Greece!

April 16

We headed out from Igoumenitsa looking for a breakfast place. There is a fairly new autobahn now but no service centres. So when we finally saw a sign for eating we turned off. The taverna was closed. So we tried to get back on the Autobahn...no signs. We watched as a big German truck was trying to back up a narrow road...obviously he had done the same thing as us. We were only saved by a local who said follow my vehicle and took us to where we could get back on...we would have spent half a day otherwise!

We drove all the way to Ioannina before we found a place for “breakfast”...at least some food by the side of Lake Ioannina and its big fortress. Sozon had a list of things for us to see and we headed from there to the first big thing-The cave at Perama.

The cave was fascinating...but we weren't allowed to take pictures. We walked for about 1100 metres through a marvellous array of stalactites and stalagmites and caverns. It was only discovered in the 1940's when the villagers were trying to find a place to hide from the Germans and now has become their main tourist attraction.

Next we headed for the famous Vikos Gorge. After a false start with the GPS where we ended up in field with a bunch of startled sheep, we finally got on the main road and off to the Pindos Mountains. The scenery was astounding. High limestone cliffs, forested mountains backed by snowcapped peaks. We stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch...and what a wonderful introduction to Greek food. Big thick slices of warm bread, heated Feta, freshly picked cooked dandelion greens with lemon and grilled lamb ribs. We washed it down ( all except poor Jurg the driver!) with wonderful red Greek wine. A crème caramel was the final touch.

We spent the night at Vitsa, in an absolutely lovely mountain hotel with about 5 rooms run by a family. The old town clung to the side of the mountain with all the houses made of stone and topped by slate roofs. The streets were made of pieces of slate on their sides, narrow and steep. Everything is close together with high walls and doors to keep the privacy. Yet, most of the houses are uninhabited and perhaps have become family holiday homes. The odd smoke from a chimney indicated an inhabitant, usually elderly. Tourist season is winter and summer...and most are Greek. The other tourists like us come off season and are just a handful. English is spoken by the young...of which there were few. Sozon is in his element with his countrymen! Around the area are herds of sheep and goats...attended by shepherds-old men with moustaches- and dogs. We could hear the bells around their necks when they moved about.