After touring Greece’s east coast and the mainland in 2022, it was now the turn of the more southern climes. With the Grimaldi / Minoan “MS Florencia” we sailed from Ancona (IT) to Igoumenitsa (GR). The special thing about this connection: Our two French travel dogs “Trüffel” and “Pelle” are allowed to travel with us in the cabin.

Arrival in Igoumenitsa

Gegen 19:00 Uhr legt unsere Fähre an Griechenlands Westküste im Hafen von Igoumenitsa an. Es wird schnell dunkel und Hungergefühle machen sich breit. Spontan entscheiden wir uns für einen Abstecher in eine kleine Taverne in XXX. Hier beginnt der Urlaub: Griechenland – das einzige Land indem sogar stilles Wasser schmeckt. Die App Park4night macht uns anschließend auf einen Stellplatz an einem nahegelegenden Strand aufmerksam. Hier bauen wir unser Dachzelt unter riesigen Olivenbäumen auf einer Art Terassenparkplatz auf. Wir teilen uns diesen Stellplatz mit einem großen Expeditionsmobil und einem VW-Bus. Jetzt muss nur noch das Wetter besser werden.

Side trip to Lefkada

We had already planned a visit to Lefakada on our 2022 tour of Greece, but decided against it due to lack of time and in favour of Albania. Our first real step for this trip is therefore quickly decided. We quickly pack our things, take a few photos of the beautiful bay and set off towards Lefkada. On the way, we fortify ourselves with frappé, fresh orange juice and small snacks at the Cantina Estrada. An absolute tip from us to take a short break in a pleasant atmosphere on the way. When we arrive on Lefkada, we first explore Castle XXX, but only from the outside, as it is closed.

Afterwards, we cross a pontoon bridge directly into the lively centre of Lefkada. Here you will find numerous cafés, tavernas, yachts, sailing ships and a beautiful old town with narrow streets and flower vines as far as the eye can see.

We parked our car in a guarded car park, safe is just safe. We would have liked to spend the evening in the enchanting Bar XXX, but not at the price of the less than ideal parking space. We drive along the east coast until we arrive in Nidri. Unfortunately, it is very touristy here and there is no old town, but there is the stylish beach bar Maraboo with very good cocktails and a camper car park with surprisingly clean sanitary facilities.

Through the mountains of the Peloponnese to Kalavrita

Due to the modest weather forecast for the next few days, we spontaneously decide against a planned boat tour around Lefkade and against continuing our journey via Kefalonia and Zakynthos, but instead opt for a direct trip to the Peloponnese. We want to explore the east coast and the mountainous regions of the Peloponnese first, and then head to the western south.

The second spot is supposed to be a beautiful, blue mountain lake in the direction of Kalavryta. Besides the lake as such, there is a pretty good taverna here, according to Google Maps. Our Ralfi fights his way through storm, rain and thick fog over mountain passes to the lake, where unfortunately everything is closed.

Both taverns are only open at weekends, which is a pity. Fortunately, we are quickly consoled about our disappointment when we discover an enchanted section of forest with playful streams. Elves, fairies and trolls must live here. Unfortunately, the fabulous creatures are very shy, so we don’t get to see any. Towards evening we arrive in Kalavryta. Kalavryta is a beautiful village, but its tourist heyday is as a ski resort in winter. Good and bad for us at the same time. Numerous shops, tavernas and bars are closed, but there is little going on.

We quickly find very good food at the Cellar Tavern and a final beer or two in the quaint fifty/50 bar by the open fire. Daniel uses the evening twilight to catch a photo of the village’s picturesque railway station.

The railway line through Kalavryta is supposed to be beautiful, but unfortunately we only notice this later on in our journey. We are allowed to spend our night next to the closed Hotel Helmos. The owner is open-minded and friendly and doesn’t even want any money from us.

Oak woods of Foloy and the gorge of the centaur

Since we have already failed to spot elves, fairies and trolls, we now want to test our luck with the centaur in the oak forests of Foloi. For this we even take a very bumpy and long off-road route in order to be able to go hiking directly in the centaur gorge. Unfortunately, there is no official hiking route, only a path through the river bed. Daniel stays in the air-conditioned car with Trüffel and Pelle while Michelle goes on the tracks of the centaur.

Nature is wild, charming and untouched. Michelle swears she caught a glimpse of the centaur, but unfortunately she doesn’t have her camera ready fast enough. I wonder if you can believe her. The heat makes us quite thirsty, so we decide to treat ourselves to a cool beer in the nearby village of Foloi. A few elderly Greek gentlemen have gathered on a central village square. They are drinking beer, happily telling each other stories and are pleased about our arrival. We quickly make contact and get to know Panagiotis and his friends.

To our happy surprise, Panagiotis buys us a beer to our newly formed friendship and gives Michelle a bunch of roses from his garden. We take a photo together as a souvenir and promise to ring his doorbell on our next visit. The way to our next step leads us through light-flooded old oak forests. A magical sight, which invites us to take a short walk, but beware of the numerous wild boars in the region.

Nemouta waterfall

During our evening route planning, Daniel discovers the Nemouta waterfall on Google Maps. The photos are promising; Adam and Eve must have lived here before they had to leave paradise. To get to Nemouta, we have to take another off-road route through the mountains. But with our Ralfi nothing is impossible. The walk to the waterfall is adventurous.

You should definitely take a machete with you. Everything is overgrown and feels like clock forest. Towards the end of the trail, just before the waterfall, you also have to climb a little. It’s best not to wear Birkenstock toe shoes like Michelle did. However, those who take on the arduous path will be more than rewarded at the end. We have seen many waterfalls in Norway, Slovenia and Croatia, but this waterfall in Nemouta is unique and very special. It rises in a kind of green overgrown stone cave and then runs over numerous stone terraces. We stand amidst splashing fresh water, chirping birds, fresh green moss and liana-like tree vines. If this is not paradise, then where on earth is it?

