Greek mountains and mopeds

As promised the long awaited story of myself, a Greek Island, a moped and a mountain.

First we have to travel back in time to the summer of 1989, I had finished school the previous year and had delayed going to university for a year. For a few months I worked in a toy factory making Webster the spider then I moved to a bank to join their student training scheme (I guess I forgot to tell them that I was only planning to work there for six months). It was fun, earning money was great but I was looking forward to my summer spent travelling in Europe.

I went travelling with my then boyfriend who'd I'd been with for nearly a year. He was a poor student hence we travelled only for a few months with all our clothes, tent, sleeping bags etc strapped to our backs. After an exhausting month in France and Italy we ended up in Greece ready for a rest. Sam had raved about an island she had visited which was quiet so off we went in search of peace. A four hour bus journey (very fast, windy roads and sheer cliffs) and ferry crossing later we landed on the island of Skyros.

Back in 1989 there were only two tarmac roads, a small fishing port and a village. To reach the campsite (which cost £4 a night) we had to climb down some very steep steps (think Clovelly). The campsite was basically a field with a few trees to create some shade and a shower/toilet block. We pitched our tent under one of the trees and were pleased to see that it was relatively quiet. The shower block was unworthy of that name as the showers only worked once during our month there, the rest of the time we had to hose ourselves down with cold water from the hose situated in the middle of the field. As for the toilets, well they were OK, what was not pleasant was the fact that you are not allowed to put anything down the toilet except what your body released. Therefore all toilet paper and sanitary products were placed in a bucket with no lid. Imagine then that the temperatures were well over 100 degrees and our diet consisted of beer and ouzo with no fruit or vegetables. The smell was enough to make you retch when nature called!

We had a lovely time, lazy days spent on the beach and evenings sampling the Greek Tavernas, we even got invited to a Greek wedding which was great fun. We met another couple from Scotland and decided to explore the island by hiring mopeds for a few days. The first day the menfolk took charge and we rode pillion, we discovered that there were NATO air bases dug into the mountains, there was very little to see but lots of barbed wire and exclusion signs. The next day was the girls turn to drive the mopeds. Although nervous I got the hang of it and loved driving around the island with the wind blowing in my hair (sorry Mum, no helmets). We found a deserted beach with a small tavern where we sipped beer (just the one) and ate roasted aubergine (eggplant).

Day three with the mopeds, was the last so we agreed to share the driving of the moped. My then boyfriend started the day driving and we explored a dirt track up a mountain. When we reached the top we were disappointed to find a huge gate and more barbed wire. We turned to drive down the mountain and switched drivers. I started off slowly, turning the throttle when the moped slipped off the dirt track onto some rocks. In my panic I slammed on the brakes, only in my panic I reacted as if riding a push bike and instead of putting on the brakes I accelerated with the moped heading towards the edge of the mountain...

...Luckily I removed my hands from the throttle, the moped skidded and came to a halt at the edge. I had completely cut my knee open and my boyfriend had burnt his leg on the exhaust. Looking back I was in major shock. The Scottish couple had a toilet roll with them (we knew what Greek toilets were like), so I could mop up the blood gushing from my knee and we doused the burnt leg with water. As we were on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere we had to get back on the mopeds (I refused to drive) and head back to civilisation. As we drove (very slowly) through a hamlet an old lady stopped us and poured yellow stuff over my knee unfortunately we spoke no Greek and she no English so I don't know what it was but her kindness has stuck with me.

Back in our field we debated whether my gaping wound require medical attention. Lack of money helped in our decision that I'd be fine with lots of bathing in the sea. To this day I have a very ugly scar on my knee and the knowledge that I was a very lucky girl.

I have no scanner so can't post pictures of me from this time so instead I share with you a picture of the three loaves of bread I made last week. I was going to dinner at my friends house, there were 14 girls from the tennis club meeting and I volunteered to provide the bread. The bread is the famous no knead bread that was taking the Internet by storm before Christmas. During the dinner I was paid the highest compliment, someone asked if the bread was homemade, someone else replied that no it was far too good for that. I (puffing my chest out proudly) informed them that yes it was homemade. I'm still getting compliments about it.