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Saturday: A somewhat Dangerous Bicycle Tour
I start at 6.45 am without a breakfast into a warm misty morning. Where
will I go?
The ultimative tour from Plakias is a round course over the
mountains to Hora Skafion in the west and then back on the coastal road.
So to be seen on the road map. But this will be some more than 100 km and
at one point above the Imbros Gorge the road reaches the height of 1000
m. May be this could be managed under optimal circumstances. But today
they are not optimal.
At first I ride up the "normal" road to Myrthios - everything well known.
The unknown regions begin at the Kotsifos gorge. The wind is strong and
thankworthily pushes me up the gorge. This is not so impressive. At the
narrowest spot there is a bridge and then the gorge ends. There are some
upper continuations like "mini-gorges", may be up there one can find this
highly interesting vegetation. At the end of the gorge one can turn to
the east may be to Spili or something like that. I turn to the west for
an attempt of the ultimative tour.
The next village is Kali Sikia and then we reach a height of
600 m. There is still a strong tailwind. In front we look into a wide valley
with high mountains in the background. A fast downhill to the valley follows
- so I think. But I have overseen a hairpin-fork. I fly down to a nameless
village and to the next village with a sign: Roustika. A view to
the road map: I am completely wrong. Ahead the northern Mediterranian sea
is visible already. So I must go back and up the hill and against the wind.
The nameless village now turns out to be Mountros and this is embedded
at the slope like a swallow's nest. The uphill is not ridable against the
wind. It feels like a wall of planks. Sometimes I fear to loose my glasses,
and these were expensive. At the right side up above - widely to be seen
- there is a quarry crane. It is even signed in the map but I didn't interpret
this correctly. Until I have reached the stormy summit I have lost one
hour. But it is not convenient to speak of a loss - remember we are on
a bike tour at Crete. May be my ultimative tour is far away now. Moreover
I cannot say, if there would be a head- or tail-wind at the coastal road.
At the hairpin fork I detect a signpost which flew along before. So
I will continue as long as possible. I now pass the wide valley along another
gorge near the village Velonado. At an uphill of 10% I nearly can
stop pedalling due to the tail wind. I never had that before. Then we hit
on the road from the northern plane at Episkopi. I turn to the mountains.
The road winds along the slopes. At each ridge there is the hope for
a spectacular view and so it runs for a while. There is the village Miriokefala
and
ahead may be Kallikratis. I meet a group of cyclists all with similar
bikes and helmets. Just behind them a bus with a bike trailer. So it works.
near Kallikratis there is a fork again without a sign, one branch uphill,
the other downhill. Moreover there is a single cloud above the mountains
and this has the colour pink. I feel unsecure. We have 11 am so if I return
on known roads I will be back in an adequate time. Not to forget my wife
who has no beach conditions today. Farewell to the ultimative tour.
I roll in front of the pink cloud. Just as I reach the houses of Miriokefala
a thunder and rain burst down. There is a closed shop with a roof and two
chairs, just the right place now. A van with a roaring speaker comes up:
"Baboutzki" or something like that is offered. The driver stops and comes
out. A toothless grandma comes along and both talk to me and I do not understand
anything. I point up to the pink cloud. "Africa" the man says.
The rain has lasted for minutes. The raindrops have left yellow spots
of dust on the eyeglasses and the metal of the bike. So this is "Africa"
from a pink cloud. The rest of the return ride is without problems. Of course
the former downhills are much much longer in the opposite direction. But
at last above the final gorge we can say: let's fly. In the gorge I must
flee from the rain once again under a rock roof.
Then the sun shines! So
I will perform a detour and ride to Sellia first. And from there with the
best weather now we can explore the western continuation of the coastal
road. This leads high above the Plakias bay amidst a wonderful vegetation.
Everywhere there are rent-a-car-tourists and take photographs. I ride up
to the summit, the highest point of the road and enjoy the view. It is
not convenient to ride the following downhill when one will return after some
time. So the day's tour ends with the winding downhill from Sellia to Plakias.
Heidi did not have such an enjoyable day but was able to get in contact
to some other guests. A couple from Göttingen is familiar to this
region since years. They know this strange animal (that we saw yesterday)
and say it is common and often to be seen overdrawn at the streets. Then
there is a lonesome nurse (male) from Elmshorn. He does not know what to
do here all the day. We have our dinner together and he tells this and
that about the support of severely disabled persons.
After dinner I bring back the bike. And I detect a catastrophe. There
are some girls looking for bikes and they ask me about mine. "Oh fine,
I have ridden all the day with this" I say. "There is only a dangling front
wheel". "But the quick release skewers (Schnellspanner) is not fixed" the
girl says. And really, the part dangles loose around the axis. I am terrified,
what could have happened when I flew along gorges and abysses? And I am no greenhorn
I think? I am ashamed but happy to be still alive.
Sunday: Restday
The weather is fine and a rest day pleasurable. We purchase the first
film to the photographer, then spend some time at the beach and pool, finally
read and sleep. As we get our developped pictures from the photographer
we realize, how nice it seems to be here.
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
