Be rude not to. Thought about heading to one of the palaces after but felt a few spots so dashed back. As it happened it didn't rain.Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
The glorious bus stops of Lower Austria
July 25, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Throughout the night it was forecast for thunderstorms. Nothing materialised and all was dry when I woke up. Decided to make a quick dash into town to make use of the bike service zone. If nothing else a full on foot pump should do wonders for my tyres. Managed to get back in the dry. Every little helps. Epic breakie negotiated, decided to push on ASAP only to encounter roadwork issues. Tried translating the warning sign & Google wasn't exactly crystal clear. Asked a passing old lady & she seemed to suggest it was ok. Again, something might have got lost in translation. It was ok if cycling on a gravel road is your thing - I've cycled on worse ... in the the last 24 hours. By now the first few spots were falling and it wasn't long before I'd be sampling the first of many bus stops in my magical mystery tour of the bus stops of Lower Austria. This was merely an overhang from a workshop - poor. Eventually eased & I made it to Zwettl - next bus stop. More lengthy, functional and view of a tyre workshop. By now the rain was pretty grim and the forecasts were equally grim. So after about 30 mins of waiting & hoping I bowed to the inevitable soaking. What was decided was that the long route was binned off. Unfortunately the climb count went up. Couple of climbs in, soaked and hungry, another bus stop - flowers, view and even a phone - proper job... Lots of rolling stuff and eventually the rain did subside. All that was left to decide was steep b road or more shallow a road with manic drivers. Ended up mixing it up. Final climb 8 miles from home - downhill all the way, except there was a bit of a cock-up. In changing the route I hadn't checked the final destination & it took me to the hotel I'd originally planned to stay at - the opposite side of town. Got a sinking feeling when signs advertising it appeared. Never mind, the sun was out. Checked in - big room, cooking facilities and stiflingly hot. Borrowed receptions fan. Washed myself and clothes then off to explore. Down to the Danube. On the way passed an Aldi & had a brainwave - cook some pasta - easy. Had a short walk along the river and then picked some bits for tea. Should've thought. Got back & not a single bit of kit & the microwave wasn't working. Fuming. Went out to find reception was closed. What to do. Quick dash back to Aldi to pick up a cheap baking tray. Had a short cycle a bit further towards where the route should have come into Krems. Then back for some bodged pasta. Wasn't bad.Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Endless trees & carp lakes.
July 24, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Early start - no breakie binge, just a couple of pastries. Nice easy start as well - down to the river & then along for a few miles. Then hit the dreaded E55 - the busy road endured yesterday. Managed a couple of cut throughs. Rain loomed & took a break at a bus stop. Old lady actually waiting for a bus looked on suspiciously or just in confusion. Pushed on but took shelter in Lidl. Stocked up - not making that mistake again. No climbs listed today and progress was good, if a little busy. Made it to Trebon, after negotiating a veritable maze of carp ponds & lakes. Primarily feeding this areas Chrimbo feast where live carp are bought & kept in the bath tub until the day. An early lunch in Trebon by one of the said carp lakes. It was shortly after Trebon that the route became a little tougher. There'd been a mile or so of gravel shortly before Trebon & the SATNAV had indicated 95% of the route was on sealed routes. Assumed the rest now would be straightforward. Indicted route had concrete slabs so strictly speaking it was sealed but boy was it rough - big gaps between, uneven levels & hefty pot holes. No traffic though, apart from mountain bikers - hmmm. Got to take the rough with the smooth. Had little choice - this seemed the only route through this seemingly endless forest. Ended up going with the gravel in the middle. Heard a few woodpeckers but saw nothing - eyes were trained on what was ahead and avoiding pot holes. Eventually tarmac was rediscovered. Add to that the wind was behind me and the miles were rattled off. Ended hitting Gmünd at around 3ish & the most unobtrusive border crossing ever. Rickety footbridge & a little sign at the edge of a park. Cycle out to the hotel suggested Gmünd was nothing more than an industrial border town & the hotel was based in service station - nice. Once washed, wandered into town & it had a little more to it than first appeared.Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Wooded, shady goodness.
