Searingly blue sky as we wake in Hotel Hibiscus in downtown Kalamata. Breakfast in the shady courtyard. We leave at about 10:00 along a cycle path that runs along the harbour. The road takes us close to the coast and after a while Kalamata is a distant hazy view as we head up through olive groves and Tuscan style landscapes with pencil thin cypress trees dotted around the hills. The going gets steep and sweaty and we bought a litre of icy water just at the right time as there are no shops now. After an hour or so of climbing we rejoin the main road. There's a bit more climbing to do before we are rewarded with a long swooping descent along snaking hairpin bends on good road surfaces towards Kardamyli. We find our hotel, the Liakoto, easily. Our apartment has two balconies. One overlooking the sea, the other the pool and mountains.
We head off to the beach for lunch under shady olive trees at Elies; Greek salad, aubergine dip, beetroot salad and courgette fritters with some Mythos beers. We drink litres of water; we must have sweated so much on the long ascent! Then to the pebbly beach for swimming, reading and snoozing.
As we head back the mountains behind us are swirling in clouds and it rains very heavily for a short period as we are buying provisions in a local supermarket. We return to base and spend an exhausting time travelling between balconies to get the best views of the sunset and mountains, glass of rose in hand. Supper at a taverna right by the sea with Jupiter and Venus (possibly) conspicuous overhead.
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