It has been a while since having a car trip. Airplanes have taken over my beloved habit of driving. That, plus policing of roads that make any speed above 150 Klm/hour a criminal offense.
What is the point of owning a fast car if you can’t go fast?
So here I am in my favorite new little car, a brand new Toyota Yaris with a Diesel engine producing 90 bhp (can’t speak in kilowatts, I am an old guy and British Horse Power – bhp – is my way of describing a car). This car has impressive torque. Massive. And equally impressive Diesel consumption. A mere 4.1 lt. per 100 klm, proven during this trip. I started at about 13:30 from my office in Gerakas Attica, determined to spend the night somewhere near the borders. Some 8 uneventful hours later I entered the door of “Refanidis Hotel and Spa” in Kato Poroia at Serres.
Not tired at all, I entered the all wood building to be greeted by the owner himself. He personally took care of the red sauce spaghetti I ordered on the phone while approaching the Hotel, and I turned in, in a spacious room, with kitchenette, mini bar and quiet – very quiet. Two minor complaints: The spaghetti was way overlooked – the opposite of al dente. And the bathroom was small for no apparent reason.
I also missed the lack of Wi-Fi but convinced myself I could survive without, for one night. The next morning I had breakfast at 08:00 AM sharp and left behind me “Refanidis Hotel” for a journey of 623 kilometers approximately, leading to my office in Bucharest.
The Yaris feels alive and kicking and the 20 klm to the Greek/Bulgarian borders are covered in no time. Yet my windscreen is also covered in dead flies, as Serres area with nature at its greenest must be the habitat of all Greece’s insects.
The road towards Sofia is narrow and speed limits drop to 60klm or less. Police cars every 20 kilometers check your speed with radars or stop you to see if you paid the compulsory road tax called vignetta. Road tax badges can be bought at the borders or in Shell and Lukoil gas stations. They cost 5 Euros for a week. The trip towards the Romanian borders is easy, yet slow due to speed limits. Some 200 klm prior to arriving to Pyce, the Bulgarian town on the borders I am amazed at the spectacle of prostitutes waiting on the side of the road for customers. It is a sunny and hot day so they wait in their mini skirts or bikinis, some under umbrellas similar to those used by outdoor grocers selling tomatoes. After numerous tomato and quick sex offerings on display, I arrive at Pyce and was asked to pay 2 Euros in order to cross the bridge, above the Danube, connecting Romania to Bulgaria.
My office from the border is only 55 kilometers away so I arrive in Bucharest, a little after 17:00.
In Romania the road tax costs 13.5 Lei for a week, meaning some 3 Euros.
My departure is scheduled for Good Thursday and indeed I leave the office at 12:45 determined to reach as close to Athens as possible. The same bridge crossing now costs 6 Euros – 3 times more than what the Bulgarians charge. (Why?) This time I drive 860 klm at one go and by 12:00 midnight I arrive at Larissa’s “Imperial Grecotel” , a big, luxurious yet run down, Grecotel Hotel. At 90 Euros per night it is a lot more expensive than the “Refanidis Hotel” (60 Euros), yet breakfast at “Imperial Grecotel” is impressive. Too bad it is Good Friday and I am fasting so it is homemade bread, jam and a black coffee for me.
Three hours later, I am at home.
Great trip, great car. I drove 12 straight hours and came out fresh. My average speed was 83 klm and consumption a mere 4.1 lt. per 100 klm.
Could a bigger car had served me better? No way.
It was a cool Sunday morning that I started out, April 22, 2012 with a plan to reach Tirana before dark. The 715 km to Tirana sound palatable enough but the minute you enter Albanian territory, speed limits drop sharply to 50 or 40 km/h. And the last thing you want is to engage into an argument with the numerous policemen patrolling the roads every 10 km or even more frequently.
Roads are narrow, they pass through villages and thus doing above 60 is totally impossible.
Observation number 1. Albania has lots of natural beauties. The road from Krystalopigi, Korce, to Elbasan via the lake Prespa is amazing. However, besides poverty, you also can’t help witnessing total indifference to the environment. Abandoned pieces of land are full of litter. Not a priority here the environmental issues I guess.