July 23, 2023 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Proper fill up at breakie and then onto the serious stuff - getting out of Prague. Initial SATNAV message to start off informed of 14 climbs for the day. Nice to know. So lots of climbing & in Prague lots of traffic lights - slow progress. All went by fairly uneventfully - stopped at a couple of supermarkets - sponge their WiFi & try and gauge lunch stops, which works if Google can estimate the route. It did not. Still picked up some cereal bars & bananas. Stopped at Konopiste Castle, 25 miles in. Nice place - bugger to get a photo of - too many trees. Not that the forested nature of Czechia is bad. With high 20's and lots of climbing the shade from the trees and the wind were helping. From the castle there was a good 10 miles of really busy road - relief to get off but hillier off it. Also no towns or villages to speak of so lunch was likely to be cereal bars and bananas. Water was the problem. Resorted to chancing a hand pump. In haste the output wasn't checked & when eventually needed, it was a little metallic in taste. Back on the main road & almost on the motorway - quick u-turn. Took in a petrol station for sustenance & the water tipped out looked decidedly brown. Hoping it was rust. We'll see how that affects me. Mostly downhill to Tabor. Hostel found easily - warden not so much. Buzzer & phone call both seemed unsuccessful but eventually she rocked up. Cleaned up & explored the old town - v pretty.Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Hike to stay awake.
July 22, 2023 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Checked in & immediately knew that lying down was a bad idea. Especially if any more of Prague was to be seen. Ambled for that was the pace of the day down to the old town to discover, unsurprisingly since it was a Saturday and it was sunny, that everywhere was busy. And those who were out and about consisted of a large number of stag dos. Managed to take in the astronomical clock. Bit peckish so the first of what will probably be a number of sausages. Nice. Braved Charles Bridge & it was bad. Tour parties stopping & blocking coupled with numerous artists bottlenecking the bridge. Braced myself for a massive queue at the South Tower - where you can get panoramic views of the bridge. No-one was there so it was quiet panoramic views. Priceless. On the way upto the castle - popped over to Lennon Wall - a symbol of defiance against communist rule. Surprisingly the castle was pretty quiet as well. Yet another tower to climb & some of the characters doing it really should have paid attention to the sign at the bottom. The gardens below the castle walls, again staved off the headache that loomed and offered views and tranquility - no stags up here.Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
A tale of 2 stadiums.
July 22, 2023 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
The final leg from Frankfurt to Prague didn't quite go as smoothly as hoped. Obviously there were delays & it was touch & go whether it would go at all - there was an 11pm curfew but exceptions were made due to the storms. Flagged up the delay to the hotel & was assured the transfer company took delays into consideration. It wouldn't be a problem - someone would be there and or get in touch. No queue at immigration. All good. Pannier was first off the belt. Then the wait. All bags off but no bike. Asked & was pointed to the oversized area. No sign coming in the other direction. Ho hum but bike was there & box was relatively unscathed. Off to find the transfer. Out & 1 taxi guy looking for Martha. Went outside, waited a few minutes but clearly no transfer. Either phone or get the bike out. Went with the bike & managed to get myself in a right panic - couldn't get the chain right on the derailleur. Had to walk away & calm down. Still annoyed but sorted the bike, got the lights on & off into the darkness. Once away from the airport it really was dark. Dodged potholes & puddles & made it to the hotel for around 2ish. Hotel a bit non-plussed by it. Eventually came out that this often happens. Anyway that meant a rather groggy start and lots of cakes for breakie. Quick dash to the nearby bike shop for a bike lock, except it was closed. Next stop the Great Stahrov Stadium - site of the 3rd biggest stadium attendance ever in the world. A Soviet throwback that had definitely fallen on hard times. Unusually, though, you could get in without paying so that brightened the mood. Convoluted route to the next bike shop, which was open. Didn't speak English but understood bike lock. Sorted. Decided to head to the hotel to dump the panniers & then head off to the Slavia Prague stadium - a little more cared for. Managed to get in there as well - setting up for the match later on & a gate was open. Wandered in - a couple of guys saw but clearly weren't bothered. On the way back, stopped off at TV transmitter tower - it'd be rude not to. Except they only took cash & all I had was Euros. Tried the cash point & the first card wouldn't work, the second was asking for £4 just to hand over money. Nope. The guy settled for Euros. Nice views and some bizarre chairs. And as for the baby sculptures crawling up the side of the tower ..Read more
