From the mountains to the Sea

Another great sleep, a sort of sleep in, wandered down to the courtyard for another yummy breaky, packed up our lives into the bags yet again, collected the jalopy from down the street a bit and coerced and maneuvered it back up the slippery road to the residence in order to load up. Again successfully threading our way down through the narrow twisting roads leaving the antiquity behind and hit the highway to Himare. Another spectacular valley was traversed. This time the road seemed almost brand new, a real engineering feat slicing it way up the steep slopes, with graceful curves, correct cambers and a pristine surface. The ever present mountains looming overhead with steep faces that would make any rock climber wet themselves in eager desire. Near the top the engineers seemingly gave up on graders and drilled straight through in a long tunnel which interestingly, had light at the end of it, down the otherside we went. Behaving ourselves behind a slow poke only to be almost run off the road by a passing lunatic cop.

Back on the flats of the other side we stopped for a coffee at a Cafe (getting adventurous now) and managed to get a sort of decent attempt by getting lots of milk added. All they need to do here is learn how to use their wizzbang machines properly steam the milk. One day maybe.

The overpaid underdelivered vehicle really does struggle up these hills. It's a bit disconcerning that the auto gearbox seems to have a mind of it's own as to which gear of the five options it chooses to employ. Not sure how long it will last for, we just need it for a few more days, however slightly hesitant to go very far from here in Himare over our next few days. The road up the coast is steep, winding, lots of ups and downs and lots of challenges created by towns, goats, slow trucks, impatient drivers, big busses etc etc. The scenery is of course amazing. The Ionian Sea is calm as it fades into the distance, large islands dotting the horizon with smattering of boats moving around on top of it. The road seemed to go on forever, with no chance of stopping to capture the views as they drive on the wrong side of the road here. They do keep trying to go to the left like it's an inbuilt instinct, this continually scares the begeebees out of outoftowners.
Eventually we found our accommodation along a strip of a beach in the Himare area. Its not the main town and appears to be totally dedicated for the incoming hordes. With our view out the room, through the balcony outside we can keep an eye on the car which has the best position in town.
After lugging the kit up 40 stairs, catching our breath, went for a dip in the sea. The beach is wierd, all stones and pebbles. The water is warm on top and cooler a meter below. After the dip, went for a wander along the entire strip. Checked out a potential dinner joint by whiling away an an hour or so over a cold bevey whilst the entire place stressed themselves serving lunch to a couple of busloads of French nationals. Wasn't even game to ask for some chips as the staff looked ready to explode. As did the tour guides, the restaurant manager and the WCs once the meals were finished. Hope they were well remunerated for their big effort. Once the bus loads had filed their way out past us, we left as well to walk the strip. Up the other end is a very salubrious hotel and a private beach.

There's also private beach lounges with curtains to ostentatiously block the view of the water from anyone on the other side. One assumes these are for those folk who like to go to the beach, soak up some rays without others seeing the flaws in their forms. Guess it could also be to stop the paparazzi taking snaps of toe sucking (Fergie style).
This bay has a strange feel to it. Very safe (like the rest of the country) it just seems to be in the final stages of construction. We have dirt where there should be grass, cranes and piledrivers and concrete pouring at one end of the beach and builders working furiously contructing beachfront cafés almost in front of us. With the beach covered in thousands of lined up umbrellas shading the lounge chairs below with about a 2% occupancy rate it seems to poised to explode.

It is Tuesday and not peak season yet, so its easy to see how the locals are ramping up for the expected inrush.
We are here purely on the very sage advice of Offspring no.2 who suggested we should experience the place before it gets overrun, before the word gets out, before the prices climb as a result of. And indeed we have...just. it's apparent we are on the cusp. It would have been great to see it (say) 10 years ago, but would've been a whole lot harder as the locals would not have been as welcoming as they are... as they really are now fully on board to do the hard yards in order to be a place where we can happily splash our cash.
Dinner in the restaurant below the rooms was great. The cook/owner/mum of the waiter proudly showed us what she had made as specials for the day. So we had them and were impressed and full at the end of it.

All whilst consuming the magnificent views of our vehicles behinds as they looked over the Ionian waters sunset. Lucky cars, hope they appreciate the efforts we go to to give them a good time.
Time check (9:30pm). Looks like they are working through the night on their worksite. With music blaring. With a sub woofer. Normally this would not be too much of an issue as double glazing is the norm here. Our problem is the air-conditioning refuses to turn on. And the concrete room is like a sauna with no windows to open except the sliding door to the worksite. Hopefully it will calm down later.
Did I mention it's hot? Lucky we've hit the coast. Lucky it's not summer proper yet. Our timing for the whole trip so far has been impeccable.

Time check (10:40pm) the workers have packed their saws away, there is still a subwoofer in play somewhere. The almost full moon is reflecting off the sea after loosing it's race against the terminator. Yet again. It keeps trying, but always looses. That's a dance that outlasts even the mountains efforts.....

And then the sound of a circular saw resonates across the scene...they are still at it after all.