Roast wild boar in the mountain village of Dimitsana

This eventful day ends today in Dimitsana, a historic mountain village in the hinterland of the Peloponnese. At the entrance to the village, a petrol station offers two parking spaces for a fee. When Daniel pays the fee, he feels transported back in time. In this petrol station, time has stood still. The cashier’s area alone resembles a museum. But the somewhat elderly owner of the petrol station is happy about our stay and assures us that we can safely spend the night with him. We set off to explore the old town. As the last rays of the sun move over the mountain ridges, the golden hour bathes the entire village in a breathtaking, golden and warm glow. For dinner tonight, we have a traditional wild boar stew at the XXX taverna. After all, there are plenty of wild boars in this region. Without lying: This was the best wild boar we have ever had, and the taverna is therefore our clear recommendation for everyone who visits Dimitsana.

The evening is still young, so we hop around the local bars of the mountain village for a bit. After tsiporou and Greek coffee, we return to the car and discover to our surprise that the gate to the car has already been secured with a thick padlock. After some initial excitement, however, we still see light in the premises of the petrol station and knock cautiously. Although we seem to be disturbing a card game, we now return to our car.

The next morning we stop again in the centre of Dimitsana for breakfast. At XXX we enjoy Greek delicacies on the artistically designed roof terrace, while life begins to rage below us: Trucks delivering goods, cars parked chaotically with their hazard lights on, coaches squeezing through the narrow streets honking and waiting. From up here, none of this matters to us. “Another frappé, parakalo!”.

Like paradise: The Polylimnio Waterfalls

Paradise rarely comes alone, isn’t that what they say? On the way to the coast we want to visit a second waterfall. There are supposed to be several crystal-clear bathing spots here. The path is not overgrown this time, but it is steep and blessed by the blazing midday sun. Looking at the exhausted faces of the people who meet us, we already have a little respect for the way back. But we have to go through it and so do the Great Danes, whether they like it or not. Once in the forest, two paths lead in opposite directions. On the left there are supposed to be the two lakes, so we decide to cool down first.

Right at the beginning of the route, the first major waterfall awaits us, as well as a small bathing spot. Daniel wildly takes off his clothes to compete with the colourful fish in the blue water. But then he discovers that the water is not only invitingly blue, but also quite fresh. It doesn’t turn out to be more than a dipped toe and the four of us continue towards the big lake and the big waterfall. The way there is not for beginners and definitely not for a hike with two crazy dogs. We have to squeeze along steep cliffs and climb over high rocks. After Pelle almost fell several times to chase a lizard, Michelle decides to wait with the dogs in the shade and let Daniel go on alone.

After only a short time, however, Daniel also returns. He, too, has abandoned the route because he saw his life in danger for a short time. Nevertheless, it was worth taking the route. Here, too, untouched wilderness awaits us, real nature. We decide to try the path leading to the right again. This time, however, we do it individually and without terror dogs. This route also resembles a small adventure. You walk over dilapidated wooden bridges, over rocks to a water feature that runs over several terraces. There is supposed to be a waterfall further up on this side too, but we don’t want to risk anything. After all, the journey has only just begun and we want to continue it in good health and, above all, together.

Ox-eye Bay Voidokilia and coast near XXX

For our taste, Ox Eye Bay is once again a typical tourist trap. Numerous reports that we watched in the run-up to the trip swear by the Caribbean view of Ox Eye Bay.

And yes, the video impressions had an impressive effect on us, so let’s go there. We find an impressively large mass of tourists and Greeks with deck chairs and plastic umbrellas. Everyone splashes around in the blue water and pees in the surrounding dunes. Phew, that was not the sight we had expected.

We look at each other and without words we agree to leave again on the spot. A quick snapshot from the bird’s eye view and then off to a bar that Michelle spotted on the way there.

Driving to Mystra in vain – but the route is great

When Michelle tells you that you have now left the mountains behind and will spend the rest of your time on the coast, you can be sure that the very next day you will be heading for the mountains again. But this time for the last time, I promise. Michelle really wants to go to Mystra to see the remains of the Byzantine settlement. The mountain route there is also supposed to be indescribably beautiful, with stone ceilings towering over the road.

Once again, however, things turn out differently than planned, and in many ways. First of all, we have to take a much longer diversions, the weather is not sunny as announced but frighteningly stormy and we could have saved ourselves the visit to Mystra as we are not allowed to take our dogs onto the premises. So that was 4 hours of driving for nothing. Not quite true, the mountain section was actually quite beautiful apart from the storm and the stone ceilings are a bit of an adventure. However, you should check the height limits beforehand.

Falling asleep to the sounds of the Kardamili Jazz Festival

Our next overnight destination is Kardamili. Michelle shows mercy to Daniel and finds an alternative route to the diversions through the mountains. Unfortunately, this also means that the way back will take longer and that we will have to drive a part of the way back, i.e. twice, in the next few days. As a perfectionist, this is hard to bear, but it will be bearable. We hope that Kardamili will live up to what the photos on the web promise: A small, sweet fishing village with a romantic harbour. Michelle looks for a taverna during the drive, which we hope will allow us to spend the night in the taverna car park directly on the water after a hearty dinner and numerous drinks for dessert. Unfortunately, the plan doesn’t work out because, according to Park4Night, the owner apparently doesn’t like to welcome campers to his car park and sometimes calls the local police at night. The food is okay, but if we had known about this in advance, we would certainly have eaten somewhere else.

Daniel parks the car and Michelle enjoys a Retsina with Trüffel and Pelle in Café XXX. It starts to rain, but that’s not bad at all. Kardamili is indeed very romantic and the warm summer rain, refracted in the warm lights, rather enhances this sensual atmosphere. Next to the café, we observe numerous wasps and hornets sucking up sweet flower juice from a rainy wall. We set off towards the campsite, but not without stopping for a frozen yoghurt on the way. Quite full, we are happy about the short walk to the harbour. Even from a distance we can hear the sounds of jazz.

The Kardamili Jazz Festival is taking place above our campsite. What luck we have. Various jazz groups play in different bars until well into the evening. The sounds of the music and the stories of the artists quickly accompany us into a quiet and peaceful sleep.

