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.
- 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
- These are the parents
- 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 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.
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.
Πολύ χαίρομαι για σένα! It was a difficult journey and i really though it would be more dangerous the cycling from Patras to Athens than the whole journey itself.Ευτυχώς δε το ρίσκαρες. Συγχαρητήρια για το επίτευγμα και καλή τύχη στη συνέχεια !
Congrats and welcome back!
Time to shave now then
I get the chills watching you back home after all this journey.
You are an inspiration. Hope we can meet when I come to Athens for Christmas!
Γαμώτο ζηλεύω. Νάμουνα και πάλι 25άρης…!!
συγχαρητήρια Γιώργο !!!
να είσαι καλά να συνεχίσεις τα ταξίδια με το ποδήλατο
μπαι δε γουει
ξέρω ένα εύκολο πέρασμα των άλπεων .. για την επόμενη εκδρομή
Congrats my friend.
You are the best cosmopolitan, bon viveur, voyager, I know..
When did you arrive in Patras (I live in Patras now -I lost the chance to see you face to unsaved face)
Keep going. truth can’t wait
Kind regards
Harry Zikos
Hi Georgios, congratulations on your marathon effort to get back home. I have really enjoyed reading your blog and will miss the read everyday when I get back from work or college. I hope you are pleased to see your family again and are full of energy and motivation for the future. I was telling members of the stonecarving class about your blog and they were very keen to hear about you. Best wishes. Rob
Best of wishes, keep on going in every dream of yours.
welcome back maaaaaaaaaan!!! wow. really excited! Expect call for drinks.
Well done Georgie! Fantastic achievement well done.
Enjoy the celebrations.
Ash
Congrats for the achievement
and thanks for sharing these tons of experience!
Dude, that was marvelous.
You made the right decision not to cycle from Patra to Athens. Not too long ago a foreigner who had cycled all over the globe was killed on some greek highway.
By the way, how much did the whole thing cost regarding bike and food expenses?
Cheers
Aris
fovero to attempt kai elikse me ton kalutero tropo, tin oloklirwsi tou…sugxaritiria kai elpizw na se gemise empeiries kai wraies eikones!
Ta kataferes ! mprabo george, xairomai !!
Kalh jekourash twra
Hey George, Congratulations buddy you are a legend and an inspiration. Don’t forget our wedding is in Phuket in Thailand on the 26th January 2010 so we’d love for you to come along and bring a friend if you like. We’re back in the UK now for a week and set off for egypt on Monday. We sold the caravan in Budapest for 100 euros so we didn’t lose much money. hahaha Stay in contact mate.
Justin
Not only did you do it! You have the beard to prove it! Glad you’re back safe and well mate. Shall not be long before I see you. That’s a promise!!!! Keep the beard. It looks awesome!
A massive congratulations to you! Thanks so much for letting us come along for the ride!
Welcome back che! Megali magkia re file! Alitheia… me taxidepses oso epiza stin Athina!
http://thiriaenimera.blogspot.com/2009/09/blog-post_24.html
Well done! A great story and definitely an inspiration for me! I’m planning to do Belvedere, UK to Samos by bike next year, taking in a few islands on the way!
Thanks for the blog and the brilliant photos!
I wish you the best for the future time in Greece. Yesterday I arrived in Brasil, after 5200 KM in Europe. On monday I will start the next long-distance-trip direction Montevideo. I like the statistcs in your diary!
Nice Dude! Well Done, so happy to see your blog. A lot of things to learn for next journeys.
Hope to see you soon!
Hello. Congratulations for your travel cycling.
I’m french grand-mother; with a friend (grand-mother too), we cycled to Santiago de Compostella from Normandy = 18OO kilometers. Cycling is the best travel accomodation !!! I hope your experience will be usefull and attractive for greek people. Sincerely. Marie-Jo