Travel Day into the Peloponnese Mountains
I found that one of the best things about being on a tour is that travel days become more than just getting to the next place on your itinerary. The bus was roomy and comfortable and the view was great. The Rick Steves tours are nice because they limit the size of the groups so that you can have your bus seat with an empty seat next to you. You can snooze (which I often did--I'm an expert at short power-naps). You can catch up on your reading (which I did, especially from my tour book to review where I've been or study where I'm going). You can just sit back and take in the scenery (everyone has a window seat). You can talk to your fellow tour mates. Or you can listen to Colin (our tour guide) give one of his impromptu guide talks (which was one of my favorite parts of travel days). You know you're on a good tour when even the travel days are fun and memorable.
Leaving Delphi for our first big travel day
Traveling down from the mountains to the Gulf of Corinth caused a mix of feelings. I was sad to be leaving a place as beautiful as Delphi after only a day. It seemed like we had only scratched the surface of exploring the place and it was time to move on. And yet, there were so many other places still to see.
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So off we went, winding around the mountain roads as we got closer and closer to the valley. At one point we could clearly see the huge suspension bridge spanning the waterway before us. Colin explained that this bridge was built for the Olympics when they were held in Athens in 2004. In fact, Greece poured quite a bit of resources into Athens and the surrounding infrastructure in preparation for the Olympics.
The views on our trip were amazing. Driving along the coast we saw the quintessential coastline and blue waters that most people imagine when they think of Greece.
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All through the trip I was also fascinated with the mix of modern and old--even ancient--coexisting so near to each other, sometimes more smoothly than others. For instance, as we drove we saw giant, modern wind turbines along some of the hilltops. We also came by what someone described as fish farms--or some kind of fishing business--with what appeared to be a group of green nets off the coast. We were seeing old ideas like wind and fishing mixed with new ideas and technology. On the other hand, I had to laugh when our tour came to a complete stop because of the herd of sheep in the road who seemed to think they had just as much a right to be there as the cars and buses. I don't think I ever saw the shepherd, but I did see a few dogs that seemed to sense the sheep were causing a problem and tried to move them along. The old and the new. It was great!
Colin was a fantastic tour guide. I'm still amazed that one person could have so much information on so many subjects right off the top of his head. He had a great mix of information and humor, with the heart of a story teller. I think the term I used in my journal to describe him was a "word-smith." (And he has a great Scottish accent so that makes everything he says sound better.) With his talks, the drive seemed to go by very quickly.
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Whenever Colin picked up that bus mic and turned around, I was always ready for an entertaining and informative time. Shortly after we left Delphi, he gave us a brief history of Greece (I know, that sounds impossible, but he did it--and it was fascinating) from the Minoans up to the Romans. (Later on he gave us a great talk about the status of modern Greece--just as interesting as the talk on ancient Greece).
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Early in our tour Colin really encouraged us to learn a little Greek so that we could interact, at least minimally, with locals. He even copied a page of common phrases and handed them out to us one day on the bus to help us learn. I have to admit, I can barely speak proper English so I wasn't too optimistic about learning a new language--but in the spirit of the tour, I gave it a try. I even made my own flash cards from scratch paper and practiced the basic courtesies, greetings, and other phrases (another great task to do in the bus on travel days!)
A train and lunch in the mountains
My time on the bus was filled with a variety of activities: reading, journaling, watching videos on my Kindle, listening to music, listening to Colin, and napping. This was the longest time on the bus so far, but it went quickly. Before I knew it, we were pulling into a little town where we would catch a train up the mountains. When we got to the top, we had about twenty minutes to explore the little town (where I bought a little refrigerator magnet to commemorate the train ride) before we were to meet up again with Christos and the bus.
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During that twenty minute break, I wandered the lanes of the little town with my Gore-Tex lightweight raincoat draped over my camera bag. At one point, I heard a woman calling in my direction. I turned around to see her waving, but I didn't know her so I figured she was trying to get someone else's attention. I turned and kept walking. Just then I heard the voice of a young girl calling, so I turned around and saw her emerge from behind a parked car carrying my jacket. I had dropped it and didn't even realize it. I was so relieved and grateful that she had run after me to return it. I reached out for the jacket and said thank you (in my best Greek). She smiled, turned, and ran back to her mother. People are so kind. No matter where you go, you find nice people. I waved a thank you to the mother, she waved back and they disappeared around a corner.
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The bus took us to an outdoor restaurant nestled among trees next to a stream. It was a beautiful day to sit outside and enjoy our meal of fish, salad and, of course, tzatziki. Near the end of our meal, a bus of Greek school kids pulled up and about 40 or 50 kids--maybe junior high age--filled up the tables on the other side of the eating area. They laughed, joked, ate, played, talked--just like kids I work with everyday. Just another reminder that people aren't that different. It was fun to see so much life, so much energy. (I was just glad I wasn't in charge of them--on this trip, I wasn't a teacher, I was a traveller.)
Evening in Lagkadia
After lunch we drove the last hour and a half through the mountain area known as Arcadia--renowned as an ancient land with an ancient people whose culture and history go back before the stories of Zeus and the Greek gods were even thought of. It was captivating to hear Colin talk of it. He called it the land of Pan, wild and free and mysterious.
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We eventually arrived in Lagkadia, a little town nestled on a steep mountainside. We found our hotel and were given our room keys. I settled in quickly then set out to explore the little town with my camera before we met for dinner at eight o'clock.
As I wandered the lanes looking for picture possibilities, I came across a small local shop with an open door. I was curious so I went inside the dark room. As my eyes adjusted to the low light, I began to see the many homemade sewn items stacked on tables around the room. A woman sat at a little sewing machine and a man was at a desk. Part of my philosophy as a traveller is to support local businesses when I can, so I decided to buy something. I browsed around the small room looking for something small enough to fit in my carry on. I eventually came upon a doily that would make a nice gift, or even just a physical reminder of Arcadia.
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Dinner was a great time of conversation, food, and wine. I sat with a few of my tour mates, Colin, and Christos (our bus driver). We told stories and laughed the whole time, and we were the last five to leave the dining room. Good food, good conversation, no rush. I hadn't enjoyed a meal that much in a long time. That's a good vacation!
Back at the hotel, I journaled for a while and just thought about the good time I was having. I think I would like to spend more time here in Arcadia. There's something special about it. But there were more places to experience, so we would have to move on first thing in the morning. I slept well. It was a great day.