At the end of the previous episode we arrived at our rather steep camp site in Meteora. Meteora is famous for its precariously placed monasteries perched atop some impressive rock pillars. It’s not known exactly when the monasteries were established though it’s believed to be around the 14th century as a safe haven for hermit monks. More than 20 were built, of which only six remain today and are still occupied, allowing visitors to access at different times of the week. To escape from possible attack, up until the early 20th century the monasteries were only accessible by either long ladders latched together, or large nets used to haul up both goods and people. Stone stairs are now cut into the face of the pillars allowing a much easier and safer access for monks and visitors.
The weather report from here on looked bleak with the reports showing the nice warm sunshine we had been experiencing soon to be replaced with gale force winds and flooding rain. The stereotypical picture perfect white sand, sun filled Greek beaches were still alluding us so in one last dash of hope we make a b-line to the West Coast before the storms roll in.
We hit the Med again to the south of the beautiful, and busy, small coastal village of Parga. We had pinned several potential beach camps from our Google searches though after checking a few of them there we found most were full of other overlanders, and not the ones we particularly wanted to hang out with. They looked as though they had been there for weeks, their trucks were a mess, and there was rubbish and toilet paper everywhere; with a blatant disrespect for the country these are the sort of people which have places banned for overlanders. Coincidently they were also camped under no camping signs. Disgusted and disappointed we pushed on and found a nice sheltered cove with beach access and a conveniently placed seasonal beach bar sitting on the cliff edge. The bar looked out over the crystal clear waters and in the still warm afternoon air several yachts slowly drifted around in unison on their anchors. The bar and beach were empty so we grabbed a beer and settled in to watch as the sun dipped over the horizon. This place was exactly what we were looking for and a stark contrast to the quagmire of the other overlander beach camps. Being the only people in the bar the friendly owner was keen to have a chat so she pours herself a drink (a Greek style drink - a long shot of grappa) and joins us. It’s not normally permitted though she very kindly agrees to let us stay next to the bar.
The following morning we were a little surprised to find the weather still hadn’t arrived. Several of the yachts had pulled anchor and the rest were quickly packing up; they seemed know something was coming. With a fear that this was the literal ‘calm before the storm’ we quickly take the stairs down to the beach and grab some sunshine and a swim. At midday, nearly to the minute, a dramatic shift in the weather occured, clouds roll in and block the sun, and the wind swings onshore. Time to go! We head back to the Troopy and give the bar owner a hand who is frantically trying to pack and strap all the furniture down. Things aren’t looking good so we hit the road and make our way towards Parga. As we move north and into the mountainous coastal region the cliffs seem to block the impeding weather and we find a perfect little protected bay with an empty car park. We start to wonder whether this was all going to be a non-event, there was still no rain and the wind was moderate. Just before jumping into bed, we receive a message on our phone ”Emergency Alert - Civil Protection Greece. Extreme weather warning in your area. Avoid unnecessary transportation, basements, and flood areas. Secure objects which may become wind borne debris . Check local media.” Not exactly the notification we had hoped to receive before heading to bed! The bulk of the weather was due to arrive the following day so, as there was no reception at the beach, we trekked back up the steep road several hundred metres and made a booking at a guesthouse in Parga for the following night.
Read the rest over on Patreon here - / 67409861
15 авг 2024
