You can have whatever plans you want, but when the car changes its mind, there's nothing you can do about it. And so although we planned in detail, Iveco threw a wrench in our budget.

The week before we decided to definitely leave the campground was a bit freer, but there was still always something to do. Leo finally has less work now, so he can also relax and enjoy "vacation," and I always found something to work on. There's always something to arrange, sort, and organize.

After our first bike trip we took a little break, discussed where we could go, and absorbed the atmosphere of the approaching Greek summer. We closely follow news about when which borders will open and what the conditions are for entering which country. We enthusiastically read news about coastal states opening and tell ourselves that we could go that way too. We're enjoying the heat now, but we can also very easily imagine trading it for some more northern weather where you don't sweat just from sitting.

Another cycling adventure

We left the bikes locked outside because we wanted to go somewhere else before the borders to the next region open for us (May 18th). And so it happened that one inner tube burst in the sun – we just didn't manage to put it away. Leo tried to patch it, but realized in time that it was pointless, that a patch wouldn't be enough for a hole about 5 cm in size, and that he'd need a whole new tube. It was old anyway. We carry one with us, but we don't have the right valve to inflate it, so he borrowed my bike and rode it to the bike shop in town.

He bought not only a new tube, but also a bottle holder and small horns for the handlebars for me. It was a pleasant surprise. So the next day we went to try it out.

I found us a pleasant route almost on level ground to a beach with a smaller wreck about 10 km from the campground. The final section led along a road on an embankment between two bays. It was an experience, especially since a large part is sand. You have to really get going and hope that with momentum you'll make it to the other end where the bike catches a bit again and doesn't sink. This way we rode all the way to the wreck, left the bikes standing under the roof in a gazebo, and walked along the beach, checked out the wreck, and jumped in the water. We were completely alone there, so we didn't even wet our swimsuits. Who'd want to wait for them to dry? :D

Preparations for departure

On the way back we also decided to swing by town for gyros. The next day we planned to leave the campground, visit friends on the way, and on Monday finally head beyond the region's borders and to the mountains. The gyros was excellent! We can't create such a good dinner just like that. We sat by the sea, ate, and watched crabs who had also decided to have dinner. And there were so many of them!

In the evening we cleaned everything up, collected the washed laundry that we'd washed and hung in the morning, and went to have a good sleep for the next day. In the morning there was a quick breakfast and farewell with the neighbors. We poured all the waste into the local sewage and started up. And from then on it sounded strange. It does that occasionally, so we didn't panic immediately. We left the campground, Leo gave it gas, and the strange squeaking didn't stop. Besides that, we couldn't seem to get going. As soon as the terrain rose even slightly, the Iveco slowed down. Finally after a few more meters it wasn't able to climb a hill at all.

Could it be a breakdown?

It was Sunday and people were driving around to the beach. We happened to stop right at the beginning of the bike path that connects the beach with the campground to the town. So you can surely imagine how people looked at us when they rode in that heat to the beach and we were poking around in the scorching engine. Leo had a few ideas, consulted over the phone with a few mechanic acquaintances from the Czech Republic, and finally managed to repair the long-broken bleed valve (the beginning of the problems is in this article). Thanks to that we were able to turn the car around and get it at least into the shade. But that didn't eliminate the main problem.

After several more phone calls, they diagnosed it most likely as a pump failure. And we just hoped it wouldn't be something even worse. So we arranged with the campground owner if we could stay a bit longer. Fortunately he agreed with a smile. That evening the guys looked at it again and when they restarted it, it sounded much better! So we agreed that in the morning we'd try going shopping and if it works, we'd leave.

In the morning we got up full of anticipation about what the Iveco would show us. We started up and drove off. It got worse very quickly as the engine warmed up and we ended up in the same spot as the day before. Today though with the bonus that road repairs were underway right next to us and the gentlemen came to warn us that we really can't stand there. Fortunately they were understanding and after a bit of explaining they understood that we can't move from there without help.

And it's even worse...

The Iveco died while driving and this time the starter didn't even turn the engine. We thought for a while about the options we had. The best option seemed to be calling the insurance company, and that's what we did. They arranged a tow for us. (They just probably forgot to mention the size of the car, so the man turned around twice. Fortunately it wasn't very far.)

I rode by bike to the campground to talk to the owner and arrange with a neighbor if he could help us move things, and Leo went with the tow truck to the service center. We packed everything we needed, bought some supplies, and returned to the campground with the neighbor, where we're temporarily setting up a tent.

At the service center they told us they won't have time for the Iveco until next week. The insurance company promised they'd pay for accommodation for 5 nights and that they'd urge the service center to do it faster. So we arranged a cottage and will stay there for a while.

Since then we work a bit and chat with the neighbor. He's another British almost-retiree who got a camper van and travels around Europe. Before that he traveled a lot for work and so has lots of stories that he tells us over a glass of wine every evening. He makes our waiting more pleasant and meanwhile we're trying to plan exploring Greek nature in a different way. We're finding out how buses run, etc. Maybe we'll eventually manage to shorten our waiting time with a several-day hike!