Greece

23rd Nov – 1st December - Attica, Greece

Nearly forgot to add these: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/findthebinghams/3423rdNovTo15thDecGreecePart1

Greece is warm, sunny and very laid-back– hooray! This zooming around Europe is quite exhausting and we now need a holiday.

We found the Meteora - amazing constructions in a equally amazing environment. Between the 11th and 16th Centuries, weird and wonderful monasteries were built on sheer rock pillars, 300m up. We were rather pleased to find there are now steps, given their original access was via long ladders, or even slings pulled up by monks. The chapel frescos are fascinating (although they depict pretty gruesome events relating to the martyrdom of saints) and we were impressed by the multi-monk serving plank (see pic) .

We’ve been shopping in Argos, admired Mount Olympus from afar and tried to interpret the remains of Ancient Corinth - 7 Doric columns from the 6th Century Temple of Apollo, the theatre, odium and a section of stoa.

AcroCorinth, which sits 574m above the town was highly (sorry!) impressive and we walked most of its intact 2km fortified walls.

Rick was fascinated by the Corinth Canal (original idea was Nero’s, but it took ‘til 1893 to get done). Sheer walls are 261ft, with no parapet…..

We’re so pleased we decided to take it easy here – we’re staying in one place and have gentle excursions when we have energy. We’re well settled on a pebbly beach, 20m from the Aegean Sea in a small fishing village called Kiveri, on the East Coast of the Peleponnese . It’s delightful. There’s a water tap and very friendly German neighbours in 3 campervans. The locals stop to chat and one little boy gives us a wave every morning.

It’s so lovely to be surrounded by fresh fruit and veg. The orange, clementine and lemon trees are laden with luscious fruit. We may be the first to get citric poisoning the rate we’re eating them!

Greek hospitality is grand. Within a 24 hour period, a campsite owner was over-hospitable with his ‘chipru’ (i.e Rosi didn’t stop drinking quite soon enough….) and Rick was invited in to a christening in an old church in a cave!. Even the police who arrived at 12.30pm to check up on us were very polite and pleasant (not their normal image apparently).

Mind you, the downside is horrendous town traffic, double/triple parking and mad, mad drivers (Greece has the 2nd highest accident rate in Europe).

Sadly rubbish is everywhere. Imagine the most stunning Greek scenery, overlooking the beautiful coast – then you see the tons of discarded rubble, bottles, furniture, old washing machines…….all the countryside looks a dreadful mess. I can’t bear to put a pic in – you’d be horrified.

Must go and enjoy my ouzo in the sun, listening to the waves and watching the divers catch octopi…it’s a hard life.