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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Wheelchair jam
July 21, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Departure from Liverpool and a dilemma - paid drop off & limited carrying of the bike or free drop off and a quarter mile hike with a 23kg bike box. No choice but wasn't keen - a friendly Irish guy offered to help but pride is a bad thing. Something of a sweaty mess while queuing up to drop the bike off. The Lufthansa check in was next door to the God express to Lourdes. An epic wheelchair jam full of geriatric catholic scousers heading out for 'salvation' or something like that. Nice and easy through security to find the Frankfurt flight was delayed. On the face of it - less time waiting for the transfer, that is assuming it's not horrendously late and the connection is missed. Eventually boarded onto the rather small hopper plane. Had jets though. Bit of a bumpy flight but there was 'free' chocolate. Coming into land and there was an awful lot of circling going on. Apparently there was a fierce thunderstorm over the airport so landing was postponed until it passed. As if getting to the gate wasn't going to be tight enough. Once off, the bus ride reinforced just how massive Frankfurt airport was. Hectic up and down dash only to find the Prague flight was delayed. Due in at midnight(ish) Really hoping the transfer will take the bike...Read more
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Whistle stop tour of Basel
June 9, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
The original flights booked had us flying directly to Manchester. In their infinite wisdom easyJet decided to cancel that and we ended up with a layup of 5 hours in Basel. The plan was to check-in the bag for the second leg and then go and do a little sight seeing rather than spending 5 hours seeing Basel airport. That was dampened at check-in. Could only drop the bags 150 mins prior to departure. Not hp. 2 options. Hang around or find somewhere to dump the bag. Checked at information and there was no left luggage at the airport - the only option was at the station. 5 hours at the airport or lug the backpack into town, dump it and have a wander. No choice. Buses into town were every 10 mins and it was only a 20 min journey. Reckoned this would give us around 2 hours looking around. The lockers at the airport were ultra tech - centrally controlled, card payment and qr code secured. Dumped everything and wandered. Headed to the Market Square. Liz spotted a sausage seller and they were good - better than airport fare. Hunger and thirst sated, we mooched down to the Rhine - walked along in the shade and clocked a view of the cathedral. The one note of regret - could've had a dip in the Rhine. Ah well next time. Back to the airport for the last leg of the 2 day journey.Read more
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Sightseeing at cruising altitude.
June 9, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
On the way in, the traffic jams caused a little concern so an early breakie it was. Nothing to write home about but it did the job. Back to the mania of the local roads and the dickhead scooters. At least this time most were wearing helmets, that said they were all ignoring the traffic lights - give with 1 hand take away with the other. Relieved to find that Google had sent us to the toll road, I suspect to avoid the multiple jams. Ended up at the car hire depot early but the South African guy was there and finished up the paperwork for us again spending more time talking about the mighty reds than anything else. Rather that than talk about scratches and such like. The shuttle back was with a German family who had their car broken into in Athens so that's nice. Athens was far more humane than Manchester limited queues and settled to wait for boarding. Managed to miss the call but no panics other than the wrong boarding passes being in the wrong passports - much confusion. Spent the first chunk of the flight spotting bits and pieces over Athens, Greece and Albania.Read more
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Mad scooters.
