Mountainbike tour in Ierisos - Chalkidiki - Greece

‘ Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving’ ~ Albert Einstein

A lovely tour in the mountains by mountainbike: one of our co-workers brought me into the mountains for a tour, to experience what our tourist will do. To a small hidden waterfall.

We started our tour around noon at the Metochi of Monastery Chilandari (Kalogerikos Mylos) into the forest of Kakavos to the small waterfall, with lovely little pools to jump into.

Since we had still lovely weather during the day, it was the perfect day to go out. Because the week after we had a lot of rain here in Chalkidiki.

The first part of the tour started calm and easy, good way to get used to riding the mountain bike and understand how the gears works. It rides completely different then my city bike,… hihi

After the first 4km the road started to me more stiff and tough for me. I am quiet an active woman, but this asked more perseverance from me then I had expected. But I wanted to keep going. At some point the road was broken down, so not able to continue the tour.

Like the tour guide Pantelis said, ‘This is great, now we are sure no cars will be in our way after this road block.’ A great way to look at obstacles.

In this way nature teaches us, that every block on our path of life, gives us opportunities and choices…. In a positive way or not.
To be sad, not able to continue or pick up what is needed, climb, smile and move on!

He took the bikes on his shoulders and carried them up the hill and down, back on the road. I had some minutes to catch my breath again.

This obstacle I needed to reflect to my own life. I had a very emotional and difficult week behind, stuck in my own sadness, this was a great way to see the block I had to pass.
Kick myself friendly under my butt , SMILE (my magic tool), look around to all nature's beauty and move on!

Some parts of the tour were too heavy for me to stay on the bike, so I took the bike in my hand and walk with it. Other parts were easier to keep on riding in an easy gear.
The road was full with beautiful flowers and of course my eye went to all the wild plants I wished to harvest for a nice meal.

At some point we started to hear the water stream next to us, we came closer to the waterfall. Then we started and had to go further by foot. Good I put on my 5-fighershoes to feel move stable going down from the mountain.

And there it is – it is called paradise. So quiet, such a pure and clean energy. One with nature, with the plants and the trees, the flowers and the bees. Looking for fishes in the small pools, climbing barefoot on the rocks and the falls tree.

I wished I packed my hammock, took my dogs with me, I could stay here for some days, having our own Nature Quest.
Nature is so beautiful, fantastic and strong.
More and more I realize; Nature doesn’t need us, we need nature. She will survive, she will thrive, without us! And we humans are completely lost without nature. No food, no air, no animals, no life for us!
We should respect her more. All blessing for her creations.

Here some movies of the place

The way back was much easier, going down and of course we had to cross the road block again! No worries, we did it before, so now it was easier.

I have to say, after a difficult week, this was a gift to be in nature.

Nature is my Church, she heals my heart and calms my mind.

Beside all the garden jobs, I am also organizing holiday here in Chalkidiki. I work together with Moniek Bos, from ‘de reisverrijker.nl’
After a silence 2,5 years with corona, we are glad to get moving again.
Our first new one in a 15-day active holiday.

You can think about hiking, historical, cultural and nature tours, around the area. Kayaking, diving or snorkeling, jeep safari, cruise around the holy mount Athos and a mountainbike tour like I did.

We work together with locals, who know the places and cultures better than we do and have the same idea; Leaving an experience to the people.
Experiences combined with good food, local products and active movements, out of the seasons. So before the heat and after the heat period, From mid September till mid may.

This area is not so over crowded with tourists, a lot of green during the whole summer and many undiscovered places. Even for me I still don’t know many places and it was a blessing to go of road on the bike in the mountains.

Ierissos
Ierissos is a small town on the east coast of the Akti peninsula in Chalkidiki, Greece. It is located 115 km from Thessaloniki, and 10 km from the border of the Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain, or Mount Athos.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ierissos

All in all, a beautiful green place, friendly people, not overcrowded during the summer and still a little life during the autumn and winter.

To be continued