Christmas in Greece...

Day 29:

In Asprovalta we connect to the world again and buy sausages, apples, wine and wet wipes at Lidl. In the evening we wet-wipe ourselves (more body hygiene is not possible at those cold temperatures) and enjoy an amazing dinner and drink greek wine for better weather.

Day 30:

It was a good decision to choose the northern shore of the Volvi Lake...Little traffic, great landscape and friendly people that stop to give us 3kg of fresh oranges. We camp at the lake where we have our first "shower" since Alexandroupoli!

Day 31:
Again one of those days where making good distance is easy...and out of necessity we even make a few more because the supermarket of the village we wanted to buy dinner at is closed....and also in the next village everything, except the butcher is closed. He has a pity on us and shares his dinner with us. Greek people are amazing!

Day 32:
There are more crazy guys that hike long distances. Short before Langkadas we meet a british guy:
He: "Hello, where are you two headed?"
Us: "Austria!"
He: "Oh, that's where i just come from!"
Us: "Cool! And where are you going?"
He: "Istanbul."
Us: "That's where we just come from!!!"

Day 33:
To walk through agricultural areas is no fun at all - it's boring and there are no places to camp at. After a break Marita realizes that she has lost her cap. Kevin RUNS back to get it! After 20km of hiking he runs 6km extra! That's REAL LOVE!

Day 34:
In Prochoma a dog makes friends with us (or the fresh bread we have in a bag on the backpack) and joins us for a few kilometers. At a picknick place near the Axios river he finds a new pack.
We camp at a pretty grassy patch on the shores of the river

Day 35:
Christmas! Early in the morning we head to Koufalia and buy yummy food for the Christmas days. Then we head back to the river where we celebrate christmas eve with campfire and good greek wine. A hunter gives us a freshly killed snipe - now we even have our mini-christmas-turkey! ;-)

Day 36:
Freshly washed laundry, freshly washed Rucksacknomaden, sun is shining....a perfect christmas day at the river!!!

Day 37:
Fruit cocktail and Coke for breakfast...and then we hit the road. We are lucky and find a lot of fresh vegetarian roadkill: 1 onion, 1 apple, 1 orange and 2 tangerines - vitamins for free!
In the afternoon it starts to rain - the first time during daytime on our hike so far!...and then we canno't find a proper campsite either...Before it gets dark we crash on a patch of grass in an area that could be straight out of a psycho thriller - Well, it can't be idyllic all the time...

Day 38:
Again all the shops are closed in the small villages - so we cook what we have in store in the backpack - instant mashed potatoes. Kevin finds a few apples, that someone dumped in the roadside ditch...

Day 39:
The apples where not particularly yummy...so we football them! An apple flies in thousand pieces, when you hit them hard with a trekking boot. *hehe*
Even though we wanted to make short day....we make our 20+km....yet once again....