Middle-aged flash packers

Communication is a subtle art, and being the individuals we are, even the simplest interchanges are interpreted according to our own outlook on the world.

Hence when we went to the local bakery/cafe and requested some sandwiches to take away, we expected bog standard sandwiches. We were very surprised to receive toasted ones. It hadn’t occurred to me to say “please don’t toast them”, because, well, who takes a toasted sandwich on a 5 hour walk. We were dressed in hiking clothes, it seemed kind of obvious we were going walking but assuming (as my old boss used to say) makes an ass out of u and me, so next time I will be ready and request non-toasted sandwiches.

As we walked up the hill out of Kardamyli, we were overtaken by a group of people riding wooden bikes. This was turning into a very surreal day. Perhaps I wasn’t really awake at all and my toasted sandwich was just part of a strange anxiety dream.

One of the people riding a wooden bike gave Steve a wooden pen and then asked him to take a photo of him and his group. Obviously we obliged. They all looked very cheery but that hill was a big one and I couldn’t imagine it was going to be fun for long.

Our destination was Exochori village which actually isn’t a village at all but clusters of tiny settlements with lots of churches.

I got very excited this morning because I discovered that Kardamyli has not just one but two famous travel writers to their name. And what’s more, they knew each other!

Bruce Chatwin wrote “In Patagonia” (no, I’d never heard of it either, but I will read it) amongst other novels and became very well known in literary circles. Poor Bruce had a tortured personal life unfortunately. Homosexual in an era that just did not accept it, he was unsettled and restless. He married but it was clearly a lavender marriage and he had many affairs, resulting in him dying of AIDS at only 48.

Dear old Paddy was a friend and mentored him and when Bruce died, he either scattered Bruce’s ashes or buried them ( whichever account you read) at a church in Exochori as Bruce requested.

Annoyingly my search for the church took me to the wrong one. I do wish the Greeks could be a bit more imaginative with their church names as every other one seems to be calledAghios Nikolaos. Never mind, it was a very scenic side track.

Exochori itself is a fascinating combination of the tumbled down and partially renovated. Mainly abandoned in the 1980’s, according to our local supermarket owner, it’s now very popular with Athenians and they are responsible for renovating many of the properties. By the looks of it, their hearts aren’t really in it. Renovations seem to be progressing very slowly. I can imagine them driving down on a weekend, full of verve and vigour, getting stuck in for a day then thinking “sod it, let’s go to the beach.”

Our walk back to Kardamyli took us past the Vyros gorge. It’s spectacular to look down on. Our experience says far better to walk above gorges than walk in one – the views are much better. (The exception being the Saklikent Gorge in Turkey).

All in all, a brilliant walk and very well marked.

The toasted sandwich was delicious by the way.