VACATION SUMMER 2008

MY VACATION THIS YEAR BEGAN IN 14-08-08. I DECIDED TO GO TO KALAMITSI THALLATA CAMP, HOWEVER I WAS UNLUCKY. THE CAMPING WAS ALL FULL. AFTER MANY EFFORTS I ACCOMPLISHED TO FIND A PLACE IN THE CAMPING MILLS IN THE COAST OF SIKIA. THE NEXT MORNING 15-08-08 AT 10:30 I STARTED THE TOUR OF SITHONIA BY BICYCLE. AN UNDERTAKING THAT I HAD IN MY MIND SINCE LAST YEAR. I DID NOT KNOW THE KILOMETRES THEY WAS PRECISELY, NEITHER HOW MUCH TIME IT WOULD TAKE. THE ROUTE THAT I FOLLOWED WAS COAST OF SIKIA, KAVOUROTRIPES, ARMENISTIS, VOURVOUROU, MARMARAS, TORONI, PORTO KOUFO, AND BACK TO COAST OF SIKIA. A BEAUTIFUL BUT EXCEPTIONALLY EXIGENT WAY AROUND THE MOUNTAINS OF SITHONIA. THE UPHILLS WERE COMING AFTER THE DOWNHILLS AND THE DOWNHILLS WERE SO MUCH SHORT THAT I HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT ALL THE KILOMETRES WERE UPHILLS. THE COMPUTER WROTE IN TOTAL 107.33 KILOMETRES IN 6.5 HOURS. THE FURTHER ROUTE AND MOST DIFFICULT KILOMETRES THAT I HAVE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE.
THE NEXT DAY MY FRIENDS HARRIS AND NIKOS CAME AND STAYED WITH ME THE NEXT THREE DAYS. AT MONDAY FINALLY I MANAGED TO FIND A PLACE AT KALAMITSI THALLATA CAMP, MAYBE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CAMP OF HALKIDIKI, SO I SPENT THE REST OF THE DAYS HAPPILY WITH WINDSURFING AND EXPLORING THE MOUNTAINS OF BEAUTIFUL SITHONIA (350 DAYS OF THE YEAR WE SAY THAT WE LIVE IN THE WRONG COUNTRY BUT WHEN WE GO TO HALKIDIKI WE CHANGE OUR MINDS).
ONE DAY MY CAMERA A CANON IXUS 55 FELL IN THE SEA AND DESTROYED SO I BOUGHT A NEW ONE A PENTAX OPTIO W60 THIS TIME WATERPROOF.
ALL THIS UNTIL SATURDAY 23-08-08 CAME, SO I HAD TO RETURN TO THESSALONIKI TO BUY A NEW SAIL, BECAUSE THE OLD ONE WAS TORN BY SOME CHILDREN IN THE SEA, AND TO LEAVE FOR PIERIA WHERE AT 24-08-08 SARAKATSANA MTB RACE TOOK PLACE. THE RACE WAS AMAZING AT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, AT WHICH I CAMPED AT NIGHT, NEAR ELATOHORI. I PLACED 7th AND I GOT MY FIRST MEDAL. IN THE RETURN TO THESSALONIKI AT THE BEGINNING OF A 18 klm DIRT ROAD I HIT MY CARS EXHAUST ON A ROCK AND BROKE. I HAD TO TIE THE REST OF THE PIECE WITH A BIKES CABLE AND I RETURNED HOME AFTER 4 SUFFERING HOURS.
AT MONDAY 25-08-08 I CHANGED THE EXHAUST AND DEPARTURE AGAIN FOR HALKIDIKI, THIS TIME TO KASSANDRA. I STAYED IN THE CAMP OF POSIDI. THE SAME DAY I DID THE TOUR OF KASSANDRA BY BIKE. IT WAS SOMETHING MUCH EASIER THAN TOUR OF SITHONIA BECAUSE OF THE MORE FLAT GROUND AND LESS KLM. 81.4 klm IN 3.5 HOURS. I DIDN’T CALCULATE THE TIME WELL SO THE LAST 20 klm IT WAS SO DARK AND I COULDN’T SEE A THING. I WAS LUCKY TO RETURN ALIVE AND NO CAR DRIVER HAD KILLED ME.
THE REST OF THE DAYS PAST BY WINDSURFING WITH MY NEW SAIL WHICH IS BIGGER (7.7 SQUARES COMPARED TO THE OLD ONE WHICH WAS 6). THIS GIVES ME THE CAPABILITY TO SURF WITH LESS AIR.
MY GRANDMA FROM ALEXANDROUPOLI VISITED ME IN THE CAMP AND STAYED THERE FOR THE NEXT 2 DAYS. LAST DAY OF MY HOLIDAYS 27-08-08.
THIS YEARS VACATION WAS THE BEST OF MY LIFE BECAUSE I HAD THE CHANCE TO VISIT BEAUTIFUL BEACHES AND PLACES AND TO SPEND MY TIME HAPPILY DOING MY FAVORITE ACTIVITIES. HOLIDAYS MAY BE OVER BUT VACATION IS NEVER OVER FOR ME BECAUSE I’M FREE AND FREE I INTEND TO STAY.