Day 2 Néa Kalikratia - Elia

View Day 2 Néa Kalikratia - Mitari in a larger map

Distance - 82 km
Total distance - 132 km
Altitude Gain - 782 m

Slept badly last night. The camp site was very noisy with people talking loudly into the early hours. But I didn't mind. It was families on holiday. Not everyone  wants to wake up at the crack of dawn when they' re on holiday! Maybe you're right Richard - perhaps I am nuts after all!
I got up at 5am but didn't get going until 8am. It's been a hard day. The weather was horrible - and I spent most of the afernoon sheltering from the sun. It was quite hilly too - with plenty of little 10%+ climbs for my amusement. I don't mind hills - in fact I adore them - but climbing in the heat is hard going. Also, my bags were much heavier today as my paniers were (are still) stuffed full of fruit. There's a story behind this:
At midday, I pulled up into a layby to seek some shade. There was one of those people who you see so often in the Meditarrean countries that sell fruit by the side of the road. He must have realised I was hot because he gave me a plumb, then a pear, then he got me to taste some olives (delicious - and I'm not usually keen on olives) and then he took a bag and started filling it with the most delicious fruit. I felt a bit awkward. For one thing: how was I going to carry all that fruit? For another, street fruit sellers can't exactly be rolling in money. So I thanked him and gave him 5 euros. I shouldn't have - for then he went round his stall and started filling my bag with even more fruit! Now I have enough fruit for a week and it's all very ripe. I'll never finish it all before it goes off! And I can't even make a fruit salad or a crumble with the left-overs! Anyway, I said goodbye to this very jovial man - but only went 10 metres before I realised there was no air in my front tyre. Whether it was the weight of all that fruit or the very bad road surface, I had my first puncture thus far in my trip. I whisked the wheel off my bike and did all the necessary - under the bemused eyes of the fruit seller (who probably hasn't ever changed an inner tube in his life!) He helped me as well as he could by holding the bike still and offering words of encouragement (most of which I didn't understand). He really was a character that fruit seller. I'll never forget him.

A common sight on Greek roads. The fruit is wonderful!

Mr Happy at work!

Unfortunately, the day finished on a bad note. When I checked in at this camping site, I realised that I' ve somehow lost my passport. I can't imagine how. I put it in an ultra safe place - a pocket I only open when I really need to, and which never leaves my person. I can only imagine that the campsite I went to yesterday didn't give it back to me and I was too tired to notice. I do hope it's that - otherwise it might mean a trip to the British Consulate in Athens. Maybe the heat got to me and I did something stupid? It's possible too. Unfortunately, when you're long-distance cycling, just like when you're backpacking, it's all too easy for this sort of thing to happen - especially when you're solo.
Tomorrow I might just stay here. I feel I need a rest - I still haven't finished rehydrating, for example, despite having drunk several litres of water. The camping site is very clean and the setting is gorgeous. Besides, I'm going to have to get to the bottom of this passport buisness.
By the way: just passed a lovely evening in the  campsite tavern. Best pork chop I've ever tasted. And Retsina is definetely something I could get used to. And I got another present - yoghurt dribbled in honey. I tried it - honest I did - but yoghurt is the one thing I cannot stand. The waitress wasn't offended - she just found my attempts to explain in Greek very funny!

A view taken near the campsite