A Marathon in the home of The Marathon.......Paddling 100km in one day!

Have I done enough training in 35 days for a Marathon paddle?

It's day 35, 30 May and I can almost smell the Athens pollution. As the crow flies from where I am now it is probably some 60km to the Acropolis (or an hour to drive and and hour to find somewhere to park as someone told me today).

I really don't need another challenge but there are too many connections........

Over the past week I've been concocting a plan, there being a fair bit of time to think when paddling for 8 hours or so each day. In 490BC the vastly outnumbered Greek army defeated the mighty Persian army in the Battle of Marathon, thus saving Athens from capture. Legend has it that a runner was despatched the 42km to Athens to announce the victory. And thus the Marathon was born.

Surely, while I am in Greece, I should respect the tradition and undertake a marathon paddle to raise funds for Save the Children. But what is a marathon paddle? The classic Marathon distance of 42km is about my average day so that's out. 100 is always such a lovely round number AND mediterr année is commemorating the Anzac Centenary so 100 works well. It's also twice my age!

So one night I looked at the map.......

After I go through the Corinth Canal I paddle out into the Gulf of Corinth. A quick measure with my thumb in the tent that night showed it was around 100km. A more detailed measure by those with more technological grasp than I confirmed that from Kiato, near Corinth to the bridge across the far western end of the Gulf near Patras makes a nice fat 100km!

So ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls; with your help, next Friday 6 June (the 42nd day since I left Gallipoli....another connection), assuming no major hiccoughs with my planned schedule, I will attempt to paddle 100km in one day. Let there be no doubt this is a major challenge for me. The one and only time I paddled that distance was the Hawkesbury Classic Canoe Race in 2001. I was young and foolish then....

You will be able to follow my progress on Follow My Spot here. Ordinarily I only turn this on once a day to log my camp position but for this Marathon I will post the position hourly.

How you can Help....Please!
I'm not doing this cos I need the challenge. I'm doing it to raise money for Save the Children. With this in mind I'm asking you to join my challenge and pledge to donate an amount if I complete the mediterr année Marathon. If I don't succeed you don't pay. I need to know there is at least $2000 (1300 Euros) pledged to ensure I start (but I hope to raise a lot more than that). You can make your pledge either by sending an email to info@mediterrannee.com.au or stating your pledge on the Facebook item about this.

If I'm successful then you can go to the mediterr année Save the Children donation page here . To all my Greek and European friends you can use any valid Visa/Mastercard here. There will be a small conversion fee from Australian dollars on your bill. If for any reason you are not happy with doing that then we can find an alternative so don't be afraid to pledge your Euros/Pounds etc!

Remember 100% of your donation goes straight to Save the Children for the superb work they are doing with children affected by war and conflict in Syria and elsewhere.

The Australian Embassy have offered to help spread the word to their contacts in Greece including the Australian community. I'd love to engage as many locals in Greece as possible so to all those I've met who are now following mediterr année on Facebook etc do share this around and encourage your friends/family etc to get involved.

And some Logistics help too......
Also to all my Greek friends or others in Greece reading this. I'd love to have one or two people in support for the Marathon attempt. Taking photos, posting on Facebook and carrying all my luggage so I don't need to carry an extra 30kg of weight in the boat. So if you're free on 5-6 June, have a car and are able to help let me know. You get to share hopefully a great day, a celebration meal/drinks at the end and helping a great cause! Masseurs welcome - I'll need one at the end!
Drop me an email huw@mediterrannee.com.au or call me on my Greek mobile 6945917635

So Pledge Away People either by sending an email to info@mediterrannee.com.au or stating your pledge on the Facebook item about this.

The Greeks won the war in 490BC. I hope Save the Children win this one. 

After announcing 'We Won!' to the Athenians, the runner promptly collapsed and never recovered. I'm planning on perhaps the collapse part after but a quick recovery!

And there's More.......connections
I realised after I had the idea of the Marathon paddle, that I was going to pass close to the town of Marathon. So today I've decided to pay homage to that site and then walk the classic 42km Marathon course to the centre of Athens. (No I won't be running it - I gave up running 20+ years ago and, not having walked much further than up and down a beach this past month it's going to hurt enough as it is!)