June 8, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 20 °C
And so begins the long goodbye. First the small matter of getting back to Athens. All packed up, waved our goodbyes to our very nice home for the week and on the way out to Ionnias, the owner. Decided to try to break the back of the journey as soon as possible. Just 1 stop - the Corinth Canal. No bungee jumpers this time & Liz wasn't persuadable. Watched the boats passing through and confused a Dutch couple who recognised my Feyenourd top & thought we were also Dutch. Sorry - just a fraud. Now to the hairy stuff towards & round Athens. Sandwich stop and then deep breath. The toll motorway was reasonably quiet and the driving reasonably predictable. Once off that, the 20 miles to Marathon was not so much. Lots of manic scooters zipping in and out, no helmets and not a care for their lives it seemed. The hotel was tucked away in the back streets 1 block from the beach - relieved to park up sans scratches and dents for now. Decided to get to the room, calm down and regroup. Once sorted we had a nice little walk along the quay & waterfront - far nicer than expected even managed a swim. Whether stuff would dry was another matter. Had to refuel the car prior to the handover so unfortunately it was back in the car and since that was the case we drove upto Marathon to see the 'site' of the original marathon. They sited the stadium for the marathon in the Olympic games at Marathon unsurprisingly so there was all sorts of monuments and paraphernalia left over from that to have a look at. Back and first meal out on our last night in Greece. Opted for a fish restaurant by the harbour. Nice enough but very salty - which we'd already decided was a Greek thing. Back to pack for the next leg.Read more
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Lots of old stones.
June 7, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Early start. Small matter of 60 unpredictable miles to get to Olympia - home of the ancient Olympic games. Such an iconic place would suggest there might be tourist issues so the sooner the arrival time the better. On the road pretty much to time and all was going smoothly until we hit some roadworks. Not your average setup - the whole road had been dug up with just gravel and very little clue as to where to go. Lots of guesswork & the assumption that if it was badly wrong someone would say something. They didn't & we got through only 10 mins later to get a warning about tyre pressure problems. Stopped at the next available point & examined them - seemed ok. Followed the instructions about resetting the pressure monitor & hoped for the best. All this ate into the schedule. Eventually rocked up at Olympia to be greeted by a car park full of coaches - no space for actual cars. Scooted round town & found a patch of land & again hoped for the best. To the historic site and the hoardes of tourists & school parties didn't fill me with joy. Where possible we'd be looking for the quiet routes but certain areas - namely the stadium was going to be bad. Wandered for a while getting a feel for the Olympic Village the Took in the stadium and the Temple of Hera, where the flames are lit. By now we were post midday sun so decided to try the museum and took in some really old stuff. Some of the artefacts, in fairness were quite impressive. Left just as 2 school groups arrived. Had a little mooch around town - lots of tourist tat - though the honey store intrigued. Headed back to the car as the school parties approached. Detoured to avoid the dodgy road and got back to find all was cloudy - no sunset just tidying and eating up.Read more
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
My kingdom for a mellow stray dog.
June 6, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
A lazy day with lots to do... The obligatory morning cycle & shock, horror, it was cloudy. Going for it with a hilly inland blast - 700m of climbing - that should give the knee a test. To top it off, for some reason the route started off with a 5 mile climb, rather than finishing with a 5 mile descent. Oops. Battled through it and planned to stop at Nester's Palace with about a mile to go. Just as the car pull in approached a group of stray dogs clocked me. They did not like what they saw - and made it known. Pass on the stop and a little relief that a passing car stopped the pack in their tracks. Calm down. On the way down from Chora, yet another group of stroppy dogs. The route was based on pretty rural, rough tracks so maybe that was the problem. Anyway 6 climbs, some great descents and back in time for breakie No. 2.
Lounged, swam and ate before having a little wander into town. Continued to speculate who was on the big boat. Running joke was that it was Jurgen. Had a selfie with the boat just in case. Walk back was hot. Final act on the bike was to get me to the ship wreck half way up Divani beach. Snorkelled round it for a while - lots of fish. Dropped the bike off - sad and back for another cooling swim, Liz sneakily getting photographic evidence.Read more
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Mountain pass hairiness.
