DAY 14 - near ARKITSA

14) MONDAY, 11 JULY 1977 : 0 KMS. - BEACH NEAR ARKITSA

The weather today was very different  from  yesterday .  A breeze blowing from the sea let us feel more comfortably as I didn’t feel  having headache  and skin burning like yesterday . So we decided  to stay for another day here, I then had time for my diary noting and cleaning.

Before having the rest of  watermelon instead of rice for breakfast, I rushed to the open-air toilette, near oleander trees on  the other side of our campervan.  There was overgrown shrubby and  it was out  of sight enough.  We had the important equipment needed for this trip – a foldable shovels for digging into sand as to help freeing  the wheels  if our campervan got struck and for other purposes as well.

Photo : Bing images search

We went swimming in the sea to cool down a little bit after lunch. It was windy  today and very big waves that also brought along many  red jellyfishes to the beach.  I saw them floating and was careful not to let them touch my skin and kept warning Tilo and others for attention. Unfortunately it touched my legs accidentally and caused burning and itching, I had to come out immediately to wash my legs, presently full of swelling and itching rashes.  With the help of medicated ointment  against poisonous insect bites we brought along I applied it over rashes on my legs.  It was very effective, I used it once when I got stung by a bee blown inside our campervan through the window. This medication helped to kill the pain immediately. It also helped me effectively this time.

Kedros beach, ARKITSA - Photo : Bing images search

Under water in this area, there were small  water plants growing on the rocks. They were pale pink, almost white  ( completely white when dried up),  strangely attractive. In a way, they looked like many white threads of stone attached to the top of rocks,  spreading out like a group of tiny umbrellas. I collected some but they were  very fragile and breaking apart. On the beach  there were also pretty small pebbles.  After jellyfish incident, I walked along the beach to seach for beautiful pebbles and could collect a large pile. I selected to keep only some unique pieces. In my deep thoughts,  if every stone is gold, it would be worthless as they are everywhere covering the beach.  I saw also natural sponges on some parts of the beach, but they were contaminated with sand in it everywhere. 

Gypsy caravan - Photo : EUforum / Bing images search

In the afternoon, gypsy caravans (most having no fixed residents) with motorcycles came to camp under olive trees, growing all around the area from the main road to the beach.

Gypsy -  Photo :  EUtimes / Bing images search

Gypsy children looked a bit ragged, gradually came closer to have a look at our campervan. Without talking to us as we did not speak the same language, I gave them some sweets that we have. They ran away after having got some sweets.  I thought that these children did not have much contact with other people, they had strange gestures with puzzled eyes.  In a negative way (may be not fair and accurate),  I did not trust these Gypsy children and feeling to be careful  as we left the back doors opened while sleeping at night for fresh air and better ventilation.


 SPECIAL NOTE

 "Romani people"
From Wikipedia.org, the free encyclopedia

The Romani are an ethnic group living mostly in Europe. Romani are widely known in the English-speaking world by the exonym "Gypsies" (or Gipsies) and also as Romany, Romanies, Romanis, Roma or Roms; in their Romani language they are known collectively as Romane or Rromane (depending on the dialect).

Romani are widely dispersed, with their largest concentrated populations in Europe, especially the Roma of Central and Eastern Europe and Anatolia, followed by the Kale of Iberia and Southern France. They arrived in Europe from the Middle East in the 15th century, separating from the Dom people; the ancestors of both the Romani and the Dom left the northwestern Indian Subcontinent roughly 1,500 years ago.

Painting by Vincent Van Gogh "The Caravans Gypsy Camp near Arles"

Since the 19th century, some Romani have also migrated the Americas. There are an estimated one million Roma in the United States; and 800,000 in Brazil, most of whose ancestors emigrated in the nineteenth century from eastern Europe. Brazil also includes Romani descended from people deported by the government of Portugal during the Inquisition in the colonial era. In migrations since the late nineteenth century, Romani have also moved to Canada and countries in South America.

The Romani language is divided into several dialects, which add up to an estimated number of speakers larger than two million. The total number of Romani people is at least twice as large (several times as large according to high estimates). Many Romani are native speakers of the language current in their country of residence, or of mixed languages combining the two.