Lobster, Crayfish and storm in Limeni

We are woken up by the next morning and three quacking ducks next to our tent. Shortly afterwards, two fishermen arrive. Today we are going to Limeni, but before that we want to fortify ourselves with a healthy breakfast at the café “Kafenio”. The Google photos of the delicious and, above all, artistically designed sandwiches make our mouths water. We can hardly wait, so let’s get going. Like typical German tourists, we are of course already standing in front of the coffee 15 minutes before the regular opening time and now have to wait. It is stormier today than it has been all the last few days. We had imagined it differently. Experiencing the fancy delicacies in the artistic outdoor area in the sunshine is probably not going to happen today. We brave the wind and sit outside anyway. Daniel orders a frappé as usual and I choose a special mountain tea from the region. This is accompanied by a bread with plums, pickles, salami… and one with cream cheese, fig jam, strawberries, anchovies, pepper and pistachio crumbs. The breads are a real taste explosion and the tea very tastefully decorated.

After defending our sandwiches from countless cats, we continue along the coastal road. Our destination today is Limeni, a small, picturesque fishing village just before the drive up to Areopoli.

Pictures on Instagram promise bright blue water, fresh seafood and a picturesque village façade. And that’s exactly what we find. At the foot of the one-way street there are even (non-official) parking spaces for 2-3 vans or off-road vehicles or small motorhomes.

We park our Ralfi there, set up the roof tent and walk to the nearby village. We quickly find our favourite taverna, XXX. We fortify ourselves with a small snack for lunch (squid, gavros and tsipouro) and then treat ourselves to a delicious ice cream. Daniel now wants to try his luck in the sea and Michelle and Pelle are so tired that they take a nap in the roof tent. Daniel quickly gets into the tent, the water seems to be a bit too cold after all. After a nice chat with our Belgian campsite neighbours, we set off again for our taverna. This time, however, we want to try the fresh seafood. We decide on lobster and crayfish.

The latter don’t really look appetising, but they are. Word of honour! Michelle discovers a beautiful little shop opposite the taverna, where you can buy natural beauty products and stylish jewellery. Even Daniel can’t help but take a look at the shop and is just as taken with it as Michelle. You could really buy everything here. After our little shopping tour, we had a cocktail. Daniel in particular is brave today and orders a Sex on the Beach with chilli. While we linger in the cocktail bar, a storm comes up. We break off and try to get into the roof tent as dry as possible. Unfortunately, we don’t really succeed in this endeavour. Our car is parked on red clay soil. This means that 8 little paws have stained the entire tent, the mattress and the sleeping bag with red clay. Thank you very much. Michelle tries to get rid of the worst of it and then we fall asleep to the whirring of the electricity pylon next to us.

Areopoli almost without tourists, but no nightlife feeling

Lost Place – Castle Village Ruin Váthia

Cape Matapan – Roman Baths, Death Oracle of Poseidon, Milky Way

Along Mani’s east coast towards Gythiera and Dimitrios shipwreck

Crossing to Elafonisos and Caribbean pitch on the most beautiful beach in Europe

Short trip to Neapolis with a stormy night in the roof tent right next to our ferry

Our discovery of the most pristine Ionian island – Kythira

Old shipwrecks and brand new stranded ships

Pitoresque harbour town of Avlemonas and our new pastime “Ouzo-Splash-Ouzo-Splash”

A dreamy night at the fishing hut in Vlachou

Discovery of the cave church and flying swallows

Photo session in picturesque Chora – unfortunately at the wrong time

A special kind of accommodation – DonQui Hotel Charlet

Enchanted Springs by Amir Ali and the Parking Lot Dilemma

Offroad to the northernmost point of Kythira – Moudari Lighthouse

Fabulous old Phillipas water mill and adventurous hike over hill and dale

Diving into another age – Castle of Milopotamos

A lunch among friends

Astikon and its nightlife

Kakia Lagada: On the left the sea, on the right the lake, us in the middle

The campsite of Kapsali – a dreamlike lost place

A German Evening in Greece – Everyone Loves Grandma Renata

Monemvasia at dawn and a pitch with a view

Along the coastal road from Kapyrissa to Fokiano

Crowded Nafplio in the midday sun

Amvrak Gulf – Swimming with sea turtles and dolphins

The entire journey as a video documentation

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Der Beitrag 4×4 Roadtrip around Peloponnes, Elafonisos and Kythira erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

In February 2022 we got our Quickpitch roof tent mounted on our New Defender. First it was installed on two cross beams from Frontrunner. Everything went well for half a year. Then suddenly the roof tent started to make loud banging noises, for example when driving over tiny bumps like drain covers. Real off-road driving was no longer a possibility. On closer inspection, one could see that the mounts of the crossbars were protruding beyond the rubber plates on the roof rails and had deformed the plastic base. So it was off to the workshop. The roof tent was removed and now the full extent of the disaster was revealed: The front crossbar had sheared off completely.

The roof tent was no longer held, all the load was only on the rear carrier. When the road was uneven, the tent lifted up at the front and then slammed back down onto the broken edge of the carrier, hence the banging noise.
It’s hard to imagine what would have happened if we had had to brake hard.
After this experience, it is clear to us that we will never again use Frontrunner crossbars for heavy roof tents such as Alu-Cab or Quickpitch, even if on paper they should be able to carry the load.

Instead, we have now switched to a roof rack platform from Rival. This is attached to the roof rails in more places than the crossbars with their total of only 4 points. The tent also has more attachments on the roof rack platform than before on the crossbars.
The whole construction seems more stable and torsion-resistant.

Der Beitrag Fit Quickpitch or Alu-Cab roof tent: Better to use roof rack platform erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Original Maxtrax anti-theft mounting pins

A set of 4 fastening pins * is available from the manufacturer of the Maxtrax MK II recovery boards. Up to four salvage boards can be fixed with it. By turning the head section 90°, the sand boards can then be fastened in the mounting pins. When closed, we can now insert a conventional TSA lock through the head of the pins and thus protect the Maxtrax MK II from theft.

The mounting pins rest on an M10 stainless steel thread – but how do we get these mounting pins onto the roof tent?

Aluminum square tube crossbar

The mounting rails of the roof tent are suitable for the use of M8 carriage bolts * and M8 hammerhead screws *. Both variants fit into the rails and can later be fixed in the rails with a self-locking nut * or ring nut *.

