Everything started from Dimitris. He was the first to express the proposal for the 2007 gathering. On his original proposal, the gathering point was mentioned to take place in Ioannina, in order for the members that live at the wider area of Epirus to be able to participate to the event. After continuous discussions, it was finally decided to take place at “Menidi” of Aitoloakarnania, a scenic sea-side village, around 20 kilometers away from Arta, during the period between 19 till 21 of October 2007.
Friday, October 19th, 2007:
The weather forecasts didn’t comply with the smooth journey to the gathering point. The forecast said that the weekend would be rainy at first and occasionally, there would be signs of extreme weather conditions.
So we started on Friday noon for the joy. The threatening clouds were approaching really fast our city, Ioannina. We tried to pack our things as fast as possible, in order to avoid the rain, and we got on the bike. Unfortunately the rain started exactly when we got on the bike, and it kept raining along the way up to Menidi.
Disconcerted by the rain, we finally reached the village around 17:30. Monica and Panos had already arranged our staying there, at a complex of rooms for hire, named “Korali”, of mister Vasilis Pantioras (tel. 26810-88035/6). All the rooms were new and pleasant, while at the ground floor there was a newly renovated cafeteria. All the space of the room complex was at the club’s disposal. The staff was very warm and welcome and their presence was all the time unnoticeable.
Me and Stergiani were the first to arrive and while we were waiting for the rest of the team to show up, we enjoyed a brake drinking an evening coffee, staring at the sea. It was already sunset and the colors of the sun spreading on the sea were magnificent.
Around 20:30, Panos with Monica and Sakis arrived. After approximately two hours, Vangelis, Takis, Giannis, Dimitris and Christina came. The last group arrived around 24:00, with Nikolae, Kyriakos and Dimitra.
After settling to their rooms, we all gathered at the living-room. Wine bottles were opened and while the whole atmosphere was getting warmer, teasing was going back and forth. Even though the whole discomfort of the trip, nobody wanted to pull out. Like a kindergarten in a tour, the laughing and the noise must have been heard on the widen area of the village. At 3:45 in the morning, our eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. So, time to go to sleep, wishing that in the next morning, the weather would be better and the rain would have stopped.
Saturday, October 20th, 2007:
In the next morning, the weather continued to be at the same state, rainy. Takis had already finished his coffee when I got down to the cafeteria. After a while, one by one, the rest of the team were joining our company. Due to the fact that the weather was not helping at all, we took the opportunity to discuss about each one’s experiences, for a couple of hours. That was the time that some issues of the club were discussed and settled. Later on, Vangelis, with a very professional work, showed us his DVD of the summer trip in Italy-Austria-Slovenia, making half of the people to remember and the other half to be jealous (in a good way of course!)
The party continuoued on the restaurant named Dolphin, for our midday lunch. After that, besides the rain, we decided to go for a tour at Arta. We started the engines, wore our raincoats and left the village. We parked the bikes in front of the cafeteria and enjoyed another coffee under the sounds of rain. Leaving the well known “Petrino” cafeteria, we stopped at the infamous Arta bridge to get some photos.
In the night, we gathered again on the main living room, where Panos made his own presentation for his trip in Germany, Nederland, U.K., Scotland, Ireland, France & Switzerland.
Sunday, October 21st, 2007:
Sunday morning, the sun had come out to replace last night’s rain. Nevertheless, the weather forecasts didn’t stop mentioning about extreme weather conditions after the afternoon. So it was decided to start the way back, since for most of the people, it would be a long journey back. We packed our stuff and made our last tour in the village of Menidi. Unfortunately, as all the good things in our lives, this came to an end too. The people that didn’t make it to the gathering, I can say that they were truly unlucky. But, nevertheless, we are here, and I wish that the next one will not be done in one year from now, but sooner.
A big thanks and congratulations from everybody go to Monica, for her perfect organizing of the whole gathering.
Motorcyclists :George, Sakis, Panos, Dimitris, Nikolae, Vangelis, Kyriakos, Giannis, Takis
Copilots: Stergiani, Dimitra, Monica, Christine
Photos: George, Christine, Dimitris, Vangelis, Monica
Written by George
Translation: Vangelis