Mount Olympus

Friday we moved to Mount Olympus for an overnight stay by the Old Monastery of St. Dionisios. We stopped on the way to visit the National Park information centre, not an inspiring building but wow, inside one of the friendliest and interesting centres we have ever been in. We then continued our drive uphill round the hairpin bends to the Monastery. Sadly it’s in a state of repair and I truly felt like I was intruding in such a wonderful place. We then set off to find the Holy cave, but somewhere we went wrong! Instead we walked up the Enipeas ravine gorge towards the refuge at Prionia, start of the “proper” climb of Mount Olympus. It was only a walk of 4km but 45 flights!!! We were both exhausted when we finally reached Prionia and glad to enjoy a meal at the refuge, I had bean soup whilst John had Goat soup both absolutely delicious before we walked back down the roadway back to Gladys.

Overnight we had a thunderstorm, with the road looking like a river we decided that the Holy Cave would have to wait for another time! We made our way back to the coast for our next stop!