Now I have built myself crossbeams from 25x25mm aluminum square tube. To do this, we shorten two of these crossbeams to exactly 123 cm in length at the Quickpitch.

We arrange the cut square tubes on the rails of the roof tent and mark the places through which the thread for the carriage bolts or hammerhead screws is to be inserted later. At these points, we now drill through the square tube on both sides. I pre-drilled with a 4 drill bit, then widened the hole with a 6 drill bit and then finally widened it with an 8 drill bit for the M8 thread.

Now you can temporarily mount the two beams on the tent at right angles to the roof rails. With a M8 ring nut * you can easily tighten both cross beams so that you can loosen them again later.

At this point we grab a Maxtrax recovery board and place it where we wanted to attach the boards later. I chose the right rear corner of our roof tent because the wind resistance is lowest here and the recovery board is conveniently accessible via the tent ladder.

Move the temporarily mounted cross bars so that they are centered under the four large round cutouts of the recovery boards. Mark these positions exactly in the center of the square tubes with a pencil. Before you do this, make sure that the cross beams are really at right angles to the rails. You can then remove the cross members again for the time being.

Now we drill holes on both sides of the marked areas again, but this time with a 10 mm drill bit. We now insert the Maxtax salvage pins through these holes and initially tighten the nuts provided by hand.

Attention: On the front crossmember, the thin side of the mounting pins points to the front, on the rear crossmember it points to the back. Only when you have checked this will you finally tighten the nuts of the retaining pins.

Now the crossbars with the attached mounting pins are put back on the roof. But we do not fix them yet. Before we do that, we put the recovery boards into the mounting pins. Position the cross beams in such a way that the boards fall smoothly into the pins and check again whether the cross beams are still at right angles to the rails. If this is the case, screw an M8 ring nut onto the M8 thread from above and thus fix the cross beams.

Why actually ring nuts * and not normal nuts? Both work. But the ring nut looks cooler and is also suitable later for lashing other luggage to the roof.

You will notice, however, that the simple thread of the ring nut is not exactly bombproof and can loosen again in case of vibrations. If you do not trust your ring nut, you can also turn a self-locking nut * over the thread, which then secures the ring nut.

So that one cannot look into the square tubes at the sides, I bought four black lamella covers from plastic in the measure 25x25mm *. Looks like bought.

The mountings can now be easily secured with any standard TSA lock *.

* All links marked with an asterisk are Amazon affiliate links. We receive a percentage of purchases made through them. Nevertheless, our recommendations are honest and sincere.

Der Beitrag Mounting Maxtrax MK II theft-proof on Quickpitch / Alu-Cab roof tent rails erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

On the top of our Quickpitch or Alu-Cab roof tent we find C-profiles for attaching attachments or securing cargo. When I first looked into it, I was not clear with which nuts and bolts I can combine the rails.

I finally decided to use M8 carriage bolts * and M8 hammerhead screws *. Both variants fit into the rails and can then be fixed in the rails with a self-locking nut or ring nut *.

I recommend using stainless steel hardware. These do not rust, are durable and do not cause ugly rust spots on the roof tent or vehicle.

In this post, you’ll learn how I attached our Maxtrax MKII Recovery Boards * to the roof tent: MOUNTING MAXTRAX MK II THEFT-PROOF ON QUICKPITCH / ALU-CAB ROOF TENT RAILS

* All links marked with an asterisk are Amazon affiliate links. We receive a percentage of the purchases made through them. Our recommendations are nevertheless honest and sincere.

Der Beitrag How to use Quickpitch / Alu-Cab Rooftent mounting rails erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Stopover near Bokod in Hungary

It is 04:00 at night when we set up our roof tent in Bokod. Before that we have crossed half of Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. After four hours of sleep, the first rays of sunlight wake us up around 08:00, heating up the roof tent. We get ready and set out on the only a few meters wide way to the “floating” village of the Bokodi lake.

Here, a couple has been working for 10 years to make the former fishing village, whose houses are built on stilts in the lake, more attractive and visible to tourists. They invite us to their house, or more precisely, their roof terrace and make us a fresh coffee. That was a good stop!

The hot springs of Loutra Pozar

Around 11 o’clock in Hungary it was all hands on board, Ralfi wants to go to Greece. With our next destination in mind, we continued our journey towards Loutra Pozar. Still in the same evening we wanted to cross the Greek border, in order to start the next morning with a bath in the hot springs. At about 1:00 a.m., after what felt like an endless and tiring drive, we actually reached our destination. Although the last 1 1/2 hours of driving through mountain roads made our adrenaline shoot up once again, we were glad when we finally found a nice spot and pitched our tent. Listening to the soothing sound of water, we and our dogs all quickly fell asleep.

The next morning we quickly exchanged our sleeping clothes for bathing outfits to dive into the hot springs. A bath in the middle of nature, surrounded by forest, stone and birdsong, can there be a more beautiful start to the day? We treated ourselves to another frappé and fed cute little street dogs before continuing our journey.

Salt pans of Pydna near Katerini

Upon our arrival in Katerini, our first stop was Tsipouro Meze. In this form of lunch, you order the Greek pomace brandy Tsipouro and receive various delicacies of Greek cuisine.

For digestion and a little nap, we then drove to the salt pans of Pydna. Parts of the salt pans are freely accessible and bathing in the brine is allowed at a designated spot. The high salt content means that one is carried more in the water than in normal bathing water. In addition, the salt bath is good against skin impurities, mosquito bites and supposedly good against joint ailments.

For the first time we could drive with our “Ralfi” directly to the beach. We unfolded the awning (Quick Pitch Awning) and rested a little in the fresh sea breeze. Truffle and Pelle sniffed the Aegean sea air for the first time.

Such a beach day and sea air can make quite hungry, so we decided to go to the tavern “The Koutouki Nikolas” (Το Κουτούκι του Νικόλα) for dinner. It is one of Daniel’s favorite restaurants, so the anticipation was huge. After 5 years of abstinence, it was back to Snow White salad and deep fried pork. We discovered that the peperonis were actually VERY spicy and enjoyed our first Greek wine. Without Autan, however, the evening would have been only half as nice.