June 5, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
On the face of it heading over to Koroni seemed a good bet - only 30 miles - not too far, picturesque and a range of things to do. All of those things did apply but the route took in getting across the mountainous spine of the peninsula. So that was the annoyingly narrow road to Methoni with Greek drivers insisting on taking up all the road and then the endlessly windy roads from then onwards. All of which made Liz jumpier than a field full of Cuban high jumpers. Made it and parked up on the quay avoiding the spots on the waters edge - reversing into the sea may not be good for the excess. Walked along the quay taking in the vast quantity of tourist eateries and the pier. The coastal walk promised a little more than delivered - basically just around the headland to the beach but quiet enough - the tourist masses were either eating or in the castle. We were castled out. Back into town for the obligatory shady spot, ice cream and cold drink. Did the job. Google suggested a viewing point - going to be a bit of climbing. Once there the obvious thing was to come back via the beach and since we're there it would be rude not to have a swim.Read more
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Snake count - 5:2 to the dead uns
June 5, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Morning cycle today was to be a little further and a little hillier. Plan was to head to Pylos and work my way back inland along quiet roads and tracks. All felt OK till the first climb out of Gialova and some old guy sailed past with a cheery Kalimera. Tried to keep up for all of 5 seconds. Not happening. Plodded onwards. Some nice views of Pylos that couldn't be enjoyed from the car - at least if you were driving. Took in the Chapel as well - suspect there was some sort of service going on - chanting being broadcast then some big bell ringing. 2 mile climb out of Pylos was fun. Not so much for the snake population - only added to the dead column. The best live sighting being at the Navarino Fort that made Liz rather jumpy walking back alone. All the climbing gave some great views of the bay and a good insight into how the knee is holding up. Fingers crossed. The great thing about this route was it avoided the final climb back to the villa, descending back on a track through the local olive groves. Quick swim and fruit for breakie.Read more
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Cross channel swimming.
June 4, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
There's nothing better than a swim with a purpose and when it was mentioned that locals swim across the channel between the old castle car park and Sphaktiriq Island interest was piqued. Post Methoni Castle hike Liz was a little sunned out so she decided to chill at home with a book while the cross channel swim was tackled. A short 3 mile bike ride, locate somewhere to tether the bike and then stash everything in the waterproof bag. Thought it yesterday but this confirmed it - the sea is definitely warmer than the pool. Very nice. Made it fairly easily, though it could've been easier - a sandbar further down the beach meant some others had got half way without a stroke. Nice little chill on the other side and then back, making use of the sandbar. Back to find the Macedonian neighbours banging out shitty Europop. Not great - better not be upto that at 1am or I'll probably do absolutely nothing other than chunner to myself.Read more
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Methoni Coachload madness.
June 4, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
After much discussion a trip destination of Methoni was settled on - easy parking, castle, beach and supposedly a pretty place. And if we were energetic enough we could stop off in Pylos on the way back and take in a few bits we missed. So much for easy parking - the Greeks aren't the most sensible of parkers. They have a tendency to just stop in the most random of places - almost as if they get bored trying & give up. There was nothing at the beach car park & similarly at the castle car park though there was a hint of someone leaving. Doubled back and hovered ... and hovered. Eventually it was ours. While we were still relatively fresh, the castle seemed the best option. Only 3€. Bargain. Unfortunately it seemed we were following 1 of the many coach tours in town today. Into the bargain we had a particularly loud Spanish family to contend with as well. Tried to take the quieter routes though the Castle Lighthouse was very much the focal point. Rightly so as it was quite striking. Much climbing for views was done as was sheltering in the shade. Definitely got our 3€ worth. Decided to find the ubiquitous tree lined town square that all Greek villages have, except we couldn't locate it. And when we could we couldn't find someone to sell us a cold drink. Then we did. Heaven is a shady square with an ice cream and cold drink. Once recovered, had a walk along the beach past yet more coach tours cowering in the shade of the coaches themselves. Decided to save the sea swim for later. Headed back for a very late lunch.Read more
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Bug bite inevitability.
