We left Pilos early in the morning looking for a mechanic or an electrical shop where we could buy a fuse for one of our batteries. They were working well, but Guim said that he had a feeling that one of them would need a new fuse soon.
Thimios, our local contact, a very nice ambulance driver, a very experienced road cyclist and, it must be said, a lovely man, suggested that we visit a mechanic close to his house in Gialova, the next village after Pilos. He cycles a few kilometers every morning for training, and we meet him on the road as soon as we arrive at his village. He accompanied us to the mechanic and helped us with the language but, unfortunately, there were no fuses, and he suggested that we check with another one 5 km away.
We enjoy traveling like this, taking it easy and talking to locals here and there. The road was nice, as was the Mediterranean coast with its hills and olive trees. Before we left Pilos, people had highly recommended that we pay a visit to Voidokilia beach, also known as Golden beach, located in this area.
So we did! And we will never forget it! The beach’s sand forms a semicircular strip of dunes in the shape of the Greek letter omega (Ω). The beach was been named "A Place of Particular Natural Beauty" and protected by Natura in 2000.
Gialova's aquatic habitat, which is an important stop for a variety of migratory birds, has been declared the southernmost Habitat of National Importance in the Balkans. It is considered a protected area hosting 258 species of birds, 79 of which are included in the global "Red Book" (species under threat of extinction).
We reached the beach by following the sand tracks of the northern route from Petrochori. The beach is considered friendly for naturists and gay tourists, and although Guim has practiced nudism many times, I asked him to keep his swimsuit on, as I did not feel comfortable having my husband showing his naked body around to anyone. Even though it was July, there were only five other people on the beach, and we enjoyed the surroundings for a couple of hours.
After that we got back on the bicycles and kept cycling. After a while we stopped at a local supermarket to buy some groceries, and then in a local pharmacy to buy something very specific. The conversations about babies we had had the previous night, combined wit the fact that my period was a bit late, made us think that we should buy a pregnancy test just to check. We weren’t 100% sure, but we thought that the delay was caused by the conditions we were living under, having just come from, where we ended up being quite exhausted. Another country, different food, climate, riding many kilometers every day… So I went and bought a pregnancy test, planning to use it the next morning.
We had lunch on some rocks over the Mediterranean Sea, enjoying the shadow of an ancient olive tree, while locals swam and sun bathed. What a passion they have in Europe for getting tan!
After a couple of sandwiches and a bit of watermelon, it was time to pedal again!
We arrived at Kypiriassia around 5pm, and went straight away to the camping area at the beach. We asked for tent space, and we were offered a first row space, overlooking the sea, a prime vantage point to watch the coming sunset over the horizon.
I was feeling exhausted, so Guim (gosh, how lucky I am to have found a man like him) set up the tent and prepared everything. An hour later we were seated on the beach just below our tent, ready to enjoy the sunset show. I guess a picture tells more than any words I can type.
The show was followed by an unforgettable romantic promenade along the beach. It’s funny that when you are doing something like this, a romantic postcard scene viewed thousands of times in movies, you feel normal, you don’t feel any special excitement, and you keep on being yourself. It’s only later on, when you remember it or type it, when you mentally reproduce the scene and all of its details, senses, and touches that the walk turns unique.
Guim then used the community grill to cook some meat (souvlaki!!!). Have I mentioned souvlaki yet? No? I’ll talk about it in next article then!
So, Guim came back with some meat and half bottle of cheap local white wine. I prepared a lovely soup (delicious, in Guim’s words), and we went to sleep just after dinner.
I must say there was something floating in the air that night. We were a bit nervous. Although my period was delayed and we were going to use a pregnancy test the next morning, we did not talk much about it, since we were 100% sure it was impossible.
When I tried to bring the subject up a couple of times, my pragmatic, lovely husband simply replied “we will see tomorrow, there’s no point in talking about something we don’t know right now.” He wants to be a father, I know, it’s just that now might not be the best moment, as we want to finish Electric Bicycle World Tour.
So, like this, we went to sleep on the floor of our tent. Guim was quiet (he later told me it was just a façade, inside he was excited too), tired, and happy. Happy as everyday since I’ve known him; he’s happy even on the days he’s worried.
He was also so calm that being next to him made me feel warm and protected, easing my fear of the results of the next morning.
I was basically going mad. My mind was like a crazy monkey, jumping from here to there, remembering past experiences, creating expectations for the near future if the test was positive, praying for two lines on the test, although that would mean we would have to change a lot. To become a mother is something that I, at age 32, really want.
We fell asleep…
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