On the way there for dinner, we had already noticed a beautiful place on the beach and campers who were already there. The app park4night helped us once again to find a beautiful place to camp “wild”. It followed our first night on the beach, with the sound of the sea and a magnificent view of Mount Olympus and its shining nearby cities.

Over our coffee the next morning we met Stelios. A nice older Greek man who just came from his night shift and wanted to enjoy the sunrise. We got to talking and exchanged ideas about the working conditions in Greece and Germany, among other things.

Offroad to Mount Olympus

After both the excavation sites at Dion and the mountain village of Pantaleimonas were overrun by groups of students and spoiled our mood properly, we decided on the spot rather to go to Mount Olympus. Here we should have our peace and at the same time we can test what our Ralfi can do. Before we went to the top, we visited the crystal clear waterfall Orlias. Surrounded by frogs and tadpoles we dipped our 12 feet into the cold mountain water.

After cooling down, it was time for Ralfi and Daniel to get to work. While Michelle cleared the path of sharp stones and hanging branches, Daniel drove our Ralfi safely on unpaved gravel roads towards “Koromilia Refuge Olympus”. At the top we met a bachelor party and thus got to know a troop of funny young men from Israel. We offered them all a chilled beer and exchanged some stories. It was a great encounter!

If this is not paradise, where is it?

Gallaria

When Daniel was last in Greece in 2017, a bar was just built in the old train tunnel on the beach of Pantaleimonas. Years before even the Orient Express passed through this tunnel, today exactly in the same place you can find an industrial bar with charm and pretty good cocktails. We tried our way through the cocktail menu, were spoiled with strawberries and pears and found new friends here as well. But it wasn’t just us, our dogs got found new buddies as well. Dear John Ziakas, thank you for the warm evening and the tequila. We like to follow your guitar skills on Instagram and on our next trip to Greece we will definitely enjoy your hospitality again. Last but not least, we were allowed to pitch our tent in the parking lot, perfect!

The next morning should start a little relaxed before the onward journey. We took two loungers on the beach and enjoyed a frappé. Just let the soul dangle before the next longer distance waiting for us.

What was to follow after this harmonious morning was anything but relaxed. Michelle had considered a beautiful route from Pantaleimonas to Paralia Agii Saranta. It should go far from the Google Maps navigation, rather directly along the coast. Let’s put it this way, that we are still alive today and writing this report, seems like a miracle. Through a kilometer-long unsecured construction site in serpentine form, over sharp rocky paths, to overgrown paths on the cliff, in the middle of Nowhere. This was off-road experience at its finest, and Daniel once again demonstrated his driving skills through sweat. We definitely had a very dear guardian angel at our side. Thanks Ralfi, you still take care of your „Himbeertonis“.

The beach was beautiful, but how should this adventurous story end differently than that nothing had opened on the gorgeous beach, but we were hungry, thirsty and exhausted from the day. So it was to go back a bit and look for another place with restoration.

Chorefto

So we ended up unexpectedly and unplanned in Chorefto. The village has a really very nice campsite, which apparently also has glamping tents in high season. Unfortunately, not in low season and so we decided to rather stay near the ports construction site – once again – directly on the sea.

Of course, in the place one thing was more important than anything else: Food. There were plenty of restaurants and bars. Unfortunately, also at least as many, if not more, street dogs. Accordingly, we chose our restaurant based on the criterion of where the street dogs have the hardest time getting to. This way we landed at Petros o Sogabros. The ambience was fantastic, the service good, the seafood as well, but the street dogs still kept us a bit on our toes. All in all, however, a successful evening.

Damouchari

Just as beautiful as its name, is the place itself. Damouchari must have been born out of a dream. Picturesque alleys lead over terraces down to the harbor basin framed by large stones. On the other side of the village there is a wide white pebble beach. By the way, it was a filming location of the movie musical “Mamma Mia”.

We reached Damouchari early in the morning and enjoyed a delicious breakfast on the terrace of the family led Victoria Café. Here we met a lady from Brighton who has been returning to this place again and again for 12 years. We received numerous tips, including the recommendation to visit Fakistra Beach, which is known for its extraordinary beauty.

One breakfast turned into 2 nights in the room where Romy Schneider stayed when she visited Damouchari. Yes, this was not a joke at this point. We decided to stop at Guesthouse Ghermaniko to enjoy this dreamlike place even longer. Unsuspectingly, to our surprise, we ended up in Romy Schneider’s room, which was also beautifully, very purist but stylishly furnished. The guesthouse also belongs to the owner family of the Victoria Café and is absolutely recommended.

Many experiences and adventures followed, and in just a few days and in what is actually a very small place. Michelle received a private yoga lesson in the olive grove with Katerina, the owner of the inn. We met a new Landi friend in the owner of the Damouchari Hotel and chose our dinner ourselves in the kitchen of the Damouchari Hotel from pots on the stove. And we had dinner together with a trusting fox.

Fakistra

During our stay in Damouchari we visited Fakistra and Milopotamos beaches during the day. The way to Fakistra beach was stony and heavy. Heavy was especially Truffle on Daniel’s arm. Being a brave bullipapa, he carried our back-sick Truffle all the way down and later back up again. No idea where Daniel could take the strength from, only love can make such things possible.

However, the effort had been worth it in every case. Here again we found a paradise on earth, with impressive rocks, beautiful clear blue water, green trees and in addition a waterfall. If you like beaches, you will love this bay! You can’t see it on Trüffel in the photo, but he also enjoyed the beach day.

The beach caves of Milopotamos

The next day, the next beach followed. Not quite as paradisiacal, but also really beautiful. Not least because of its caves and rock breakthroughs.

At Milopotamos Beach we explored the caves, which are accessible only from the sea. The water and the entering light from the cave entrance bathes the caves in a blueish light. The water can sometimes make awkward noises, which can be pretty scary at times.

Our way led us further to Melania Beach, where unfortunately everything was still closed due to the season. Just like other beaches on our route. Nevertheless, we got a frappé from the extremely friendly hostess at a taverna that was actually closed and considered a plan B.