June 4, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Rather than a run, the bike was now the morning wakener of choice. The initial plans had been thwarted by a combination of my own incompetence (I'd deleted the chosen route) and the villa's lack of WiFi (couldn't download it again) Decided to take a 15 mile loop around the lagoon - scout out if there were any flamingos and how buggy it was. Beyond the initial turn off it became apparent that a gravel bike was the ideal choice - nice wide tyres as the old man recommends. Chewed up all the bad surface. Couldn't do anything about the endless cobwebs I was cycling through and the clouds of mossies. It would be a minor miracle not to be bitten. That said it was a peaceful little ride - some nice views from the bird hides. Still it was something of a relief each time the path opened out. Around half way I came to Voidokilias beach, that which I photographed from above yesterday. It would be rude not to have a look. Other than some rough campers the beach was deserted. Nice. A couple of climbs through little villages, get some bread & back for breakie.Read more
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Squeaky overload.
June 3, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
The return verified the car option - by now it was decidedly warm but also breezy which eased the heat. All in all it was a relief to drive back. Quick dip to cool off - Liz needed longer and I was itchy to sort the bike. I'd tightened the wheel but the brakes were still catching and as for the squeak... Decided to take a short cycle upto Kalamaris Falls and on the way call in & get Mr Bike to do some more adjusting. In the end I decided to push onto the falls and see if it would sort itself out. It did not. The squeak was annoying. I regretted my decision. Ah well. What I didn't regret was getting a gravel bike. Very well suited for the dodgy roads / tracks. The falls were well signposted & there weren't any opportunities to go wrong. 2 cars at the end of the road boded well. Locked the bike to a tree and pushed on by foot deep into the woods. Very lush, especially by Greek standards. After a short while there was a trickle & a nasty feeling that this was a wild goose chase. Fortunately not - the path was relocated & eventually so was the waterfall. Apparently you can swim but no towel or swimmies meant just admiring the sight. Back to base via Mr Bike - left without squeak. We shall see. By now Liz was cool so a late afternoon walk into town and a first swim in the sea. Back in time for yet another glorious if slightly breezier sundowner.Read more
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Wide webs
June 3, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Quick investigatory jog to get an idea of where you turn off for Kalamaris Waterfalls which is nearby. Also curious to see what the road is like. Back for a swim & breakie number 1. Then off to pick up my bike - dead local. He was insistent on making sure any squeaks were eradicated. On leaving it became apparent he'd failed. No matter. What did matter was the front gear changer was throwing the chain off. On top of that when going up the steep hill back the wheel was loosely fitted and slipped out of line and the disc brakes weren't happy. Did my best but a return was called for ... but not yet. Breakie no. 2 - a Greek classic - fresh fruit, Greek yogurt and Greek honey. Decided to drive to the Old Fort walk - otherwise we'd be looking at a 7 mile round trip which looked a bit much. The road itself was a bit much especially for a hire car. Took it easy. The closest car park was full, the next one had been cordoned off by a couple of selfish campervans. Found a spec and headed upwards. Not too many people about and some great views. Liz wasn't so fussed by the views of the massive spiders and their huge webs - all safely above head height. The castle itself was pretty ruined though you could walk the ramparts - no allowances for health & safety though - you're stupid enough to do this & you fall - tough, you die. We didn't. The ramparts did suddenly stop. The views of the lagoon and Voidokilias beach were from the top and this wasn't that. Looked like it involved scrabbling over piles of rocks. Liz passed & headed for shade. As it turned out the scrabbling was relatively limited though there were some hairy drops. The views however were worth it.Read more
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