Training Log Archive: jennycas

This run owed more to direction sense than map memory. I started out down through Plaka with the intention of going across the national gardens but they were closed because of the Special Olympics opening ceremony, so I had to go past Syntagma square (making a mental note not to come back that way because, although there wasn't much of a gathering yet, the presence of an effigy with its head in a noose didn't bode well). My destination was Likavitos, an incredibly steep hill which towers above the city with a church on top. I came up from the south, reached the top just on sunset, admired the view and headed down to the west, or so I thought. But in fact the streets go SW or NW, and I didn't want to go too far south towards the square, so I went sort of the other way and the first landmark I recognised, despite never having been there, was the subway station at Omonia.

As I had hoped, there was a clear view south to the Acropolis from there, but I ended up running through the crowded restaurant streets around its west side, to actually get back to the hotel. And then when I looked at the map to see where I had been, I realised it wasn't actually that far, because the map is 1:7500 (and has been the best twenty bucks I've spent in a while).

Across past the national gardens, presidential palace and parliament (where the remnant litter of protests was being washed away, although the banners remain - and the marble pavement was incredibly slippery). Busload of riot police appeared to be guarding the road to the palace. Probably a good thing because any rioters would just laugh at the sentry guard in traditional dress. But actually things are pretty quiet currently and being kept that way because the special olympics start tomorrow.

What I think about Athens is that if you can manage not to focus on the stray dogs, cats and humans, the empty shops and graffiti, there's a lot to like about the city and culture. It's obvious though that there's no money to be spent on the upkeep of any but the most popular tourist attractions. And the Acropolis is by far the most popular; busloads disgorge tourists at the end of my street and all day I can see the little ants walking up there in the blazing sun.

I meant to run before breakfast but slept in and then passed the hotel breakfast room on my way out the door. So it was already a bit warm, and I was very stiff from walking from the station yesterday with a 20kg pack. Went around the bottom of the hill (Filopappou) opposite the Acropolis, up past the observatory to the statue on the top, back down and around behind the Acropolis. It's very dry and the semi-stray dogs were lying flaked out under the olive trees. Most look pretty fat and placid but I inadvertently disturbed a couple who had a sort of kennel by the old/disused observatory, and they came barking after me with the biggest yellow fangs I have ever seen. (A good bruise has come up on my arm where I backed into a tree trying to get away from them - honestly don't think I've ever been quite so scared before.)

Flew into Athens at 1pm and into a classic Mediterranean summer's afternoon. (It had been a perfect morning in Copenhagen and I really wanted to go into Geel Skov again but there wasn't time.) Negotiated the train system OK and walked out of the subway station to look straight up at the Acropolis- wow! The hotel is about 300m from there on the south side so well away from anywhere that things may go pear-shaped (there do seem to be a few police around, but I can't understand the TV news, it's all Greek to me).

After a nap I walked out to spend the evening wandering around. First impressions are that I like this city. Found the network of alleyways with shops and restaurants in Plaka and managed to buy fruit & yoghurt, then had yiros for dinner, of course. The hill next to the Acropolis is a marble outcrop where people go to watch the sunset. I have never seen marble in its native state, so to speak, but its prevalence does explain why the not-very-posh (but adequate) hotel has a marble staircase.

C • Dober Dan! 1

Early run before catching the train back to Copenhagen. Knocked over the last few permanent controls I hadn't already been to. Legs getting a bit tired from bouncing up and down in the forest.

They were even more tired after walking around Copenhagen all afternoon, but we made it as far as the Little Mermaid (almost obscured by the crush of tourists around her). Then we caught the train and walked to Kirsten's from Orholm station. Such a beautiful afternoon that I was happy to then walk into her forest (Geel Skov) to retrieve the control I had seen the other day. Funnily enough there was another mini flag dropped on the ground nearby, belonging to another club.

Kirsten & Bo took us out to dinner at an outdoor restaurant on a lake shore (apparently the deepest lake in Denmark) where there was a bbq buffet with the widest/best range of salads I have ever come across. It was a perfect evening with good friends (who were kind enough to take us to the airport the next morning).

Susanne & I have decided that she is neat like Sweden and I am somewhat more messy, like Denmark :)

To the ski hill/from the clubhouse with Sus. We picked the wild strawberryish things on the way back. Sadly, blueberries not quite ripe yet. Sorry to leave the Langs', they have been so kind to us. (Even by Swedish standards, they really like their candles. I counted 21 in the living/dining room alone.) Everyone in Nybro was so welcoming. I think the Swedish catch cry must be "take more" whenever guests are being fed!

C • denmark 3

While Sus ran reps of the ski hill (the only hill in Nybro, apparently) I played in the forest some more. There are 40 controls in the permanent course which changes every year. They are not so very difficult, and I enjoyed myself immensely.

Afterwards Mathias' father took us to Kalmar Castle for the day, which was very nice of him, also it was very interesting. It's strange to think that all the medieval history is actually real.

To/from the hill with Sus. When I came back to meet her there were deer grazing on the hill nearby. Also, I heard a cuckoo in the forest. It sounded exactly like a cuckoo clock!

Experiment in what happens when you take a girl out of Australia and plonk her in the middle of a Swedish forest :)

After Mathias gave us a tour of the new Nybro clubhouse, we then ran around some of the permanent controls in the local forest. And it's beautiful forest, soft and green and spongey, with boulders hiding in it. I found all the boulders I was looking for, and not too many extra. So I'm tentatively optimistic that I can actually orienteer in this stuff. Running through the forest kind of takes it out of you though; admittedly we are still pretty tired. Spent the rest of the day being fed at regular intervals by the Langs, who are very hospitable!

C • Nybro 6

To/from the Nybro clubhouse with Mathias and Susanne. Imagine having your own orienteering clubhouse! (Imagine having a club big enough to build its own clubhouse). We were lucky to be dropped at the station in Copenhagen for 7am by Kirsten & Bo, and to be met at the Nybro end by the Langs, which kind of made up for the fact that yesterday when we bought the train tickets from the machine at the airport I was so tired that somehow I picked the same date for returning as for leaving, and since we don't actually want to go back to Copenhagen this afternoon, we will need to buy new tickets for Tuesday...