Week 7

4 June to 11 June

And so to Greece - Pelion

We awoke to heavy rain and strong winds and decided that it was time to go in search of some sun. We packed up and by midday we were heading for the port of Messina and the Ferry from Sicily back to mainland Italy. We knew there was an overnight ferry to Patras, Greece at 8pm from Bari - the other side of Italy, a 7 1/2 hour journey according to our sat nav. We decided to give it a go although it was a mammoth challenge for us all.

We took the ferry from Sicily to Italy and hit the motorway without delay. Steve kept a close eye on his speed and the estimated time of arrival on the satellite navigation and attempted to knock off the minutes to ensure we could arrive in good time. It was probably the most spectacular drive we have done so far. We passed the coastline up from the heel of Italy along the west coast, then crossed the ankle through the mountains towards the east coast. We had panoramic views of the hills dropping off to the sea in the distance. We finally found some sunshine about mid afternoon. The children were amazing, through the power of DVD's, namely Peter Pan (thanks Nan Nan), snacks, milk and some naps along the way they did incredibly well. We eventually arrived in Bari at 6.45pm having knocked 45 minutes off the the Sat Nav time and with the very real possibility that within less than 24 hours we could have left Sicily and arrived in Greece.

Kate ran to the booking desk and if we boarded immediately we could have a cabin, we were too late to camp on board as campervans needed to arrive three hours before, but we didn't care as we were going to have beds again!! The ship was once again fantastic, the lift was so plush Zach thought it was our bedroom! We made full use of the children's play room - the boys have sussed that big boats have play areas and it was the first thing we had to go in search of.

The next morning we docked in Patras and prepared for the mad dash off, as had been the custom on every Ferry. As soon as we drove off the boat we instantly felt that we were in a different country. The landscape was much more earthy and there were vast areas of untouched coastline. In the midst of this there was the most spectacular suspension bridge taking us from Patras on the Peloponnese into central Greece. We were now heading for the Pelion Peninsula near Volos for some chill out time.

It was another fabulous drive although quite slow and by the time we reached Volos and started to look for a campsite it was late afternoon and we could go no further. By chance we found a perfect spot, Sikia Camping, right by the sea in the village of Kato Gatzea. We had a great meal in the campsite taverna which was practically on the beach and dropped into bed. Just check out your atlas to see how far we had travelled in 2 days! Zach obviously found it exhausting - he slept for over 14 hours!

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The beach at Sikia Campsite

Sikia Camping was really well equipped with a Hotel, restaurant and internet access on our door step - alas no ability to upload our blog. We joined a larger than usual crowd of Austrians, Germans and one UK couple in VW camper spending three months here! It was not what we were used to but an indication that high season was on its way. Once again there were lots of other children on the campsite who Zach and Louis could play with on the beach which was great for all the parents.

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View along the beach to Kato Gatzea

After a few days of a busy campsite and once we had recovered from our journey to Greece we felt the urge to explore and so headed south to check out the rest of the southern part of Pelion. We eventually found Kastri Beach Camping just above Platanias on the south-eastern tip of the peninsula. We loved its remote location and the sign advertising it - "Kastri Camping Opposite Skiathos". It was so peaceful with only two other campervans and one tent. We bagged ourselves another perfect beach pitch and even had the beach shower right by our campervan, perfect for our grubby little boys.

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Our pitch at Kastri

The location was so idyllic. The beach was great for swimming and Steve pumped up the Kayaks once more so we all got nautical again. Steve blagged a boat trip for the whole family from a very friendly German whose motor boat he had helped to launch. It was lovely to see the coastline and check out some incredible villas hidden away. At night the stars were amazing, it was almost a joy to get up in the night to go to the toilet!

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Steve and Louis enjoying the sea at Kastri

We spent some afternoons in Volos which we really grew to like. It had a wealth of shops, pretty squares and street cafes and a grid like road structure which made getting about a breeze. Parking was the only headache and in some places only for the brave as in desperation every inch of space was utilised. We were finally able to get the van washed and hoovered which, in the heat, was great fun for the 5 lads doing it, fighting each other with jet hoses as they worked away at two months plus of filth. It was even more fun for Kate and the boys on the inside who were thoroughly entertained whilst having their lunch. While we were in Volos we booked our next ferry to Skopelos, a four and a half hour journey away, to join 'Anma next week who was having a holiday there.

Our first impressions of Pelion was that it appeared to be a relatively untouched part of Greece and in many respects it still is. With its Mountain range up to 1600 metres and dense forest it is ideal for trekking but we had also discovered secrets nestled between its coves. Harbours connected to Villas and pathways to secluded beaches, another playground for the rich and adventurous but all in all a very beautiful and untouristy place, certainly worthy of another visit.

This weeks top four
Sikia home-made olive oil
Kastri Beach Camping
Volos street chic
A clean campervan!

Stats: Total miles 3,966

Strangest experience
Travelling so far in such a short space of time.

Other pictures we liked this week

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