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Day 12 - Alexandroupolis, Greece to Paralia, Greece.
It's been a funny old day really! Nobody seemed particularly in a hurry to set off so we made the most of breakfast. We're now in a strange part of the journey where we know we have to be at the ferry port on Tuesday evening and it's a hard deadline.
We start off straight onto the motorways which are really quite good. It gives us the opportunity to stick on the cruise control and relax into it. The roads are virtually deserted and it's another bright sunny day and already 27 degrees by 10am.
The first fuel stop turns out to be a real case of fate. Hawk pulls us off of the motorway when we actually still have 70-80 miles still in the tank as he misheard when we'd need fuel. We roll into a little local petrol station where they only take cash. Just as we've finished filling up a car pulls in asking for directions to Belgrade. It turns out he, his father and his wife and child have travelled 300km in he wrong direction because they didn't have a map and his car also has clutch/gearbox problems. It just so happens that Warrior and Hawk have a complete set of maps to get him where he needs to be and he quickly scribbles down some directions whilst lamenting his lot in life and how he doesn't get any breaks. What are the chances of that set of circumstances actually ever happening?
We're back on the motorway once again and go through 4 or 5 tolls on our way to Katrini. We had thought it was on the coast which would be nice for lunch, turns out it's about 7km inland so we follow our noses and end up in Paralia at about 3pm after a few local traffic laws are flouted. It's a beach resort very popular with people from the Balkans and Russia. It's suppose to just be a quick lunch stop but we're all hot, bothered and tired so enthusiasm wanes whilst eating and we decide to stay. We have done about 230 miles by this point in up to 32 degree heat where even going faster just doesn't seem to cool you down. Quick look on trip advisor for a hotel and we're sorted 25 euros each including breakfast.
It's a quick change and before long Warrior, Slash and Viper are swimming in the Aegean with the snow capped Mount Olympus in the distance while Hawk rests his tired eyes back at the hotel.
Later that evening after a couple of beers we briefly encounter 3 other bikers from Austria in a restaurant. One of their group has a GS which is like catnip to Warrior and he starts a conversation. In this situation there is usually lots of mutual adoration at each other's machinery, but one of their group ( who rides a KTM) just pipes up in German accented English that the BMWs are for the old men - yes?
Hoots of laughter from Viper and Slash - the Triumph contingent!
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