Between Meteora and Nafplio: Three Days, Three Worlds— A gentle giant, a monastery cat, and a journey through chaos and calm

While Meteora left us in awe, Benji had his own awakening. In his encounter with a monastery guardian, a cat, he quickly learned who was in charge of this neighbourhood. His gentle gaze meant nothing this time. At least, not in her lifetime.

Meteora left us speechless. And Benji, he lost his words the very next day, in Kalampaka. We stopped in the nearby town to clean the car, two days on the road, 1,700 kilometres behind us, and Benji’s winter coat had left its mark. The Greek sun did the rest, and fur was flying everywhere. We were hungry and more than ready to taste Greek cuisine. Benji has a good nose but so do we. We found a restaurant in the centre of Kalampaka, one of the oldest in town, with a tradition of more than 25 years. You could feel it in every detail from the tablecloths and plates to the photographs on the walls. The atmosphere, enriched by Greek music, completed the experience. We were welcomed by Katarina, who instantly fell in love with Benji. She brought him water, food, treats, pieces of chicken. With so much attention directed at him, we were almost forgotten. This time, Benji usually a territorial guardian of his part of the table wisely stepped away from that role and became what he truly is: a gentle giant. The more she spoke to him and the more treats she brought, the softer he became. Another moment, and he might have stayed there forever. Finally, it was our turn. The food started arriving from all sides, homemade pasta with wild mushrooms, a rich baked stew with cheese and onions. And then, the small unexpected gestures, a starter and dessert on the house. Full, warm, and smiling, we all agreed: this was a place we would gladly return to. Maybe even stay a little longer. But the road was calling.

The planned 400 kilometres brought us to Athens late at night. A city with a long history, yet one that lives in a completely different rhythm today. Much of modern Athens was shaped after World War II, during rapid growth in the second half of the 20th century. A city of more than four million people. A city where traffic is not followed but felt. Four lanes without clear lines.
Cars, scooters, motorbikes, three-wheelers. Everyone finding their own way. Entering the city felt chaotic, and the real adventure began when we started looking for a garage. We moved from one to another. All of them underground as if we were descending into another world. Cars packed like sardines, narrow passages, low, dim lights. As if we were entering the underworld. The biggest surprise was the rule: you leave your car keys while it’s parked. It wasn’t easy to hand over the car to a complete stranger but we had no choice. In Athens, we were welcomed by a friend. For Benji, this wasn’t just another meeting — it was a return. His happiness was immediate. It took them a few moments to “read” each other again, and then everything was exactly as it had been before. A man and his best friend.

Benji stayed in safe hands, while we spent the next day exploring the city and its surroundings. The Parthenon, the Acropolis, Plaka, narrow Athenian streets where history hides around every corner.

Then, an escape. To the island of Aegina, where everything slows down. Even the ferry ride itself felt calming and peaceful. In contrast to the noise and restlessness of Athens, Aegina welcomed us with the deep blue of the sea, silence, and a sense of harmony between nature and people. We decided to explore the island by electric bikes, not expecting to be constantly tempted by the Aegean Sea surrounding this fairytale place. It was impossible to resist swimming, even though it was only early March and the sea temperature was far from inviting. We didn’t regret it. The cycling had warmed our bodies just enough, and it felt like a gift to swim in the heart of the Saronic Gulf. After dinner in a local taverna and a romantic sunset, we headed back to Athens.

Because the next morning, another journey awaited us around 200 kilometres towards Nafplio. A town many consider one of the most romantic in Greece. And it did not disappoint. Its picturesque streets, fortifications overlooking the sea, and the old town that simply captivates. At one point, we thought the warmth we felt in Kalampaka was something special. But no. With time, we realised this is simply Greece. Warm people. Open smiles. Hospitality that asks for nothing in return. And cats everywhere. And Benji? In a street lined with orange trees, he became a real attraction. People there clearly weren’t used to such a large dog. At first, someone even thought he was a bear. And then, a line formed. Everyone wanted to pet him. Everyone wanted to meet this gentle giant. Give it a few more days, and Benji might have ended up with his own little tin and a job in the neighbourhood. The first day, we explored chaotic Athens. The second day, we enjoyed the calm of the island of Aegina. And the third had long been promised to Nafplio.

Three days.
Three rhythms.
One journey.

