Yeti Reaches the Summit

I have acquired a new car.  Same Pub 'tho.

FuzzyGalore's Voices of Moto Bloggers Challenge

I offer Anglo Ottoman Greek soup slurping with added bonus of cameralady Mrs Nikos dulcet tones:

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It was the best of rides, it was the worst of rides, but we arrived well in the end.

This is about the last leg of our journey last September and takes us from Delphi, around the Gulf of Corinth, over the Corinth canal and into Arcadia.

Leaving Delphi in front of a camper van - very popular with Austrians in these parts.

Chairman Steve leads the Oxford BMW club contingent to the next historic site - we say goodbye at this point for our personal scenic tour

We amble through the mountains and pause at the ski resort of Arakova.

Outside Arakova we stop for refreshments at a film set from a Hitchcock remake - the service for souvlaki and salad is so slow that we consume 3 rounds of  cafe frappe and lemonade waiting...

...this place has seen better days and staff

The wash room is expansive

The kettle is boiled

The map subsequently blew off as we got lost at Thebes

A journey around the Gulf of Corinth through gorgeous pine forests

A view towards Loutraki and the Corinth canal

Eventually the road started to hug the coast

Rain down south!  This is the way we are heading...

An abandoned road side cafe-creperie without human life

Corinth canal: Vertical panorama - my first

We always stop in the best tradition of bus travellers at the Corinth canal service area (accessed from the old national road). 

We were treated to a spectacular thunderstorm and with some miles remaining to go I was anxious about the mountain road at night...

On the road again dashing for Arcadia on the lovely new Tripolis motorway

 The final leg of the journey past Argos and Astros and upto the village was performed at night on wet roads - somehow I made it.

Arrival at the Eagle's Nest  - riding boots drying.

New Year Anti Resolution

I don't intend to go organised camping again in 2015 or ever.

Been there, done it, here is the proof:-

In July 2014 we trialed the cheap Tipi in a friend's garden near Hamburg.

Despite instructions written in serbo-croat and help from 2 ladies, I achieved an erection

A momentary sleep

Mrs N knows a comfortable hammock when she sees one

On disassembly the Tipi top would not collapse down and fit in the bag..

So we both discovered

 After a successful night of no sleep in a garden, the ladies decided it would be a good idea to go to the seaside and do it for real.

Here we are happy campers on the Baltic sea coast

Surrounded by serious campers it would appear.

 

Languishing only a 500m trek from the pitched tipi, this is the brick built s**t house.

The Baltic sea and I'm about to be rescued by Viking raiders with any luck.

Delphi Panoramic Day

A nice feature this and on a better camera it would be "Großartig", the panoramic capture mode on my Panasonic camera works seamlessly although sharp focus goes awry from time to time..

At breakfast at the Amalia hotel I capture panoramically and skillfully without detection a British couple sitting silently over breakfast fiddling with their respective multimedia devices.

We visted the site of ancient Delphi first thing after breakfast to arrive before the coach trips and the heat of the day.  This is walking up the Via Sacra near the Temple of Apollo.

 

Unfortunately it's such a long time since the visit last september I have clean forgotten what I had photographed. This explamis it all WIKIPEDIA rather nicely.

View down the Delphi valley

The stadium

 

The Tholos at the sanctuary of Athena Pronoia (Ἀθηνᾶ Πρόνοια, "Athena of forethought") is a circular building that was constructed between 380 and 360 BC. It consisted of 20 Doric columns arranged with an exterior diameter of 14.76 meters, with 10 Corinthian columns in the interior.
The Tholos is located approximately a half a mile (800 m) from the main ruins at Delphi. Three of the Doric columns have been restored, making it the most popular site at Delphi for tourists to take photographs. Vitruvius (vii, introduction) notes Theodorus of Samos as the architect of the Round Building which is at Delphi.

Seasonal Message

All the very best to you all from the team at Nikos World!

Seasons greetings and an amazing 2015!

Allegro ma non troppo: 'Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande!

The tow hitch on the car became loose - the motorcycle begged to be ridden. We had a plan to meet up with panzer division from the BMW Oxford club on a classical Greece tour. I enjoy listening to Beethoven 6 -  "Awakening of cheerful feelings on arrival in the countryside" .  I have never been to Delphi before without being sick.

The route east to Delphi cut across to the Corintian Gulf  - quite a stunning motorcycle journey.

Healthy Greek breakfast by the harbour.

Unhealthy Ottoman breakfast by the harbour.

The motorcycle is released from the efficient pageant combo and languishes by the harbour.

Waiting PATIENTLY in the ferry queue - we are on an island!

The other half of our team and now exclusive driver of the support car - waiting  in the ferry queue - we are on an island!

This is the ferry that connects Lefkada to the mainland.  Officially it is registered as a ferry so that Lefkada can claim to be an island  - in practice it is a glorified motorised bridge tethered at one end. This channel was cut through by the Corintians in classical as practice for the actual canal?  Handy for the yacht sailors.

Look - the ferry is a floating bridge.

We deviate from the main road to take refreshments at Zevgaraki - the waitress is indeed pleasant with a most sunny disposition and she tells us where to go (after an iced coffee or two)..

Not to bad for a 2001 model - a near ideal machine for Greek roads

The route took us over the River Potamos at this stunning wooded gorge.

I have dreamed about this sort of thing for years

We make it to the Corinthian gulf at Nafpaktos.

Heading up to Delphi the view is oraclistic - please excuse the garbage

Booking dot com provided a reasonable hotel at Delphi.

The heavy weight conquering Classical BMW tour group from England arrive and stay nearby in a superior position.

Spot the British hi viz motorcyclists! Late arrivals  - Catherine and Steve have visited every greco-roman classical site between Delphi and Igoumenitsa at least once today.

Sunset over the Corinthian gulf

Tomorrow: I'm not sick, money lost and found. lighting over the Corinth canal......