Category Archives: On the road

Day 66 – The end!

4325km in total!

I woke up and I could already see Greece from the window of the ferry. I spend the last half an hour of the journey on the deck, looking how we were slowly approaching the port.

Right country, wrong fruit.
Right country, wrong fruit.

A happy hairy man
A true moment of happiness and fulfillment.

My parents were already waiting for me, to welcome me back to the country and home.

Almost there
Almost there

These are the parents
These are the parents
As seen from the other side
And this is the son

We loaded the bike on the car and we drove home.

Did its job well, now it is its turn to be carried.

Did its job well, now it is its turn to be transported.

I wish I had the desire to cycle these last 220km, but unfortunately I didn’t for many reasons. Greece is not very cyclist friendly country. The roads are poorly made and are full of unreasonably dangerous drivers that don’t respect others. Even been in the car, I was feeling a little unsafe. I am not saying it’s impossible to ride here, because I know many people that do and I will do as well sooner or later. It’s just that I’ve done the route Patra to Athens many times on a car and I would find it uninteresting and unpleasant to cycle, to take such a risk.

So here I am, back in this chaotic country, where drivers think is cool not to wear seatbelt or helmet, where you find cars parks on playgrounds, where the pedestrian zebra crossings are not in use any more, as a measure to improve traffic. But also here I am, back to the country of nice food and olive oil, where tomatoes taste like tomatoes, where you can afford to buy bags of oranges rather than just a couple of them and were the sun shines for most of the year.

Back to a home, 66 days later.

Back to a home, 66 days later.

More posts on after thoughts will follow in the near future. But for now, I hope you enjoyed reading my on-line diary of this journey. If you did, maybe consider a donation and help me accomplish my second goal, which is to raise £3000 for MSF in order to help others in this world with more fundamental needs than us.

Thank you
Georgios.

Day 65 – Ancona to the end!

8 final kilometers of the 4325 in Total.

Very strange morning, waking up knowing it is the last day of this journey and finding out it’s only 6am, as half of the guys in the room had to spend an hour packing their stuff. No breakfast in the hostel, so I left grumpy. But instead of looking for food as usual, I went straight to the port to get my ticket, the ticket that will define the end of this journey.

And for a moment, I was thinking of camping next to the ferries and do some wheelies
And for a moment, I was thinking of camping next to the ferries and do some wheelies
Something is up side down here
Something is up side down here

The check in was at 1pm, so I had plenty of time for breakfast. Since Ancona doesn’t really have much to see, apart from ferries that take Greeks to their home, I went to a cafe to spend my last two hours in Italy looking at the rain.

I don't really drink coffee, but I had to, I was in Italy
I don’t really drink coffee, but I was in Italy
That's the one, waiting for me
That’s the one, waiting for me

I boarded, we departed and spend the rest of the day thinking about my last two months and this great journey.

Part of the city
Part of the city
Arrivederci Italia
Arrivederci Italia
A last view...
A last view…
...and gone
…and gone
It's almost winter and the sunset now comes early. Time to go home.
It’s almost winter and the sunset now comes early. Time to go home.
Definitely a winner on this journey
Definitely a winner on this journey