The Gods live in Greece

After a quiet night on the campground, we were off to Vasiliki the next morning, to check out the famous windsurfing spot.
What we found was no wind, no surfers (of any kind), actually hardly anyone at all. The small town is apparently still in hibernation this time of the year.

The bay of Vasiliki with the town to the left

So, after a little stroll along the waterfront, we moved on to Cape Lefkadas with it`s bright white lighthouse, which you can see from far away.

A narrow winding road leads down to a steep cliff, the most Southern point of the island.

We were thankful that we didn`t encounter any oncoming traffic going either way.

The view from the lighthouse is stunning, the water a magnificent shade of blue.

We had a chat with an Austrian couple in the car park and they recommended a beach to go to nearby.

So off we went to Katsiki Beach.

When they say that Greece has some of the prettiest beaches in Europe, if not the world, they might be talking about this one - at least this time of the year. In summer it is probably mayhem!

While I hung out enjoying the view with my peers, my human went down to the beach for the afternoon, having a few swims (around 16 degrees is her guess) and lazing around in the sun.

Looks totally staged

The plan for the following day was to climb to the highest point of the island, Elati, a staggering 1182 meters, from the village of Eglouvi.

Sweeping, breathtaking views were promised.

Well, you might have guessed it already, not this day. Everything was shrouded in thick fog and clouds up there with nothing to see whatsoever.

Eglouvi

Some kind of radio station?

Ok... ...not OK

Totally unacceptable!

This was meant to be the second peak to climb. Well, not today.

Oh well, at least the way to get there was an adventure. The road through the village was, as a sign depicted, 2,5m wide and 3m high. Good enough for me - just.

Pre-season is good-season; Kathsima Beach for the night

One of the worlds longest multi span cable stayed bridges lets you drive from Rio to Antirro in about five minutes.

The 2,9km long bridge was opened one week before the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and the Olympic flag was carried across it just days after its opening. Until then, you could either cross the Golf of Corinth by ferry or drive around it, some 300 kilometers.

Nafpaktos, on one side of the bridge

View of the bridge from the ferry with a ferry

View of the bridge from Patras

I don`t think anyone today will take the latter option, but the ferry still operates and cost only around a third of the toll on the bridge, which would have been over 20€ for someone my size.

And you get the added benefit of actually being able to look at this engineering masterpiece.

Visit at a small local brewery, Kykao (means something like "mixing a potion")

In seven years, these guys have brewed over 120 different beers

Some of them rather fancy, all of them rather expensive

A few kilometers to the South of the bridge begin the outskirts of Greece`s third largest city, Patras.

With it`s 220.000 inhabitants, Patras is an important university and port city and capital of the region of Western Greece.

The city is also known to be the fun capital of the country, attracting a very young population with it`s fancy bars and restaurants, coffee shops and animated nightlife.

In winter, the largest carnival in Greece happens here during a two-month long festival, attracting some 50.000 people.

Not a jetty to be trusted

Not a ship to be trusted, either

Park Güell vibes

But before checking out the city, it was high time to find me some new shoes.

The old ones have served me well for over 40.000 kilometers, but they have suffered greatly on some of the less-than-smooth roads we drove on over the years.

Where better to ask for some advice on a good tire shop than a truck stop?

Not one hour after rocking up there, we had been referred to a workshop, drove there, had my old shoes removed and new ones put on - for a very reasonable price.

Hopefully these also last 40.000 kilometers

That taken care off, my human took the bike into the city for a look around.

A good starting point are the ruins of the 6th Century castle, sitting up above the center, affording a good view over the sprawling city and the harbor.

So is the Cathedral of Saint Andrew, the largest Orthodox church in the country.

Relics of the apostle Saint Andrew are stored in the church, such as a small finger, parts of the cranium and small portions of the cross on which he was martyred.

Because of those treasures, the church is a pilgrimage site for Christians from all over the world.

The shrine where the relics are held

From the coastal city of Patras, we made our way inland to the place where the first ever Olympic Games were held, possibly in 776 BC.

The exact reasons for the birth of the games are also unknown, as history has become mixed up with mythology.

The site was a major Panhellenic religious sanctuary in ancient Greece, dedicated primarily to Zeus, although other gods were worshipped here as well.

Olympia; ceramics found in the area can be dated back to the 4th Century BC

A museum of Archimedes´ inventions

With this formular you can calculate the amount of olives on the ground around the tree. Have fun!

In 1894, Pierre de Coubertin launched his plan to revive the Olympic Games and in 1896 the first games of the modern age were held in Athens.

Coubertin, a French educator and historian, saw an opportunity in the revival of the games to overcome national egoism and to promote peace and international collaboration.

The Olympic thought of it being more important to be part of the games than to win a medal also comes from Coubertin. He said:

"The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle, the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

Well said!