I awoke to another sunny, still and clear day in Ponti and thankfully the water was hot and 'my' breakfast staff were at their stations reasonably early to get the day off to a pretty good start.
Sometimes I wonder why I shower before getting ready to pack up my gear and put on my motorbike suit because for a while now the entire process results in me dripping with sweat.
After I had loaded the bike, and dripped with sweat, I found the hostess to pay the bill. Luckily she also had the hot water man there (who spoke much better English) to explain why it took so long to fix and why I should be grateful etc etc…..I 'negotiated' a 10Euro reduction in the price and gladly departed.
Outside Altina Apartments - before dripping with sweat.
I made my way off the island of Lefkada and started to head inland in the general direction towards Meteora. After a couple of missed (confusing) turns I went through the tunnel that connects Aktio to Preveza beneath the 700m mouth of the shallow Ambracian Gulf (Gulf or Arta).
The road between Arta and Ioannina was a very good snapshot of Greece with ruins, lakes, rivers, forests and mountains all featuring along the way on one stretch of road.
On my through the mountains and forests I waved at an oncoming BMW traveller as he passed. When I checked my mirrors as he passed I noticed a BMW right be hind me. He was right up my rear end so I let him pass. On the way past me he gave me the thumbs up and then stayed in front of me gesturing to follow him down the centre of the road between the oncoming traffic…..I cautiously and carefully followed him making sure all was safe - he was much more comfortable doing the manoeuvres than I was.
As we wound our way through the remainder of the mountain road and emerged out onto eh plans near Ioannina I indicated that I needed to take the turn to Meteora up ahead. We both pulled over the side of the road to more formally say G'day.
Once we parked the bikes and removed our helmets I met George. George was rather interested in where I had come from and where I was going and why I had an Abu Dhabi plate. He had his top box on and he confirmed he tries to do a ride every year taking in more and more countries throughout Europe.
George gave me his card and invited me to join him for a coffee in Ioannina on my way back through after Meteora.
We said our goodbyes and I headed off for the last stretch to Meteora.
The highway from Ioannina to connect up to Meteora is the major highway connecting eastern and western Greece. The eastern end goes to the border with Greece where I had arrived while the western end connects at Igoumenitsa where many, many ferries arrive from Italy. It is an amazing highway and like most throughout Greece seems to have very few cars making use of it.
The stretch of highway would be the most expensive in Greece with multiple tunnels and bridges allowing the highway gradients to pass through the steep mountains and over the deep valleys.
The view from the highway
Al though the highway is amazing I feared for the worst regarding potential toll booths. As I enjoyed the smooth speed along the highway almost by myself I passed through an empty toll booth…….unusual. I kept going quickly only to notice that the increased speeds had taken the distance to empty to less than the distance to my destination.
I hadn't seen a petrol station for ages so wasn't sure about where to head back to if necessary. I was close to Metsovo, a town that had been described as being amazingly beautiful. I chose to continue on to Metsovo in the hope of petrol and perhaps a quick relaxing break to cool down.
I exited the highway and found myself entering the very narrow and very steep cobbled streets of beautiful Metsovo. I am sure it would be much more beautiful if you were not on a heavy motorcycle that you are very wary of on steep and slow terrain. I stopped and asked directions to the petrol and then cautiously found my way to the single pump located on the footpath under the awning of a small shop up one of the steep streets.
There was nobody there. There was no petrol. The man in the shop nearby had a very short limit on his helpfulness which didn't include getting out of his seat in front of the TV and helping me with directions on my map.
I carefully turned the bike around on the hillside lane and stopped in front of some younger people who's English was surely better than the old grumpy man in the shop. After firstly pointing me back to the empty pump up the hill we worked out the nearest and safest for me was to go back down the hill to a petrol station there.
I thanked them and went back down the highway to a petrol station hidden away from the new highway, without signage, on the old highway. Both the bike and I sighed with relief.
Back on the highway it was time to make Meteora.
Once onto the smaller local roads to Meteora you get many wonderful views to the mountains and rural lands of the valleys. Small villages are nestled into the hills and on the sides of mountains.
As I was getting closer I was getting more excited about seeing the monasteries on top of the rocks…….and then in the distance….
I got my first taste of the grandeur of Meteora…up on the hill….
…up on the hill….see it now?
OK - not really.
When you arrive at Meteora there is no mistaking it. The massive rock towers are obvious above the towns and valley.
I missed the turn off for the first town, Kastraki, where several accommodation options were located and ended up in the much larger Kalampaka. I was stopped on the road by an old guy who promised me excellent accommodation. I thanked him and rode off to find the town I was originally looking for on the other side of some of the rocks.
Crossing the gap in the rocks and over the hill into Kastraki I noticed the names of a couple of my accommodation options and a hotel by the side of the road.
A view of Kastraki
As I checked a few places by using the drive-by method I decided I would enquire at the hotel on the hill between Kastaraki and Kalampaka. Dellas Boutique Hotel was in the right place at the right time and they were happy to have me.
I was very happy to be inside and out of my gear. I was soon into my shorts and T-shirt and connected to the internet by their bar in the front room off the lobby and reception. After a relatively quick burst on the internet checking emails and facebook I checked www.blowingawaythedust.com.au to confirm where I was up to. I had made some progress in Ponti and wanted to keep going. So I spent some time working towards an update.
The hotel recommended a small restaurant down the hill in Kastraki for the best BBQ meat in town. Since the sun was now fading, the light and shadows on the rocks were creating several wonderful images…..here are a few...
Meteora
Meteora
Meteora
Meteora
Meteora
As I looked around before settling in for dinner I noticed one of the family….
BMW needs to consider making this model again….mmmmmm
BMW needs to consider making this model again….without the dent
The BMW R1200C is still a beautiful motorbike and I think there is enough room in the model range to have it back again. Please BMW?
I found the recommended BBQ restaurant and took my seat to watch the meat cook over the fire. There was a Greek/Australian man there who owned Hotel Sydney next door and had retired from his fresh seafood shops in Sydney. We talked for a little while about how fabulous Australian lamb is and that Greek lamb isn't anywhere near as good…..not a good sign when you are watching some cook for your dinner.
The chef and his mates.
It is always good to watch a fire and the one burning in the corner was well and truly going strongly. The logs burn to create the hot coals to then cook the meat over and the chef spends a lot of time tending to both the fire and the coals to make sure everything is in order.
Thankfully they insulated the freezer for the food…..
The BBQ'ed meat was a little tough and overcooked for my liking so the stuffed tomato and stuffed pepper were a fabulous inclusion on the plate.
It was certainly a relaxed place to eat and after the meal and a couple of beers, a little Euro2012 on the TV, I was happy to head back to the hotel for bed.
The rocks would be there tomorrow.