Day 8 – Astros to Monemvasia
This was one of the best days on the bike. The road winds down the coast of the Gulf of Argolis and then turns inland and narrows. I found myself saying many times on this trip that I was glad to be on a motorcycle and not in a car. There are so many roads that are virtually impassible because of their narrowness. On a motorcycle, when you meet a car coming in the other direction, you can just barely squeeze by. In a car you have to back up until you find a spot where you can both pass. The road from Leonidio to Geraki is one of those roads. It winds up and over a range of sandstone mountains, the likes of which I have never seen outside the US Southwest. In Geraki we passed the Belgians who had gotten the camper stuck trying to get though the town narrow streets.
After lunching in the courtyard of a chapel on some memorable Greek salami and cheese with a herd of sheep nearby, we continued to Monemvasia. Monemvasia, another WHS, means “one entry” in Greek. It is built on the side of a large rock mesa at the end of a peninsula formed by an earthquake around 300ad. Two sides of the town are walled by rock, another by the sea, and on the fourth is a gate with a single entry. Possession of the town has flip-flopped between occupying forces and the Greeks and is now being restored and re-inhabited. We drove right up to the gate and spent the afternoon walking around and having a frappe (iced coffee) before setting up camp. The campsite was really nice with clean, new facilities. The Belgians were there, too. After dinner I was feeling energized so we went back into Monemvasia to get some night pictures before turning in. There was a wind that night and I had a fitful night of sleep (I think the frappe had something to do with it).
Tags: Greece 2005
Luke