Our plan this morning was to start early and ride as far as possible before the heat got too intense. It didn’t work. By 5:30 AM there was already a hot dry wind blowing. But the early morning miles were still fast with little traffic and a bit of a tailwind. Here is Allegra on the way out of Filippiada, with the almost full moon still overhead. 

Later we passed through Arta as the sun was coming up and waved hello to a fellow small wheeled cyclist. 

As the morning progressed, we stopped at one of this country’s ubiquitous small bakeries for breakfast, where we had delicious spinach pastry and fresh sheep’s milk yogurt, and then rode along the steep and rocky shore of a pretty inlet next to the town of Amfilochia. 

    
Already, before 9:00 AM, people were swimming, including an old man with an exceptionally bushy white mustache that contrasted beautifully against the deep blue water. Though tempted, we settled for a cold lemon soda and kept going. Next, we passed Lake Amvrakia, which offered pretty views and a profoundly philosophical road work sign that made us think about our various life projects.  

   
As it got closer to noon, the dry heat became more intense. Riding on exposed road for hours in this kind of heat can make you feel like your body and brain are slowly cooking, and I started to worry a bit when Allegra told me she has just seen a “small Greek tiger” by the side of the road. Time for a rest stop! Amazingly, the otherwise totally nondescript little roadside cafe we found had freshly made tomato, cucumber and feta salad with thick salty tzatziki, which we devoured. A bit further up the road, we came to the foot of the Stratos Reservoir, where we parked our bikes under a big shade tree and jumped into the surprisingly chilly aquamarine water. It was devine. Our only company was a flock of water birds and dozens of red dragonflies. By mid-afternoon, we pulled into the little town of Agrinio and took refuge in a cool hotel. Oddly though, even after a shower, cold beer and a nice rest, Allegra is still talking about that small Greek tiger.