METEORA, GREECE - BEESWAX CANDLES, SHY ORPHANS, VOTIVE CORN ON THE COB, 1976

SUNDAY 10TH OCTOBER, 1976

"No after effects [of Ouzo] at all!
Headed down coast - dropped off 6 at a campsite [Platamon] - not coming to Athens - Paul, Julie, Mark, Pam, Neva and Sally.  A lot more room and quiet!  They wrote rude messages on bus as we left.

Made inland - detour to trip.  Suddenly left plain and huge rocks and cliffs appeared - very dramatic scenery.  Convents perched really high up on these cliffs, amazing sight [Monasteria of Meteora].  Climbed up road and stopped at Convent of St Stephen - had a look round - not allowed in unless wearing a dress and arms covered.  Let in across drawbridge - nuns almost totally covered in black.  Small courtyard inside - orphanage made up one side - no signs of kids until just leaving, then little faces appeared from a window.  View out over small town at foot of cliff-face and hazy blue horizon of plain - quite hot.

Small chapel - seats like monks at Durham, with small ledge so when dozed off seat collapses.  Very ornate icons, beeswax candles, incense etc.

(Before reaching here we stooped at a spring - very touristy, stalls selling corn on the cob, nuts, sticky sweets as well as religious emblems and bags and Davy Crocket hats.  Little chapel at other side, across suspension bridge, priest doing baptisms - very noisy and chaotic, walked round reciting while mother and baby follow, then slams down book and slaps wet cloths on the yelling baby.  Another fellow rushed in, stood at the lecturn and recited too, tourists milling in and out all the time).

Fred hung corn on the cob above table [on bus] - health hazard with flies.

Stopped and camped by sea again - Stylis.  We cooked another fantastic meal - my elaborately prepared custard was revoltingly runny!

That evening 3 Greeks bought us some beer at the nearby bar and ended up paying for all beer that evening!  They kept chucking the empties under the table and ordering more!  (Spent about £6 worth)  By the end (after a million 'vivas!') everyone was calling each other philo and phili!"


"remains of deadly corn on the cob - property of Fred and Jan"

METHONI, GREECE - SWIMMING, DANCING, 'SMASHED' 1976

On cooking duty in Greece - went over budget and overboard with the garlic and sustained a blister courtesy of the bubbling Smash (does anyone else remember that distinctive industrial taste of powdered mashed potato?)  Had my first and last encounter with the mind bending substance Ouzo - now I understand the warning: beware of Greeks bearing gifts ... 

SATURDAY 9TH OCTOBER, 1976

"Left early for Greek border.  I was doing cooking with Nikki and Chris.  Stopped at small town to shop - lots of sign language in the market (all 4 stalls!).  Overspent money.  Crossed border making butties!  Beer at border a rip-off.

Made for east coast, camped in afternoon at Methoni fishing village.  All went down to the beach (tents a stone's throw away from sea), swam in the Aegean Sea! - very slimy and shallow!

Prepared meal with frisbies flying everywhere - got one in the back of the neck!  Fantastic spicy, garlic etc stew (La stew as opposed to Le Stew.  Drew up stupid menu - wide-mouthed frog and caterpiller pie, les afters, tic tac a la Robert etc!)  The smash (vocanic) spat at me and burnt finger - gorgeous blister.

Then all went down to nearest bar - some people been there since very early.  Tested out ouzo - only drank half bottle (too many).  Other Greeks there playing instruments - so some got up and did Greek dancing with them - Shirley being one of course.  Adrian keeled over - took 4 of us to get him to tent where spewed up.

Other group - 2 Scouse, I Irish and girl who is getting lift to Athens with us.  I thought I was OK but got to bus and memory is a complete blank!  Apparently I was feeling awful, hanging out of bus window and sounding upset.  Remember heading for sea at one point and sitting there - Rob came and rescued me, got things out of bus and found my tent.  After that I escaped again and headed for bus because heard music playing.  Apparently nearly murdered tape deck and shouted obscenities at Fred and Jan about the noise - vague recollection - Fred said that's last time I get to choose music!"

CAKOR PASS IN JUGOSLAVIA - DIZZYING DROPS, PINK SHEEP AND ROUGH RED WINE, 1976

"Heavy due and mist.  Kids all going to school past camp.  Fantastic views up steep mountain sides.  Very deep valleys, heavily wooded with incredibly perched farms and vertical fields - people tending herds by side of road, lots of carts and donkeys.  Very narrow dusty road, dropping away on my side of the bus in sheer drops!  Kept meeting other buses, looked out of window, so close to edge that couldn't see road at all!

Eventually at top of Cakor Pass, had black coffee and door-stop goat's cheese sandwich.  Then down hairpin bends again to 13th century Byzantine Church.  Peaceful convent beside - two rather formidable ladies in black wouldn't let people in with t-shirts unless covered up bare arms.  Lovely paintings on walls inside - four different churches all together (originally centre for Serbian bishops).

Walked around Pec - not interesting town, but people very friendly and bought fantastic chocolate eclair at sticky cake shop!  Poverty very noticeable; lots of women dressed in Turkish style baggy trousers and white headdresses; men in white caps.

People always waving as bus passes; noticeably more Arabic in features than northern Jugoslavs.  Countryside flatter here, the odd mosque in the distance, pink sheep by wayside, lots of people just sitting around by side of road, many houses seem only half built.

Stopped for lunch by few houses, kids appeared from nowhere when we began playing with frisbies - lovely little boy got very excited about the game.  Great send off.  Unfortunately had to return to hunt for Rob's lighter, but not found.  Paul opened bottle of rough red wine about 4.0!  Few of us had some - felt good on half a cup full!  Ate nuts and grapes with it.  (Nobody is allowed to sleep at the back; the new rule is to shout and nudge anyone who tries to fall asleep - mustn't miss the view or show that had a heavy night before!)

Camping at Skopje - bar and doughnuts just opposite tents!  Little attendant wandering round counting us - even in showers - didn't get away with 23 people!