So later today,F riday, I will leave Miss Grape at Shinlas, the location of the Canoe/Kayak/Rowing events in 2004 Olympics , walk the 10km or so to Marathon and then Saturday walk the 42km to Athens. Once in Athens I will be driven back to Shinlas by the organizers of the SurfersforLife Wellness Festival (bike, kayak, run) for Sunday to talk to the participants, hand out  the medals etc etc.

Everything falls into place. Not only do I get to exercise my legs but I get to miss some very strong headwinds (Force 6-7) over the next few days!

Thanks for getting involved. Thanks in advance for getting me to the start line of the inaugural mediterrannée Marathon!!

Hopefully Miss Grape, the Pace 17 Tour kayak will speed away with me in it on 6 June!

Day 29 - 24 May, Katigeorgis - Pelion Peninsula

Another rotten camp on another rotten beach.......

 4 weeks now along this watery highway where I can wander at will and overtake nothing but the land (generally) on my right hand side and where rest areas are plentiful if I dare take them (always aware that a simple stop to stretch the legs can become a 2 hour lunch......).

I'm resting up for the day at a tiny little harbour called Katigeorgis near the end of the Pelion Peninsula. I say 'resting' but truly the most stressful part of the journey so far is chasing power to charge devices and download images. Rest days involve as much sitting (in front of a laptop) as I do in the kayak. Something that worries me as I watch my legs waste away and the Alps trekking traverse gets closer.....
At least the room tonight is mosquito free. The last time I took a room; by morning the walls were smeared in blood and the floor littered with carcasses. I was still alive but who had won the battle?

Mikalos, a shack dweller living on a beach back on Sinthonia, amidst a clutter of nets, cats, welding equipment and beer bottles, could not understand why I did not have a small engine. 'It make it easier for you. You sit and enjoy the scenery, maybe read or write your thoughts as you travel'. He'd obviously never sat in an unstable kayak! But it would be easy to update this blog then eh? (for those looking for more regular snapshots and updates check out the Facebook page )

Lunch beach on the Pelion

The last week has seen a very settled spell of weather, pretty much since I was up near Thessaloniki, either the 2nd largest or 3rd largest Greek city (if you believe the claims of Melbourne to be the former). The last 2 days down the Pelion have featured probably the most impressive section of coast since I left from Turkey. Forest clad mountains, stunning cliff scenery and dozens upon dozens of sea caves; all accessible in the millpond conditions. Yesterday, eventually I had to stop my speleological explorations and push on!

Cave Man

Of Mountains.....
Mount Ossa, Pelion - familiar names in this unfamiliar environment. So those same name mountains, back in Australia, in Tasmania, take their names from these in Greece.
But these mountains crouch respectfully beneath snowcapped Mount Olympus (2911m), the party room of Zeus and his fellow ancient Greek gods and the highest in Greece. Olympus has been my companion for much of the past week in the same way that Athos was the week before. Indeed as one faded into the background the other grew larger each day.

Camp with Mt Olympus in the background

I thought back to early plans for mediterr année before it had that name; 'one year in the Mediterranean'. It started as an idea to kayak all the way around. But I couldn't get excited about sitting on my arse for 15 months or more. So as a means to move away from the coast and use the legs it became that plus climb, from sea level, the highest mountain in each country. But then the journey headed towards 2 years; something neither Wendy nor I were keen on. So now, I stayed at sea level and passed beneath Olympus.

Of Hills......
The wind blew hard against me, waves breaking over Miss Grape. I headed for the shelter of Nea Moudania harbour. I landed on one small beach outside the harbour, absent mindedly hooking myself up in some fishing lines. Pushed off again and headed into the harbour to a small sandy beach. As I pulled the kayak out of the water an old man waved from the only house on the harbour. 'You are from Australia?' (no-one yet has recognised the difference between my NZ flag or the Aussie flag I should be showing!). 86 year old Theo came out of his gate to tell his story. In 1954 he moved to Australia and worked in the Port Kembla steel mill and for the evil (my words not his) Hydro Electric Commission in Tasmania. He fell in love with a Greek girl there and they married in Sydney but she was homesick so in 1959 they returned to Greece, Theo less keen for the return. As we spoke on the beach I glanced over Theo's shoulder, I think I was wondering if I might see his wife. Was she still alive? But what I saw surprised me. There in the yard, full of washing luffing in the sheltered harbour, was a Hills Hoist! One of Australia's proudest inventions and an icon in the mould of Vegemite and Victa lawnmowers. "I brought a few things back with me on the ship in 1959. You see my Hills".

