Chortiatis to Loutra Volvis – August 8th
Distance: 29.7 km – Elevation +180 m -670 m
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 34 degrees
I dined in my favourite seafood restaurant last night and said my farewells to this lively city as I strolled along the promenade watching the sun setting as it cast its golden glow over the harbour.
I wanted an early start as the forecast was for temperatures in the mid thirties and I had thirty kilometres ahead of me to reach my planned destination of Loutra Volvis. I headed out of the hotel at 6.00 am and said my goodbyes to the now more friendly night receptionist and soon found a waiting taxi to take me to Chortiatis. This time the taxi driver did not speak English so it was a quiet pensive ride to the cafe in the centre of the village.
The climb out of Chortiatis was steep and the town has quite a collection of stray dogs, some aggressive, so if you come this way be prepared. Once out of the town the route follows a track with magnificent views of the lakes below. Apart from a lone farmer brandishing a long mustache and so typically Greek who waved and shouted “Kalimera” as he passed me in his battered truck, I was alone on the trail. I saw him later where he had stopped to attend to a small orchard.
It is a lovely section as the wide dirt road climbed through shrubland. It was still early morning and the dew on giant cobwebs glistened in the soft rays of the sun. It was a steady three kilometre climb before the path began a long slow descent and after about 11 kilometres I reached the small village of Vasiloudi where I found a small cafe. The owner was surprised to see me and greeted me with joy and a lot of greek chatter which I did not understand, “kalimera frappe and croissant efcharisto” I said, he smiled as I sat at an outside table. I was charged 1 euro for a frappe ( iced coffee), a pleasant change from the exorbitant prices of Thessaloniki.
I continued on through the village to reach the main Thessaloniki to Kavala road. Until this point I had followed the Via Egnatia GPS tracks but looking at the tracks ahead they took significant wide loops, I guess to avoid the main road. The road was quiet with little traffic so I decided to take the more direct route to Loutra Volvis and follow the main road and cut out the loops.
There were plenty of cafes along the way of which I was thankful, it was a hot day with temperatures reaching 34 degrees. My original plan had been to walk to Lagkadikia but I could not find any accommodation listed in or near the village but as I approached the road junction which led to the village I saw a directional sign ‘Hotel 500 metres’ but having pre booked a hotel in Loutra Volvis I was obliged to continue.
I rested and sheltered from the sun wherever I could find a shady spot and arriving in Stivos I was delighted to find an open cafe, only to be told by the owner he was about to close. I purchased a couple of cold drinks and a few snacks and sat at a shady outside table. The owner, after closing the cafe, came and sat with me. He spoke very good English and I told him about my pilgrimage. I told him I had walked through North Macedonia, “This is Macedonia” he replied in a firm assertive voice “Yes I understand” I said and I went on to explain I understood the difficulties that existed with the recent agreement by Greece to accept the naming of North Macedonia. It is a very sensitive issue in this part of Greece. He said he lived in Loutra Volvis and that was where he was now going and suggested I ride with him. I still had 10 kilometres to walk and was tempted by his offer but thanked him and explained I needed to walk.
The heat of the afternoon sun was energy sapping and after a further 5 kilometres I came to the village of Peristerona where I found a village shop and purchased cold drinks. I sat in a single chair outside the shop. The shopkeeper realising I was feeling the effects of the sun came out and pointed to a tap with hose attached and gestured I should use that to cool my face and whilst I was doing that he moved the chair to a side passage where there was a wonderful cooling breeze. A wonderful moment of thoughtfulness and kindness.
Remarkably I was blessed with a cooling breeze for the last 5 kilometres so was able to push on to my accommodation, a small cheap hotel, very clean and tidy. The hotel had a bar but no restaurant and whilst I was able to enjoy a cold beer there was no food. Loutra Volvis itself is in a beautiful spot on the shores of Lake Volvis but the village has seen an influx of migrants that have flowed into Greece from places like Syria and Iraq. There was a big spa hotel and grounds close to the lake now closed and in a state of disrepair. A restaurant situated on the shores of the lake had also closed down. There was a village shop that was full of migrants and strangely I seemed to blend in with the crowd as I shopped and bought snacks and drinks which I took back with me to the hotel. It has been a full and unusual day.
