Plan A was in jeopardy from the beginning. I needed fuel and cash to start. It took me an hour to find both, and by then the wind had come back up. Now the wind was even stronger than the day before, and out of the Northwest. I decided not to ride up the hill to see Corinth in a wind and dust storm, and headed across the isthmus of Corinth towards Athens then Delphi.
The wind howled across the isthmus and pushed the moto all over. I would lean on the left handgrip to get to the center of the right lane, then a gust would push me over to the fogline and onto the shoulder. I struggled and struggled, and finally got some relief in the lee of the mountains on the southern shore of the Greek mainland. That was short lived, as the mountains give way to the plains again. I struggled on around to the west of Athens, but I could see, off in the distance, the Parthenon sitting on the acropolis. It was splendid even from afar.
Delphi now lay directly upwind of where I was. I have up on going there, and thought I would just ride to the north and east, and maybe get to Thessalonika the next day.
It was a struggle. It started to sprinkle, so I stopped and put the rain liner in my riding jacket. It stopped raining, but kept threatening along with sprinkles, so I left the liner in. I steamed slowly inside it. By the time I got to camp, I was wetter than if I had ridden naked through Niagra Falls.
So I camped, pitched my tent, took a shower, and had dinner. By now, I was really feeling that fall.
Soon, another day, another plan.
Hey, Dan. Keep the rubber side down! -Darrel
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