The harbor of Katigiorgis

This evening we found our pitch in the harbour of Katigiorgis. In the evening we visited Taverna Areti and were treated with mixed seafood and fish specialties. When we asked the waiter, if we could have a tsipouro „to go“ we received a cup full of ice cubes, two bottles of the clear spirit on the house and took off to our car, right across the bay. Back at the car, we backuped photos and videos, developed a few shots and watched the sun go down with our tsipouro in hand. During the night, there was a light cool breeze, cooling our tent. We slept very well.

Trikeri – the southernmost point of the Pelion Peninsula

The southernmost town of the Pelion Peninsula: Kiriaki near Trikeri. We arrived before noon, went to this beautiful town and explored the alleys, the shipyard and the backyards. Around 12pm we sat down at Manola’s taverna right by the harbor. What a beautiful, quiet day. The appetizers had just arrived when a stray cat caught Pelle’s attention. This little bad bastard broke loose along with his leash and chased the cat. We ran after him yelling “Pelle, Pelle!” but eventually he was out of sight. Thank God the cat escaped and Pelle returned to us in one of the streets. I almost had a heart attack! When we got back to our table, the whole town had gathered there. Everyone heard the crazy German tourists calling all over the village for their dog. But everyone was friendly and many asked if our dog was okay and if everything was fine, even when we were on our way back to the car later.

We ate the best fresh lobster at Manolas and then went back to the car. We set up our photovoltaic array, loaded our gear and went for a swim until thick clouds rolled in on the other side of the bay. We folded up the awning and headed back into town to Manola’s taverna – just in time before it started raining. An hour later, a thunderstorm started and it seemed impossible to return to the car without getting completely soaked. But the friendly Manolas jumped in and offered to drive us in his car across town back to our “Ralfi”. Until 3:00 am we slept on the driver’s seats, then the wind dropped and we put up our tent to be able to sleep properly for at least 4 hours. Thank you Manolas for this great day and your great seafood!

We slowly leave Pelion towards the west coast

One thing we can say now: The east coast is widely underestimated. Everyone praises and recommends the islands and the west, but what they tend to forget is how crowded it can get there. We prefer the (somewhat) more secret corners of this world and Pelion alone is worth a trip.

Continuing our journey the next day, we first stop in the small fishing village of Kóttes to have a real Greek coffee in the taverna Ψαροταβερνα Τσέτα. The old couple was very happy to see our two dogs and our visit. Although we could not communicate properly, it was a cordial meeting. At noon or in the evening there should also be delicious fish and seafood in the taverna, too bad that we do not have infinite time.

Our goals for the day were to take a shower and do laundry for the first time. So we needed a campsite that allowed both and was also on our way to the west coast. After extensive research, we decided on the Sikia campsite in the village of Kato Gatzea. Our way led us to the beautiful pebble beach Παραλία Ραζή, which was surrounded by shady trees. One look was enough and the decision was made, this is where we will make a quick stop, have a beer, unwind and maybe catch up on some sleep. This would also be a wonderful place to stand free, unfortunately we would have been out of fresh underpants. Just a stone’s throw away, we fortified ourselves with a tsipouro meze at Marabu Taverna and got to enjoy some of the best gavros on our trip. For all non-Greeks among us, these are deep-fried anchovies.

The campsite Sikia was surprisingly full. We were no longer used to that, where we were almost the only tourists far and wide everywhere else. Nevertheless, it was really nice and we could quickly understand why there has been so much going on. The clear majority of the pitches had direct sea views due to the terrace structure of the campsite and old olive trees were everywhere. On the day not only our laundry hung on the line, but also we relaxed for the first time in our hammock. In the evening we went to the tavern on the beach. The ambience was excellent, the eggplant salad, however, unfortunately not. The evening ended in a beach bar one campsite away with very good cocktails, which were prepared with dedication. Only the bar-cat Oliver did not have such a nice evening, as usual, due to our terror-pets.

Wild camping like in the adventure novel “A Winter at the Indian Creek” – only in warm

Our next goal for the day was to get as far west as possible. That is, to make a good distance. For refreshment we set ourselves a stopover at the restaurant Anabrysoúla. This restaurant is an absolute recommendation from our side. And if you like to eat trout, you can also enjoy a little adventure. If you want to eat a trout, you have to fish it out of the restaurant’s own trout pond. We preferred to stay with our Tsipouro Meze and watch the spectacle at the next table. Not far from the restaurant is a charming spot for all photographers among you. The stone bridge with its waterfalls of Palaiokarya. The very brave can also cross the lower waterfall on foot over a kind of masonry, but here water shoes are recommended.

We crossed the spectacular Mesochora Dam, but due to permitting difficulties it has never been put into operation since 2001. A classic multi-million dollar construction sin, but with beautiful blue lakes.

After a small off-road adventure through the riverbed, our campsite should be a little wilder and more natural this evening. We set up our tent right next to the river Acheloos. Here it was just us, bees, fish and the last rays of sunlight falling over the nearby mountain ranges into the valley. In places like this, you get a faint sense of what the word freedom can actually mean.

Koronisia and its lagoon

In the west of Greece, however, not only the coast was waiting for us. Michelle had picked out three spots that she really wanted to visit besides the coast. One of these spots was Koronisia, a kind of island in the Ambracian Gulf, which is only connected to the mainland by two narrow roads. Waiting for us were turtles, lots of snakes, romantic blue fishing huts, abandoned wooden boats and, unfortunately, once again a lot of street cats and a few hostile street dogs. We would have liked to stay longer, but due to the circumstances it was then only enough for an unrelaxed but very tasty meal at Γαρ Οίδα. Nevertheless, the fried cuttlefish and the bean salad on the menu are highly recommended.

Red clay site in Kokkinopilos – a rare geological phenomenon

In the middle of the otherwise inconspicuous surroundings of Kokkinopilos, a natural wonder occurs. Out of nowhere, you land in desert-like fields of red clay. It feels like being on another planet, are we suddenly on Mars? The area is not huge, but if you like it unusual, this is the place for you. The perfect ambience for offroading and photo shootings. A bit further north, the next highlight awaits: an old Roman aqueduct. Unfortunately, both are no spots to stay overnight, because high fines of 300€ can follow.

