Soufli

Unbeknownst to us, there was a huge fire in Northern Greece at the end of Aug 2023 shortly before we started pedalling. The fire was the biggest ever known in Europe and was burning for around 2 weeks with international teams trying to gain control. The fire started during an extended heat wave and was fueled by gale force winds. It burnt an area of 800 square kilometers, including more than 30% of the national park. It also killed 20 people, most of them thought to be illegal immigrants who had crossed the nearby border with Türkiye.

When we set off on our mountain dirt road we had no idea we would spend the next 2.5 hours pedalling through newly burnt forests. It is not what we expected a burnt forest to look like. Some parts are completely blackened and charred. Much of the forest floor is burnt and the lower tree trunks are black, but the tree leaves are still in place, some green, some brown. Being autumn it is hard to tell the difference between singed leaves and end of season leaves. There are pine trees where the bottom is brown and the top green - we think because of the high winds. We can’t figure out how much of the area will quickly spring back to life. Or how much is a massive reset. It is sobering and saddening to see so much destruction. And it smells bad. We are relieved when finally it ends.Read more