Day 12: Lamia - Delphi (Chrisso)

View Day 12: Lamia - Chrisso (near Delphi) in a larger map
Distance - 110 km
Total Distance 829 km
Altitude Gain - 1454 m

The campsite was about 20 km from Lamia on an unpleasant, poorly surfaced road that ran alongside a motorway. The lady in the camping shop we went to yesterday had recommended it, rather than another campsite only 500 metres away. I think she must have confused the two: she'd said that it was pleasant and friendly. I found it to be neither - in fact it was the most disappointing of the campsites I'd stayed at so far in Greece.
Once in Lamia I followed the signs to Delphi and found myself on a fast road which turned into a motorway - but I was able to leave the road just before it became a motorway. The small road ran alonside the motorway for a few kilometres, passing what can only be described as a shanty town of tents and caravans under the motorway flyover. The views of the mountains were very beautiful, but gave me a sense of trepidation, knowing that I was going to have to cross this mountain range today, the hottest day for mant days.

The start of the first mountain climb of the day

The first climb was indeed very hot. There was little shelter and no springs alongside the road. I was drinking water very fast - fortunately I'd taken the precaution of filling all three water bottles before leaving. It was a good climb, though - the gradient was reasonable staying mostly at around 6% - the road went up and up and up without descending at all and climbing all the time. This is my favourite sort of climb. Although there's no rest from the climbing, I like roads like this because it's possible to find a ryhthm and keep to it. I was able to complete the entire climb without using my granny gears once - although I made sure I stopped every 15 minutes in the little shade I could find to prevent heat exhaustion. The road clung tightly to the side of the mountain - and offered spectacular views of Lamia. But care had to be taken - in places there was no crash barrier and it was a very long way to the bottom.

Breathtaking views, but it's a long way down!

Once at the top I took out my map and pondered the situation. I had two options: continue my original plan or take the main road to Amfissa. My original plan was to take the quitest road; but it was a little longer and, more to the point, I was concerned about water. The main road was very fast but there was a hard shoulder. I figured that along this road there would be plenty of garages, fruit sellers and the like and so access to water would be guaranteed. I decided that would be the most sensible option given the temperatures today - and if I was to get into any difficulty, there were lots of people on this road, and past experience has told me that if you look like you need help, someone will stop.

The main road from Lamia was stunning

The road wasn't bad at all. Sure, it was fast, but there wasn't much traffic and,  as usual, there was none of the antics that made cycling in southern Italy such a terrifying experience at times. I stopped off in a village called Gravia and ate in a little taverna ran by a very sweet woman who didn't speak a word of English. Communication was difficult, but we had fun trying! I didn't actually want to eat a full meal as I prefer to eat light at lunchtime when cycling, and I want to avoid spending too much. But there was nothing else. The lady looked after me well and I soon felt ready to face the second climb of the day.

The church in the centre of Gravia

Although longer, I found the climb from Gravia easier, although it did get fairly steep at the end. I found the view from the top of the road a little disappointing. But my disappointment wasn't to last for long. For once I started my descent, I was treated to a spectacular view. As I freewheeled down the mountain the view got prettier and prettier. This descent was one of the slowest I've ever done. This was in part due to the road surface and the strong headwind - but it was mostly because I kept stopping to admire the incredible beauty. I thought to myself that the car drivers probably thought I was mad when I was climbing; but I have no doubt that they were all envious of me on the way down -  for they couldn't stop where they wanted, and they couldn't safely drive at a crawl to savour the view. Only I could do that. During this descent the bicycle was the best way to travel, and everyone must have known it.
Once at the bottom of the mountain I made my way to Delphi. This meant one last climb, but in the event I only did about a quarter of it. I saw a camping site and decided to stop there. Tomorrow I will visit Delphi and my planned tour of Greece will end. I will still need to rejoin my family, though, and that will involve cycling some more. I will thus continue tomorrow, after I've visited Delphi. Now, it's time to eat and then I'll go to bed. And I have no doubt that in my dreams I will relive this amazing day - the best day of my tour and one of the best day's cycling I have ever done.

Views on the way down. Photos cannot convey the amazing beauty of this descent.