The kayak lake Zirou

However, the perfect next site is not too long in coming. At Zirou Lake, Loukas has realized his dream of a life as a dropout. After studying business and an unhappy job in a company, he now does what he is good at and fills him with pure joy: He runs his own kayak rental business. We hit it off right away with Loukas and the rest of the team and were allowed to stay overnight on his premises. In return we kept an eye on his boats, fair deal I would say. Daniel got a paddle, life jacket and kayak that very evening so he could enjoy the sunrise over the lake during a quiet kayak tour in the early morning hours. Dear Loukas, we wish you continued good luck and above all success in realizing your dream of living “into the wild“.

I almost forgot to mention something extremely important and fabulous. As dusk began to fall, we noticed that we were surrounded by an extraordinary shimmering and blinking. We were virtually standing in the middle of a sea of fireflies. A breathtakingly beautiful sight.

Free standing near Igoumenitsa

The harbor town of Igoumenitsa is probably known to most people because of its ferry connections. We find our place away from the traffic and harbor bustle in a bay called “Corfu Beach”. From the satellite pictures on Google we had hoped to be able to drive maybe completely on the beach, but unfortunately this was not possible – at least not without AT tires and their resistance to sharp-edged and pointed stones. Thanks to the additional ground clearance provided by the air suspension, however, we managed to get one “floor” lower to the water.

We park our Landi so that we can look out of the tent in the direction of the island of Corfu. In the evening we cook behind the car and are awakened at night from time to time by the roar of the ship’s diesel of the ferries passing in the far distance.

Albania

Albania has always been on our bucket list of trips so far. So if we are already in the vicinity, why should we not drive straight past and use the way back for a first visit?

In Butrint we cross over with a kind of raft that is pulled through the water by a chain drive. A bit adventurous.

After the much too short raft crossing, we bought the most delicious strawberries in the world from a street vendor and refueled at a very helpful Albanian, who gave us valuable tips. We should change money in restaurants rather than get cash at ATM machines, because they would charge a very bad exchange rate. Also, we should rather not drive up the coastal road as planned, but explore the inland and the mountains of Albania, as the coast would not represent the true Albania, but would be very touristy. Although we followed his advice regarding the money exchange, but unfortunately not the advice with the coastal road. We had a coffee and a latte in a street coffee of Ksamil and enjoyed the urban hustle and bustle around us before we went to the Musselhouse.

What awaited us here we had not guessed, it was a dreamlike place. We ordered white wine, fresh oysters and several varieties of moules. Never before had we received such creatively arranged oysters and never before had we been able to watch crab fights and schools of fish while eating mussels. The experience was rounded off by outstandingly good service and a nice and honest conversation with our waiter, who told us about the living conditions in Albania.

Everything that then waited for us between the Musselhouse and the campsite Kamping Pa Emer was worse than the gas station attendant let us fear. Although there were as hoped beautiful bays and beaches, but built with not exactly appealing hotel facilities and paved with sun loungers. Too bad coast of Albania, you could be so beautiful.

When we felt like we had reached the edge of the earth’s disk and briefly felt like we were in the back streets of Mombasa, we finally reached the campsite we were aiming for. Again, everyone was incredibly friendly and the site was natural and beautiful. Our campsite had its own beach access and the sea was so shallow for meters that it felt like you could wade through the warm water all the way to the horizon. Our highlight was the sunset over the restaurant of the campsite, which is accessible only via a long wooden walkway.

When the waiter asked us in the evening whether it was our first time in Albania and whether we would like it, I had to think briefly whether I was really telling him the truth and then I did: “The people are all very open-minded and friendly. Half of the coast is beautiful, great nature, the other half consists of the building sins of large hotel resorts and tourist strongholds.” He smirked and said that the coast was not necessarily a good representative of Albania. The true Albania would be found inland and in the mountains. We had heard that before.

He may well be right. But as much as we would have liked to visit Teth, Shkodra and the Komman on our own Albanian vacation: If you dear Albanians don’t manage to avoid at least one serious to fatal accident per hour due to your driving style, we won’t be coming back anytime soon. This is not a vacation for us. We can still laugh about farmers who drive goats or turkeys across the highway with a stick, but if, as a matter of course, despite oncoming traffic is deliberately swerved to overtake, then you can live it out without us.

Despite the adventurous to dangerous traffic behavior, we leave Albania, cross Bosnia and find our last campsite at Cape Karmenjak, near Premantura in Croatia. This is the site where our Croatia road trip along the Adriatic coast started in 2018. On the campsite Arena Stupice this travel report is created.

Our travel report “GREECE TRAVEL DOCUMENTARY | Offroad secrets along the coast: Pieria, Pelion, Damouchari, Fakistra, Trikeri” on Youtube

Ihre Daten werden erst beim Abspielen des Youtube-Videos an den Dienst übermittelt. Your data will only be transmitted to the service when you play the Youtube video.

Der Beitrag Offroading the coasts of Greece erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Quick Pitch Roof Tent

Aluminium hard-shell roof tent. Resistant to external forces, sheets can remain in the tent, fast pitching and folding, accessories can be attached to the tent frame.

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Quick 270° Awning

In just 20 seconds, this awning folds 270° around the car to provide shade in the sun and keep you dry when it rains.

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Tire repair set

A good tip: Practice beforehand

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Gardena Roll Fix water hose

Never use publicly accessible water hoses! Chances are good that someone else has already held it in a faeces tank.

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MAXTRAX MKII Mudboard

Sand not as load-bearing as you thought? Put the board in, drive out, done.

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Handheld radio unit

A real-time radio connection is useful. For example, when the co-driver keeps an eye on the ground clearance from outside.

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Engel Fridge MT35

What’s important when it comes to a cooling box? It should consume very low energy, should hold the temperature for a long time, should have temperature selection, should be able to use 12V/24V in the car or 220V landline. Here it is.

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EcoFlow RIVER Pro portable Power Station 720Wh

This device is a large lithium-ion battery with an inbuild 230V transformer and solar charge controller. It can power the cooler and our electronics, while or after charging via solar panel or the 12V generated by the car’s motor.

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ECOFLOW 160W portable Solar Panel

Connects with our powerstation and provides us with free energy, when staying off-grid.

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Double sleeping bag

Usable from temperatures around 5°C. Large enough for two persons and two small dogs. Fits perfectly into our Quick Pitch roof tent.

