The Pauper of Papados !

The replacement bike has arrived and having read about the village of Papados and the historical Vrana Olive Press Museum there. I decided to visit it before heading south to Plomari and returning via Polichnitos. This last leg was not to be however, see later.

The route in part retraced the journey of a few days before down the west side of Gera but on a higher up road skirting Mount Olympus.

Perama in the distance , the trip from a few days before

I had left with little cash and after fuelling the bike needed to find a cash machine to get some money out. I had presumed to do this in Papados, but unfortunately Papados is not the financial centre of Lesvos and bereft of ATM machines.

However I did find the fabled olive press museum which was open. There didn’t seem to be anyone about or signs re entrance fees – so in I go, thinking it’s gratis, to have a look. It was interesting, but only about 10 minutes interesting in my book, so I took some pics and left.

As I exited, off to my right I heard a “Helloo, good morning” and I knew I was rumbled ……… it was sure to be someone looking for money! and having none, I bustled away to my left in a different direction, muttering good morning to an old lady coming that way, as a means of cover, lol.

I explored the little streets of the village wondering how I was going to pick up the bike sitting outside the museum without getting nabbed.

After a wee while  wandering I snuck back, keys in hand , lept on the bike and shot off without looking back.

An exciting but embarrassing start to the day.

    

Inside the olive press

  

and the outside, bottom right just before my 1st “getaway”

One of the things that apparently makes the olive press special was  Odysseus Elytis, the Greek Poet Nobel Prize winner (1979) for literature, was the grandson of the founder .

If I am not careful it may become famous for my arrest!

This was one of his poems

Catchy eh ?

The alleways where the fugitive planned his 2nd getaway

The cat just knows I’m up to no good…….. look at his face !

 

The  125 cc dream machine ! and great bikers roads

The next stop was Plomari with the scent of aniseed in the air from the famous Barbayiannis ouzo distillery. I stopped here for a souvlaki lunch in a  Kantina overlooking the harbour.

The reason we never came in here on our passages is because we heard the swell was pretty uncomfortable in anything other than dead calm. Didn’t look too bad today, however that’s the perspective from dry land.

Olive nets spread ready for the harvest on the way to Plomari

 

Plomari and my lunch stop

If you look at the map at the top, my return journey was to be via Melinta, Palioxori, Arkrasi, Ampeliko etc until the turn off to the left to Polichnitos.

However Plomari is a fair distance from Mytilini and when I arrived at the foot of the mountainous roads heading up to the oldest village in Lesvos, Palioxori, the fuel warning light came on. I was in the middle of nowhere and not sure where the next petrol station would be.

Eventually in Akrasi after a long climb up I was told the nearest fuel stop was 15km away in Agiasos. So my trip to Polichnitos would have to be postponed. I was now on fumes and I think the only reason I made it was due to the 5 km freewheel down the other side of Olympos !

Heading out of Plomari to Melinta

Palioxori

Me in the middle of deliverence country and no fuel, you can almost hear the banjo’s

Well the day started with excitement and finished with it too