Greece on a motorcycle
Written and photographed by: Golan Hadad
Day one
Picking up the motorcycle from the port and making arrangements in Athens – Tuesday 31.8 (journey diary – trip to Greece)
Got up early with insomnia what’s going on with the motorcycle… a friend sent me a picture on Sunday (Dub Gazit) of the tools being unloaded from the ship. In addition, on Monday he informed me that he was told that the vessel was moving, so they dragged it from the ship to the dock on foot… I’m stressed, what now? 4 years without any problems in my life, DR650 how can it be?
Starts looking for buses to the port, gets confused and ends up ordering a taxi. Can’t wait to get to the tool.
Illusory, an open port, no gate, no review, no guards. Enter on foot, take a right to a stack of containers and the tool is waiting (with a few other tools from other people). A cute Greek receives me, show my passport, sign here, here are the keys, go bye. Really crazy 10 minutes and I’m at the tool with the key in my hand. Turn a switch and it starts right away… these thieves just didn’t release the engine shut-off button. (But hidden from my heart). What a blessing to be free and ride wherever you want. Howl for arrangements in Athens…
But Athens… traffic jams without end, and it’s hot to die… probably that’s why the locals ride without helmets, without protection, really scary. But while riding you start to feel that they really respect motorcycles here and in general they ride calmly and give the right of way. There are no beeps, there is no lane stealing, and even if there is a red light, you can take the right with ease, motorcycles only… Maybe the formula in Athens is better than ours?
To be continued…
Day two
We stay in Athens another day due to a battery and front brake lever sensor failure – Wednesday 9/1 (travel diary – trip to Greece)
In the morning, we’ll drop by to see if there are any normal tires and maybe change and then we’ll come back, fold up and continue north according to the plan.
Arrives at the tire shop, gets off the motorcycle, turns off the engine with the button and does not turn off the lights, 10 minutes of conversation with the seller, returns to the same motorcycle and does not start. Cables, urgency, tests, Henault meter does not go above 11.5. What now? charging? dynamo? What is up? DR650? It’s been 4 years without any problems and in Athens problems? Disassembly at a local garage and after two hours the problem is not found. They tell me to go to the central Suzuki garage. What are you staying in Athens now? In addition, I cannot extend that he was at home, let me be found. Howled another BOOKING one more pass and then we’ll go to the garage. Said goodbye to the elderly couple who hosted me. and moves the things to another house and on the way drinks Greek coffee in a local neighborhood.
Arrives at the central Suzuki garage. landed. 4 company work without pressure, turn to me check and tell me my love the battery is 4 years old, howling to change. But listen, we are closing and the battery needs to be charged before assembly, so come tomorrow morning. That’s how Greece is at ease without pressure. In addition, the front brake lever sensor doesn’t work either… lol what expenses now? But in the end everything is fine, see you tomorrow…
The electrical connection did not match ours, so I went to an electrical store, they cut the plug and connected a suitable plug… When we return to Israel, we will change back.
In the evening I climbed one of the mountains in front of the Acropolis… howl tomorrow we will fly from Athens inshallah.
To be continued…
Day eight
courses in the morning in the mountains, rain on the way and a restaurant on the beach – Tuesday 9/7 (journey diary – trip to Greece)
In the morning they served hot coursones for the first time and in addition a very delicious apple pie. In the plan, crossing the lake on the way, then going down to the beaches and back to the mountains. We left from 1200 meters high and started to descend but even at 1000 meters it is cold here and in the winter we ski here. On the way we stopped because of the rain at a cute cafe Shelter – Iti. A waitress named Iyo prepares excellent Greek coffee and Athina explains about the area. After two hours the rain stopped and we continue towards the beach. A light lunch and a siesta and a night out back in the mountains.
Climb back to 1200 and stop in the small village of Ano Chor. In a cafe on the main boulevard, Demetri and Beli sit and serve us Greek coffee. They don’t know a word of English so here Google comes in to help and everyone is happy. I come to pay and Demetri tells me I don’t need to. I tell him why and then he replied that he will come to Israel so I will invite him too… I agreed and we continued.
We continue to the Omalia Village Hotel located in Krionria
We were welcomed by Costas, one man who alone manages everything here and after we saw the rooms he gave us an excellent meal. (He is also the cook here)
To be continued…
Day ten
To Zomerka – Thursday – 9.9 (travel diary – trip to Greece)
We start with breakfast on the face. It was not a good hotel. (ARTA PALACE HOTEL)
We continue and stop for coffee at Giakouvaki’s. A cute corner in the way of a family business. We asked for coffee and also looked at the watermelon so the lady treated us to an organic watermelon.
Another 45 minute drive and we decided to stop after the bridge. A nice older woman named Athatoniki came out to us and offered coffee. We stopped for 5 minutes and drank from a spoon. She didn’t know a word of English but Google helped us again.
By mistake I marked the summit of Tsumkara and not one of the settlements so Google led us to difficult dirt paths and then I decided that David’s cb500x would not pass here so at some point we stopped we tried to understand why he was leading us in the forest and suddenly an elderly shepherd came out to us and asked where (in Greek of course) from here to there we said To him we are from Israel and the guy smiled and said we are strong men and explained to us with drawings on the ground how to return. awesome bro.
We continue to reach the town of Pramanta which is inside the Tsumarka National Park.
We arrived straight into Yorgos’s restaurant (Fotis Tavern Restaurant) and a Greek salad and pizza were placed on the table. After the meal, we came to ask Yorgos if he had any Greek coffee to give, he said he only had Nes coffee. When they asked him what he was drinking, he said only a glass of Greek liquor and brought us a bottle from under the bar… Now we understood why the pizza “was” very tasty… . Yorgos also led us to a very cute family that has rooms (highly recommended). A woman named Dimitra, who owns the hotel Liontos rooms’ led us to a lovely room facing the view. we won
We unloaded the equipment in the rooms (except for Alon’s bags which are a must always remain on the motorcycle MAD DOG Adventure Luggage) and I rode alone to the viewpoint of Ορειβατικό Καταφύγιο Πραμάντων. In Tsvatif a family with two children runs a small hotel with a pool and a cafe and the view… in short, a must go. The owners of the hotel are called Babis and Pola. The way up is challenging for a private car