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Melamine camping tableware

We like the tablewares from “Moritz”. Light and indestructable, but fancy.

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Sofirn SP33 V3.0 LED 3500 Lumen flashlight

It’s light, small and bright as f***, but brightness can be adjusted to your needs. Can be charged via USB-C.

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TP-Link M7200 mobile network router

This little friend helps us to keep our connection to the internet everywhere in the world. We just insert a SIM-card, enter the cards pin and our M7200 spans its WiFi for all our devices, providing us with internetconnection even in the most remote albanian mountain areas.

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Der Beitrag Our Offroad-Travel gear: Roof tent, Defender and more erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

How does one get the idea?

At the beginning of the Corona pandemic, we were longing for a way to travel flexibly and without much effort. Spontaneously pack a few things, go to a nice place, for example somewhere on the banks of the Weser, and then spend the evening there.

Land Rover was offering a test drive of the new Land Rover Defender at that time. You could rent it with a roof tent for a weekend. We were hooked – until we saw the price for this short adventure. Nevertheless, the idea remained in our minds. We liked the new Defender anyway, we had seen it rather by chance at a Jaguar dealer and were thrilled by the design. In our eyes, a contemporary successor to the original Defender had been designed.

In 2021, we were then on the road in Slovenia with the motorhome. Narrow mountain passes and hour-long descents are only little fun with 4.5 tonnes and 7m in length. Often the dimensions mean that you can’t visit some remote regions at all. Thus, large parts of the Triglav National Park remained hidden from us and we were also denied access to large parts of the Bohinj area. Some passages near Kobarid or in the vineyards in the north were possible – but with big sweat stains under our arms. Once again, we remembered our romantic idea of the 4×4 off-road vehicle with roof tent.

By the way, you can watch our travel report about Slovenia here on Youtube.

In Kobarid, at Camp Lazar, we met a couple from Munich one evening who were visiting Slovenia with a roof tent and Landi. We exchanged ideas and were now a bit more sure that we would like this kind of adventure. With the right vehicle, Albania tours, Greece road trips or an autumn in the French Maritime Alps seemed more real than with our RV. Someday we would fulfil this dream, we told ourselves. Sometime in a few years.

On 13 November 2021, my father Ralf died at the age of 65. He spent the first and last month of his retirement in the hospice. He used to say “life, that’s what happens while you are busily making other plans”. In the last weeks together, I talked a lot with him. Among other things, about the time when he drove off-road vehicles himself: Isuzu Trooper, Nissan Terrano. We exchanged ideas about the right tyres and equipment, technical features and some anecdotes that were nothing but fragments and nebulous memories from my childhood for me.

Aware that life can be short and some plans should not be postponed for too long, moreover in a kind of “quarter-life crisis” in which I emulated my father out of a search for comfort in various attitudes and interests, we ordered our Defender 110 in mid-January. On 4 February the time had come and we brought our white “Ralfi” home from Schwerin.

The right off-road and camping equipment – compromise vs. compromise

Our cherished motorhome cannot replace an off-road vehicle and neither can the Hymer be replaced by the Defender. We cannot expect the comfort of the motorhome in the off-road vehicle. We suddenly have to deal with things that are taken for granted in the motorhome: Fresh water, hot water, heating, cooling, sleeping arrangements. All these points can only be considered much more rudimentary, one could also say more purist, due to lack of space and weight. And that is fun. Compared to a motorhome, these are simply always compromises. But it is precisely this weighing up of compromises against each other to find the optimum compromise that is so much fun – and, unfortunately, also quickly hits the wallet.

Sleeping in the roof tent

A roof tent is needed. But a huge choice does not make the decision process any easier. Normal roof tents are the lightest, cheapest and take up less space on the vehicle roof. Hard-shell roof tents are expensive, quicker to erect and dismantle, often more fuel-efficient but above all more resistant to stripped branches and moisture.

Hybrid tents combine the advantages (and disadvantages) of both concepts. In the end, a certain laziness also led to the decision in favour of the hard-shell roof tent. The bedding can stay in the tent, you don’t have to move it around, you save space in the car and the set-up times are simply faster. At first we favoured the “Airlander Plus” or the “Alu-Cab 3.1” and then finally came to the “Quickpitch” aluminium hard-shell tent.

A big advantage here is the possibility of attaching equipment such as awnings, headlamps or sand boards directly to the tent frame. Even the attachment of solar panels is possible. The Quickpitch tent has one (!) continuous hinge for opening and is slightly cheaper than similar tents.

Keyword awning: With the 270° awning, Quickpitch offers an awning that can be attached to the tent and folded out 270° around the car. It doesn’t get any more convenient than this.

Tyres for off-road use

The smaller the rim, the more “rubber” the tyre may have. And the more rubber there is between the rim and the tyre, the tougher the tyre is. The standard 19″ rims have to go, instead we need off-road all-terrain tyres with winter properties (Alpine symbol). Already my father was a big fan of General tyres, reason enough for me to put my trust in this brand. Of course, the original Land Rover 18″ rims would be ideal, but at 320€ for a simple, no-frills steel rim (!) the fun stops for me. I’d rather go for the Dotz Kalahari for around 250€ and invest the money in good tyres instead.

Sitting, eating, drinking, living

There are great concepts where tables and chairs can be inserted into the roof rack when driving. Sounds great at first, if you can save cargo space in the vehicle. However, if you have to clean the furniture of brake dust and road dirt before each use, you quickly abandon this plan.

Space-saving aluminium chairs and a rollable aluminium tables are more practical – above all, we already have both in our RV-motorhome.

Water canisters on the roof look cool. In winter in the Alps, however, not a good idea. Much more practical is a water tank that can be installed between the front seats and the folded-down rear seat. The water is then at room temperature and does not unnecessarily increase the vehicle’s centre of gravity.

This is just the beginning

As you can see, there are endless questions to deal with as a newcomer and many more questions will follow. One thing is certain: we will embark on this adventure, this new way of travelling. We are looking forward to many travel stories on our blog, which were only made possible by our “Ralfi”. Stay tuned!

Der Beitrag 4×4 with the New Defender – our new way to travel erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.