You
wake up to the sounds of Arillas getting moving in the morning, the faint
bark of a dog in the distance and maybe the call of the melon man plying
his fare. Out of bed, open the blinds and it's another warm sunny day in
the offing.
Get dressed, maybe a quick dip in the pool to wake up and
then off for breakfast in the hotel or one of the cafe's in and around the
village. Perhaps a ride down to the beach for coffee and a snack at
George's on the seafront.
The
group has agreed to meet on the seafront at 10am so you check your bike
over, apply sunscreen and head off to meet everyone. The usual morning
banter ensues and the bike maintenance/repair, by committee, is always
good for a laugh.
Finally, by 10.15am everyone is assembled for the days
outing of 35km to the Byzantine castle of
Angelokastro. Your guide checks the
bikes and makes sure that pumps, spare tubes etc. haven't been forgotten
and makes sure that everyone has enough to drink on the ride.
The
group heads off over the hill between Arillas and Agios Georgios and onto
the beach road that runs along the long expanse of beach.
Time
for a brief stop and an ice-cream on the beach before heading up and round
the hairpin bends to the top of the hillside that has stunning views back
towards Agios Georgios. From the top of the hill, its a quick ride down to
Makrades for a well deserved lunch stop and a chance to have a look round
the olive press museum.
From
Makrades, its an easy ride to the small village of Krini where we approach
the castle. Riding down to the base of Angelokastro, we leave our bikes in
the car park next to the taverna and hike up the well-worn steps to the
castle ramparts.
The view from here is simply stunning and cameras are
clicking everywhere. Looking down towards Paleokastritsa is probably one
of the most beautiful views you will ever see and it is worth spending
some time to enjoy it. It's then back down the steps to the taverna for a
coffee, cold drink or to recharge the drinks bottles.
Next,
we ride back up the fairly difficult winding road back to Krini and
Makrades and over the hill for the long run down to Agios Georgios beach
again. From
Agios Georgios we climb back to the turning to Afionas where
we head along the spine of the hill into the lovely square for a look
round the village. From Afionas we head back to Arillas along a small
trail which runs downhill to the top end of Arillas beach where we split
off to our respective accommodation.
It's
then back to our hotel/apartment for a relaxing swim in the pool and a
freshen up before meeting up again for early evening drinks in the bar,
followed by an extremely well deserved evening meal in one of the
excellent tavernas and restaurants in Arillas.
Eventually, it's off to bed for a good night's sleep.