Jenine and I have now made our way from Athens west across the Peloponnese to the island of Keffalonia. The ride to get here has been great, involving some positive aspects and some negative.
On the bright side we have enjoyed some delicious food (Greek Salad, Pasta, pitas, kalamaki (meat on a stick), tsatsiki, and regular successful attempts to complete One Liter challenge).* The ride has also involved quite a few mosquitoes, quite a bit of heat, and a lot of climbing. The climbs have been a bit strenuous in the heat, especially after a sabatical in Athens that lasted for nearly a month. They have been slightly more so for Jenine, who has never been on a bicycle tour. It does not help that her bicycle lacks the appropriate gearing for steep hills. It does help that she is tough. And in the end, we made it to Keffalonia, where we have enjoyed swimming in the Ionian Sea.
*Purchase and consume one liter of ice cream in one sitting; an easier variation of its American counterpart, the Half Gallon challenge.
At the beginning of our journey across the Peloponnese, Jenine and I met a German bicyclist named Mike. I spotted him at a cafe in the small town of Galatas where he was, characteristically, drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. I asked him where he was from, what he was doing, etc. Mike stuck with us, and us to him, for the remainder (i.e. the entirety) of our trip across the Peloponnese. It was fabulous.
Mike took care of ordering pitas for us when convenient, set a pace when necessary, and as the token German of our group, provided the cultural component where appropriate. We will surely meet again. Mike has spent the past several years as a bicycle tour guide on the Greek Islands where he shows German and Swiss tourists the best places to go on their bicycles. We had some good luck in crossing paths with him, and he kept things light as we pedaled through searing heat each day.
Now, in Keffalonia, I do not know where the route will take us next. I have another two or three weeks with Jenine during which we will continue to explore Greece. After that, my route will take me east into Turkey, Syria (if I can get a visa for Syria), Jordan, Israel, and Egypt. Beyond Egypt, my route becomes hazy once again. It will be adventurous no matter what happens though, and I will surely meet more people with epilepsy who might stop to consider new ways to be active after hearing about Seize The World. If you are interested in contributing, do not hesitate to donate, to share your story, to join our facebook group, and to join our email list. Just send your email address through the contact form on this website. Thanks for your support and interest!
Stephen