Observation No 2: Walking the cow. I saw on numerous occasions people walking cows on a lease, obviously so that they could have them graze without the danger of losing them as a cow could be the only bread earning source of a family.
Observation No 3: Prespes is full of eels and trouts. Eager looking youngsters sell the fish on the side of the street. They keep them in transparent water tanks and will not hesitate to jump in front of your car to draw your attention, live fish hanging from their hands.
I hate it when I lose my connecting flight back home. It is usually the latest possible from any European city to Athens and should you lose it, you are stranded in the city expected to board. Losing a Lufthansa flight, always because your previous Lufthansa flight was delayed, gives the Germans no need to empathize with your situation: it is not your fault, you are obliged to sleep in a mediocre Hotel, you lack a toothbrush and tooth paste, a fresh shirt and underwear to wear the next day and so on. The stone cold reaction is: we have rebooked you on tomorrow’s flight (How about we switch places… is what I am thinking). But my better, European self, obliges me to smile, pick up the Hotel voucher, eat at the Restaurant (Gosh, they must have big talent to make the food so tasteless) and pretend all is well despite missing 2 important morning appointments back home.
So thank you Lufthansa, you gave me a taste of what it will be like when Mrs. Merkel conquers us over: Stone cold face, no empathy, no feelings.
That’s the account regarding my return from Kiev.
The extra comfortable Mercedes Viano (seats 7 in utmost luxury) is fully equipped with maps, sandwiches (20 pcs. for 4 people) and some 110 euros worth of gasoline. The distance from Nea Erythrea, Athens to our Hotel in Sofia is 774 klm. The navigation system suggests it will take 9 hours 30 minutes. Reality was it took us indeed 9 hours 30 minutes to get there and 8 hours 30 minutes to come back. The main reason for saving an hour during the return trip was that our average speed while in Bulgaria was elevated by a substantial percentage. On our way to Sofia, we were overtaken by everything that had wheels-I, who was driving-did not fancy any close encounter with Bulgarian police and stuck to the speed limits, mostly 50 or 60 klm per hour. The journey was uneventful and the sandwiches were consumed before we even entered the borders.
Ten days, nine nights at Toronto
Posted on: August 29, 2011
Truth is I had never planned to stay in Canada that long. But bad planning on my behalf stranded my son and me in Toronto, waiting for a student visa to be issued. I thus had to stay in Town and keep ourselves busy.
Thinking back, there’s a number of things I shall remember, forever:
1. There are several cities within the city. The financial district where we stayed is totally different to the areas outside city centre. In the Financial district, one could be mistaken to think it was New York. Only this place is a lot cleaner, people seem to wear a uniform (Men in suits and women in tight business like skirts, white blouses and high heels). The surroundings are all modern and you will hardly notice any retail stores besides cafes and restaurants. This is because in Toronto, there is another city, under the city. There is what they call “concourse”.
There, one will find clothes, small shops, cleaners, stationary, super markets, etc., all weather proof. Well lit wide corridors allow the adventurous ones to use this labyrinth and travel literally for miles, 5-10 meters below street surface. Inviting leather couches, found ever so often, help the shoppers relax while temperature is controlled and winter snow is kept invisible. Read the rest of this entry »
Montenegro, July 26 – 27, 2011
Posted on: August 24, 2011
My trip to exotic Montenegro took place on July 21 and 22. It is complicated to get there. First Belgade then flight to Podgorica. Thank god there are more than 5 flights a day from Belgrade and it takes a reasonable 50 minutes to get to Podgorica. When one lands, one gets the feeling of an easy going country. Low level flats and houses, wide roads, excellent use of the natural environment. People are friendly and tall-very tall.
The Hotel Montenegro where I stayed is part of the Best Western chain. I have no complains really. The price was reasonable. My chicken sandwich ordered through room service was gigantic in size, tasty and only 7 euros.
Breakfast was, on the contrary, very limited in choices and the bread assortment featured 2 types of unimaginative bread. Lack of local products is a real shame as the Region is famous for homemade pies and fruit of the forest jams.
