The “Routes of the Olive Tree”´s supporters are mourning one of them.

The “Routes of the Olive Tree”´s supporters are mourning one of them. On Saturday 19th July at 5.30pm, in Abasha (Georgia), one of the initiator of this expedition, Mikhalis Kalogeropoulos, has passed away. A truck driving in the wrong way of the lane has violently bumped into our Expedition´s team.

Mikhalis Kalogeropoulos, 53 years old, architect-entreprenor in Athens, was one of the main “Routes of the Olive Tree”´s supporters, as well as the main collaborator of this trip, he really helped in the realisation of this Expedition.
This tragic event represents the most difficult time the “Routes of the Olive Tree”´s have ever known. It makes all the “Routes of the Olive Tree”´s supporters

20 July 2008: Abasha – Tbilisi

Because of the tragic death of Mikhalis Kalogeropoulos in Georgia, the Routes of the Olive Tree’s participants have had to cope with very painful days.

In such an emergency situation and because Leonidas Damouras, woundered in the accident that killed Mikhalis, had to stay in hospital, we slept under our tents in the hospital’s courtyard.

The riders have then talked about the possible continuation of the trip and the conditions that they had to expect. Deeply shocked and exhausted, 13 of them have made the choice to give up. Some of the organisation members will also go back in order to take part in their fellow traveller and friend’s funeral ceremony. We wish to thank all the riders for their participation and courage they showed in those very difficult moments.

There’s nothing but Mikhalis’ memory and energy, with his passion and determination he gave to the project, that helps us to keep on riding this route today. The expedition continues in tribute to him.

18 July 2008: Ankara – Trabzon

We left in the morning. Last stop in Turkey before our entrance in Georgia, we rode towards the Black Sea and then slept in a hotel in the city of Trabzon. Thus, the participants have enjoyed the beauty and the peace of this break.

17 July 2008: Izmir – Ankara

We gradually left the mediterranean olive trees to go towards new sceneries, even if still well known by the greek riders, many of our foreigner participants were already discovering unknown lands.

Since the road that leads to Ankara is long and straight, the riders had to keep on focusing on the road and had to be aware of not wasting all their energy at once. Half way, we had a lunch break : a traditional meal consisting of a kind of pancake with tea offered by Georges Karabatos.

All along the Anatolian plateau, we enjoyed wonderful sceneries and had to face a cold wind. We eventually arrived in Ankara, were we had a good rest even if our stay in the hotel wasn´t as good as we were expecting it to be.

16 July 2008: Soufli – Izmir

After a difficult phase due to the heat, tiredness and borders formalities, the expedition has eventually arrived vey late in the night in the harbour of Izmir.

A huge group of motorcyclists coming from several different local motorbikes societies, as well as a banquet in the Izmir University of Economics were waiting for our riders.

Because of the strong relationships that unifies Greece and Turkey, and links and the working cooperations between the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Kalamata and Izmir that exist since the first Routes of the Olive Tree’s trips, an olive tree has been planted in the courtyard of the university.

Rolf, one of our riders, has unfortunately hurt his knee and has had to make the difficult choice of dropping this adventure; he’s going to stay in Izmir for a few days and he will then go back to Greece…

15 July 2008: Amfissa – Soufli

Waking up in the shadow of the hundreds years old Amfissa’s olive trees, the riders went through the Parnasse Mount, to join the roads of Thessalie.

They rode 703 km, from the West to the East, having for main stop Larissa, where the Samarina company has kindly offered us a mineral water package in order to help during the most difficult moments of the trip.
The Soufli Motorbikes Club then warmly welcomed us with a “symphony of hunks|”. We settled our camp site for the night in a school yard. The whole city was waiting for us, people with the folklore committee had prepared a party with  music and dances. Being the Silk Road’s first main stop of our trip, Soufli has enabled the participants to discover the traditional Silk making process.

14 July 2008: Pylos – Amfissa

The Routes of the Olive Tree’s caravan has started its trip! The adventure began in Pylos, where, right after the 63rd FIM rally, the “riders of the Routes of the Olive Tree” traveled till Amfissa, which is famous for its endless olive tree “sea”.

There, the Phocide Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Amfissa council had organised a press conference, followed by a convivial buffet-camping party in an olive grove (next to the antique city of Delphi.)