Just as I was about to leave my pit the sound of rain could be heard above my head so I waited. I finally got up to take the dogs out at 07:30 after 14mm rain.
It was pretty damp and miserable outside and there were a lot of clouds about. I walked them, fed them all and then took Boris. At least the sun was shining for his walk. Having not run, I decided to cycle over to where Christophe is staying as he was planning to leave soon.
I set off for Paleochora for a location equidistant the other side of the peninsula some 8.5km. On my way, I encountered an Austrian lady with a dog. We got talking and she told me that I’d missed Christophe by a day. I decided to walk back towards Paleochora with her and the dog. We parted company at Paleochora camping and I cycled to Petrakis to pick up some groceries. When the card payment didn’t show up on my watch I should have realised there was something wrong. It was only when I was back at the camping that I discovered my phone had fallen out of my shorts pocket.
Using the ‘Find my iPhone’ app on my iPad I could see the location of the phone and that it was still working so I jumped on my bike. In the meantime, Lau was coming on his motorbike back from Paleochora and passed me. I did not find the phone so returned to the camping. The app indicated the phone was to the east of Paleochora Camping so Lau took me on his bike to the location to try to find it. He was calling it and calling it but we couldn’t find it.
Back at Grammeno, the app now said the phone was further along the coast road where I’d met the Austrian woman. I jumped on my bike and cycled the 8.5km back. I then walked back along the track asking people on my way.
I finally got back to Grammeno around 15:00 feeling somewhat tired. Georgia was at the camping and sent a message to my phone asking that if it was found to take it to Manolis’ filling station. Lau, Georgia and Xanthipposs were all calling my phone hoping someone would pick-up.
Xanthippos then got on the phone to a friendly policeman he knows before disappearing off on his bike. We had been able to see from app that the phone was now in Paleochora near to some rooms.
Xanthippos and his friendly policeman went to the rooms and evicted all the occupants informing them they were going to search for the phone until they found it. One guy came forward saying that he’d found the phone and not stolen it. He gave it up so was left in peace.
Xanthippos returned to the camping bearing my iPhone feeling very pleased with himself. I’m sure he’ll get lots of mileage out of it with his friends, embellishing it every time it’s retold. He admitted that without the help of the policeman he wouldn’t have had a chance. The occupants of these rooms are all immigrant workers, Albanians, Bulgarians, Roumanians etc. They were not about to make any fuss with the police as they’d find themselves on the next bus home.
It was getting late, I was tired and it started to rain. The dogs were put to bed without a second walk and I collapsed into the shower for a good, long, hot wash.
I walked 12.18km and cycled 35km or more. My watch was getting low on battery so I didn’t record the trip back to the camping.
Time for some food and to fall into a heap
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