DAY 13 - near ARKITSA

13) SUNDAY, 10 JULY 1977: 210KMS. - BEACH NEAR ARKITSA
 

I woke up as the sunshine was very bright against my eyes. Looking around from the house balcony, I saw some other people still lying asleep on the rooftops  of other houses. There were heaps of folded  thin mattresses and sheets on some other rooftops since it was Sunday. About 9-10.00 am. we said goodbye to the Greek and continued on our way. We stopped to buy chilled fresh milk for breakfast instead of coffee.

Route from PIRAEUS (A) to ARKITSA (E)

We left ATHENS off to the northeast passing through seaside town RAFINA. Many people came to the beach. On the way before RAFINA, we bought a watermelon of 8 kilograms (7.- Drachmen/kg.).

Historical Athens - Photo : Bing images search

We went on to MARATHON, KAPANDRITI and then on the same route we made (when we came from HAG. KONSTANTINOS)  towards  LAMIA, refueling and getting some fresh drinking water for cooler and bottles.

Port of Piraeus - Photo : Bing images search

It had been very hot today and we could feel the hot wind blowing into our campervan. It was very hot that we had to close window, the temperature inside our campervan reached to 40 degrees Celsius. Without wearing socks, I felt like my feet going to be blistered when touching the floor although it was carpeted. Hot wind was blowing inside against my face and body making me feel hot and burning (I chose to wear shorts and singlet because of hot climate). 

Because of hot and dry air, I could hardly breathe. Since I was born, it was only today that I just came across with this hot weather and strong winds . In Thailand, the weather is hot and humid, we do not have much trouble in breathing. Though it was hot outside and we felt of hot air blowing into our campervan, we did not sweat.  Only when I  sat cross-legged overlapping I could feel humidity or sweat on the underside of my leg.

ARKITSA - Photo : Niefstat / Bing images search

We faced the hot weather all the way from KAPANDRITRI until ARKITSA, causing me a headache. I understood that hot air blows from the inland of GREECE , which is hot and dry for the time being. Or the hot wind blew from the SAHARA, crossing the MEDITERRANEAN sea. Although we arrived in ARKITSA by the sea,  a hot wind still kept blowing in. I did not feel so comfortable even though we stayed close to the sea, which might help cool down the hot temperature.

We arrived at the beach,  where we had parked earlier to wash our clothes and take a shower on our way to ATHENS. We decided to spend the night here as the weather was very hot to continue driving. Since it was Sunday, there were many people on the beach than last time we parked here but that was not as a problem for parking. I bought a watermelon and let it float in the sea to cool it. Anyhow, it did not help much as the water was not so cool like in ADRIATIC sea.

We felt tired and sleepy after each having a quarter piece of watermelon probably because of very hot weather. We lay down on own couch of each to take a nap, the temperature in the campervan was up to 45 degrees Celsius and we had to leave the back doors opened so that the wind could help blowing the heat away. Otherwise, it would almost like sleeping in the oven. Cold-drinking water in bottles became too warm and only bottled water kept in the cool box remained cool as it used to be, that helped refreshing us quite well.

Olive - Photo : Bing images search

I could not sleep because our campervan was parked on the slope and there were flies swarming on my body and kept disturbing me. I had beaten some to death and even used insect repellent spray to chase them away but it did not help. The hot winds kept blowing and it seemed not to stop. So I  got up and sat outside under olive trees near our campervan, watching people swimming and playing on the beach.  I wondered how Tilo could sleep, he seemed having no problem with the circumstances. Probably, he was tired of driving, sweat appearing on his face.

 

Photo : Bing images search

The sun began to lower. The weather was cooling down while the wind changed its blowing direction - sea wind finally.  Tilo woke up at proper time, when I opened canned tuna to make sandwich for our simple dinner.  Not far from our parking area, there was a camping tent of a Greek family as well. (In fact, they had been here since we were on our way to ATHENS) .

I had a big surprise when I wanted to wash myself before going to bed. Whoa!  The water in the plastic tank was rather warm due to the heat today. We had a plastic water tank (25 liters) in a wash basin form, placing on the small built-in counter of the inner room for washing our faces and hands as well as brushing teeth.  The water tank, equipped with hand water-pump and a small faucet, is also used as a wash basin at the same time. 

