May 31, 2012
Sigri and the Petrified Forest
Light as we travel, it's still a treat to have a day off from the luggage. Today we retraced our steps a bit, climbing back from the coast into the volcanic highlands and north to the turnoff to the next port, Sigri. In addition to Sigri itself where we had lunch, the day had two major highlights. First, we visited Ypsilou monastery, built on the highest point around atop a volcanic dome. It was the usual tough slog up - almost a pusher in a few points - and the usual stunning views. From there, we careened downhill for a few miles to the petrified forest. Surprisingly to us anyway, Lesvos has perhaps the greatest petrified forest in the world. It has dozens of remarkably well preserved sequoias, cyprus and pine, some of which are still standing. The king of the crop is a great multicolored sequoia over 20 feet tall - the largest known standing petrified tree worldwide.
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Today's ride: 49 miles (79 km)
Total: 1,106 miles (1,780 km)
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