Day 87 - August 7th: Smoke

Anchialos to Stivos: 31.5 miles / 2,497 total

Our slogan, “it’s only for one night,” really stretched its meaning last night. The hotel, more barracks than lodging, housed migrant factory workers. One man in his 40’s that I met in the lobby called Jax over with a soft smile—like he missed his own dog. He said he worked at the nearby drywall plant and was living there while away from his home in North Macedonia.

Christina and I drove 25 minutes into Thessaloniki to a 4.8-rated restaurant with 2k reviews called Mantemi Casual Dining. It lived up to the hype. The Mantemi burger was the best I’ve had on the trip. We split an eggplant appetizer, salad, and five small profiteroles for dessert. Back at the hotel, we turned in early to catch the 6 a.m. breakfast offered for the workers.

At 12:30 a.m., I woke thinking the place was on fire with the smell of smoke. It turned out to be cigarette smoke recirculating through the AC system from other rooms. I laid awake until 3:30 a.m. trying to breathe through my sheets. The next morning, Christina confirmed she smelled it too. Not just in my head.

With a few days of Greece behind us, we’re confident in the terrain and logistics. The focus is now on Turkey. Monica is flying into Istanbul on August 14, so we’re aiming to reach Alexandroupoli on the 13th. From there, Christina, Jax, and I will hire a taxi to cross the border into Ipsala. I’ll solo the remaining 250 km across Turkey while Christina and Monica coordinate logistics from Istanbul. I have reviewed every kilometer and think it is doable but in case of an emergency, Monica’s idea was to rent a car in Istanbul where there is a Hertz office and then both of them drive out for the rescue. A few years ago six of us rented a house near Destin Florida in September 2020 and my goal was to run back home 338 miles solo. On the second day, Hurricane Sally, a category 2 with 105 mph winds came at me in Apalachicola and Monica drove to extract me right before it hit. I’m extra motivated to get a second chance for redemption on a solo.

Back to the run—after my smoky night, I was out the door at 6:30 a.m., starting with a tense 6k stretch on E86 that I’d reconned the night before. Thankfully, light traffic made it manageable. On my left over the guardrail, two friends eyed me wondering what I was doing on the dangerous road.

To my right were massive oil refineries and industrial complexes—the heaviest industry I’ve seen in Greece so far. Thessaloniki, once a Roman hub and later a crucial Byzantine and Ottoman city, has long been a center of trade and logistics, and it shows.

As I left the industrial outskirts behind, the road began to climb steadily into the mountains. The neighborhoods changed into fashionable looking areas.

At the top of the ascent, I veered off E86 and hit a small farm road on a plateau 2,000 feet above the city. A few kilometers later: jackpot. Trail nirvana.

For 12 kilometers, I followed shaded grottos and singletrack ridge trails overlooking a deep stream valley. To my left, another mountain; to my right, Mount Chortiatis—looming at 1,200 meters and historically a strategic high point during the Ottoman and World War II periods.

The ridge trail emptied into a steep fire road that dropped into cattle pastures. A group of friendly farm dogs kept me company before flopping into the shade.

I rolled into Vasiloudi and stopped to refuel, then rejoined E86 to finish the day in Stivos.

Lodging remains a challenge—Christina found the only viable hotel 37 km away, so we’re staying in Stavros tonight. Tomorrow’s segment will be tough, but today was another solid step toward the border.

Thanks for following along and for all the support.

Cheers,

David.