I looked at a small climbing plant “Devil’s Ivy”  in a bottle filled with water, it seemed to be withering because the water was heated  during today extreme hot weather. 

DAY 12 - PIRAEUS

12) SATURDAY, 9 JULY 1977 :  10KMS. - PIRAEUS

 
We chose to visit Greek National Museum in the morning, there were many wonderful  sculptures of  deities like Apollo, Poseidon, Satyr etc. and decoration accessories. Greek pottery is characterized by a reddish orange and black stripes painted and portraiture and geometric designs . 

Photo : Bing images search

Most of stone sculptures and designs of their pottery (vases and water jugs, etc.) are carved and painted with military patterned nude warriors or gods rather than a naked woman.  Perhaps on the same vase one side is painted with deities/worriors wearing  clothes but naked on another side. Admission fee in general was  50.- Drachmen but I paid only 5.- Drachmen  by showing my  International Student Card.

Most of artifacts on display in the museum are not completely perfect ones but they were broken pieces bonding  together again in original shapes .  I had seen more perfect artifacts displayed in the museums in PARIS and ROME.

Poseidon - Photo : Bing images search

 

Apollo - Photo : Bing images search

 

Athena the goddess of Athens - Photo : Marsyas (wikepedia.org) / Bing images search

ATHENS  itself looks dirty and not beautiful as I have thought. The climate is very hot and despite the scorching hot sun, we scrambled up to the Acropolis for a closer look. We had to pay additional 5.- Drachmen  for viewing outside of the Acropolis. 

There was no fine decorations on the Acropolis left for appreciation but there were  marble pillars and broken down pieces of the Parthenon temple - the major part of the Acropolis.  However,  there are many  tourists visiting this place which brings a large sum of income from the admission fee  for the city every day.

Photo : Bing images search

In the museum building near the Parthenon we can see broken pieces of carved pediments  of the Parthenon  on display.  Most parts are shown mainly at the British Museum in London.  There was also a replica of the perfect Parthenon, demonstrating traditional aesthetic quite well.

Photo : Doriero / Bing images search caption

Around the Parthenon, especially at each corner, there were policemen on duty to warn visitors by blowing whistles at people pretending to climb on or in Parthenon to take photos, which is currently under restoration.  The condition of Parthenon is worsening every day due to the bad condition of the air in ATHENS.

 

Photo : Bing images search

Greece weather  in the summer month of July is really hot, like in Thailand but much drier.  People seem to prefer  having  cold drinks during this time as well.   There is also cold water dispenser in most restaurants;  a coffee or soft drinks is often served with cold water (not common in Germany) . At night many Greeks prefer  to sleep outside on the decks or balconies as it should be cooler. There might be less mosquitoes than in Thailand. Some Greeks may pour water on  terraces to cool down the temperature of their surroundings.

ATHENS shops are located in the specific areas like in China town of Bangkok, such as fabrics, bikes  and accessories,  sanitary wares and etc.  Down from the Acropolis, we walked through a market selling fresh fruits, from where we bought some nice fresh peaches .  We stopped at  the coffee shop to taste our peaches and ordered  a cups of coffee for each because it is very hot and we were thirsty.

Here we met 2 Greeks, one of whom had been in Germany  and speaks German fluently.  They asked to join us at the table and finally volunteered to take us for  a walk in the park where there was a fair similar to the local annual Volksfest in Germany .  We ended up with going to the beach for swimming !  A big surprise for us, many Greeks  went for swimming at night because the weather was very hot.

After swimming,  one of these 2 new  friends  asking Tilo to drive him at his sister’s home in ATHENS. A German-speaking guy  whose home in PIRÄUS nearby  but he himself was not familiar with the way home, we had to ask all the way since he had recently returned home from Germany  for soldier recruitment.    

We reached his sister’s home later than midnight and thought of finding a parking nearby but were invited to sleep in the house of his sister.  The house has a nice terrace and empty so we accepted his invitation. The weather was very hot still, we thought sleeping on the house terrace open space would be better than sleeping in our campervan, although there is a  fan and air channels fixed to the floor for sucking the wind / fresh air into our sleeping section as well as an air vent on the top.