Two things struck me in Montenegro: life and rhythm are incredibly relaxing. And the place is clean, cheap and uses the euro as it’s official currency.
My trip back was equally complicated. I flew to Zagreb with a new Bombardier Q-400, then to Vienna with a Fokker (discontinued aircraft) and last to Athens in an Airbus 319 of Austrian: 5 flights in two days for a destination roughly 90 minutes flight from Athens. But I liked it. And I promised our telephony client I will be back in September.
Venice, April 5-8, 2011
Posted on: April 21, 2011
Venice is charming any time of the year. Our corporate convention (April 5–8) at the “Westin Regina Europe” Hotel, is a delight. Our meetings took place in a historic room, the Sala Ridotto – an ex-casino – at the nearby “Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal”. Our nights are pretty special too:
First night: Private guided tour at the Palazzo Ducale, followed by dinner at the trattoria “Do’ Forni” . I still remember two things: The incredible wall frescoes by no other than Tiziano, Tintoretto and Veronese at the Palazzo. And the heavenly sounds by a classical music quartet, during or visit. Followed by fish and again fish during a 9 course menu prepared for us at “Do’ Forni” trattoria. Among others, I found out there is a special type of crab called “spider crab” and it is very tasty indeed.
Second night: Private tour of the Francois Pinault modern art museum, then transported by gondolas (11 meters long) to the Palazzo Contarini Polignac for a real Royal treat: Dinner in candlelight accompanied by arias from a couple with divine voices. A real travel in time, when Venice was a state of its own and lived in unsurpassed luxury thanks to the successful merchants who based their transportation business in this mega harbor, protected, thanks to its geography, from pirates.
Paris, April 17-18, 2011
Posted on: April 21, 2011
Paris is a mood-maker. Us coming from the most miserable corner of Europe, find the Parisian atmosphere an oasis of optimism and good taste. People still dress well, shop, have lunch in café’s and face life with great expectations. The hotel we stayed in – “SCRIBE” Hotel, near the OPERA – is a five star, excellent value for money hotel. At 282 euros per night, taxes and breakfast included, you get an impeccably art-deco furnished modern hotel with pleasant bilingual staff (French and English, that is).
Breakfast was impeccable too with the croissant living up to our expectations (How do they make them so tasty?). The egg dish was medium cooked scrambled eggs – like a yellow puree. Not to my taste so I opted for an excellent – as it proved – omelet made to the minute.
Charles de Gaulle airport, looks seriously outdated and teaches a lesson than one should always opt for classical instead of modern for a big project – otherwise you the risk that modern will never mature into classical and will look funny.
Skopje, April 13-14, 2011
Posted on: April 21, 2011
A school bus excursion this time. Five of us travelled the 700 odd kilometers from our office to the usual “Aleksandar Palace” Hotel in 7 hours, 20 minutes by minibus – a very pleasant 6 armchair equipped Mercedes VITO.
The weather made our trip difficult and there was one point we nearly had an accident when, overpassing a lorry, doing 100 km/hour, a literal torrent of water covered the minibus and blinded us for almost 10 seconds. I was on the wheal and terrified but, thankfully, didn’t hit the side bar although for a minute my front wheals lost grip and the steering wheel went ultra light.
The gloomy weather in Athens on that morning of February 17, is a rather pleasant condition for someone that never wears sun glasses like myself. My target is to get to the border in 5 hours following the Rio-Antirio-Agrinio-Arta-Giannena-Kakavia route. I start from Gerakas at 10:50am. My white TOYOTA YARIS feels lively and utterly reliable. It is my last trip in it as, for family reasons, I must switch to a car bearing a manual gear box-this one is a semi-automatic. I have therefore decided to sell it to our Albanian affiliate, DDB Albania and I jumped to the opportunity to deliver it in person. The tires are brand new (Michelin Energy at 360 euros for all four) and Kiriazis tires promises me a lower fuel consumption due to them. Truth is that when I arrived at the Tirana Sheraton, late that night (20:05 local i.e. after 10 hours), the on board computer reads an impressive 5.9 liters per 100km.
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