Boukari, Corfu

June 3, 2018

To clear up any suspense first, today was not a rest day either. With a distance of 70miles and almost 5,000’ of climbing, it failed on both criteria. It was more of an unrest day.

We’ve seen this day coming of course, which is why we’ve been loafing a bit in preparation. We wanted to start as fresh as we could hope to be, given that we’re over five weeks into a pretty mountainous trip.

So why did we do this to ourselves? Well, nothing else made much sense. It’s 59 miles fro: Ioannina and Igoumenitsa! The port town for ferries to Corfu. There is nothing in between but small villages and the occasional bar or minimart, but no lodging that I could see. And there’s 4,500’ of climbing even though the route is more down than up. So, the minimum ride is pretty tough, given that we don’t camp.

Igoumenitsa as a pretty poor reputation as a stopover though, so it made more sense to catch the ferry to Corfu, rest up a bit on board, and then bike another ten flattish miles to Boukari, an allegedly beautiful small village on the coast north of the ferry terminal. It sounded reasonable then, and still does now that we’re here. We can do this, we tell each other over dinner last night, as we carboload in preparation.

Only one hitch: the ferry schedule. For our plan to wok! We have to get to Igoumenitsa in time for either the 3:30 or 5:30. We decide to aim for the 3:30ferry, since that will get us to our hotel with time to clean up for dinner; and if we miss that one, we should still be well positioned for the later one. That means though we need to get an early start and then keep on task, rather than dawdle getting out the door and along the way taking lots of photos, Rachael sternly reminds me over breakfast.

So, a forewarning to our spoiled readers - don’t expect as many photos as usual. We both REALLY want to make the 3:30 ferry to Lefkimmi, and I REALLY don’t want Rachael to pitch my Panasonic over a cliff in frustration.

We get off to a good start: we are packed up and in the breakfast space when it opens at 8; and we’re on the road before 8:45, which I suspect is a new record for this tour. And we get out of town quickly, pausing only so that I can take this one photo on the waterfront. It’s a makeup for one that was spoiled four days ago when my camera malfunctioned.

The ferry for Ioannina Island. The lake is much calmer this morning.

The first twenty miles of the ride go well - we keep a good, steady pace, and it’s more down than up. We have one five hundred foot climb, but it doesn’t take much out of us. Taking two easy days was just the right idea, and we’re both riding stronger than we have in maybe two weeks. At the top of one of the smaller climbs of the day, in Voukaris we we stop in a mini market just before 11 to get beverages. This is Sunday, and we just beat the closing time. As we sit there cooling off for a few minutes we admire the series of bicycles lined up on the wall across the street - practically a sculpture.

A few miles out of town, we bend west toward the coast and begin climbing out of the valley. From here we’ll ride the old road, E92, all the way to Igoumenitsa. We’ll see very little traffic.

In spite of this car, it’s a very quiet road. I heard these bikers chatting to each other a quarter mile back.

Our last look back to the east. The Zagori Villages are beyond the highest ridge, and Gamila Peak is just peeking above it.

Leaving the mountains behind us, we bike forward toward more mountains.

In Vourkaris. Someone in this village sure likes their bikes!

From here, we generally drop for the next five miles, eventually bottoming out at Vrosina on the small, contorted Thyamis River. We’ve crossed over a watershed, and the rivers here are making their way westward to the Ionian Sea as best they can through a broken landscape of deep ravines and valleys and high isolated peaks.

Then, up - on the largest sustained climb of the day, 1,800’ in seven miles at a remarkably consistent 5% pitch. The road weaves all across the slope of the formation we’re climbing, but the gradient never varies. It’s perfect for a climb - not too steep to grind you down, you can just get into a comfortable sustainable cadence and keep at it.

Secretly, neither of us held much hope of making the 3:30 ferry; but this climb is starting to make a believer of me. We reach the top right at one o’clock, and are happy to find a small cafe at the summit, miles from the nearest village. We still haven’t had lunch yet, so we sit down, order drinks, and Rachael pulls out the bonanza she scored last night at a supermarket: a large loaf of whole wheat bread, salami, Edam cheese.

