It was windless and mild as we set off in the direction of the Promontory. A car was parked opposite the old kantina. I suspect it was someone on a tryst. The Early Walk was uneventful so we were back in the camping around 07:10. I put the dogs inside the van, checked the hot water boiler, fed the cats and then set off for a ride.
I struggled across the bumpy road into Paleochora. Even with a fat-tyred bike with front suspension and a suspension seat, the road is still bumpy due to all the potholes. This ride was to explore the communication masts on the mountains above Paleochora. In the great scheme of things, they are not that high up at around 200-300m. There is a wonderful view so plenty to see as the morning was fresh and clear. The ride up to the top is fairly arduous even with an e-bike so I was huffing and puffing when I finally made it to the top.
There are three main masts in two groups. There are two masts which are higher than the single one. I visited both as they have different views over the sea and the village. The sheep must really appreciate the location although less so when it’s cold and windy. I now have confirmation that both sets of masts have backup generators for when the power regularly fails. I suspected they did but now know for sure.
I came down the track quite gingerly as there was a lot of sheep and a certain amount of stones littering the way. There were signs that this location is used for some sort of sporting event. When back on the road going through the estate below the mountain, i pased near to Martha’s apartment and noticed that both Georgia and Manolis’ pickups were outside.
The next part of the ride comprised of a trip around Paleochora and then to the port to see the PAWS puppies who number about eight. There are two larger, black puppies and other smaller, younger ones. I was suitably chewed, licked and nibbled at and so I left whilst the going was good. They were as excited to smell my dogs as mine were to smell them when I got back!
My next stop was Petrakis to get some extra bits as I’d not planned correctly for the Epiphany Holiday which is tomorrow as well as the poor weather. Normally the supermarkets are closed on Sundays during the winter however they open to make up for the Holiday closures. Peter had planned to pick up some items from the post office tomorrow so I warned him of the holiday and asked if he needed anything. I didn’t buy a huge amount but was mindful of the bad weather and my limited desire to go shopping in the rain, e-bike or not.
I said hello to Manolis and Lisa as I came into the camping and asked if they planned to go to Paleochora the following day as I have Skinny and Isabella to transport to the visiting German vet clinic at Kalamos. They said they would be going in but at 09:00 which would get me to Kalamos very early for my 11:00 slot. The weather forecast is for more rain tomorrow so the thought of waiting in the rain for a couple of hours doesn’t do it for me. I’ve asked Heike if I can get there early or for a different slot.
I went to see Peter to ask if he wanted to use the bike to get in some shopping for the Holiday. He’d been in the night before but was unaware of the Epiphany Holiday. We set up his bike bags and put one on the bike and he went into town after his breakfast. I went off to release the dogs and make some breakfast for myself.
Other than the initial activity, the day has been relatively calm. I’d closed all my circles so I had no need for further exercise and I expected it to be raining by late afternoon and wasn’t disappointed. I changed the hooks which attach my bike bags to the rear rack as the ones fitted were too large which allowed the bag to slop about and to fall off over big bumps. I spent some time changing the bungees on the tent as they’d broken and strong winds and more rain are forecast for tomorrow and the next day. It’s also going to be a little chilly.
We are mostly inside the van with the heating on and the rain pattering gently on the metal roof above. The rain is scheduled to continue and then be joined by strong wind in the morning.
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