🌿 KroNland

Croatian Version Bellow

Dok su nas Meteori očaravali, Benji je doživio svoje malo buđenje. U susretu s manastirskom čuvaricom, mačkom brzo je naučio tko je u ovom kvartu šefica. Njegov nježan pogled ovaj put nije značio ništa. Barem ne za njezina života. Meteori su nas ostavili bez teksta, a Benji, on je bez teksta ostao tek sutradan, u Kalampaki. Svratili smo u obližnji gradić očistiti auto jer dva dana putovanja, prijeđenih 1700 kilometara i Benjijeva zimska bunda ostavili su svoj trag. Grčko sunce učinilo je svoje i dlaka je letjela na sve strane. Bili smo gladni i jedva smo čekali probati grčke delicije. Benji ima dobar njuh, ali ni naš nije loš. Namirisali smo restoran u centru Kalampake. Jedan od najstarijih u gradu, s tradicijom duljom od 25 godina. Osjećalo se to u svakom detalju, od stolnjaka i posuđa do fotografija na zidovima. Atmosfera i grčka glazba sve su to samo dodatno zaokruživale. Dočekala nas je nasmijana Katarina, koja se odmah zaljubila u Benjija. Donosila mu je vodu, hranu, poslastice, komadiće piletine. Od silne ljubavi prema njemu, nas je gotovo i zaboravila. Ovaj put, Benji, inače teritorijalni čuvar svog dijela stola mudro je odustao od svoje uloge i pretvorio se u velikog, nježnog diva. Što mu je ona više donosila i tiše mu šaptala, on je sve sporije treptao. Još koji trenutak i Benji bi ostao udomljen kao najnoviji član grčke taverne. Napokon je došao i naš red. Jela su počela pristizati sa svih strana — domaća tjestenina s divljim gljivama, gulaš zapečen sa sirom i lukom, a posebni su bili mali, neočekivani znakovi pažnje, predjelo i desert koje smo dobili na kuću. Punih trbuha i osmijeha od uha do uha, složili smo se u jednom, ovdje bismo se uvijek rado vratili. Možda čak i ostali malo duže. No, put nas je vodio dalje.

Planiranih 400 kilometara dovelo nas je do ulaska u Atenu kasno navečer. Grad duge povijesti, ali i grad koji danas živi u potpuno drugačijem ritmu. Većina moderne Atene oblikovana je nakon Drugog svjetskog rata, tijekom brzog rasta u drugoj polovini 20. stoljeća. Grad u kojem živi više od četiri milijuna ljudi. Grad u kojem se promet ne prati nego osjeća. Četiri trake bez jasnih linija, automobili, skuteri, motori, trokolice, svatko pronalazi svoj put. Ulazak u grad bio je pomalo kaotičan, a prava avantura tek je počela kada smo krenuli tražiti garažu. Kružili smo od jedne do druge. Sve su bile podzemne, kao da silazimo u neki drugi svijet. Automobili nagurani poput sardina, uski prolazi, niska, prigušena svjetla, kao da ulazimo u podzemlje. Najveće iznenađenje bilo je pravilo: ostavljaš ključeve auta dok je parkiran. Nije bilo lako prepustiti auto potpunom strancu, ali izbora nismo imali. U Ateni nas je dočekao naš prijatelj. Za Benjija to nije bio običan susret, to je bio povratak. Njegova sreća bila je trenutna. Trebalo im je nekoliko trenutaka da se ponovno “pročitaju”, a onda je sve bilo isto kao prije. Čovjek i njegov najbolji prijatelj. Benji je ostao u sigurnim rukama, a mi smo sljedeći dan proveli istražujući grad i njegovu okolicu. Partenon, Akropola, Plaka, atenske uske ulice koje skrivaju povijest na svakom koraku.

Zatim bijeg. Prema otoku Aegina, gdje se sve usporava. Već je sama vožnja trajektom bila umirujuća i spokojna. Za razliku od atenske vreve i nemira, Aegina nas je osvojila plavetnilom mora, mirom, tišinom i skladom prirode i čovjeka. Odlučili smo se za obilazak otoka električnim biciklima, ne računajući da će nas putem zavesti Egejsko more koje okružuje bajkovitu Aeginu. Bilo je nemoguće odoljeti kupanju, iako je bio tek početak ožujka i temperatura mora bila sve samo ne privlačna. Nismo požalili. Bicikliranje je taman dovoljno zagrijalo naša tijela, i bilo je to pravi dar, okupati se u srcu Saronskog zaljeva. Nakon večere u lokalnoj taverni i uživanja u romantičnom zalasku sunca, krenuli smo natrag prema Ateni. Jer ujutro nas je čekalo novo putovanje, još dvjestotinjak kilometara prema Nafpliju, gradu koji mnogi nazivaju jednim od najromantičnijih u Grčkoj. I nije razočarao. Svojim pitoresknim uličicama, zidinama s kojih se pruža pogled na pučinu, i starom jezgrom koja jednostavno očarava. U jednom trenutku pomislili smo da je toplina koju smo osjetili u Kalampaki bila posebna. Ali ne. S vremenom smo shvatili, to je jednostavno Grčka. Topli ljudi. Otvoreni osmijesi. Gostoprimstvo koje ne traži ništa zauzvrat. I mačke na svakom koraku. A Benji? U ulici punoj stabala naranči postao je prava atrakcija. Ljudi očito nisu navikli na tako velikog psa. U prvi trenutak netko je pomislio da je medvjed. A onda se stvorio red. Svi su ga željeli pomaziti. Svi su željeli upoznati tog velikog diva nježnog srca. Još koji dan i Benji bi vjerojatno dobio svoju kanticu i posao u kvartu. Prvi dan upoznavali smo kaotičnu Atenu, drugi dan uživali u miru otoka Aegina, a treći je već odavno bio obećan Nafpliju.

Tri dana.
Tri ritma.
Jedno putovanje.

🌿 KroNland