To lake Doxa in southern Greece with a Kawasaki Estrella

Since the Himalayan was out of commision waiting for parts to arrive in order to fix the head issues I decided to take for a long ride my beloved Kawasaki Estrella which I hadn’t take for a long ride since I got my Himalayan.

Saturday night I’m seating in front of my computer looking at map trying to decide where should I go ….

Finally I decide to go to lake Doxa and after that to the town of Kalavrita.

I had the whole Sunday off for my self …

I gather all the stuff I would be taken with me the next day …

I wake up around 6 in the morning, it was raining out, I made some coffe …

I took my dogs for a walk, and waited for the sun to come out …

Since it was kind of wet outside and I didn’t have waterproof bags I had to improvise and use some large garbage bags for waterprofing a back pack.

It was already 8 and the sun was not coming out …

I realized that for once more I will be riding in the rain …

Either way I will go for my trip no matter what…

I started to think what makes want to travel …

For sure riding a motorcycle is the best psychotherapy …

Some ride as fast as they can trying to leave everything behind …

Others ride slower and enjoy the scenery, the smells, the wind …

Others ride far away ..

Others ride close by …

Others ride for companionship …

Others ride in order to show it to others …

Others ride and keep it to themselves …

…….

In any case we all ride to break away from our routine and in the process we are trying to find our lost selves …

Its almost 9 and it is still drizzling outside, I pack the estrella and I start my ride …

Just before I leave Athens I see black clouds in the horizon, I stop at a rest area and I wear my rain gear.

There is a coffee place in the rest area and there is a lot of riders waiting for the weather to clear in order to proceed with their trips …

I’m avoiding the motorway and I take the back roads, the estrella is more suited to this kind of roads….

I pass the City of Corinth and the Towns of Solomos, Hiliomodi, Nemea …

It didn’t rain after all..

I made my first stop to rest and take some pictures …

I take the road the connects the towns of Nemea and Levidi

The sun is still hiding behind the clouds and is a little chilly.

I continue to the roads that connect the towns of Paleopyrgos and Nemea.

The sun has finally made its appearance …

Little further down the road I stop and I take off my rain gear …

I cross again the road that connects Nemea and Levidi and I follow it again.

At the horizon I can see the snowy mountain tops. At that moment I didn’t know that I will be riding on those …

I take a left turn on the road that connects the towns of Kalianos and Levidi

I reach the lake Stymfalia where Hercules killed the birds with the metal (bronze) beaks …

I pass the lake and continue on ….

In the town of Lafka I take the road to Kastania and from there the road that connects the towns if Kiato and Vitina

The Next stop is at the lake Doxa.

It has been a while since the last time I was there …

There is a lot of people visiting, cars, motorcycles, Buses

I found a quite place at the lake front and I stop to have some coffe and something to eat …

The sun was shining with all his glory ….

The time was passing and I had to continue my trip.

I left behind me the lake and I started to climb the mountainous road that take from Feneos to Likouria

After the town of Likouria I take the road from Likouria to Klitoria

I was getting hungry so I stopped to make some mushroom soup to have for lunch (it wasn’t that good)

After I had my lunch I continued towards the city of Kalavryta

I reached the intersection with the ski resort of Kalavryta and I decided to go up and see the snow…

It was around 16:30 and everybody was leaving…

I was the only one going up …

Now it gets really cold …

My fingers start to freeze …

I didn’t spent a lot of time at ski resort, I rode down to the city of Kalavryta I had to visit the gas station to fill the tank of the estrella.

Its a little bit after 5 when I reach the City of Kalavryta and I stop at the gas station.

The estrella consumed 9.6 liters for 256 km.

The temperature at the city is much higher that what it was up in the mountain, which makes me think to go up there again and take the road to the village Zarouhla right before the ski resort and from there to the city of Akrata where I will take the motorway for Athens ….

I went up the mountain once more at this time there is noone on the road …

Just me …

It starts to get really cold …

My fingers start to get numb and I’m in pain….