Friday 13th !!!

Yesterday was cancelled ! Not only was it Friday the 13^th, but I was also suffering from a huge hangover; the result of two or three Metaxas too many whilst talking to a French family at the camp site. Now Friday the 13^th doesn’t usually hold any fears for me; I’m not particularly superstitious but perhaps due to the Metaxa, yesterday saw me full of gloom and doom. Not only was I convinced something terrible was about to happen, worse still I didn’t really care!

The riding was OK, some stunning scenery once more, culminating with a track around the Aoos Lake which was absolutely stunning, but I simply couldn’t take a lot of joy from it. Then  last night saw me wild camping once more, something I love,  and in a great  spot complete with river… and possibly bears! Idyllic, yes but…

The other day my sister asked me how the new book was coming on, to which I replied that it wasn’t. The raison d’aitre of this trip was never about the new book, it was more about trying to get myself together and to sort my head out. I guess on that level  so far it’s only been a very partial success! Strangely, today is the first time that I have really felt like writing. Up to now the blog has been something of a chore if I’m honest, in that it keeps dragging me back to reality; a place I find somewhat uncomfortable these days. It’s been almost three months since I returned from Gambia, but the trip still haunts me. On many levels it has been the most successful trip so far but it has left me with a huge mixture of emotions that I am struggling to reconcile, not least will there be a 2013 trip!  Now here I sit at a small café on top of a Greek mountain, sipping an ice cold Coke (whilst all around me are sipping Ouzo) trying desperately to make sense of a senseless world.

Today’s ride has so far been nothing short of spectacular, it’s like Snowdonia on steroids, Scotland on speed, Norway… no on second thoughts it’s nothing like Norway, not enough water. ..  I’m in the Northern Pindos National Park heading slowly towards the Vikos gorge, and believe me you would not want to going anywhere too fast on these roads as they have a rather nasty habit of slipping down the hillside, leaving rather large gaping holes where the carriageway should have been!  I’ve even stopped by the roadside this morning, had a brew and  made a nice savoury pancake with some Chorizo, Bliss!

Who knows, perhaps I’ve turned a  metaphorical corner.  And corners there are a plenty to turn both metaphorical and on the roads! As I wrote the other day the roads appear on the GPS as though they have been shot out of one of those party string aerosols ! Thank God I changed the front brake pads before I came away, I may well need another set by the time I get home!

So one more Coke for the road and I’ll be heading a little further north before I camp up for the night. Camp sites are very scarce in these parts and although there may well be some in the Vikos gorge area as it is a little more touristy, I think I’ll look for another wild camp; not only does it save money, who knows I may yet spot that elusive bear!  On that “touristy” note I stopped at Metsovo yesterday, a small town praised highly by the guide books but not a place I would choose to return too! I must say that it didn’t help to find that it was full of pimply American school kids by the coach load! Oh, and the roads had the worst cobble stones I’ve ever had the misfortune to have to ride a fully laden bike across, and at walking pace !

Tonight I have found a wild camp once again, just don’t tell the national park wardens! I’m camped right on the edge of the Vikos gorge next to the river, a little too close to the road for comfort really but it’s a very quite road and can the warden be any worse that that elusive bear? Hopefully I’ll not see either although I did have a herd of horses trying to nuzzle up to me earlier whilst I was cooking supper! I found that starting the bike soon got shot of that lot.