{"id":236,"date":"2019-06-02T00:24:43","date_gmt":"2019-06-01T21:24:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fred-hart.gr\/greece2019\/?p=236"},"modified":"2019-06-02T11:31:27","modified_gmt":"2019-06-02T08:31:27","slug":"happy-new-month-happy-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.fred-hart.gr\/greece2019\/happy-new-month-happy-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy New Month & Happy Summer :: \u039a\u03b1\u03bb\u03cc \u039c\u03ae\u03bd\u03b1 & \u039a\u03b1\u03bb\u03cc \u039a\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03ba\u03b1\u03af\u03c1\u03b9"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u0395\u03c1\u03bc\u03bf\u03cd\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03b7 :: Ermoupoli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The \u0395\u03a1\u03a4 \/ ERT<\/a> TV weather forecaster last night proudly announced that this weekend was ‘\u03c4\u03bf \u03c0\u03c1\u03ce\u03c4\u03bf \u03a3\u03ac\u03b2\u03b2\u03b1\u03c4\u03bf\u03ba\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03b1\u03ba\u03bf \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 \u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03cd’ – ‘the first weekend of the Summer<\/em>‘.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I went in to \u0395\u03c1\u03bc\u03bf\u03cd\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03b7 \/ Ermoupoli this morning and was surrounded by Greeks all greeting each other with the popular phrase ‘\u039a\u03b1\u03bb\u03cc \u039c\u03ae\u03bd\u03b1’ (effectively: Happy New Month) alongside the usual loud cries of ‘\u039a\u03b1\u03bb\u03b7\u03bc\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1’ (Good Morning) as they pass their friends in the street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s why I’ve given today’s blog update a title which sounds extremely odd in English, but is a very common, idiomatic phrase in Greek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I left Britian I said to the office I’d get a photo of me wearing my work shirt in each country I visit. I’ve not taken any yet, so – now that I’m on Syros at the Southernmost part of my journey – I took the first photo of me in my Plumbase top. Just to show the office that I’m thinking of them (and, dare I say it, not missing the daily routine at Fairford one bit: Would they mind if I stayed out there?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u0395\u03c1\u03bc\u03bf\u03cd\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03b7 :: Ermoupoli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Making friends with the local cats<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u0397 \u03b8\u03ad\u03b1 \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03a4\u03ae\u03bd\u03bf :: The view towards Tinos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u0392\u03b1\u03c0\u03cc\u03c1\u03b9\u03b1 :: Vaporia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Ermoupoli I collected my tickets for tomorrow afternoon’s ferry, I had a walk around town, and I walked to the \u0392\u03b1\u03c0\u03cc\u03c1\u03b9\u03b1 \/ Vaporia district of Ermoupoli – making friends with the local cats along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spent longer in Ermoupoli than I had planned – It was almost lunch time by the time I left, and I very nearly just went back to my apartment for lunch. In the end I stuck to my original plan and went to the beach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I drove to \u0394\u03b5\u03bb\u03c6\u03af\u03bd\u03b9 \/ Delfini beach – this required a little bit of off-roading as the road there from \u039a\u03af\u03bd\u03b9 \/ Kini isn’t paved; the type of road the car-rental companies don’t let you drive on, but nothing my own car couldn’t cope with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a slight breeze and it clouded over a little while I was at the beach but I still had plenty of chance to swim and sunbathe, and when the Sun went in I went to the beach-bar for some lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u03a0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03bb\u03af\u03b1 \u0394\u03b5\u03bb\u03c6\u03af\u03bd\u03b9 :: Delfini Beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u0395\u03c1\u03bc\u03bf\u03cd\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03b7 \u03b1\u03c0\u03cc \u03c0\u03ac\u03bd\u03c9 :: Ermoupoli from above<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I took the scenic route back to the apartment; I’d seen a viewpoint coming out of Ermoupoli on the way over so went back past that. To get back to \u0393\u03b1\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u03c3\u03ac\u03c2 \/ Galissas from there meant going through \u03a0\u03b9\u03c3\u03ba\u03bf\u03c0\u03b5\u03b9\u03cc \/ Piskopeio. While the road was signed for Galissas I hadn’t realised this would mean another off-roading experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time there was one casualty: My Italian telepass (the wireless device which lets me through the automatic toll gates and charges my UK bank account) fell off the windscreen. I managed to stick it back on when I stopped at the supermarket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For my final night in Syros, I ate at the Savvas restaurant which had been favourite during our first holiday in Syros in 2013. I ordered a chicken souvlaki which was very good – I think the chicken had been marinated in something before cooking. Couldn’t quite work out what, but it had a tiny hint of spice in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomorrow the journey back home to Britain starts. Up until now I have been always driving South – but now the time has come to turn round and go North. Only a short distance tomorrow; I’ve got to be at the Port in time for a 16:00 departure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far I have been lucky to have largely avoided traffic the whole time I’ve been away. A few slow bits in Bavaria, particularly getting past Munich, but otherwise the last major hold up was the M25. This could all change tomorrow, when I come off the ferry and hit Piraeus and the coastal districts of Athens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monday sees me driving in more of Athens; The sat nav suggests that to get from Glyfada to Lefkada I drive back to Piraeus and get on the A1 motorway (briefly), but then come off the motorway and drive through the Western districts of Athens – \u0391\u03b9\u03b3\u03ac\u03bb\u03b5\u03c9 \/ Aigaleo, \u03a0\u03b5\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ad\u03c1\u03b9 \/ Peristeri, \u03a7\u03b1\u03ca\u03b4\u03ac\u03c1\u03b9 \/ Haidari, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the road is effectively the Athenian version of the South Circular (London drivers will know what I mean by that). In some ways I am slightly nervous at the prospect of driving in Athens but in other ways not at all; If you can drive in Central London, you can drive anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once clear of Athens the route is simple and is mainly done on 2 new motorways both opened in late 2017 – I need the A8 (\u039f\u03bb\u03c5\u03bc\u03c0\u03af\u03b1 \u039f\u03b4\u03cc\u03c2 \/ Olympia Highway)<\/a> as far as the Rio-Antirrio bridge, then I take the A5 (\u0399\u03bf\u03bd\u03af\u03b1 \u039f\u03b4\u03cc\u03c2 \/ Ionian Highway)<\/a> as far as Amfilochia; then the last 60km is on local roads – the motorway spur to \u03a0\u03c1\u03ad\u03b2\u03b5\u03b6\u03b1 \/ Preveza hasn’t yet been completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My last night in Greece will be spent in Lefkada on Monday night; then on Tuesday overnight I leave for Italy. My time in Greece is almost at an end. \ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s approaching midnight out here so I’m going to bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u039a\u03b1\u03bb\u03b7\u03bd\u03cd\u03c7\u03c4\u03b1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today’s Mileage: 21
Accumulative Mileage: 2276.8<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journey Map<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I went in to \u0395\u03c1\u03bc\u03bf\u03cd\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03b7 \/ Ermoupoli this morning and was surrounded by Greeks all greeting each other with the popular phrase ‘\u039a\u03b1\u03bb\u03cc \u039c\u03ae\u03bd\u03b1’.… View Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cyclades"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fred-hart.gr\/greece2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fred-hart.gr\/greece2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fred-hart.gr\/greece2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fred-hart.gr\/greece2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fred-hart.gr\/greece2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=236"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.fred-hart.gr\/greece2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":249,"href":"http:\/\/www.fred-hart.gr\/greece2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236\/revisions\/249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fred-hart.gr\/greece2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fred-hart.gr\/greece2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fred-hart.gr\/greece2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}