The idea
started last June when unable to do the journey to the Jamboree in
Kelso we decided to so something special instead so a Greek tour at the
end of summer appeared to be spot on. The plan was to take the ferry
from Ancona to Patras, then Patras Athens on the old road and finally
head North to get to Igoumenitsa where we had to take the ferry back.
It's hasn't been exactly like this as once we got to Athens we have
turned South and then North to end up in the surprising Chalkis and
very nice village on the coast. From there we've done the mountains
andthen down again on the coast were we have riden all the way to
Igoumenitsa. Fantastic. They're been 10 days I have absolutely enjoyed,
the weather has always been glorious and the scooters, despire we had
taken a few 'spunkers' for the job haven't suffered any trouble at all.
We have used in fact some all original scooters we had done only a few
mechanical checks. The scenery has been absolutely breathtaking, the
only part I haven't particularly liked is Athens that apart from the
Acropolis offers a lot of chaos and not more. The most beautiful place
I've seen is a very small village we have stopped in one night, called
Nafpaktos, a very Greek place on the coast without continental
tourists. I have loved it, it seemed to come back 40 years to any
Italian touristic place, they have now all lost that appeal.
Greece is generally invaded with scooters, Vespas are very easy to see
on the road and much are the 90s Cosa most of which seem to have ended
up here after the market hasn't given much response in Italy and
Europe. Shame in my eyes as it was a very innovative scooter. A few
Lambrettas on the road also but the lack of spares has taken most of
them off the road over the years. In a Piaggio Center in Athens we have
seen and pictured three brand spanking new Vespas TS 125 that have
never been on the road (I have to remind most that the TS comes from
the 70s). The owner of the shop doesn't even maintains them clean but
asks an obsene amount of money for them. It was too soon time to come
back, the decision of riding on coastal roads has been brilliant as
when we spotted some nice places we stopped to have do a jump into the
sea. I would really like to come back one day for a longer journey,
we'll see!
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