D52 Olympia to Ancient Messsene

The hot uphill toiling the preceding afternoon reminded us of the merits of an early start and lay off for lunch which we duly put into action that morning. We had determined that prudence was the better part of valour and rather than attempt a heroic over the mountains ride across the central peaks of the Pelopponese we would be better doing a morning of A road bashing down the West coast before cutting inland just North of Kyparissa to get over to a position from where a minor road attempt on the Northern Arcadian gate of Ancient Messene was a realistic possibility.
The coast road was fine with a saturday morning bustling little town coffee stop at Zacharo before a delightful swim and fish lunch at Kalo Nero. Wives were by now arriving in Greece and pictures were being exchanged of our fish lunches 100km apart hence a strategic shot of a post prandial coffee.

The likelihood of our joining Susannah and Caroline the following day at our lovely rented beach house by Kardamyli rested on our progress towards Messene that afternoon.

It was hot but gently inclined and we positively ate up the kms so by the time we stopped at the roadside sign of the hanging pig where the young lad was nominally tending to a side of pork being slow baked in the Kalamata manner (evidence of our approaching journeys end), with a fag hanging from his mouth which was being employed in constant communication via his mobile phone head set no doubt with an equally bored adolescent  a few 100meters away we felt able to ask directions to the Kastro and enjoy what my friend Paul dubs a microadventure.

Once we had crossed the little old disused railracks that we seemed to be following round the Pelopponese (evidence that I had selected a Flattish route!)  we were soon bumping along a little agricultural road, not sure which form to take at a junction until in typical Greek style a  saloon car came nonchalantly bouncing down the Rocky trail with a middle-aged couple looking like they were on a weekend afternoon drive (which of course they were Greek style!). Yes left for Castro and soon we had crossed a delightful river and headed up to the Frankish fort which had been built no doubt to oversee the little valley and it's route of communication. 

Pressing on we turned the corner to be greeted with spectacular views across the Pelopponese all the way to hitherto unseen South East and the matching mountain tips of Taygetos striding southward down the Mani peninsula.

After a refreshment stop at the upland village of Neoxori we had a strenuous climb up to the watershed with the bay of Messenia to the South and the ramparts of Ancient Messene. To enter a classical city on a public minor road through a surviving classical gateway remains one of my biggest thrills in the region. 

Out timing was fortuitously perfect as the afternoon sun dipped below the ridge line and we enjoyed the final 3 km rolling into the modern village above the site with panoramic views over the valley studded with ruins accentuated by their lengthening shadows in the westering sun.

That evening s taverna dinner was pleasantly interspersed with chat from the visiting archaeologists from South Africa and Britain in search of the head of Isis (must look into this!). Our sleeping spot had been selected on arrival just North of the village - the perfect terrace accessible from but invisible to the road ...Alex under a did and I under an  olive embraced in the arms of Morpheus in our one man free standing tents open to the heavenly bodies above. Blissful last night on the road!