Thursday 03 September ZAKYNTHOS to OLYMPIA (55 miles)

We're up before the sun rises over the bay (well it is 5 am BST), and then we see it arc its way majestically up and over for another day of baking. We cycle down to the port and get on our boat that will take us to Kyllini on the Peloponnese. Only one engine working so it takes about an hour and a half. Cappuccino and croissant and apple pie relieve our slightly jet-lagged spirits. Off we pedal along flat roads, through rural landscapes, sometimes strewn with rubbish...perhaps the bin men are on strike...we stop for an iced coffee in a little village and are surrounded by men drinking beer and coffee. I hear an announcement from a man in a van, like some sort of political announcement, in fact he's selling fruit and we buy grapes and nectarines and bullet hard pears ,which he assures us are very good( theyr're not!). Onwards...feeling very weary in the increasing heat ( we later find out it's 38 degrees). We stop at a deserted little village called Inoi and have coke and ask if they have anything to eat. They bring us fried eggs, bread, Greek salad, and white wine! Amazingly they say this is fromthem and don't want any payment...extraordinarily and unexpectedly generous. (We leave them a tip ). Spirits revived we head off agin in the heat and the road climbs now and then undulates, and the scenery is more attractive. Very few places to buy provisions and the villages are all deserted. We stop by a fountain just after Hemoi and wash away the dirt from the road works which has stuck to our feet and sandals and eat our fruit sitting in the shade. We see grapes being dried in the sun...raisins? The last mile or so to where we're staying is very steep and for the first time I get off and push...it's difficult enough even doing that! Beautiful hotel with pool and so after a bit of relaxing with Mythos we feel great but weary! We walk down to the ancient site which is serene and beautiful and wander around the ruins. Taxi back up the hill - another first! We eat by the pool overlooking the hilly landscape where we cycled and see the sunset. A very full, tiring but fantastic day!