Day One.The trip to Vovousa

We were planning this trip quite a long time. The target date at the end of May had to be postponed twice, for someTeam members needed to be in Athens, for reasons...?

The date with Aoos was finally settled for 7 and 8 of June, hopefully there would still be sufficient flow in the upper part. The final details were discussed at Konidis' place, over maps, guidebooks and only one cookie that I discovered well hidden in the kitchen. Unfortunately Meropi didn't arrive until late, to treat us and save the reputation of the house hospitality, but we all know why Dimitris had locked every drawer and every cupboard - didn't want us to see the popcorn stock. Ooops!
With fresh information from Giannis Holevas, Antonis Voulgarakis and Nikos Bouloukos, who had run the river the previous week, with Metavasi kayaking school's experts, we settled the paddling hours, the supporting crew and the extra gear that each one of us would cater.

Friday afternoon at 16.30, 5 kayaks and 1 spare, 5 paddles and 4 spares, were racked on 2 jeeps (we left the spare ones back) ready to go. Giannis Bourlekas, Alfredos Zinis and Spiros Ziakas would be the crew in the first jeep (we still dont know what Ziakas promised his wife, to take the jeep). Dimitris Konstantinidis, Nikos Mavris and the support team Stavros Georgopoulos and Giorgos Balgouranidis, would be the crew of the second car.

First stop at Autogrill for freddo and pannini. Second stop at Kalampaka for another fredo and some local "checking". Refueling at Mourgani crossing - sorry, no water there - and heading northwest to north Pindos range.
Konidis said we would go through Anilio tunnels to avoid Katara pass, he didn't admit until the last minute that his mama had already given him some cases to get to the house up there. So after we circled the whole village, avoiding to be seen by any Dimitri's relatives and had to turn down some dinner invitation ( I don't know if we were all unhappy with such a risk at the time), we finally left the overloaded suitcases and headed to Metsovo square for some delicious kontosouvli.

George proved his real reason to come to this trip, by ordering a second and a third round of kontosouvli and potatos. He returned then to his supporting job, by sleeping all the way to Vovousa. (OK most of it...)