We scarf down our lunch quickly, and are rolling again at 1:20. We have two hours left, allowing ten minutes to get ticketed at the port, 25 miles away. With the first 14 miles downhill, we have hopes as long as we keep on task.

On the big climb of the day - a very steady 5% for seven miles.

I lied earlier. We’ve gotten up high enough on this climb that we get another view to the west, with a good view of Gamila Peak.

Looking down on Vrosina, with mountains around.

Twenty five miles in two hours doesn’t really sound like that much, does it? Especially when there’s a two thousand foot descent involved. And it is a glorious descent - curving, dramatic, smooth road, reasonable gradient - once we get around a small herd of cows standing in the road, with the calves sunning themselves on the pavement like hot rocks. I don’t recall ever seeing calves just lying around on the road like this. I indulge myself and stop for several photos, knowing that I’ll catch Rachael in the next 14 miles because I’m a faster descender. Sure enough, five miles down the road she comes into view.

After about ten miles we nearly bottom out. The next four miles are still down, but barely. And we’ve picked up a slight headwind, so we’re working pretty hard to hold a 12 mph pace. We gained a lot of time on the descent of course, but there’s still ten miles to go, with a 2 mile, 600’ climb and another smaller rise beyond that. We keep pushing, and I continually make mental calculations of the remaining ride and remaining time available. We still might make it, but it will be close. Knowing this helps us dig in and push through the last climbs - if we make it, it will be worth the pain. And if we don’t make it I’ll be doubly disappointed because we’re biking past some gorgeous spots that I can’t take a photo.

Climbing the top of the last rise, I know we’ve made it. About four miles to go, but they’re all a gradual downhill; and it’s right at 3. Spent, the both of us, we bike up to the ticket booth for the Lefkimmi ferry with five minutes to spare. It’s a really wonderful feeling - there’s the joy of successful arrival, and the deep satisfaction that we found the strength to do this. I feel a strong sense of pride for both of us, and a deep gratitude for Rachael - without her strength and character, we wouldn’t be on this remarkable journey.

On the ferry, Rachael wastes no time - she’s immediately on the hunt for ice cream. An hour later we wheel off at the Lefkimmi port, at the south end of Corfu.

We’ve seen a lot of crazy roads like this on the tour.

I loved this stretch of road. I allowed myself a few seconds to take a single photograph.

ice cream! Ice cream! Where’s the ice cream!

Looking back at Igoumenitsa. We’re on the ferry to Lefkimmi, the southern port on Corfu. At one hour, it’s a much shorter passage than the two and a half ride to Corfu town.

The ride to our hotel in Boukari is unexpected. I’ve been advertising this to Rachael as an easy 10 mile ride along the coast, which is generally true. There’s a gradual rise to 150’ at one point, and after dropping to the sea there’s another 125 footer just before the end. But: we’re pretty fatigued; we’re at sea level, and it’s hot; I somehow mapped out a scenic route to the hotel - very quiet, because it includes a rough path across a field at one point; and, unbelievably to us, the final 125 foot climb is a killer with a 15% grade that we both give up on and push.

For dinner, we eat at the hotel restaurant, which is about a half mile away on the waterfront. We enjoy a fabulous sea bream dinner and take our time looking at the sea, watching the beginnings of a sundown. The sunset is beautiful, one of the best of the tour.

Corfu!!

Suddenly we’re in a new land, looking at the colors of the French Riviera.

Letkemmi has a deteriorated quality. I think we could pick up a place pretty cheaply here, but Rachael doesn’t want to live on an island.

Through careful planning we find the quietest route to our hotel.

The road right next to the coas south of a Boukari is ve y green, surprisingly hilly.

Walking back to our hotel, we were treated to one of the best sunsets of the tour.

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Ride stats today: 70 miles, 4,900’

Today's ride: 70 miles (113 km)
Total: 1,258 miles (2,025 km)

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Suzanne GibsonWhat a fantastic ride that must have been!
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5 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Suzanne GibsonIt really was, Suzanne, the whole way. Pretty satisfying too to see that we could do this.
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5 years ago