Kipoi (Zagori Villages)

June 1, 2018

Rest day! We’re moving on to Kipoi, our third Zagori Village, but it’s only twelve miles off, and largely downhill - by the time we arrive, we’ll climb a whopping 500 feet on our bikes.

As happens too often, my day began early when I awoke before 6 and reached for the iPad to work on this silly journal. As fortunately almost never happens any more, there was no WiFi service, but I knew of an alternative - the websites of the neighboring hotel and bar - we learned last night that they also have WiFi, and an open network. I decided to step outside and sit at an outdoor table at the bar until breakfast. I got caught up on the journal and it was pleasant listening to the birds gradually stir in the quiet village, but I was a bit chilled by the time I returned to our room.

Roasting pork and chicken, outside the Vikos Hotel. If we ever come back to Monodendri we’d give this place a try.

We’re happy to see that our BF’s are still where we left them. But of course they are - who would be nuts enough to want a bike up here?

We have plenty of time today, so we lingered a bit over breakfast and took our time getting out the door, not leaving until a bit after 10 (OK, so what’s different about that? We usually don’t get out much earlier anyway). We walked down to the plaza to get our bikes where we had locked them last night, relieved to see that they were still there.

An aside about our hotel in Monodendri - it is the first place in a very long time that wouldn’t accommodate our bikes, which was only one of the annoyances we experienced here. I don’t like to give negative reviews about places, but the next time you’re in Monodendri you might try the neighboring Vikos Hotel or a guesthouse instead.

And another aside, before we start off on our big 12 mile journey: when we packed up this morning, I found the missing pump I bought two days ago in Ioannina and promptly lost!!! Some Good Samaritan apparently slipped into our room while we were out to dinner last night and slipped it into my pannier.

Image not found :( — Leaving the village by the usual way, on foot.

On the descent from Monodendri. So lush, so green, so blue. Quite a different look than when we biked up last night.

Gamila Peak (altitude 2,500 meters, the sixth highest mountain in Greece) has the most snow remaining that we’ve seen on this tour.

Kipoi sits at the base of Vikos Gorge, and is only about three miles from Monodendri, as the crow flies. On a zip line, we’d be there in about ten minutes. It’s a protected area though, and there’s no zip line, so we hop on our bikes and pedal - after first walking them carefully down the steep stone road out of the village to the start of the pavement. From there, we coast several miles back to the broad meadow we raced the storm through last night, and bend south to Kipi.

As has been the case every day recently, we start out under stunningly clear skies and then watch the clouds gradually build up. Like clockwork, we’ll be hearing thunder by mid afternoon.

After a few annoying short climbs that remind us that we’ve done A LOT of climbing lately, we put our 500’ of elevation gain behind us and drop to river level - we’re below the gorge now, and alongside the Vikos Gorge and its tributaries.

This brings us to within about three flattish miles of Kipoi. The next three miles will take us about two hours to cover, because we’re traversing a bridge-lover’s paradise. I’ve never been in a region that has such a concentration of scenic bridges - all constructed of grey stone, all beautiful steep arched designs - single, double and even triple. Unbelievable.

We saw four of these in these last few miles to Kipoi, stopping to marvel at and explore each of them; and we came at them in the right order, with each one more spectacular than the last. They, along with the stone villages and the remarkable gorge, are the highlights of the region - so the major ones are on the tourist circuit. We saw no one else at all at Saint Minas Bridge, a simple arch crossing a small stream on the way to a simple monastery; and we shared Arkoida Bridge with an organized hiking tour group; but Kokkoris and Plakida are the real stars and bring in the tour busses. At this time of year though, even this traffic was sparse and with a bit of patience we soon had the world to ourselves.

Saint Minas Bridge - simple but beautiful

Saint Minas monastery stands just yards from its bridge.

Saint Minas monastery - doesn’t look like prefab construction.

There’s more to this area than just slate and stone. These stne walls are great lizard habitat. This lovely animal is likely a European green lizard (Credit:Bill Shaneyfelt)

Arkoida Bridge, another simple single arch design. Looks like a stegosaurus.

The route becomes increasingly dramatic as we approach the Vikos River and the base of the gorge.

What a beauty! The Kokkoris Bridge is one of the stars and draws the crowds. We had to wait five or ten minutes for them to move on and leave the scene to us.

Yet another lizard. Bill can confirm, but I don’t think we’ve seen this one beforein this journal. (Bill’s conclusion: a Greek keeled lizard)

The Tower of Kokkori, a famous climbing rock. The route goes straight up the crease on its face.

Teamwork! This pair of dung beetles were really rolling their load until I stopped and broke their rhythm. I felt a bit guilty.

The triple arch Plakida Bridge, built in 1865, is the superstar of the show, the one in every travel article. Deservedly.

Rachael and I shoot at each other across the Plakida Bridge

We have Rachael to thank for this, for suggesting a panorama shot with the phone. Never occurred to me.

On the Plakida Bridge. For a change, we don’t have the place to ourselves.

Gamila Peak and Kipoi, from the Plakida Bridge

Oh, wait. Too many to keep track of. We also passed the beautiful single arch Lazaridi bridge spanning the Vikos River just before entering Kipoi. So that’s five.

The Lazaridi Bridge (1764) spans the Vikos River at the base of the gorge.

We arrived in Kipoi at about one, checked in to our hotel, and walked across the street to the restaurant for lunch, enjoying omelets and a beer, sitting in the shade for an hour watching cats mill around under the tables and a large, sluggish old sheepdog snap at flies.

After lunch we rested a bit more and then walked a quarter mile to yet a sixth bridge, a double archer, and watched for the occasional flash of lightning. There are at least three or four more bridges in the vicinity, and a tempting walk up the base of Vikos Gorge that we considered. The skies were just a bit threatening though, and we’re starting to warm to this rest day concept. Enough for one day - maybe we’ll pick up another bridge or two in the morning on our run back to Ioannina.

In the evening, we walked next door to Marguerite’s, a boutique hotel/restaurant, that for a bit of a splurge (45 euros) stages what I’m sure we will remember as one of the best meals of the tour. A wonderful evening, to cap a wonderful day.

One of the easiest days of the tour. One of the best days of the tour. coincidence?

Milos Bridge sits just on the outskirts of Kipoi.

Heading back to Kipoi for an afternoon nap

Marguerite’s in Kipoi: on our short list for best restaurant of the tour

Let there be food photos! The salad (pear, mushroom, bacon, cheese) was amazing, as was the homemade bread.

Chicken, ham and zucchini in a sauce of tomato and cream with French fries; veal and spaghetti

The complementary desert (what a fine custom the Greeks have here!): homemade orange pie with homemade ice cream.

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Ride stats today: 12 miles, 500’; for the tour, 1,162 miles, 95,700’

Today's ride: 12 miles (19 km)
Total: 1,162 miles (1,870 km)

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