31st of March, 2022.
Outside of Sparti, after a short walk and a beautiful bridge, quite a few cars pass but nobody stops. A man in a campervan, going in another direction than the one I am standing by, tells me to come. I am a bit reckless (and I should) but he says he is going to Kalamata, so I get in.
Thirneos is taking a different way to Kalamata, through the mountains. That is because he cannot go faster with the van. For me it is a bit tricky because it means we will get in Kalamata later than I planned BUT the view is amazing, so it kind of worth it.
What does not worth it is all the bullshit I have to hear from this guy. Oh, my Loki! What a prat! He confess to me that, when I told him I was trying to live and travel without money, he considered asking me to get out of his van. Why? Well, basically he compared me with another girl he once met, who was asking to get in boat day trips for free, asking for free drinks, doing nothing to help around and and having people carrying her luggage from here to there. Just exactly like I do, right? Laugh.
The view really saved me because for the remain of the trip, I simply realize how this guy it might be one of those really unbearable people, who criticizes everything and everybody, who cannot be satisfied and happy with anything because it is always worried about other people’s life.
In Kalamata I try to find some olives, bread and feta cheese so I can have lunch and after I will head to Methoni. I don’t really feel like going around here and it would be great if I could make to Methoni today, for sunset, and exploring the castle tomorrow. Possibly.
I meet a lovely British lady who helps me to find some olives. After lunch, I try, in vain, to find Galaktoboureko with Kataifi (as I saw in Athens but was stupid enough to not buy it), but I am unsuccessful.
Walking out of town, everybody keeps staring at me. Why? People of the world: stop staring! It is fucking rude!
Ares and Aithan stop for me but thy are only going some 20 kilometres before Pylos. Now Pylos is about 10 Km before Methoni. So why not?
The guys are nice and ask me a lot of questions about my travels. They give me some delicious salty peanuts! But the place where they drop me off is not so great. It is the entrance to a small town and there is only a tiny place for the cars to park.
I can feel the fear of the drivers about the spot so I decide to walk for some time. The only problem is that the road is uphill. What can we do?
I keep holding my sign but nobody stops for quite a while. The road is killing me. If wasn’t for going up, it could be very enjoyable. It is beautiful up here and peaceful.
A pick-up passes by but then they come back. They are going to a small town just before Pylos and there is only space on the back of the pick-up, on the trunk. What can we do?
The lovely elderly driver tells me that in one hour or so he is going to Pylos. If I want, I can wait by his car and he can take me there. I tell him I will try my chances, and if in any case I am by the road when he is leaving, he can take me then.
But in only a few minutes a very nice bartender going to Pylos picks me up. He is a very friendly young man and we talk about life, travels and work. Unfortunately we are only a few kilometres from Pylos so soon enough we say goodbye.
He drops me on the road, outside of town, which is great. I start to walk a bit anyway but soon a small truck stops. Another very nice man going to Methoni pick me up! Yay! Finally!
This man is also friendly and he drives me all the way to the castle! Fantastic!
I see a path going from the beach, alongside the castle to the tower at the end. I follow it. I can get very close to the tower but not to it. And unfortunately, because of the dust from Sahara Desert (what a hell is that?), the visibility is very bad, so no shots tonight.
I stand by the rocks for a while, admiring the sunset and listening to the waves.
When I come back I decide to go by the castle and I might be lucky for some shots. Nope! Same thing. But I do meet Carl, a man from the U.S.A., travelling through Greece with his wife and friends. Carl is a photographer and he quickly gets interested about my journey. We chat for a little while and he seems like a nice lad. After giving me his business card, he goes to find his friends and I go looking for a camping site I have seen in a sign before, when we were passing by the castle.
Just at the corner of the castle, there is a lovely white and blue house, with the greatest view. A lovely lady is doing something outside so I decide to ask her if she knows about the camping place. She is adorable and very calmly, and in a great English, explains to me how to get there. But she also mentions that perhaps it is closed. Not quite the season yet.
Passing by the main square, I notice a few campervans parking by. I believe that is a sign that the camping is closed BUT I also have to check because they might just not like to pay for the camping place, just like me.
But it is closed. Damn it! And there is so many campervans around it, like in an abandoned state. Weird. For a while I wonder around, deciding what to do. I don’t really feel like camping around this area. I don’t know why. Perhaps it is because in my heart I had already made the decision of coming back to the house of that lovely lady, and asking her if I could camp in her garden. And that is exactly what I do.
When I explain everything to her, she immediately agree and open the gate for me. Her husband comes also outside and he is as lovely as her. At the same moment they also invite me to actually stay in the guests room, at their home, but I strictly, although politely, refuse. I am sure they are doing from their hearts and would be happy to have me inside, but lately, I am feeling guilty (don’t ask me why) when I accept something extra, something more from the people to whom I ask for some help, than what I originally asked. So I tell them that I asked for a place for camping and that is what I will take. Plus, the view is so extraordinary that it would also be a waste of a magical and perfect place for camping.
I do accept their invitation for dinner though. After putting up my tent, I get inside their home. What a beautiful and lovely place to live! It is as amazing as a family like them deserve.
My beloved hosts are originally from Italy! Who would think of that? And I am also introduced to one of their three daughters. She is so adorable! And so clever and dynamic. Bright future she has, for sure! I have a delicious potato and leek soup, with some toast and a BEER! Thank you so much! We chat a lot and they are impressed about my journey. Although they have their own travel history and it is awesome! They had a road trip through Namibia, in a 4×4 with a roof tent. Two roof tents because the girls joined them, of course. So cool!
After dinner we have some delicious strawberries! Yummy!
They show me to the toilet and tell me I can have a shower if I want. Because it is quite late, I decide to take it in the morning, and just wash myself up for tonight.
After such lovely night and knowing that I can sleep peacefully by such lovely people, I get some good rest. The wind gets real strong at night, though. But I don’t get cold at all.