You can view a short video of Theo here

Hills Hoist still doing its job 55 years after leaving Australia

Later, when I returned to the beach to set off, sporting new haircut and beard trimmed, Theo came out again. This time with a selection of photos of 1950's Australia. Of his wedding in Hyde Park in Sydney, at the Three Sisters up in the Blue Mountains, in Hobart and of the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. Then he pulled out an old map. A map of western Turkey. There he pointed out the names of towns around the Sea of Marmaris (near Istanbul) -Greek names like Moudania, Kallikratia. He explained that was where his family was from, before the forced migration of 1.5 million Greeks (and 500,000 Turks the other way). Many to 'new' towns with the old names like 'Nea' (new) Moudania where I was and Nea Kallikratia which I would later paddle past. Greek history, right up until relatively recently has been a story of changing boundaries and turmoil, of monarchy, republic and coup. Today is election day in Greece.....

I'd raised some emotions for Theo and as I left watery eyes bade me farewell "Ah Australia, Australia...Yiassou, Yiassou."

Route Canal Therapy, Fingers and Rings

Route Canal Therapy No 1

I mentioned in my last blog post about my plan to wheel the kayak across the line of Xerxes Canal as a means of crossing the first of the three 'fingers' of Halkidiki, the Athos peninsula. 

For the second, the Sithonia, I gave it the full finger. And great paddling it was too. On the day I went around the end of the peninsula, it was a little blowy. I pulled in for a short break at Kalimitsi before huge cliffs would offer no respite. That turned into a 2 hour lunch with a Russian Greek and his 2nd wife...... Finally got away and bounced around the end onto the western side, glad to have got around before forecast 40 knot southerlies.  I landed at a caravan park/campsite as the sun set. When I arrived the owners said they would not charge me as I was raising money for charity. I then explained it was for Save the Children. Nicki then exclaimed 'No way!' (or the Greek equivalent) and then proceeded to show me her and her husbands wedding rings. From Bvlgari jewellers with Save the Children engraved on the inside! Bvlgari are a worldwide partner of Save the Children. Of all the camps in all of Greece.......

It was back to route canal therapy for the final finger, the Kassandra. This time a canal with water in it, The Portes Canal, allowed me to paddle across the neck. No bad thing I gather as I'd heard the Kassandra had been wrecked by over development for tourism. I looked west at my first glimpse of Mount Olympus and east for my final views of Mount Athos.

Route Canal Therapy No 2

So I'm heading south toward Athens, perhaps a week away. There's a lot of time to think when I'm paddling (aside from singing hastily made up love songs to Wendy at full volume!) and I'm hatching a little plan. I really don't need more of a challenge but with your help...........More soon!!

Plenty of fishing boats. I have yet to see another kayak

The Winds of Change

Day 16 - 11 May, Nea Roda, Greece

Today I have a cunning plan.......

"We are here to take a painting back to our church in Romania, prepared for us by one of the monasteries of Athos" Sylvia (a man) informed me

I am in Nea Roda, a small village at the neck of the Athos Peninsula, the most easterly of the Halkidiki peninsulas; 3 fingers that reach down into the Aegean Sea. Athos is home not only to the holy mountain of that name that soars over 2000 metres straight from the sea, but upon it reside some 20 monasteries that make up this autonomous region of Greece. Permits are required to visit the peninsula and none are available to women who are absolutely forbidden to enter. Were I to visit it would be a great opportunity to pick up some time; as the monasteries follow the Julian Calendar and I'd step back 13 days, thus immediately putting me almost 2 weeks ahead of schedule (if you get my drift!).

