June 12, 2005: Peloponnese

Exited the ferry at noon with an Italian couple on a big Yamaha who were on their way to exploring the Greek islands. We followed each other from the ferry to the freeway - the girlfriend was riding pillion and she was clearly lusting after the Breva. How much is it? Is it too hard to stop? You can put both feet on the street? I like the color...

Greece - all rocky, scrubby mountains and sparkling blue water. The highway was good, two lanes with an emergency lane on the right that the slower traffic moved in. An exit to ancient Corinth where the original Corinthian columns stand. Stopping at a grocery store for a yogurt and a banana and some juice, and then south on the beach road to Porto Heli and Kostos. More scrub, more rocks, more sun, and farmers selling tangerines, zuchinni with the flowers on them, honey from the hives I see on the side of the road, big lettuces, and a basket of eggs fresh from the nest. I buy and buy and stuff my net full of the produce, wrap the eggs in a sarong and place it on top of the tank bag and ride to the sea and up the switchbacks and around the curves carefully (falling rocks and gravel) and in Porto Heli ask "which way is Kosta?" because there are no signs.

A kilometer later I am at a dead end at a taverna looking across the water at Spetses. The barman calls Claire, the owner of the villa I'm staying in with my friends, and her husband comes to lead me there. We have terraces and a pool and a view. I am first here, choose the room nobody will fight over, unpack and jump in the pool.

They arrive at 8:30, having driven from Athens where they flew in and got the rental car , and they are starving so we immediately go back to the taverna and choose from fish from the ice box, and Maureen, who has been to Greece many times, orders us dips and appetizers and retsina.

The Breva is parked at the end of the gravel driveway and will not be ridden for several more days, waah.

This week: Porto Heli (Portocheli), Spetses, Hydra (Idra), and Nafplio. Also slow and unreliable dial-up connections, so I may be using my weblog instead of doing these dispatches - if you don't see anything here within a couple of days, check here, too.

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GEAR: A note about gear - the Olympia Moto Sports suit is very nice and cool and I only get sweaty in the hot weather where the pads are placed on knees. My laptop with wireless and ethernet connection worked great in Italy, but here in Greece there's dial-up that quits when the networks get too busy. I have a Pacsafe net to lock my duffel bag to the bike and it gives me greatpeace of mind - esp when I leave the bike and duffel alone such as in the bowels of the Brindisi-Patras ferry.