More rain and a bus trip to Igoumenitsa
We awake to another grey and overcast day. No rain as of yet – but we know that its coming!
We head down for breakfast which again is a great feast. The Danes have their maps spread out across the tables planning their drive to Meteora – obviously much braver than I!
Today we decide to do a bit more exploring of the area and take a left out of the hotel and head towards Zavia beach. We don’t take the path down to the beach but carry on on the road above it.
Wild cyclamen are growing everywhere and we pass villas with gardens that have trees that are abundant with fruit including pomegranates.
We don’t pass anyone else on the road except groups of cats languishing close to a rubbish bin and also a gang of dogs trotting down the middle of the road as if a daily routine. I imagine them like a group of old men gathering together to stroll to the local kafenio where they will catch up on all the latest gossip!
The weather certainly isn’t beach weather so that isn’t an option. We walk to Isabella travel agency again to see if there is any update on the Meteora trip. No excursions are running – we’d also fancied the day trip to Albania but that is out too. All she can offer us for the week whilst we are here is a night out in Parga – not really what we’re looking for!
We take another walk around the Marina which isn’t very big. A gentleman standing in the doorway of one of the quayside taverna’s catches our eye. He is wearing a captains hat and tells us that his name is Vangelis and his restaurant cooks the best kleftiko in town. Well lets see if it lives up to his claim – we will come back later. For now we decide to catch the bus to Igoumenitsa. It’s a bit of a long shot but as it’s a port I expect it to be busier than Sivota and possibly there are travel agencies there with trips to Meteora. Besides it’s now pouring down with rain again so at least by bus we get to see some of the local area and keep dry!
The view of the landscape from the bus is stunning. So rich and verdant.
Igoumonitsa itself has nothing really to offer – particularly in the rain. After a scout around we don’t find any travel agencies so haul off our festival ponchos and go to a local café for hot chocolate whilst we wait for the return bus. Enough is enough. We are going to have to bite the bullet and visit Meteora by taxi!
At the bus station there are an array of buses queued up waiting to depart to destinations such as Thessalonika, Ionnina and Athens. What a thought to be able to jump on a bus and travel further across the Greek mainland. Another ambition yet to be realised! The bus we catch is fully of school kids returning to their villages. The rain has not yet relented.
We decide to take Vangelis at his word and go to sample the best Kleftiko in Sivota at restaurant Trehantiri. The food is great and the service fabulous and the klefiko was one of the best – so good we don’t even photograph it! Vangelis spends most of his time trying to attract the tourists in – one of the things that I don’t like about the more touristy islands of Greece but I have no complaints. The marina is quite lively in the evenings (for out of season standards) and a lovely place to eat with a view over the harbour.
When we return to the hotel we ask Maria to book the taxi for us. To hell with the expense – tomorrow we are off to Meteora!!