But I prefer the way of the Persian King Xerxes. In 500 BC he had his fleet of invading warships sunk by wild katabatic winds sent down by the gods off Mount Athos. So Xerxes had a canal dug, some 2km in length, across the narrow neck of the Peninsula from present day Nea Roda to Tripiti. Little remains of this incredible engineering feat from 2500 years ago save a few depressions amongst the farmland. But today I will wheel Miss Grape, my own warship, across the peninsula thus saving me over 100km of paddling and also the issue of illegal camping on the Peninsula.

That's what I call a Greek Salad!

So I'm in Greece; for the first time since 1998, a trip notable for Wendy running me over with her hire scooter. Kayaking should be safer! 9 days ago I left Turkey. I met with the coastguard in the border port of Enes. Ramizan, the commanding officer, made a number of phone calls after inspecting my 'craft'. We waited for some return calls. "No problems then?" I enquired. "Yes, there are big problems". My heart sank, as I thought of the alternative - trucking my kayak to the nearest land border crossing 50km away."What is the problem?" I asked. Then Ramizan broke into a broad smile "I joke with you. You are free to go to Greece tomorrow!"

So I arrived in Greece, crossing the watery border at the Evros Delta, clearing immigration at Alexandropoulos. Easy enough once the police accepted that kayaks don't come with shipping registration papers. Greece will be home for the next 6 weeks or so; a time when I'll learn a little more about the economic crisis that engulfed this country. Of reducing salaries and increasing costs. Only last night Evi, the daughter of a taverna owner, told me about her job in a hotel; 7 days a week for 700 euros ($1000) per month. And Constandinos, a Greek coastguard officer, whose salary has gone down by 20% but the repayments on the house he proudly built increase.

Blue skies, turquoise sea

But Greece has been 'bought' for Save the Children and it is fitting that my mum and dad bought the first full mediterr année country I pass through; given of course I passed through mum to first enter this beautiful and fragile planet! (ah memories of Jackie's Pass on Mount Kingston deep in the South Australian desert......)
I'd like to take the opportunity to acknowledge those who have bought a country as I pass through that country with the words they wrote. So to mum and dad first up for Greece:

'Our enormous pride is tinged with concern that you stay safe and healthy in your pursuit of this hugely worthwhile cause. You will be constantly in our thoughts and prayers. 
Mountains of love, Mum and Dad
"They are ill discoverers that think there is no land when they can see nothing but sea". Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

12 out of 20 countries have been 'purchased' now. Israel & the Palestine Territories went the other day (thanks to Liam and the boys of the Club Cyclistico Coglioni (!) in Perth). Perhaps I should say that all but one of my first 6 countries have gone 'under the hammer' - Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Slovenia. Croatia awaits an owner........

Preparing to launch off a rocky beach using beach detritus for boat protection!

Thanks to ALL who have donated so far to Save the Children in whatever way, whether by direct donation. or those taking up their own challenges to raise funds for Save the Children. People like Trent Moore who is attempting to match my 15000km with his own on the bike in the same period, Kate Schnabel who is running 150km per month and Helen Dorsett who has a complicated formula of cycling km that only she understands but that should see a few $1000 to Save the Children! And of course the mediterr année mountain bike team is up and running.
And what about 10 year old Maizy Evans who has galvanised her school in Exeter, Australia to have Save the Children via mediterr année as the fundraiser for the year. Love your work Maizy!

Children Saving Children

Just now I skyped with Anna (9) and Anders (6), 2 of my gorgeous grandkids. Today, on Mothers Day in Australia, they have set up a nail painting salon outside their house in Sydney. Offering $2 for Adults/$1 for Kids; you can get your nails done for Save the Children. $8 in the bank already!

Catching some sun rays at last....

But I am in Greece and now starting to feel the rhythm of the journey. And at last the past 3 days have seen warm sun and sparkling seas from the grey and storms of before. I feel like I am now in the Med! Some beautiful coastline but also some terrible rubbish (more on that another day). The Mediterranean is not yet awake from it's winter slumbers. Occasional Bulgarian babes in bikinis have been spied but most hotels are closed, all beach umbrellas likewise. The fishing boats are out but I have yet to see a yacht or a powerboat. It will be interesting to see the human tide of summer slowly engulf this sea as the months progress.

Munching on a large slab of Halva.......

So I'm in Greece and 1/26 of the year is done. That sounds pretty good and not as daunting as '350 days to go'!